Licio Visintini

Licio Visintini (12 February 1915 – 8 December 1942) was an Italian naval officer during World War II. Visintini was decorated for his operations against Allied shipping in Gibraltar during the Battle of the Mediterranean. His brother Mario Visintini was a famous flying ace; both were killed during the war.

Biography

Visintini joined the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno in 1933, and received his appointment as Ensign in 1937. Initially assigned to surface ships, he participated in missions during the Spanish Civil War; he then served on the submarines Narvalo and then on Atropo. While on the latter, in April 1939, he participated in the operations for the Italian invasion of Albania.

On 10 June 1940, when Italy entered World War II, Visintini was serving on the submarine Torelli, and participated in its first mission in the Atlantic Ocean. On his return, he asked to be assigned to the Tenth MAS Flotilla in La Spezia, where he became an assault craft operator. In 1941, he was promoted to Lieutenant and was given command of the "Ursa Major squadron", deployed against the British naval base at Gibraltar. Visintini and his companions had to swim to the shore, and then they returned to Italy with the help of agents from the Italian Navy intelligence service. The operators then destroyed the SLCs and swam to the coast, where they were again assisted by Italian agents who helped them to return to Italy.

At 23:15 on 7 December 1942, Visintini left Olterra for operation "B.G.5", and steered his manned torpedo towards the port of Gibraltar, with the aim of mining the battleship HMS Nelson. He and his partner, Leading Seaman Giovanni Magro, managed to overcome the external obstructions and entered the harbour, but were both killed by the depth charges thrown by British surveillance to ward off Italian raiders. Visintini and Magro were both awarded a posthumous Gold Medal of Military Valor. Their bodies were recovered by the British and buried with full military honours.

The Marina Militare named a De Cristofaro-class corvette, F 546, after him.