Oreste Fortuna ( Italian. Oreste Fortuna ; May 4, 1893 - 1974) - Italian officer, tanker, participant in the Spanish Civil War . Cavalier of Italy's highest award for the feat on the battlefield - the gold medal "For Military Valor" (1937).
Oreste Fortuna | ||||||
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ital Oreste fortune | ||||||
Date of Birth | May 4, 1893 | |||||
Place of Birth | Potenza , Kingdom of Italy | |||||
Date of death | 1974 | |||||
Place of death | Rome , Italy | |||||
Affiliation | Kingdom of Italy | |||||
Type of army | tank forces | |||||
Rank | captain | |||||
Part | Tank and armored car group , 4th Tank Regiment | |||||
Battles / Wars | Spanish Civil War
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Awards and prizes |
Content
Biography
Born on May 4, 1893 in the city of Potenza , Basilicata region , Kingdom of Italy [1] .
Commander of the 1st Tank Company L3 / 35 Tank and Armored Car Group Italian volunteer corps Captain Oreste Fortuna distinguished himself in the Spanish Civil War . Arriving in Spain on September 29, 1936, 10 tankettes under the command of Captain Oreste Fortuna on October 21 took part in the battles for Navalcarnero (near Madrid ) [2] . From 3 to 8 February 1937, Italian tanks had a significant impact on the successful outcome of the battles for the base of the Republican fleet in Malaga . However, on March 8–23, 1937, in the battles for Guadalajara, Republican troops defeated the nationalists and Italian forces.
From the presentation of the award [1] :
The commander of a tank platoon, previously repeatedly awarded for bravery, decisively dispersed the enemy. Wounded by a bursting bullet in the face, despite heavy bleeding, he continued to carry out the task set for him, and he managed to capture several prisoners, including two officers. The second wound was even harder than the first, but with multiple injuries, despite the desperate physical condition, retained the command of the platoon and organized a reflection of the counterattack. After the infantry units arrived, he refused medical assistance and continued to fight in one of the surviving tanks, putting the enemy's units to flight. Only at nightfall, having reported to his commander, he went to the hospital.
Highway to France, Trihueke , March 9-12, 1937.
Original text (ital.)Comandante di compagnia carri d'assalto, di provato ardimento, più volte decorato al valore . Ferito da pallottola esplosiva al viso, nonostante la copiosa emorragia, continua a combattere fino alla conquista dell'obiettivo riuscendo anche a catturare vari prigionieri, fra cui due ufficiali. Ferito ancora più gravemente una second volta, conquatro vertebre fratturate e sei contuse, nonostante le condizioni fishera disperate, manteneva il comando del reparto e repingeva un contrattacco. Sopraggiunte le nostre fanterie, non ascoltando le preghiere dei dipendenti, che lo altera de ate et al, testa dei superstiti carre etientieno regenosi con una mano la testa de altera della feritoia e mano ryo de la etra de la tera de la etra de torre de torre de torre de la anthratiro metteva in fuga un reparto avversario. Soltanto a notte inoltrata rientrava nelle nostre linee e, dopo aver riferito al suo superiore, consentiva a farsi medicare e ad essere sgombrato. Strada di Francia -Trijueque, 9-12 marzo 1937.
Captain Oreste Fortuna was seriously wounded in these battles, was left disabled.
The Spanish experience of using tank units was highly appreciated by the Italian General Staff, which, following the results of a successful war, formed the strategy of a maneuverable war, where tank units became the main operating forces [3] .
Retired General Oreste Fortuna died of a heart attack in Rome at the age of 81 [4] .
Awards
- Gold Medal "For Military Valor" (1937)
- two silver medals "For military valor" [5]
- two bronze medals "For military valor" [5] (September 22, 1928, July 12, 1929 [6] )
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Oreste Fortuna (ital.) . Presidenza della Repubblica (Official site of the President of the Republic of Italy). The appeal date was August 13, 2012. Archived October 2, 2012.
- ↑ Steven J. Zaloga. Initial battles for Madrid // Spanish Civil War Tanks. - Osprey Publishing, 2010. - p. 15. - 48 p. - ISBN 978 1 84603 512 8 .
- ↑ Birth of the Karristi . Tank front. The appeal date was August 12, 2012. Archived October 2, 2012.
- ↑ Oreste Fortuna (ital.) . Associazione Nazionale Carristi d'Italia. The appeal date was August 12, 2012. Archived October 2, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 Maurizio Parri. L'ESPERIENZA OPERATIVA IN SPAGNA // Tracce di Cingolo. Compendio generale di storia dei carristi 1917-2009. . - p. 41. - 199 p. Archived copy from September 27, 2013 on Wayback Machine
- ↑ Azioni di Guerra - 1920 - 1931 - Medagliere (ital.) . Sezione Anai di Modena (March 18, 2009). The appeal date was August 12, 2012. Archived October 2, 2012.
Literature
- Mesa, José Luis de: El regreso de las legiones: (la ayuda militar italiana a la España nacional, 1936-1939) , García Hispán, Granada, España, 1994 ISBN 84-87690-33-5
Links
- Oreste Fortuna (ital.) . Presidenza della Repubblica (Official site of the President of the Republic of Italy). The appeal date was August 13, 2012. Archived October 2, 2012.