Fifty-four years ago, at dawn on November 9, 1971, the sea of Meloria claimed fifty-two lives: 46 paratroopers of the Folgore and 6 aviators of the Royal Air Force. They were flying to Sardinia for the NATO exercise Cold Stream, when the C-130 Hercules XV216 “Gesso 4” disappeared into the darkness, a few miles off the coast of Livorno.
It was one of the most painful pages in the history of Italian airborne troops, a trauma that forever marked the Paratrooper Brigade “Folgore” and the city of Livorno. Today, November 9, 2025, that tragedy remains a living memory, etched in ceremonies, monuments, and the composed silence of the units.
The context: Cold Stream and the “tactical flight”
We are in 1971, in the midst of the Cold War. Italy's role in the NATO chessboard is crucial: in case of conflict against the Soviet Union, the Folgore is called to be the advanced spearhead of reaction.
Cold Stream was created to perfect mass airdrops with modern criteria: the CARP (Calculated Air Release Point) allowed for the selection of smaller landing zones, boarding paratroopers in planes by their respective units, and reducing reorganization times on the ground. The tactic involves a tight formation: ten planes spaced 15 seconds apart, very low altitude to evade radar, a short climb near the drop zone, and a rapid dive after the airdrop to return under cover.
From the experience gained during World War II, it emerged that mass airdrops presented critical issues during the drop phase and the subsequent reorganization of paratroopers on the ground.
At dawn, nine C-130 Hercules of the Royal Air Force and an Andover take off from Pisa San Giusto with 396 paratroopers headed to Villacidro (Cagliari).
It is an operation never attempted before, in terms of size and complexity, in the history of Italian airborne troops.
The incident: “Gesso 4” does not respond
The ten military aircraft were each marked with a chalk number on the side of the aircraft.
At 04:55, the Andover “Gesso 1” takes off, leading the formation with the equipment for the CARP and dropping ten paratroopers of the Sappers Battalion.
At 05:41, the first C-130 “Gesso 2” takes off, carrying the Commander of the Folgore, the MOVM of El Alamein "Aquila 1" General Ferruccio Brandi, who was celebrating his 51st birthday that day.
Takeoffs follow every 15 seconds from the runway; “Gesso 9” and “Gesso 10” are delayed and will not depart with the first group.
In the stretch between Pisa and Livorno, the crew of “Gesso 5”—following at a distance “Gesso 4”—notices a sudden flash over the sea. Lt. Col. Scott, commander of the formation, calls all aircraft: six respond, “Gesso 4” is missing.
Scott turns with “Gesso 8” towards the estimated impact point; the rest of the formation continues towards Sardinia. In Pisa, Maj. Antonio Milani, head of operations for the Folgore, takes off in an AB-205 helicopter towards the Secche della Meloria.
At sea, an oil slick, backpacks, a landing gear, empty lifeboats: the first, tragic clues.
General Brandi, informed just after landing by parachute in Sardinia, immediately returns to Livorno.
Meanwhile, the Folgore continues the exercise: a harsh but consistent gesture with the operational logic of the time.
The causes of the incident
A commission of inquiry is established, but it can only operate fully after the wreck is found.
No emergency call was made from “Gesso 4”. Despite the recovery of large sections of the aircraft, the cause was never determined with certainty.
From the arrangement of the wreckage, investigators hypothesized a flight at too low an altitude and an attempt to pull up: the tail would have hit the water, causing the aircraft to break apart.
A reconstruction consistent with the tactical flight profile and the complexity of a mission conducted in the dark, skimming the sea, in tight formation.
The recovery: months of searches
The searches begin immediately, directed by the Maritime Military Department “Alto Tirreno”: naval units, air assets, but rough seas and uncertain coordinates render the initial effort futile. By cross-referencing observations from land and lighthouse references, Majors Orrù and Milani delimit a new area: on November 15, the minesweeper Ontano locates the wreck of “Gesso 4” at a depth of about 50 meters.
From November 17, operations intensify: the Italian Navy coordinates with the support ship Pietro Cavezzale, supported by Carabinieri, State Police, and Paratrooper Sappers Battalion. The British counterpart Layburn also arrives. The bodies are recovered, identified thanks to the serial numbers of parachutes and individual weapons.
On November 18, 1971, during operations, Sgt. Maj. Giannino Caria frees himself from the safety line to explore the wreck more deeply: he will not resurface. An Air Force officer dives in and brings him back to the surface, lifeless: for that act, Caria will receive the Gold Medal for Civil Valor, with a citation that is already a story of dedication and brotherhood in arms.
Ship Cavezzale remains in Livorno until February 10, 1972, when the searches are suspended: 35 paratroopers and 3 aviators are found. New reports will lead to further recoveries in the following months, but ten bodies will never be found.
On January 9, 1972, in the Cathedral of Livorno, President of the Republic Giovanni Leone attends the funerals: the funeral processions will be repeated several times, as the sea returns its sons.
The Fallen
Folgore Paratroopers
S.Ten. P.M. Magnaghi · S.Ten. E. Borghesan · Mar. Ca. G. Augello · Serg. Magg. C. Celozzi · C.le Magg. C. Colombini · C.le M. Benericetti · C.le S. Bolzoni · C.le A. Fiumara · C.le G. Ianni · C.le P. Interrante · C.le S. Licori · C.le F. Vantaggiato · Par. L. Angelini · Par. E. Carta · Par. A. Ciappellano · Par. M. Carasi · Par. A. Deiana · Par. V. De Marco · Par. L. Dal Lago · Par. U. De Mitri · Par. P. Dessi · Par. P. Donnarumma · Par. D. Dal Zotto · Par. A. De Vito · Par. A. D’Alessandro · Par. G. D’Alessandro · Par. G. Di Natale · Par. F. Dall’Asta · Par. M. Ferrari · Par. G. Facchetti · Par. C. Frasson · Par. S. Fumosa · Par. W. Furgeri · Par. R. Fracassetti · Par. R. Giannattasio · Par. G. Giannini · Par. B. Guidorzi · Par. G. Guarnieri · Par. A. Ginex · Par. A. Gilioli · Par. R. Liuzzi · Par. D. Matelli · Par. R. Morganti · Par. E. Quarti · Par. S. Sabatini · Par. L. Torsello
RAF Crew
FLT./LT. C.G. Harrison · FG.OFF. R. Swann Proce · FG.OFF M. Fawcett · F./SGT. B.D. King · SGT. R.R. Lee · SGT. P. Fulford
The commemorations
Every year the Folgore remembers the Fallen of Meloria with a ceremony attended by the military and civil authorities of the city of Livorno, along with associations and citizens.
This year's edition was however marred by a vile act: unknown individuals, during the night between November 6 and 7, damaged the wreath and part of the tributes laid at the foot of the monument, deliberately targeting a symbolic place of collective memory and sacrifice.
The monument, located in via Dino Provenzal (Banditella), was erected on the initiative of Paratrooper Assault Marshal Paolo Frediani (who passed away in 2019) and has become over the years a reference point for those who, in Livorno and beyond, preserve the history and values linked to the tragedy of Meloria and the paratrooper community.
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