Irnerio Bertuzzi
Encyclopedia
Irnerio Bertuzzi was an Italian
military aviator
of World War II
who also served as personal pilot
to Enrico Mattei
, head of the Italian petroleum company Agip
. He died at age 43 when the aircraft he was flying was sabotage
d to crash.
he flew Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
aircraft
in the Aerosiluranti (torpedo bomber
) squadrons of Regia Aeronautica
with the rank of Tenente. After 8 September 1943 he chose to fight for the Italian Social Republic
as a member of the Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia
-Faggioni. Commander of the 2nd Squadron of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
, he led several torpedo bombing raids against the Allied fleet at Anzio
and Gibraltar
, often by night, since Bertuzzi was exceptionally skilled in instrument flight
.
Bertuzzi was awarded two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal of Military Valor during the war.
and a stint with Douglas DC-6
s in South America
, he was hired by Eni
in 1958 to lead the company's aircraft fleet. The chairman, Enrico Mattei
, trusted him implicitly despite his being a decorated ex-partisan
and Bertuzzi an ex-fascist.
Bertuzzi was at the controls of Mattei's Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris executive jet
(I–SNAP) when it crashed in the countryside surrounding Bascapè
in the province of Pavia
, on 27 October 1962. Besides Bertuzzi and Mattei, American
Time–Life journalist
William McHale was also killed in the crash. Shortly before takeoff
on the fateful flight, he had announced to Mattei his intention to quit his job to take the lead in a new society called Alis.
Four months after the crash, the first enquiry was dismissed, attributing the liability of the disaster to the pilot's physical and psychological status and to technical malfunctions. In 2003, however the inquiry of the Pavia
Deputy Public Prosecutor Vincenzo Calia ascertained that the crash was caused by the explosion of ca. 100 gr. of Composition B
planted behind the instrument panel and directly on the landing gear
lowering mechanism.
At the time of his death, Bertuzzi had logged 11,236 flying hours of which 625 were on the MS.760 aircraft.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
military aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who also served as personal pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
to Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. Instead Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the National Fuel Trust Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi...
, head of the Italian petroleum company Agip
Agip
Agip is an Italian automotive gasoline and diesel retailer established in 1926. It is a subsidiary of the multinational petroleum company Eni.In 2003, Eni S.p.A...
. He died at age 43 when the aircraft he was flying was sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
d to crash.
Military career
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he flew Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79
The Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero was a three-engined Italian medium bomber with a wood and metal structure. Originally designed as a fast passenger aircraft, this low-wing monoplane, in the years 1937–39, set 26 world records that qualified it for some time as the fastest medium bomber in the...
aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
in the Aerosiluranti (torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
) squadrons of Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
with the rank of Tenente. After 8 September 1943 he chose to fight for the Italian Social Republic
Italian Social Republic
The Italian Social Republic was a puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Nation" and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Benito Mussolini and his Republican Fascist Party. The RSI exercised nominal sovereignty in northern Italy but was largely dependent on the Wehrmacht to maintain control...
as a member of the Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia
Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia
Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia was an Italian aviator, and one of the most famous Italian pilots of World War II....
-Faggioni. Commander of the 2nd Squadron of Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana
thumb|250px|Wing emblem of the A.N.R. from 1944 to 1945.The National Republican Air Force was the air force of the Italian Social Republic during World War II, closely linked with the German Air Force in northern Italy.-Description:This air force was tasked with defending the industrial areas of...
, he led several torpedo bombing raids against the Allied fleet at Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
and Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, often by night, since Bertuzzi was exceptionally skilled in instrument flight
Instrument flight rules
Instrument flight rules are one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other are visual flight rules ....
.
Bertuzzi was awarded two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal of Military Valor during the war.
Flying for Mattei
In the years following World War II, after a long period flying with AlitaliaAlitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
and a stint with Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
s in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, he was hired by Eni
Eni
Eni S.p.A. is an Italian multinational oil and gas company, present in 70 countries, and currently Italy's largest industrial company with a market capitalization of 87.7 billion euros , as of July 24, 2008...
in 1958 to lead the company's aircraft fleet. The chairman, Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei
Enrico Mattei was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian Petroleum Agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. Instead Mattei enlarged and reorganized it into the National Fuel Trust Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi...
, trusted him implicitly despite his being a decorated ex-partisan
Partisan
-Political matters:*Partisan In politics, partisan literally means organized into political parties. The expression "partisan politics" usually refers to fervent, sometimes militant, support of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea...
and Bertuzzi an ex-fascist.
Bertuzzi was at the controls of Mattei's Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris executive jet
Business jet
Business jet, private jet or, colloquially, bizjet is a term describing a jet aircraft, usually of smaller size, designed for transporting groups of up to 19 business people or wealthy individuals...
(I–SNAP) when it crashed in the countryside surrounding Bascapè
Bascapè
Bascapè is a comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 20 km southeast of Milan and about 20 km northeast of Pavia...
in the province of Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, on 27 October 1962. Besides Bertuzzi and Mattei, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Time–Life journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
William McHale was also killed in the crash. Shortly before takeoff
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
on the fateful flight, he had announced to Mattei his intention to quit his job to take the lead in a new society called Alis.
Four months after the crash, the first enquiry was dismissed, attributing the liability of the disaster to the pilot's physical and psychological status and to technical malfunctions. In 2003, however the inquiry of the Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
Deputy Public Prosecutor Vincenzo Calia ascertained that the crash was caused by the explosion of ca. 100 gr. of Composition B
Composition B
Composition B, colloquially "comp B", is an explosive consisting of castable mixtures of RDX and TNT. It is used as the main explosive filling in artillery projectiles, rockets, land mines, hand grenades, sticky bombs and various other munitions...
planted behind the instrument panel and directly on the landing gear
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
lowering mechanism.
At the time of his death, Bertuzzi had logged 11,236 flying hours of which 625 were on the MS.760 aircraft.
Honors and awards
Silver Medal of Military ValorSilver Medal of Military ValorThe Silver Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.Italian medals for valor were first instituted by Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia on May 21, 1793, with a gold medal, and, below it, a silver medal...
(twice)
Bronze Medal of Military ValorBronze Medal of Military ValorThe Bronze Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal for gallantry.It was established by Charles Albert of Sardinia on March 26, 1833, along with the higher ranking Gold and Silver Medals for Military valor...