The Pilade Bronzetti

The Pilade Bronzetti’s involvement in these events began the night of 6 December 1920, when her crew mutinied. Surprising their officers during breakfast, the crew forced the ship to sail to Fiume. Though facts surrounding this event are vague, there are existing press releases stating that the vessel was delivered to Gabriele D’Annunzio, and that he gave a speech from the stairs of his administrative office, thanking the “young rescuers of the honor of the Italian Navy.” This indicates that he took possession of the vessel. Together with the desertion of two other ships and four armored cars, the desertion of the Pilade Bronzetti made the situation in Fiume even worse. Ultimately, it led to the “Christmas of blood,” the bombardment of Fiume, and an armed conflict between Italian soldiers and the insurrectionists. In the end, the government of Fiume surrendered, and D’Annunzio, slightly injured after six days of battle, left town, followed by his irregulars.

With the conclusion of hostilities, the Pilade Bronzetti was returned to the Royal Navy and renamed Giuseppe Dezza; Dezza was an Italian patriot known for his participation in the military campaign of Giuseppe Garibaldi. As the Giuseppe Dezza, the vessel recommenced its naval service in the Mechanical School of Venice, and in October of 1923, was sent to Taranto to be refitted. At this time her tonnage was increased, as were her compliment of crew and armament. Her weapons were increased to five 102/35-mm guns, two 40/39-mm guns, and four 450-mm torpedoes. The ten-year-old vessel returned to service in 1925 and was stationed in Naples. In April of 1926, she was assigned to the Torpedo Division and later used to transfer the Governor of Tripolitania from Tripoli to Naples. In 1927, the Giuseppe Dezza was stationed in Taranto as the Flagship, and in October of 1929 was classified as a torpedo boat in the Command School of Taranto.

The Giuseppe Dezza continued her service throughout World War II as a patrol and escort vessel. During World War II, torpedo boats were assigned the heavy and dangerous duty of escorting merchant ships, which were necessary for supplying troops, with assisting those lost at sea, and with hunting submarines. The few surviving torpedo boats were demolished in the fifties. The destroyer’s wartime record was impressive: twenty-seven missions against submarines and one hundred and seventy-four convoy missions as an escort. The beginning of World War II found her in Messina. She was then immediately transferred to Cagliari, where on 9 January 1941 she took part in the unsuccessful hunt of the British submarine Pandora, which had been responsible for sinking several steamers.