Angelo Iachino

Angelo Iachino

Born	(1889-04-24)24 April 1889 Sanremo, Liguria, Italy
Died	3 December 1976(1976-12-03) (aged 87) Rome, Lazio, Italy
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Service/branch	Regia Marina
Years of service	1904–1954
Rank	Ammiraglio d'Armata (Admiral)
Commands held	66 PN (torpedo boat) Ermanno Carlotto gunboat Armando Diaz (light cruiser) Giovanni delle Bande Nere (light cruiser) Italian Naval Academy 2nd Naval Squadron Commander in Chief of the Battle Fleet
Battles/wars	Italo-Turkish War World War I Adriatic Campaign Raid on Pula Spanish Civil War Italian invasion of Albania World War II Battle of the Mediterranean Battle of Cape Spartivento Battle of Taranto Operation Grog Battle of Cape Matapan Operation Substance Operation Halberd First Battle of Sirte Second Battle of Sirte Operation Vigorous
Awards	Silver Medal of Military Valor (twice) War Cross for Military Valor War Merit Cross

Angelo Iachino (or Jachino; April 24, 1889–December 3, 1976) was an Italian admiral during World War II.

Iachino was born in Sanremo, Liguria, in 1889, the son of Giuseppe Iachino, a middle school teacher, and Emilia Piccione. He entered the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno in 1904, and graduated in 1907. In 1911-1912 he participated in the Italo-Turkish War with the rank of Sub-Lieutenant. During World War I he first served on the battleship Giulio Cesare as a Lieutenant and then, in July 1917, he was given command of the torpedo boat 66 PN. In this role he participated in several missions in the Adriatic, including, on 31 October 1918, the support to the Raid on Pula (66 PN was to tow near Pola one of the two MAS carrying Raffaele Rossetti, Raffaele Paolucci and their mignatta, but she was forced to abort due to engine problems). For his bravery in combat actions in the Northern Adriatic he was awarded the Silver Medal of Military Valor in November 1918.

From 1923 to 1928 he served in China as naval attache to the Italian embassy and commanding officer of the gunboat Ermanno Carlotto, stationed in Tientsin; during this period, in 1926, he was promoted to Commander. In 1928 he assumed command of a destroyer, and later (after becoming Captain in 1932) of the light cruiser Armando Diaz in the early 1930s, during a propaganda cruise abroad. In 1936 he was promoted to Contrammiraglio and in 1938 to Ammiraglio di Divisione; during the Spanish Civil War he was the commander of two groups of light ships. In April 1939, onboard the light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere, he participated in the Italian invasion of Albania. In 1939 he became Ammiraglio di Squadra. He also commanded the Livorno Naval Academy for a period.