8 years before the famous raid with Bruno Mussolini and the Socci Verdi another spectacular odyssey was in course acroos the south
Eleven hydroplanes reached the
Earlier in the previous months of December, a giant support operation was assembled by the Regia Marina to provide essential means of communication across the
One of these ships was the Italian cruiser LEONE PANCALDO. Marino Miccoli the son of one crewmember Antonio Miccoli kindly sent some pictures as well as information on his father which was Chief Petty Officer Director of Fire Control in the Italian Navy at the heavy Cruiser FIUME and took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan. In the occasion he was made prisoner by the British from 29/Mar/41 to 19/May/46 POW #123415 in Alexandria, Pretoria and Liverpool and after the war he joined the new Italian Navy where he served until 1962. He died in 1976.
Artistic rendition on the arrival of the Italian aviators at
The picture shows several Italian ships anchored somewhere in
The young offficer Antonio Miccoli
Destroyer LEONE PANCALDO plying the waters of the south
LEONE PANCALDO moored at
One of the 14 Savoya Marchetti SM-55 being assisted by one replenishing ship in the middle of the