The Submarine Captain Who Saved His Enemies (Salvatore Todaro, Italy)

Quick answer: Who was Salvatore Todaro?

Salvatore Todaro commanded the Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini. In October 1940, after sinking the Belgian ship Kabalo off Madeira, he towed the survivors' lifeboat, then carried them aboard to the Azores. He later did the same after sinking the British ship Shakespear, towing survivors to the Cape Verde Islands.

In October 1940, off Madeira, the Italian submarine Comandante Cappellini sank the Belgian merchant ship Kabalo. What Captain Salvatore Todaro did next made him a legend. He surfaced, found the survivors, and took their lifeboat in tow toward neutral territory through heavy seas. When towing became too dangerous, he brought them aboard and landed them on Santa Maria in the Azores. When a Belgian officer expressed surprise, Todaro said: “I am a seaman like you. I am convinced that in my place you would have done the same.” He did it again after sinking the British ship Shakespear, towing survivors to the Cape Verde Islands. That repetition, John notes, turns a remarkable moment into a command philosophy. And it was costly: a surfaced submarine towing a lifeboat is slow and exposed. John offers a usable pattern for the rest of us: name the duty that survives the conflict, accept the cost before you act, and choose the move that keeps you from becoming the worst version of yourself.

Why it matters for leaders: Honor is rarely dramatic; it's choosing the harder, kinder, costlier thing when power gives you permission to be indifferent.

Q: What did Todaro tell a surprised Belgian officer?

A: “I am a seaman like you. I am convinced that in my place you would have done the same.”

Q: Why was Todaro's choice costly?

A: A submarine towing survivors on the surface is slower, easier to spot, and more vulnerable to attack.

Read the full essay on Substack → https://heroespath.substack.com/p/the-submarine-captain-who-saved-his

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation