Luigi Rizzo

Luigi Rizzo
Born	8 October 1887 Milazzo
Died	27 June 1951 Rome (aged 63)
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy (1912-20 and 1940-41)
Service/branch	Regia Marina
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	First World War (1915-1918) Second World War (until 1941)

Luigi Rizzo, 1st Count of Grado and Premuda, nicknamed the Sinker (October 8, 1887 in Milazzo – June 27, 1951 in Rome) was an italian admiral. He is mostly known for his distinguished service during World War I, and his renown is particularly due to his role in the sinking the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István, in June 1918.

After receiving his training at the Naval Academy in Livorno, he was appointed ship-of-the-line sub-lieutenant within the Italian Navy in 1912. He saw action in the First World War (1915–1918), when he conducted several spectacular raids as commander of torpedo boats (PT boat MAS) against ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

In December 1917 he sank the Austro-Hungarian Pre-dreadnought battleship SMS Wien, that was at anchor inside the defences of Trieste harbour.

On February 10, 1918 three MAS boats (with the MAS 96 commanded by Rizzo), attack Austrian shipping inside the harbour of Bakar (now in Croatia) a port in an enclosed bay near Fiume, at the head of the Kvarner Gulf. As it lay 80 km into a sheltered waterway, it was thought to be beyond attack, so the raid was intended as a psychological, as well as a physical, assault. The operation become famous as Bakar Mockery (In Italian: Beffa di Buccari).

On June 10, 1918 Rizzo sank the large battleship SMS Szent István off Premuda. The sinking of the 21,700-ton SMS Szent István was the greatest success of any MAS torpedo boat and is still celebrated in the Italian Navy on June 10 every year. It forms an important anniversary in the Italian naval history.

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Wikipedia