Riccardo Paladini

Riccardo Paladini (12 September 1879 – 19 March 1943) was an Italian admiral during World War II.

Biography

Riccardo Paladini was born in Montopoli in Val d'Arno, in the Province of Florence in 1879 and was admitted to the Livorno Naval Academy in 1893, graduating five years later with the rank of ensign. In the following years he served on the cruiser Amerigo Vespucci, the battleship Enrico Dandolo, and in 1908–1909 on the protected cruiser Ettore Fieramosca, stationed in South America. ); in 1937–1938 he was commander of the Autonomous Naval Command of Sicily and then (after promotion to Ammiraglio di Squadra, Admiral) he was commander of the Naval Department of the Ionian Sea and Otranto Channel. His active participation in the conflict ended abruptly after only a month and a half: on 25 July 1940 Paladini came down with angina pectoris and had to leave his command, replaced by Admiral Angelo Iachino. In September 1940 he returned to the command of the Naval Academy; during this period, in 1942, he was promoted to Ammiraglio di Squadra designato d'armata. On 12 September 1942 he was placed in auxiliary due to age limits, but he was immediately recalled to service, always as the commander of the Naval Academy; in January 1943 he was promoted to Ammiraglio d'Armata (Admiral). He suddenly died in Livorno, on 19 March 1943, of heart problems.