Francesco Mimbelli

Francesco Mimbelli (16 April 1903 Livorno – 26 January 1978 in Rome) was an Italian Naval officer who fought in World War II.

Mimbelli was the commander of a torpedo boat flotilla which fought in the Battle of Crete. He was responsible for defending a convoy of two thousand German troops going to Crete in the face of superior British forces. Although the odds were heavily stacked against them (one torpedo boat against the seven ships of Force D) more than two thirds of the convoy survived due to Mimbelli's maneuvers.

He was later appopinted commander of the Italian naval forces based in the Black Sea, where he commanded a flotilla of MAS boats. The Italian motorboats were responsible for sinking two submarines and a transport ship. They also torpedoed the Soviet cruiser Molotov which was not repaired until after the end of the conflict.

In 1946 Mimbelli was appointed captain of the cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi. He was subsequently promoted to Rear Admiral and became commander of the Italian Naval Academy. He retired as a Vice Admiral in 1964.

In 1992 the De la Penne class Italian destroyer Francesco Mimbelli was named in his honour.

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