Antonio Legnani

Antonio Legnani
Born	(1888-01-28)28 January 1888 Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Died	23 October 1943(1943-10-23) (aged 55) Lonato, Lombardy, Italy
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy  Italian Social Republic
Service/branch	Regia Marina
Years of service	1905–1943
Rank	Ammiraglio di Squadra (Admiral)
Commands held	Argonauta (submarine) Venezia (scout cruiser) Luciano Manara (submarine) Alberico Da Barbiano (light cruiser) Pola (heavy cruiser) Submarine Squadron/Submarine Fleet Command 8th Naval Division
Battles/wars	Italo-Turkish War World War I Adriatic Campaign Spanish Civil War World War II Battle of the Mediterranean Battle of Calabria Battle of Taranto Battle of Cape Matapan Malta convoys
Awards	Silver Medal of Military Valor (twice) Bronze Medal of Military Valor (twice)

Antonio Legnani (January 28, 1888 – October 23, 1943) was an Italian admiral during World War II.

Born in Piedmont in 1888, Antonio Legnani entered the Naval Academy in Leghorn in 1905. After graduating as an ensign in 1908, he served for a few years on battleships and cruisers, and in 1911-1912 he participated in the Italo-Turkish War as a sub-lieutenant aboard the hydrographic survey ship Staffetta, in Red Sea. During this war, Legnani was promoted to lieutenant and appointed executive officer of the gunboat Giuliana.

In the first two years of World War I, Legnani served on several ships, mainly battleships, cruisers and auxiliary cruisers; he took part in the operations in Albania, obtaining a Silver Medal of Military Valor. In September 1917 he was given command of the submarine Argonauta, on board which he carried out 30 combat missions along the enemy coast, obtaining a second Silver Medal and two Bronze Medals of Military Valor.

After the war, Legnani, who had become a lieutenant commander, interchange shore assignments in Aegean, first in the Castelrosso naval base and later in Lakki (Leros), and periods on submarines and destroyers. In 1926 he was promoted to commander and given command of the scout cruiser Venezia, after which in 1928 he became deputy chief of staff of the Northern Tyrrhenian Naval Department and in 1930 he was given command of the submarine Luciano Manara. In 1931 Legnani was assigned to the Office of chief of staff at the Ministry of the Navy, and in 1933 he was promoted to captain and given command of the light cruiser Alberico da Barbiano. He then became chief of staff of the 5th Naval Division and, in 1936, commanding officer of the heavy cruiser Pola.

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