Argento (AG)
Argento

Type	Coastal / Sea going
Class	Platino 2 (25)
Laid down	30 Apr 1941	Cantieri Navale Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Launched	22 Feb 1942
Commissioned	16 May 1942
End service
Stricken
Loss date	3 Aug 1943
Loss position	36° 52'N, 12° 03'E
History
Fate	Scuttled on 3rd August 1943 just north-east of Pantellaria in position 36°52.2'N, 12°03'E after being forced to surface by depth charges and then being damaged by gunfire from the destroyer USS Buck.

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
C.C. Giuseppe Vocaturo	16 May 1942	31 Jul 1942
T.V. Giovanni Tarabini Castellani	12 Aug 1942	5 Dec 1942
T.V. Renato Frascolla	25 Nov 1942	11 Apr 1943
T.V. Leo Masina	11 Apr 1943	3 Aug 1943

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
		13 Apr 1942	0845	Taranto	13 Apr 1942	1225	Taranto		Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.30.
		5 May 1942	1138	Taranto	5 May 1942	1726	Taranto		Exercises.
		7 May 1942	0714	Taranto	7 May 1942	1607	Taranto		Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.13.
	Vocaturo, Giuseppe	5 Jul 1942	0710	Taranto	5 Jul 1942	1628	Taranto		Exercises.
	Vocaturo, Giuseppe	7 Jul 1942	1200	Taranto	7 Jul 1942	1818	Taranto		Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	15 Aug 1942	1400	Taranto	15 Aug 1942	1630	Taranto	11	Trials.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	16 Aug 1942	0715	Taranto	16 Aug 1942	2025	Taranto	64	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	20 Aug 1942	1227	Taranto	20 Aug 1942	1920	Taranto	55	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	21 Aug 1942	1400	Taranto	24 Aug 1942	0030	Naples	530	Passage Taranto-Naples.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	26 Aug 1942	1320	Naples	26 Aug 1942	2145	Naples	28	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	5 Sep 1942	1415	Naples	5 Sep 1942	1930	Naples	31	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	9 Sep 1942	1435	Naples	9 Sep 1942	1950	Naples	35	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	10 Sep 1942	0940	Naples	10 Sep 1942	1822	Naples	41	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	11 Sep 1942	0806	Naples	11 Sep 1942	1655	Naples	56	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	12 Sep 1942	1430	Naples	12 Sep 1942	2305	Naples	50	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	14 Sep 1942	1430	Naples	15 Sep 1942	1920	Naples	167	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	17 Sep 1942	0815	Naples	17 Sep 1942	1933	Naples	77	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	18 Sep 1942	1845	Naples	18 Sep 1942	2140	Naples		Exercises with the torpedo boat Cosenz.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	19 Sep 1942	1640	Naples	19 Sep 1942	1856	Naples	14,5	Trials.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	20 Sep 1942	1435	Naples	21 Sep 1942	1350	Cagliari	297,5	Passage Naples-Cagliari.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	24 Sep 1942	1355	Cagliari	24 Sep 1942	1927	Cagliari	23	Exercises.
1	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	25 Sep 1942	2000	Cagliari	13 Oct 1942	1230	Cagliari	1508	Sailed for a patrol off the Algerian coast through 37°08'N, 02°40'E to an area between 37°30'N and 38°00'N, and between 02°00'E and 02°20'E.
		26 Sep 1942	0740	38° 16'N, 7° 16'E	At 0740 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 10,000 metres and the submarine dived.
		26 Sep 1942	1155	38° 12'N, 7° 06'E	At 1155 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 9,000 metres and the submarine dived.
		9 Oct 1942	2135	37° 36'N, 2° 07'E	At 2135 hours, a submarine was sighted steering 200°. It was believed to be Nichelio. Argento turned away.
		10 Oct 1942	2315	37° 37'N, 2° 06'E	At 2315 hours, a submarine was sighted steering 300°. Argento turned away.
		12 Oct 1942	1335		At 1335 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 10,000 metres and the submarine dived.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	24 Oct 1942	0817	Cagliari	24 Oct 1942	1220	Cagliari	22	Exercises.
2	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	7 Nov 1942	0303	Cagliari	19 Nov 1942	1218	Cagliari	1412	Sailed for patrol between 37°00'N and Algerian coast, and between 07°00'E and 07°30'E. On the evening of 8th November, her area was changed to between 37°00'N and 37°20'N, and between 05°40'E and 06°00'E.
		8 Nov 1942	0431		At 0431 hours, an aircraft was sighted passing closely ahead and dropped a flare. The submarine dived.
		8 Nov 1942	0930		At 0930 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 10,000 metres and the submarine dived.
		8 Nov 1942	1150		At 1150 hours, a Sunderland aircraft was seen at a distance of 9,000 metres and the submarine dived.
		14 Nov 1942	0432	36° 59'N, 7° 06'E	At 0432 hours, a vessel was sighted. Argento maneuvered to gain an attack position. At 0439 hours, this was achieved, but then a second ship was sighted and both were later recognised as small patrol vessels. The attack was aborted.
		16 Nov 1942	0355	37° 43'N, 5° 07'E	At 0355 hours, a shadow was sighted and initially taken for a submarine. It turned out to be a patrol vessel and Argento turned away.
		16 Nov 1942	0510	36° 46'N, 5° 09'E	At 0510 hours, two motorboats were sighted cruising at slow speed. The submarine turned away.
		16 Nov 1942	0530	36° 46'N, 5° 10'E	At 0530 hours, a small patrol vessel was sighted and Argento turned away.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	27 Nov 1942	1400	Cagliari	27 Nov 1942	1650	Cagliari	15	Trials and exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	30 Nov 1942	1340	Cagliari	30 Nov 1942	1723	Cagliari	18	Trials and exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	2 Dec 1942	0806	Cagliari	2 Dec 1942	1210	Cagliari	8,2	Exercises.
	Tarabini Castellani, Giovanni	3 Dec 1942	0830	Cagliari	3 Dec 1942	1525	Cagliari	42	Exercises.
	Frascolla, Renato	7 Dec 1942	0817	Cagliari	7 Dec 1942	1215	Cagliari	23	Exercises.
3	Frascolla, Renato	10 Dec 1942	1725	Cagliari	23 Dec 1942	0915	Cagliari	1592,5	Sailed with the submarine Corallo for a patrol between 37°40'N and 38°00'N, and between 08°20'E and 08°40'E. Ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of Bougie on the night of 12/13th December.
		12 Dec 1942	0110-0235	37° 41'N, 7° 24'E	At 0110 hours, the light from a vessel was sighted. The submarine dived to listen with the hydrophones. It appeared to be a small vessel. At 0125 hours, the submarine surfaced and moved away with the stern tubes loaded and ready for action if necessary. At 0200 hours, the shadow was sighted at a distance of 4,000 metres and was later recognised to be a submarine chaser or corvette. Argento turned away on the surface.
		13 Dec 1942	0045	36° 55'N, 5° 30'E	At 0045 hours, three corvettes following a small patrol vessel were sighted at a distance of 5,000 metres. Argento turned away.
		14 Dec 1942	2125	37° 54'N, 8° 14'E	At 2125 hours, a submarine, believed to be Mocenigo, was sighted on a northerly course. Argento turned away.
		15 Dec 1942	0515	38° 00'N, 8° 37'E	At 0515 hours, a submarine was sighted at a distance. Argento turned away.
		15 Dec 1942	2035	37° 46'N, 8° 37'E	At 2035 hours, a submarine was sighted at a distance, steering 080°. Argento turned away.
		15 Dec 1942	2200	37° 51'N, 8° 32'E	At 2200 hours, an enemy submarine was sighted at 1,500 metres. Argento turned away.
		21 Dec 1942	0030	38° 07'N, 8° 25'E	At 0030 hours, a submarine was sighted diving at a distance of 1,500 metres. Argento returned to her patrol area.
		21 Dec 1942	2035	37° 44'N, 8° 21'E	At 2035 hours, a submarine was sighted. Argento turned away.
		22 Dec 1942	2155-2215	38° 01'N, 8° 48'E	At 2155 hours, a submarine was sighted proceeding on a northerly course at high speed. It made garbled signals, one of them ending with "LLO". It was initially believed to be Corallo. Argento closed to 2,000 meters, but then realised it could not be Corallo as the distance from her patrol zone would have been too great. Argento kept her bow on the submarine, which finally submerged and, at 2350 hours, Argento resumed her northerly course. This was P 247 (Lieutenant M.G.R. Lumby, DSC, RN) (later named HMS Saracen). She had sighted the Italian submarine making quite a bit of smoke, steering 270° at 8 knots. She apparently sighted Argento again nearly two hours later.
	Frascolla, Renato	31 Dec 1942	0809	Cagliari	31 Dec 1942	1230	Cagliari	35	Exercises.
4	Frascolla, Renato	4 Jan 1943	0415	Cagliari	6 Jan 1943	2235	Cagliari	322	Sailed for a patrol off Bizerta, between 37°40'N and 38°00'N, and between 09°20'E and 09°40'E, then ordered to a position 80 miles to the northwest. Her starboard diesel broke down and the patrol was aborted.
	Frascolla, Renato	19 Jan 1943	0820	Cagliari	19 Jan 1943	1300	Cagliari	32	Trials and exercises.
5	Frascolla, Renato	20 Jan 1943	2330	Cagliari	31 Jan 1943	1149	Cagliari	?	Sailed with the submarine Wolframio for a patrol east of Bougie, between 37°20'N and 38°00'N, and between 06°00'E and 06°20'E. On 24th January, she was ordered to reconnoitre Bougie and her patrol area was changed to between 37°20'N and the Algerian coast, and between 05°20'E and 05°40'E.
		21 Jan 1943	0240	(0) About 20 miles SW of Cagliari.	The submarine Wolframio was sighted. She was returning from patrol.
		21 Jan 1943	2218	38° 07'N, 6° 38'E	At 2218 hours, an aircraft, identified as a Vickers Wellington bomber, was sighted and it attacked from the moonlight. It violently strafed the submarine, passing astern of her and also firing with her rear guns as Argento replied with her machine-guns. The aircraft made two other strafing runs passing astern at 400-500 metres. It appeared to have been hit and flew away. At 2235 hours, the submarine took the opportunity to submerge. It is possible that this was Wellington 'U' of was 179 Squadron (see attack of 0400 hours on 22nd January).
		22 Jan 1943	0400-0435	37° 58'N, 6° 51'E	At 0400 hours, an aircraft was seen attacking from the moonlight at an altitude of 600 metres. It flew over the submarine at less than 100 metres away and was met by antiaircraft fire. The aircraft dropped four bombs, three narrowly missed to starboard and one fell on the port side of the submarine. It was then seen to be climbing to 800 metres before suddenly crashing in the sea. T.V. Renato Frascolla announced the success by the interphone to the crew members below and ordered cheers for the King and the Duce. At 0404 hours, Argento dived. The aircraft was most probably Wellington 'U' (HX.690) of 179 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer T.H. Gordon-Glassford. It failed to return to base and it is very likely this was the bomber shot down by Argento. At 0415 hours, four depth charges were heard and two more at 0435 hours.
		24 Jan 1943	2115	37° 25'N, 5° 41'E	At 2115 hours, a submarine was sighted steering between 270° and 300°. Argento turned away.
		26 Jan 1943	1114	37° 20'N, 5° 38'E	At 1114 hours, a convoy was sighted at a range of 8-10,000 metres. It passed out of range.
		27 Jan 1943	0510	37° 21'N, 4° 22'E	At 0510 hours, a Wellington bomber was sighted. The submarine immediately dived. A large flame had just been sighted in the distance.
		29 Jan 1943	0346	37° 28'N, 5° 26'E	At 0346 hours, a submarine was sighted steering 190°. Argento turned away.
		29 Jan 1943	1103	37° 20'N, 5° 37'E	At 1103 hours, a large destroyer of the TRIBAL class was sighted proceeding at 20-25 knots, which appeared intent on ramming the submarine. Argento dived to 85 meters but was not attacked.
		29 Jan 1943	1842	37° 18'N, 5° 34'E	At 1825 hours, a vessel using ASDIC was detected with the hydrophones and noise from a turbine with weak intensity. At 1842 hours, four depth charges exploded, followed by six more patterns of four to six depth-charges but they caused no apparent damage.
	Frascolla, Renato	1 Feb 1943	1304	Cagliari	2 Feb 1943	0945	La Maddalena	224	Passage Cagliari-La Maddalena.
	Frascolla, Renato	9 Feb 1943	1058	La Maddalena	10 Feb 1943	0849	Cagliari	224	Passage La Maddalena-Cagliari.
	Frascolla, Renato	15 Feb 1943	0826	Cagliari	15 Feb 1943	1207	Cagliari	31	Exercises.
6	Frascolla, Renato	16 Feb 1943	2303	Cagliari	22 Feb 1943	0120	Cagliari	721	She was sailed for a patrol between 37°40'N and the Algerian coast, and between 06°00'E and 06°20'E, off Philippeville (Skikda).
		18 Feb 1943	0342	37° 36'N, 6° 36'E	At 0342 hours, an enemy twin-engine bomber was sighted at a distance of 7-8,000 metres. Argento dived 2 minutes later.
		18 Feb 1943	1104	37° 31'N, 6° 14'E	At 1104 hours, two corvettes were sighted at a distance of 1,000 metres. Argento did not attack hoping they may be preceding a convoy but nothing else was sighted.
		21 Feb 1943	1705	38° 46'N, 7° 40'E	At 1705 hours, a German Heinkel 111 bomber was sighted and exchanged recognition signals.
	Frascolla, Renato	26 Feb 1943	0821	Cagliari	26 Feb 1943	1305	Cagliari	22	Exercises.
	Frascolla, Renato	28 Feb 1943	2115	Cagliari	1 Mar 1943	0752	Cagliari	31	Exercises.
		1 Mar 1943	1317 1212.5 (e)	(0) 105° - Cavoli Island - 5 miles.	At 1317 hours, Argento sighted three torpedo tracks 40 metres on the starboard bow. The submarine turned hard to starboard. This was an attack by the Dutch submarine Dolfijn (Lieutenant Commander H.M.L.F.E. van Oostrom Soede). At 1300 hours, she had sighted the submarine, described as GEMMA or SIRENA class, on course 070° then 110° and fired four torpedoes at 1312.5 hours, from a distance of 3,500 yards. All missed ahead. The auxiliary Idria hunted the Dutch submarine with 50-kg depth charges set at 50 and 100 metres and believed the submarine damaged or sunk at 1620 hours, in position 022° - Cavoli Island - 11 miles. Dolfijn only heard distant explosions.
	Frascolla, Renato	1 Mar 1943	1040	Cagliari	2 Mar 1943	0922	La Maddalena	250	Passage Cagliari-La Maddalena via (1) Point B Cagliari (2) 39°20'N, 10°20'E (3) 41°00'N, 10°20'E (4) Point A; 40°55'N, 09°30'E. She was followed by Argo.
		1 Mar 1943	1317 1212.5 (e)	(0) 105° - Cavoli Island - 5 miles.	At 1317 hours, Argento sighted three torpedo tracks 40 metres on the starboard bow. The submarine turned hard to starboard. This was an attack by the Dutch submarine Dolfijn (Lieutenant Commander H.M.L.F.E. van Oostrom Soede). At 1300 hours, she had sighted the submarine, described as GEMMA or SIRENA class, on course 070° then 110° and fired four torpedoes at 1312.5 hours, from a distance of 3,500 yards. All missed ahead. The auxiliary Idria hunted the Dutch submarine with 50-kg depth charges set at 50 and 100 metres and believed the submarine damaged or sunk at 1620 hours, in position 022° - Cavoli Island - 11 miles. Dolfijn only heard distant explosions.
	Frascolla, Renato	12 Mar 1943	1155	La Maddalena	13 Mar 1943	0800	Naples	250	Passage La Maddalena-Naples.
	Frascolla, Renato	5 Apr 1943	0915	Naples	5 Apr 1943	1130	Pozzuoli	16	Passage Naples-Pozzuoli.
	Frascolla, Renato	9 Apr 1943	0830	Pozzuoli	9 Apr 1943	1312	Pozzuoli	34	Exercises.
	Frascolla, Renato	10 Apr 1943	0820	Pozzuoli	10 Apr 1943	1155	Pozzuoli	20,5	Exercises.
7	Masina, Leo	11 Apr 1943	2325	Pozzuoli	17 Apr 1943	0820	Cagliari	834	Patrolled in the western Mediterranean, between 39°10'N and 39°30'N, and between 07°40'E and 08°00'E.
		12 Apr 1943	0830	40° 13'N, 12° 30'E	At 0830 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived.
		12 Apr 1943	1240	39° 52'N, 11° 44'E	At 1240 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived.
	Masina, Leo	30 Apr 1943	0820	Cagliari	30 Apr 1943	1145	Cagliari	28	Exercises.
	Masina, Leo	16 May 1943	1919	Cagliari	18 May 1943	1615	La Maddalena		Passage Cagliari-La Maddalena on only one engine (via Point C and course west as far as 07°40'E, then North as far as 41°00'N and then Punta Dello Scorno).
		17 May 1943	2225 2131 (e)	40° 23'N, 7° 48'E	At 2225 hours, under a full moon and with excellent visibility, a twin-engine bomber was sighted at a distance of 1,000 metres. At first it was thought to be Italian, but ten minutes later it came back and flew over the submarine at a height of 400 metres. It turned back again and this time strafed the submarine and dropped two bombs, which fell 100 metres astern. A second run was made and three bombs were dropped, missing the stern by about 30 meters on the starboard side. The submarine replied with her twin machine-guns and claimed to have certainly scored hits. This was Hudson 'P' of 608 Squadron. It had detected the submarine by radar and attacked from 900 feet with three 100 lbs bombs on the first run and three 250 lbs depth charges on the second run, but results were not seen. The bombs exploded in a cluster 20-25 yards dead astern of the U-boat. The submarine altered course to port and opened fire with flak. The aircraft then attacked from port bow, releasing a stick of 3 depth charges from approximately 80 feet. These exploded within 15 feet on starboard quarter. Nothing further seen due to darkness. Argento did not suffer any damage and dived after the second run.
	Masina, Leo	4 Jun 1943	2050	La Maddalena	5 Jun 1943	0755	Portoferraio		Passage La Maddalena-Portoferraio.
8	Masina, Leo	17 Jun 1943	2230	Portoferraio	2 Jul 1943	1020	La Maddalena	?	Sailed for a patrol between 37°40'N and the North African coast, and between 08°14'E and 08°54'E. On 22nd June, this was changed to an area between 38°00'N and 38°40'N, and between 06°20'E and 07°00'E. During the night of 30th June, this was changed again to an area between 37°08'N and 37°20'N, and between 06°20'E and 07°15'E.
		19 Jun 1943	0945	38° 20'N, 9° 50'E	At 0945 hours, a four-engine aircraft was seen flying low and the submarine dived.
		20 Jun 1943	0148 0215 (e)	37° 24'N, 8° 30'E	At 0148 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. This was probably Hudson 'W' (FK706) of /608 (FK706) piloted by Flying Officer F. Handsfordé. It gained a radar contact at 0215 hours and sighted what was probably a U-boat. No attack was possible.
		30 Jun 1943	0405	37° 28'N, 6° 41'E	At 0405 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived.
9	Masina, Leo	10 Jul 1943	0215	La Maddalena	12 Jul 1943	0705	La Maddalena		Sailed with the submarine Acciaio for zone 102 [between 37°40'N and 38°00'N, and between 08°20'E and 08°40'E] (south of Sardinia). She had to turn back due to damaged accumulators.
10	Masina, Leo	21 Jul 1943	2100	La Maddalena	3 Aug 1943	0030 or 0015B	Sunk		Sailed for a patrol off Catania. Sunk in 36°52.2'N, 12°03'E or off Pantelleria, by the destroyer USS Buck (DD-420). Four killed, forty-five survivors were recovered [Buck was herself sunk by the German submarine U-616 a few weeks later].
		23 Jul 1943	1525 1506 (e)	38° 37'N, 15° 44'E (0) 090° - Cape Vaticano - 3 miles (Argento).	The following incident is not well documented as Argento was lost during this patrol. At 1525 hours, she reported missed by three torpedoes astern. The attack was actually carried out by HMS Unrivalled (P 45, Lieutenant H.B. Turner, DSC, RN). At 1459 hours, she sighted what she took for a German submarine escorted by an Italian motor launch, at a range of 4-5,000 yards. At 1506 hours, she fired four torpedoes at 9-second firing intervals from a distance of 4,000 yards. They apparently missed astern.
		2 Aug 1943	2245B-0028.5/3 (e)	36° 52'N, 12° 03'E	At 2245B hours on 2nd August, the destroyer USS Buck (DD-420) (Lt. Cdr George S. Lambert, USN) detected a submarine by radar at 5,500 yards. With the destroyer USS Nicholson (DD-442), she had been escorting a convoy of six Liberty ships from Licata to Oran: Washington (7,775 GRT, built 1941), Howell Cobb? (7,176 GRT, built 1943), Robert? Morris (7,176 GRT, built 1942), Charles? Piez (7,191 GRT, built 1943), Alexander Graham? Bell (7,176 GRT, built 1942) and Daniel Webster (7,176 GRT, built 1943). At 2255B hours, the destroyer increased speed to 15 knots and ten minutes later obtained a sonar contact at 700 yards. At 2301B hours, Buck dropped a first pattern of 5 depth charges set at 150 feet. At 2311B hours, a second pattern of 11 depth charges was dropped set at 200 feet. Sound contact was lost and regained several times. At 0026B hours on 3rd August, a third pattern of 11 depth charges was dropped set at 300 feet. According to the submarine survivors, the first two patterns had been ineffective, but the third was devastating. At 0028B hours, the submarine broke surface astern of the destroyer at a range of 1,200 yards. At 0028.5B hours, no. 3 5" inch gun opened fired, joined by the starboard 40mm and the after 20mm guns. At 0029B hours, as the destroyer was turning to starboard she was missed by a torpedo fired by Argento. It passed fairly close to starboard. A minute later, the forward 5" guns and two 20mm forward guns had been brought to bear and were now also firing. At 0030.5B hours, a second torpedo was fired by the submarine and also missed. Argento's crew began to abandon ship. At 0031B, Buck attempted to ram the submarine but missed astern by 50 feet. At 0037B hours, the destroyer stopped firing as Argento appeared disabled and with a 45° list to starboard. She had fired a total of 110 rounds of 5" ammunition, 338 of 40 mm and 707 of 20 mm. At 0100B hours, as the submarine sank, Buck lowered a motor whaler and, after three trips, forty-six survivors were picked up (one later died), including T.V. Leo Masina. In all, four ratings perished. On 9th October 1943, USS Buck was herself torpedoed and sunk by U-616 (OL Siegfried Koitschka).

84 entries. 52 total patrol entries (10 marked as war patrols) and 43 events.

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