A hero of everyday life. A life at the service of the country. The adm. Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano

(To Marina Militare)
24/01/18

"Teacher, never cathedratico, never distant or isolated in the rigid confines of his doctrine; essential teacher, simple, present, attentive, coherent, authoritative and human"He was a" daily hero ", the admiral of Squadra Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano, an example to indicate to the new generations, as he recalled last December 13 the current dean of submarines, admiral of the team Giuseppe Arena.

A hundred years after the birth of one of the protagonists, between December 1942 and August 1944, of brilliant war actions under the command of the submarine Platinum, the Navy indicates him as a witness of human and professional qualities. Awarded with two silver medals for military valor (awarded in the field), five bronze medals for military valor (four awarded in the field), two war crosses for military valor (awarded in the field), cross of war merit, Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy and Knight of the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Italy, the highest military honor of the Italian State, before him - in the Navy - granted only to Admiral Thaon di Revel, in 1919.

Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano has always been close to his men even at the end of active service. A brilliant and determined man. Among his many actions of war is remembered that of 30 January 1943 when, in the bay of Bougie (Algeria), thanks to the launch of 4 torpedoes, he managed to sink the British corvette Samphire from 1015 tons. At the proclamation of the armistice, 8 September 1943, interrupted the mission as ordered and directed to Bona, Tunisia, in the port that was in the hands of the allies. He maintained the command of the Platinum through the armistice events up to August 1944.

After the Paris Peace Treaty (10 February 1947), Patrelli Campagnano was fundamental for the rebirth of the underwater component, eliminated from the treaty clauses. At that time, after being commander in 2ª, del Submersible Group of Brindisi and del Submersible Command in Taranto, he had been assigned to the Naval Academy as a commander to the class of gods Normal Courses. Assignment that took place up to 1949. Promoted corvette captain in the 1950, from the 1954 to the 1955 assumed command of the submarine Enrico Tazzoli, sold by the US Navy. He himself transferred the boat from the United States to Italy. Promoted frigate captain in July 1954, disembarked since Tazzoli in October of the 1955, he was appointed director of the courses in the Naval Academy, a position he held until 1958, when he assumed command of the destroyer Gunner. In the 1959 he was promoted to captain of a ship, destined for the Operations Department of the Naval Staff where he remained until 1962, to then return to Taranto under the command of the Submersible Group.

From the 1964 to the 1967 he was Naval Attaché in London, he achieved the promotion to Rear Admiral in the 1966; from 1968 to 1970 held a position within NATO in Verona, as representative of the Allied naval commander of Southern Europe at the command of the Allied terrestrial forces of Southern Europe. From 1970 to 1971 he assumed the role of commander of submarines (MARICOSOM). Promoted to Division Admiral, in the 1972-1975 period, he was commander of the Autonomous Maritime Military Command of Sicily. Subsequently, as a team admiral (grade taken on January 1 1975) he returned to Brussels, as military adviser to the Italian representative in the Atlantic Council, a position he held until 1979, when he was placed in auxiliary.

While never forgetting his Campania, where he was born in the municipality of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, he had made Taranto his homeland. And in the city of the two seas he continued to stay close to his submariners until his death on 7 September 2013. His qualities and his example for the new submariners were remembered in Taranto, on the occasion of the hundred years of his birth, at the presence of the daughter Antonella, the commander of the submarines (MARICOSOM), the captain of the vessel Andrea Petroni, the commander of the flotilla, the captain of the vessel Giorgio Cossiga and his daughter. A delegation from the National submarine component (CNS), born within ANMI, with the divisional admiral Filippo Casamassima who, as president, handed the number one membership card to the admiral Arena nominating him as honorary president of the CNS.

A way to pass on the human and professional achievements of Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano to continue to draw on his wisdom and his expertise for the years to come.