Uniforms of the Italian Navy

The uniforms for the officers and enlisted men of the Italian Navy are made of dark blue cloth for dress uniforms and for undress uniforms for winter wear and of white cotton duck or linen for wear in hot weather. In general the design of the uniform is similar to those of the British Navy with the exception of the undress coat which is similar to the service coat for officers of the United States Navy.

Commissioned officers are required to have special full dress, full dress, dress, blue undress and white undress uniforms.

The special full dress uniform consists of a cocked hat very similar to that worn by American naval officers, a double-breasted cutaway frock coat with turn-down collar and notched lapels buttoned down the front with two rows of service gilt buttons; dark blue trousers with gold lace braid stripes down the outer leg seams, and black shoes. Epaulets similar to those worn in the United States Navy and a sword belt covered with gold lace are worn with this uniform, and a blue silk sash is worn from the right shoulder diagonally across the body to the left side where it is knotted and the ends have tassels.

The full dress uniform consists of a double-breasted frock coat very similar to that worn in the United States Navy; a bell-crowned cap of dark blue cloth with a sloping visor; plain dark blue trousers, and black shoes. Epaulets and the full dress belt are worn with this uniform.

The dress uniform is the same as the full dress with the exceptions that the epaulets are omitted and the sword belt is of black leather.

The blue undress uniform consists of the blue cap, a single-breasted sack coat on the lines of that worn by officers of the United States Navy with black braid trimming around the edges and collar and down the front with which shoulder straps are worn.

Photo. Harris & Ewing, Washington, D. C.

Italian Army. Officers’ service uniform

Italian Navy, Officers’ sleeve decorations indicating rank

1. Admiral	2. Vice Admiral	3. Rear Admiral
4. Captain	5. Commander	6. Lieutenant Commander
7. Lieutenant	8. Sub Lieutenant	9. Midshipman

The white undress uniform is of the same description as the blue undress except that the material is white cotton or linen duck.

The rank of officers in the Italian Navy is indicated by gold braid stripes around the sleeves above the cuffs as shown in the accompanying illustration.

The corps or branch of the service to which an officer belongs is indicated as follows:—

Line officers	By the “curl” in the upper rank stripe.
Engineer officers	By stripes of black velvet between the rank stripes.
Naval Constructors	By stripes of crimson velvet between the rank stripes.
Medical officers	By stripes of light blue cloth between the rank stripes.
Paymasters	By stripes of red cloth between the rank stripes.

Officers of the Staff Corps do not have the “curl” in the upper rank stripe.

The insignia on the front of the cap consist of an oval medallion surrounded by a gold wreath and surmounted by the Royal Crown of Italy in gold on a blue ground. The medallion in the center shows the corps or branch of the service, Line officers having a gold foul anchor on a light blue ground, Engineer officers a gold three-bladed propeller on a black ground. Medical officers a red Geneva cross on a white ground, Naval Constructors a gold helmet on a red ground, and Paymasters a gold star on a red ground.

The band of the cap is of the distinctive color of the corps or branch of the officer and has sewn upon it gold stripes indicating the rank of the wearer.

On the right side of the cocked hat there is a cockade of red, white and green silk.

Chief Warrant officers wear uniforms similar to the commissioned officers’ uniforms with one gold stripe broken by diagonal blocks of blue silk with the corps mark above it on the cuffs. Their cap has a black mohair braid band and insignia on the front like those of commissioned officers except that the Royal crown is omitted.

Warrant officers wear the same uniform as Chief Warrant officers except that the stripe of gold braid on the sleeve is omitted and the corps insignia alone are worn on the sleeves above the elbow.

Enlisted men wear uniforms of dark blue cloth or white duck depending upon the temperature, these uniforms being similar in general design to those of the United States Navy.

The insignia of rank for Petty officers are as follows:—

Chief Petty officers	A gold chevron of one wide stripe and one narrow stripe on each sleeve above the elbow with the branch mark above it. An additional chevron is added after three years’ service in the grade.
Petty officers	A red chevron of one wide stripe and one narrow one on each sleeve above the elbow with the branch mark above it, in red.
Leading Seamen	A chevron of one narrow red stripe with the branch mark above it, in red.
Able Seamen	The branch mark in red on each sleeve above the elbow.
Ordinary Seamen	The sleeves are plain.

The specialty or branch marks for the different corps or branches of the enlisted men are as follows:—

The Line or Deck branch.	A foul anchor.
Navigating branch	A steering wheel.
Engineers	A three-bladed propeller.
Firemen	A two-bladed propeller.
Torpedo branch	Two torpedoes crossed with a hammer below.
Gunnery branch	Two cannon crossed.
Gunlayers	Two cannon crossed with a bursting bomb in the center.
Electricians	A device representing three branches of zig-zag lightning with a hammer in the center.
Mining division	A submarine mine case.
Divers	A submarine mine case and a hammer.
Carpenters	Two hatchets crossed.
Plumbers	Two hatchets crossed with a flame in the center.
Joiners	A saw.
Musician of the band	Two anchors crossed with a harp in the center.
Radio operators	Three branches of zig-zag lightning.
Hospital man	A gold star with a red Geneva cross on white ground in the center.
Stewards	A sheaf of wheat.
Buglers	An anchor crossed by a trumpet.
Signalman	A triangular pennant with vertical stripes.

Enlisted men who have been promoted for gallantry in war service wear a gold crown on the sleeves above the specialty marks.