Francesco Maugeri (Gela, 14 October 1898 – Turin, 8 September 1978) was an Italian admiral, head of the Servizio Informazioni Segrete during World War II and Chief of Staff of the Marina Militare between 1947 and 1948.

[1][2] In early 1945 Maugeri was promoted to vice admiral, and after the end of the war he was given command of the Northern Tyrrhenian Naval Department, with headquarters in La Spezia.

[1][12][2] In 1948 Admiral Maugeri wrote in English the book From the ashes of disgrace, published in New York and never translated in Italy, recounting his experience during the war expressing sympathy for the Allies and aversion to the Axis cause.

In the late 1970s he published in Italy his memoirs, Ricordi di un marinaio, largely based on his previous book but with some changes in the most controversial parts.

These accusations were based on some sentences contained in his book From the ashes of disgrace ("The winter of '42 -'43 found many of us, who hoped for a free Italy, faced with this harsh, bitter and painful truth: we would never be able to free ourselves from our chains, if the Axis had been victorious… The more one loved his country, the more he had to pray for its defeat on the battlefield... End the war, no matter how, at any cost") and on the fact that Maugeri had been awarded the Legion of Merit on July 4, 1948 for "services rendered to the United States government" ("for the exceptionally deserving conduct in the performance of superior services rendered to the United States government, as head of the naval intelligence service, as commander of the naval base of La Spezia and as chief of staff of the Italian navy during and after the Second World War").

The latter, while clearing Maugeri from the explicit accusation of treason, strongly criticized his behavior: "This serious shortcoming has caused the publication in the book of some sentences that have had the most deplorable repercussions in Italy and especially in the Navy".