Arturo Riccardi (30 October 1878-20 December 1966) was the Chief-of-Staff of the Italian Navy from 1940 to 1943, succeeding Domenico Cavagnari.
Biography[]
Arturo Riccardi was born on 30 October 1878 in Pavia, Italy, and he entered the naval academy at Livorno. In 1900-1901 he saw action in the Boxer Rebellion alongside the Italian Marines, and he also saw action in the 1905 Far East campaign. During World War I, Riccardi was awarded several medals for valor, and in 1932 he was promoted to Admiral during the Interwar Years. On 11-12 November 1941, Riccardi fought the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom at the Battle of Taranto during World War II, and in 1940 he succeeded Domenico Cavagnari as the Chief-of-Staff of the Royal Italian Navy. This new post gave him control of both the navy and aviation of Italy, and on 25 July 1943 he was forced to surrender both positions after the downfall of Benito Mussolini. On 20 December 1966, he died in Rome at the age of 88.