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Carlo Fecia di Cossato
L'uomo, il mito ed il marinaio
(man, legend, and sailor)

by Achille Rastelli
Published in Italian by Murzia

Carlo Fecia of Cossato is remembered by naval historians as one of the most skilled and bravest Italian submariners of World War II. In 22 months, at the command of the Tazzoli, he sank 16 merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean for a total of over 86,000 tons. Immediately after the Italian armistice of September 8th 1943, while in command of the torpedo boat Aliseo in the waters off Bastia, he was also the protagonist of the first victorious reaction against the Germans. In June 1944, in Taranto, he was the protagonist of a strong pro-monarchic standing, which involved a good part of the fleet’s sailors. Two months later, in Naples, he committed suicide in confused circumstances which, in the postwar period, made him the object of factional exploitation.

This book does not offer a sure answer to the last days of Carlo Fecia di Cossato - hardly decipherable for the spiritual loneliness in which he matured his decision - still it tries to deepen the understanding of some aspects of an unclear period of Italian history.

ACHILLE Rastelli was born in Brianza (Milan) in 1944. He has been involved for many years with history in general, and naval history in particular. Among his more recent publications are: “Bombe sulla città” (Bombs on the city), Mursia 2000, (Battaglie terrestri del XX secolo” (Land Battles of the XX century) Mondadori 2000 and 2001,  “La Portaerei italiana” (The Italian Aircraft carrier) Mursia 2000.