Italian submarines in World War Two


Cobalto (CB)
Cobalto

TypeCoastal / Sea going 
ClassPlatino 1 (24) 
Laid down 26 Nov 1940 Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano
Launched20 Aug 1941
Commissioned18 Mar 1942
End service
Stricken
Loss date12 Aug 1942
Loss position37° 39'N, 10° 00'E
History
Fate Rammed and sunk on 12th August 1942 north of Bizerta, Tunisia, in position 37°39'N, 10°00'E after being forced to the surface by depth charges from the destroyers HMS Ithuriel and HMS Pathfinder. It was HMS Ithuriel which rammed Cobalto after she had surfaced.

Commands


CommanderDate fromDate toCommand notes
C.C. Giulio Chialamberto18 Jan 194217 Feb 1942
S.T.V. Stelio Giorguli17 Feb 194226 Feb 1942
T.V. Raffaele Amicarelli26 Feb 194212 Aug 1942

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

 CommanderDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
1 Oct 1941La Spezia1 Oct 19411455La SpeziaExercises or trials.

3 Nov 19410905La Spezia3 Nov 19411610La SpeziaExercises.

6 Nov 19410915La Spezia6 Nov 19411600La SpeziaExercises.

20 Nov 19410900La Spezia20 Nov 19411420La SpeziaExercises with the destroyer Premuda and MAS 525.

25 Nov 19410900La Spezia25 Nov 19411635La SpeziaExercises with the submarines H 1, H 6 and Colonna and escorted by the torpedo boat La Masa and MAS 510.

23 Dec 19410915La Spezia23 Dec 19411705La SpeziaExercises with with the submarines H 6 and Colonna, escorted by the destroyer Premuda, MAS 505, MAS 510 and the auxiliaries Capodistria and Crotone.

5 Jan 19420900La Spezia5 Jan 19421250La SpeziaExercises, escorted by MAS 505.

12 Jan 19420915La Spezia12 Jan 19421340La SpeziaExercises, escorted by MAS 505.

17 Jan 19421010La Spezia17 Jan 19421620La SpeziaExercises.

Chialamberto, Giulio19 Jan 19420935La Spezia19 Jan 19421645La SpeziaExercises, escorted by the auxiliaries Capodistria and Favignana.

Chialamberto, Giulio22 Jan 19420855La Spezia22 Jan 19421635La SpeziaExercises with the submarine Acciaio, escorted by the auxiliaries Mesco and Favignana and MAS 505.

Giorguli, Stelio17 Feb 1942La Spezia26 Feb 1942La SpeziaFitting out.

Amicarelli, Raffaele18 Mar 1942La Spezia18 Mar 1942La Spezia5Entered service.

Amicarelli, Raffaele17 Apr 19420916La Spezia17 Apr 19421119La Spezia5Trials.

Amicarelli, Raffaele17 Apr 19421452La Spezia17 Apr 19421710La Spezia3Entered dock.

Amicarelli, Raffaele22 Apr 19421425La Spezia22 Apr 19421634La Spezia2Left dock and exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele18 May 19420835La Spezia18 May 19421714La Spezia43Trials and exercises with the submarine Nichelio escorted by MAS 509.

Amicarelli, Raffaele20 May 19420800La Spezia20 May 19421742La Spezia54Exercises with the submarine Rismondo.

Amicarelli, Raffaele22 May 19420800La Spezia22 May 19421705La Spezia51Trials and exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele23 May 19420838La Spezia23 May 19421450La Spezia45Trials and exercises escorted by MAS 567.

Amicarelli, Raffaele23 May 19421900La Spezia23 May 19421931La Spezia2Entered dock.

Amicarelli, Raffaele11 Jun 19421340La Spezia11 Jun 19421425La Spezia1Left dock.

Amicarelli, Raffaele15 Jun 19420856La Spezia15 Jun 19421738La Spezia57Trials and exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele16 Jun 19421449La Spezia16 Jun 19421850La Spezia4Gyrocompass tests.

Amicarelli, Raffaele17 Jun 19420945Cagliari17 Jun 19421638La Spezia4Gyrocompass tests.

Amicarelli, Raffaele19 Jun 19420844La Spezia19 Jun 19421833La Spezia55Trials and exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele22 Jun 19420755La Spezia22 Jun 19421723La Spezia57Exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele24 Jun 19422017La Spezia25 Jun 19420042La Spezia32Exercises.

Amicarelli, Raffaele28 Jun 19421102La Spezia29 Jun 19422110Cagliari356Passage La Spezia-Cagliari.

Amicarelli, Raffaele6 Jul 19420825Cagliari6 Jul 19421753Cagliari54Exercises.

1Amicarelli, Raffaele15 Jul 19420225Cagliari30 Jul 19420944Cagliari1656Patrolled off Bizerta, in zone K.1 between Cani Rocks and La Galite. Was armed with G7e torpedoes.
  15 Jul 19421705At 1705 hours, Cobalto was informed of a cruiser sighted at 1600 hours, in 37°15' N, 08°35' E, on an easterly course at 25 knots. At that time, the submarine was 30 miles to the NE of this position. The submarine altered course to intercept until sighting an aircraft at 1906 hours.
  17 Jul 19421906At 1906 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived.
  19 Jul 19421025
(0) Off Cape Ras El Ahmar (Tunisia).
At 1025 hours, a vessel was sighted at a distance of 14,000 metres and initially believed to be a cruiser. The submarine readied three torpedo tubes (with G7e torpedoes) for attack but, upon closing, it was realised this was the wreck of HMS Havock and the attack aborted.
  21 Jul 1942024037° 41'N, 9° 37'EAt 0240 hours, The Italian steamer Perseo (4,857 GRT, built 1921) was sighted. Cobalto turned away.
  26 Jul 1942170237° 42'N, 9° 30'EAt 1702 hours, an Italian steamer Agata (2,282 GRT, built 1901). At 1924 hours,Cobalto closed to attack at a distance of 800 meters, but turned away upon identifying the ship.

2Amicarelli, Raffaele11 Aug 19421800Cagliari12 Aug 19421654 or 1702Sunk110Sailed for patrol between 37°20'N and 38°00'N, and between 09°40'E and 10°00'E. Sunk north off Bizerta by the British destroyers HMS Pathfinder and HMS Ithuriel in 37°41'N, 10°00'E or 37°39'N, 10°00'E. Of her crew of five officers and thirty-nine ratings, one officer and one rating were killed.
  12 Aug 1942
1619 (e)

(0) 37.39N, 10.00E
At 1619 hours, the destroyer HMS Pathfinder was stationed on the port bow of Force F (the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable and other ships of the PEDESTAL convoy), when she obtained an ASDIC contact at range of 1,500 metres.

At 1623 hours, she dropped a pattern of ten depth charges set at 50 and 140 feet.

This was Cobalto and she went down to 180 meters to escape, with water pouring in her stern section so she was brought up again.

At 1643 hours, the destroyer HMS Ithuriel, who was stationed about 6 miles astern of HMS Pathfinder, sighted a periscope and then, for about 10 seconds, the conning tower broke surface. She was about 1,500 yards away and raced toward it at 24 knots and obtained an ASDIC echo at 900 yards. Speed was reduced to 18 knots and five depth charges dropped set at 50 feet. HMS Ithuriel was about to make a second run, when the submarine surfaced with a heavy list at 1,200 yards. The submarine's gun crew could not man their weapon and the stern tubes had been damaged. The destroyer opened fire at a range of 1,000 yards, scoring two 4.7" hits on the conning tower. The U-boat was being abandoned as HMS Ithuriel rammed her at 12 knots. The destroyer only gave the submarine a glancing blow and was herself damaged in the process. She came back astern and put a boarding party aboard the submarine, but it sank before they could get inside.

Cobalto had a crew of five officers and thirty-nine ratings. One officer and one rating were killed. T.V. Raffaele Amicarelli and the remainder were picked up.

36 entries. 32 total patrol entries (2 marked as war patrols) and 6 events.

All Italian submarines