Italian submarines in World War Two
Adua (AD)
Adua
Type | Coastal / Sea going | |
Class | Adua (23) | |
Laid down | 1 Feb 1936 | Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone |
Launched | 13 Sep 1936 | |
Commissioned | 14 Nov 1936 | |
End service | ||
Stricken | ||
Loss date | 30 Sep 1941 | |
Loss position | 37° 10'N, 0° 56'E | |
History | ||
Fate | Sunk on 30th September 1941 off the North African Coast between Oran and Algiers in position 37°10'N, 00°56'E by depth charges from the destroyers HMS Legion and HMS Gurkha. |
Commands
Commander | Date from | Date to | Command notes |
---|---|---|---|
T.V. Giuseppe Roselli Lorenzini | 15 Feb 1940 | 8 Oct 1940 | |
T.V. Carlo Todaro | 9 Oct 1940 | 16 Jan 1941 | |
C.C. Mario Resio | 17 Jan 1941 | 28 Feb 1941 | |
T.V. Luigi Riccardi | 28 Feb 1941 | 21 Apr 1941 | |
T.V. Gaetano Iaccarino | 21 Apr 1941 | 22 Apr 1941 | |
T.V. Luigi Riccardi | 23 Apr 1941 | 30 Sep 1941 |
Ships hit
No ships hit by this submarine.Patrols and events
Commander | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 9 Jun 1940 | 1655 | Cagliari | 21 Jun 1940 | 1404 | Cagliari | 1080 | Sailed to form a patrol line (S2) on the Cape Teulada meridian: Axum - 15 miles south of the Cape. Turchese - 35 miles south of the Cape. Adua - 55 miles south of the Cape. Aradam - 75 miles south of the Cape. Later ordered to the West of Majorca and between Ibiza and Majorca. | |
17 Jun 1940 | 0228 | (0) Between Dragonera (Mallorca) and Formentara (Ibiza. | At 0228 hours, a destroyer was sighted at a distance of 4,000 metres. As visibility conditions were excellent, this prevented a surface attack. Adua submerged using the Roveto system at a depth of 30 metres and noises from two vessels were heard on the hydrophones. The submarine returned to periscope depth at 0600 hours. | |||||||
17 Jun 1940 | 0712 | 38° 40'N, 1° 40'E | At 0625 hours, a periscope scan of the horizon revealed several smokes. This was a French convoy consisting of a 10-15,000-ton liner, four 1-3,000-ton vessels escorted by a sloop of the ANCRE class. At 0712 hours, a single torpedo (533mm) was fired from a stern tube at a range of 1,800 metres aimed at the liner. The submarine was then only 300 metres from one of the smaller merchant vessels and disengaged quickly. At 0714 hours, an explosion was heard and it was believed that the target had been hit. The torpedo had actually missed and does not appear to have been observed. This was convoy IR2F of five ships, Florida (9,146 GRT, built 1926), Kita (3,894 GRT, built 1927), Edéa (3,747 GRT, built 1936), Medie II (5,078 grt, built 1922), Djebel Aurès (2,960 GRT, built 1930) escorted by Commandant Bory and La Curieuse. The same that was attacked by Provana. At 0757 hours, the submarine returned to periscope depth and observed the smaller merchant ships disappearing in the distance while the liner flanked by the sloop were at a distance of 6,000 metres. At the same time, two destroyers of the BISON class were seen at a distance of 4.000 metres rushing to the aid of the convoy. Adua was too far to attack and went down to 40 metres. | |||||||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 29 Jun 1940 | 1009 | Cagliari | 30 Jun 1940 | 1527 | Palermo | 229 | Passage Cagliari-Messina (to Monfalcone for engine overhaul) but diverted to Palermo due to engine defects. An ULTRA intercept mentioned that she had a damaged motor and would be arriving at Point A of Messina at 1130 hours on the 30th. This may have actually referred to point A of Palermo. | ||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 3 Jul 1940 | 1956 | Palermo | 7 Jul 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 766 | Passage Palermo-Pola. | ||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 9 Jul 1940 | 1157 | Pola | 9 Jul 1940 | 2005 | Monfalcone | 82 | Passage Pola-Monfalcone, escorted by the auxiliary San Giusto. Then refit. From October 1940, she was affected to the submarine training school in Pola. | ||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 28 Sep 1940 | 0926 | Monfalcone | 28 Sep 1940 | 1447 | Monfalcone | 50,5 | Trials. | ||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 4 Oct 1940 | 1354 | Monfalcone | 4 Oct 1940 | 1635 | Monfalcone | 20,3 | Diving trials with the submarines Galatea and Fisalia, escorted by tug Morrhua. | ||
Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe | 6 Oct 1940 | 1100 | Monfalcone | 6 Oct 1940 | 1810 | Pola | 77,4 | Passage Monfalcone-Pola. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 9 Oct 1940 | 0750 | Pola | 9 Oct 1940 | 1440 | Fiume | 64,5 | Passage Pola-Fiume. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 12 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Fiume | 12 Oct 1940 | 1352 | Fiume | 20,2 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Nettuno. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 14 Oct 1940 | 0805 | Fiume | 14 Oct 1940 | 1440 | Pola | 62,5 | Passage Fiume-Pola. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 23 Oct 1940 | 0806 | Pola | 23 Oct 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 63,5 | Exercises. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 25 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 25 Oct 1940 | 1618 | Pola | 10 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 31 Oct 1940 | 0754 | Pola | 31 Oct 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 64,7 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 4 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 4 Nov 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 17,2 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 6 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 6 Nov 1940 | 1715 | Pola | 41,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 8 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 8 Nov 1940 | 1237 | Pola | 42,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 11 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 11 Nov 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 43,3 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 13 Nov 1940 | 0735 | Pola | 13 Nov 1940 | 1732 | Pola | 17 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 15 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 15 Nov 1940 | 1732 | Pola | 16,5 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 20 Nov 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 20 Nov 1940 | 1742 | Pola | 42,7 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 21 Nov 1940 | 0806 | Pola | 21 Nov 1940 | 1723 | Pola | 48,7 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marittimo. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 23 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 23 Nov 1940 | 1748 | Pola | 42,5 | Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 25 Nov 1940 | 0756 | Pola | 25 Nov 1940 | 1700 | Pola | 41,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 27 Nov 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 27 Nov 1940 | 1712 | Pola | 41 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 28 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 28 Nov 1940 | 1712 | Pola | 49,8 | Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 4 Dec 1940 | 0807 | Pola | 4 Dec 1940 | 1747 | Pola | 46,5 | Torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the tug Tenace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 9 Dec 1940 | 0808 | Pola | 9 Dec 1940 | 1800 | Pola | 51,6 | Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the tug Tenace for simulated attacks on the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 13 Dec 1940 | 0803 | Pola | 13 Dec 1940 | 1803 | Pola | 47,2 | Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the sloop Diana. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 15 Dec 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 15 Dec 1940 | 1703 | Pola | 46,8 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 16 Dec 1940 | 0830 | Pola | 16 Dec 1940 | 1645 | Pola | 44,5 | Attack exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 20 Dec 1940 | 0807 | Pola | 20 Dec 1940 | 1810 | Pola | 43,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 24 Dec 1940 | 0817 | Pola | 24 Dec 1940 | 1505 | Pola | 41 | Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 26 Dec 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 26 Dec 1940 | 1830 | Pola | 49 | Attack exercises with the submarines Bragadino and Des Deneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio and the submarine chaser Laurana. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 28 Dec 1940 | 1600 | Pola | 29 Dec 1940 | 0220 | Pola | 70,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys for night torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 30 Dec 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 30 Dec 1940 | 1810 | Pola | 48,5 | Sailed with the submarine Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 2 Jan 1941 | 0823 | Pola | 2 Jan 1941 | 1715 | Pola | 59,5 | Sailed with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for attack exercises on the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 4 Jan 1941 | 0818 | Pola | 4 Jan 1941 | 1630 | Pola | 56,8 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 6 Jan 1941 | 0807 | Pola | 6 Jan 1941 | 1715 | Pola | 54,8 | Exercises with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the submarine chaser Laurana. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 7 Jan 1941 | 0804 | Pola | 7 Jan 1941 | 1413 | Pola | 27,5 | Gunfire exercises with the submarines Bragadino, Des Geneys and Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 11 Jan 1941 | 0804 | Pola | 12 Jan 1941 | 0045 | Pola | 58,5 | Attack exercises with the submarine Des Geneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 13 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 13 Jan 1941 | 1642 | Leme Channel | 32,5 | Passage Pola-Leme Channel and exercises with the submarines Fieramosca, Fisalia and Pisani. Escorted by torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Todaro, Carlo | 14 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Leme Channel (Rovigno) | 15 Jan 1941 | 0840 | Pola | 51 | Passage Leme Channel-Pola, and exercises with the torpedo boat Audace and the submarines Pisani, Fieramosca and Fisalia. | ||
Resio, Mario | 18 Jan 1941 | 1608 | Pola | 19 Jan 1941 | 0255 | Pola | 64,5 | Sailed with the submarines Des Geneys and Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
Resio, Mario | 20 Jan 1941 | 0805 | Pola | 21 Jan 1941 | 0210 | Pola | 71,5 | Exercises with the submarine Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliaries Jadera, Volta, Audace and Laurana. | ||
Resio, Mario | 24 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 24 Jan 1941 | 1748 | Pola | 51,8 | Sailed with submarine Des Geneys for torpedo firing exercises with torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
Resio, Mario | 28 Jan 1941 | 0910 | Pola | 28 Jan 1941 | 1745 | Pola | 55,5 | Sailed with the submarines Bragadino and Fisalia, for torpedo firing exercises with the sloop Diana.Escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 29 Jan 1941 | 0824 | Pola | 29 Jan 1941 | 1751 | Pola | 27,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Resio, Mario | 31 Jan 1941 | 0810 | Pola | 31 Jan 1941 | 1740 | Pola | 51 | Attack exercises on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliaries Jadera and San Giorgio. | ||
Resio, Mario | 3 Feb 1941 | 0842 | Pola | 3 Feb 1941 | 1741 | Pola | 19,5 | Exercises, escorted by the tug Tenace. | ||
Resio, Mario | 5 Feb 1941 | 0835 | Pola | 5 Feb 1941 | 1812 | Pola | 48 | Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 6 Feb 1941 | 0859 | Pola | 6 Feb 1941 | 1708 | Pola | 7 | Exercises with the Tug 95. | ||
Resio, Mario | 16 Feb 1941 | 0938 | Pola | 16 Feb 1941 | 1640 | Pola | 53 | Sailed with the submarines Fisalia and Bragadino, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. Escorted by the auxiliaries Laurana and Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 18 Feb 1941 | 0846 | Pola | 18 Feb 1941 | 1717 | Pola | 26 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 19 Feb 1941 | 0815 | Pola | 19 Feb 1941 | 1447 | Pola | 44 | Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera and the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
19 Feb 1941 | AM | (0) Off Pola. | During the morning, Adua was exercising with the submarine Fisalia and the torpedo boat Audace. Fisalia detected a suspected submarine and this was confirmed by Adua, The two submarines returned to Pola while Audace remained behind to hunt the submarine. The contact was bogus. No Allied submarines operated in the area. | |||||||
Resio, Mario | 21 Feb 1941 | 0920 | Pola | 21 Feb 1941 | 1715 | Pola | 50 | Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Resio, Mario | 22 Feb 1941 | 0849 | Pola | 22 Feb 1941 | 1732 | Pola | 44 | Sailed with the submarine Pisani for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. Escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 24 Feb 1941 | 0835 | Pola | 24 Feb 1941 | 1805 | Pola | 45 | Sailed with the submarines Fisalia and Pisani for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. Escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
Resio, Mario | 25 Feb 1941 | 1112 | Pola | 25 Feb 1941 | 1654 | Pola | 41,5 | Attack exercises with the submarine Fisalia on the light cruiser Bari. Escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
Resio, Mario | 28 Feb 1941 | 0812 | Pola | 28 Feb 1941 | 1747 | Pola | 12,5 | Sailed with the submarine Balilla for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. Escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 1 Mar 1941 | 0830 | Pola | 1 Mar 1941 | 1626 | Pola | 45 | Exercises with the submarine Toti, Bragadino and Fisalia. Escorted by the torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 3 Mar 1941 | 1745 | Pola | 4 Mar 1941 | 0145 | Pola | 57,5 | Sailed with the submarine Balilla for night torpedo firing exercises with Audace. Escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 12 Mar 1941 | 0030 | Pola | 14 Mar 1941 | 1145 | Taranto | 506 | Passage Pola-Taranto. Uneventful. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 22 Mar 1941 | 1120 | Taranto | 22 Mar 1941 | 1717 | Taranto | 26,5 | Exercises. | ||
2 | Riccardi, Luigi | 22 Mar 1941 | 2112 | Taranto | 23 Mar 1941 | 1010 | Taranto | 84 | Hydrophone patrol off Taranto. Uneventful. | |
3 | Riccardi, Luigi | 26 Mar 1941 | 1200 | Taranto | 26 Mar 1941 | 2033 | Gallipoli | 63,5 | Passage Taranto-Gallipoli. | |
3b | Riccardi, Luigi | 29 Mar 1941 | 2255 | Gallipoli | 9 Apr 1941 | 1636 | Taranto | 1004,2 | Patrolled in Adriatic within 10 miles of 39°20'N, 19°30'E, on line 150° - 330° during the day and 065° - 245° during the night. The submarine was informed that, at 0600 hours on 6th April, a state of war existed with Yugoslavia. | |
Riccardi, Luigi | 10 Apr 1941 | 1400 | Taranto | 10 Apr 1941 | 1643 | Taranto | 6,7 | Exercises. | ||
4 | Iaccarino, Gaetano | 21 Apr 1941 | 2030 | Taranto | 22 Apr 1941 | 1120 | Taranto | 93,1 | Defensive patrol off Taranto in 170° - Cape San Vito - 35 miles. Uneventful. | |
5 | Riccardi, Luigi | 24 Apr 1941 | 1200 | Taranto | 11 May 1941 | 1538 | Portolago (Leros) | 1731,1 | Passage Taranto-Leros and patrol. Uneventful. | |
Riccardi, Luigi | 18 May 1941 | 0800 | Portolago (Leros) | 18 May 1941 | 1014 | Portolago (Leros) | 3,6 | Exercises. | ||
6 | Riccardi, Luigi | 24 May 1941 | 1830 | Portolago (Leros) | 7 Jun 1941 | 0644 | Taranto | 1451,7 | Patrolled between Alexandria and Crete in 34°40', 24°50'E or Grids 2449 and 1649, then transferred to Taranto. | |
29 May 1941 | 0350 | (0) Off Cape Littinos (Crete). | At 0350 hours, dark shapes were seen in the distance. Adua steered toward them and sighted one cruiser and three destroyers proceeding at 26 knots at a distance of 9,000 metres. The submarine could only close to 6,000 metres and, at 0415 hours, gave up the chase and made an enemy report. These were probably the destroyers HMAS Napier, HMS Kandahar, HMS Kelvin and HMAS Nizam who had just embarked 744 troops from the fishing village of Skafia. | |||||||
31 May 1941 | 0340 | (0) Messara Bay. | At 0340 hours, two destroyers were sighted at a distance of 8,000 metres. They passed out of range. | |||||||
31 May 1941 | 1025 | (0) Messara Bay. | At 1025 hours, a merchant vessel was sighted but again the submarine could not close the range. | |||||||
3 Jun 1941 | 0130 | (0) Off Cape Littinos (Crete). | At 0130 hours, Adua stopped a small barge carrying British soldiers. She took eight British prisoners on board and ordered the remainder to turn back. This was the British Army barge A.2 under Captain J.B. Fitzhardinge, Artillery, with 72 British soldiers (some sources say 75) trying to flee from Heraklion to Alexandria. It actually included four airmen of a Maryland II bomber (24 Squadron SAAF) which had been shot down over Maleme airfield. Ordered to swim to the submarine, the pilot Lt. E.G. Ford (SAAF) was captured but the co-pilot 2nd Lieutenant G.L.W. Gill drowned. Although the barge was ordered back, it eventually changed course and thanks to a small compass carried by Sergeant McWilliam (SAAF) from the same aircraft, they managed to reach Mersa Matruh three days later. | |||||||
Riccardi, Luigi | 7 Jun 1941 | 0820 | Taranto | 7 Jun 1941 | 0846 | Taranto | 2,5 | Exercises. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 9 Jun 1941 | 1943 | Taranto | 12 Jun 1941 | 0448 | Pola | 502,4 | Passage Taranto-Pola. Uneventful. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 13 Jun 1941 | 1400 | Pola | 13 Jun 1941 | 1940 | Fiume | 57,8 | Passage Pola-Fiume. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 6 Aug 1941 | 0715 | Fiume | 6 Aug 1941 | 1720 | Fiume | 67 | Sortie for trials and exercises. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 10 Aug 1941 | 0823 | Fiume | 10 Aug 1941 | 1735 | Pola | Sortie for trials and exercises and passage Fiume-Pola. | |||
Riccardi, Luigi | 13 Aug 1941 | 0820 | Pola | 13 Aug 1941 | 1634 | Pola | 12 | Exercises. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 14 Aug 1941 | 0752 | Pola | 14 Aug 1941 | 0922 | Pola | 7 | Exercises. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 15 Aug 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 15 Aug 1941 | 1816 | Pola | 15 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Salvore. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 16 Aug 1941 | 0828 | Pola | 16 Aug 1941 | 1824 | Pola | 75 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 19 Aug 1941 | 2000 | Pola | 19 Aug 1941 | 2333 | Pola | 37 | Night gun firing exercises. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 21 Aug 1941 | 0814 | Pola | 21 Aug 1941 | 1732 | Pola | 61 | Exercises with the submarines Bausan and Mameli, escorted by the auxiliary Salvore and the torpedo boat Insidioso. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 22 Aug 1941 | 1733 | Pola | 23 Aug 1941 | 0120 | Pola | 54 | Sailed with the submarine Pisani for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Insidioso. Escorted by the auxiliary Salvore. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 25 Aug 1941 | 2229 | Pola | 28 Aug 1941 | 1955 | Messina | 679 | Passage Pola-Messina. | ||
28 Aug 1941 | 1708 (e) | At 1658 hours, the submarine HMS Unbeaten sighted a BALILLA class submarine proceeding westward (toward Messina) and turned immediately to the attack At 1708 hours, HMS Unbeaten fired four torpedoes from a range of 2,500 yards. They all missed and exploded on the coast beyond. This was Adua on passage from Pola to Messina, but she did not observe the attack. | ||||||||
Riccardi, Luigi | 1 Sep 1941 | 1904 | Messina | 3 Sep 1941 | 0830 | Cagliari | 345,5 | Passage Messina-Cagliari. | ||
Riccardi, Luigi | 6 Sep 1941 | 0800 | Cagliari | 6 Sep 1941 | 1145 | Cagliari | Exercises. | |||
7 | Riccardi, Luigi | 11 Sep 1941 | 1345 | Taranto | 18 Sep 1941 | 1130 | Cagliari | 848,5 | Patrolled off Minorca, on 6° E Meridian (12-13th September), 4° E (14th September) and off Cape Bengut (15-16th September). Uneventful. | |
16 Sep 1941 | 0336 | (0) Off Cape Bougaroni. | At 0336 hours, a suspicious vessel was stopped with a warning shot. She turned out to be the French Penerf (2,151 GRT, built 1930), on passage from Tunis to Sète. She was allowed to proceed. | |||||||
Riccardi, Luigi | 22 Sep 1941 | 0720 | Cagliari | 22 Sep 1941 | 1220 | Cagliari | Exercises with the submarines Serpente and Turchese, escorted by the torpedo boat Abba and the minesweeper Balear. | |||
8 | Riccardi, Luigi | 23 Sep 1941 | 1910 | Cagliari | 30 Sep 1941 | 1030 | Sunk (with all hands) | Sailed for patrol between 37°00'N and 37°40'N, and between and 00°40'E and 01°00'E, (northwest of Cape Tenes) off Cape Palos and north of Cartagena (Spain). She was probably sighted by U-371 at 1655 hours on 24th September in German grid CH 6899 (38°27'N, 05°08'E). Sunk at 1030 hours on the 30th in 37°10'N, 00°56'E (northwest of C. Tenes, Algeria) by the destroyers HMS Gurkha and HMS Legion. There were no survivors (five officers and forty-two ratings lost). She should have returned to Cagliari on 3rd October by following the 37°30'N parallel. | ||
30 Sep 1941 | 0928 (e) | At 0928B hours, the destroyer HMS Gurkha was screening the HALBERD convoy when an ASDIC contact was made at 2,000 yards. At 0933 hours, she dropped a pattern of fourteen depth charges, set at depths of 100, 140 and 225 feet. After this attack, a round black object was seen coming to the surface. At 0945.5 hours, a loud explosion was heard and felt and at 0947.5 hours, light oil was observed and confirmed by a Swordfish plane. At 0954 hours, HMS Legion dropped a pattern of fourteen depth charges. At 1010 hours, HMS Legion dropped another fourteen depth charges. The area was littered with wreckage and HMS Gurkha lowered a boat and picked up a number of items, including an Italian dictionary, a mattress pillow, numerous pieces of wood including one with a piece of human scalp attached to it by a splinter of metal. There is little doubt that Adua was lost in this attack. There were no survivors. T.V. Luigi Riccardi, four officers and forty-two ratings perished. | ||||||||
30 Sep 1941 | 0350 | 36° 55'N, 0° 45'E (0) Italian Grid 5093/4. | Adua was lost during this patrol, so the details of her attack are not well known. At 0350 hours, she fired a salvo of four torpedoes at a group of eleven destroyers steering 270°, 12 knots. They all missed. These were certainly units of the HALBERD convoy. At 0525 hours, she reported the attack in the last signal received from her. |
94 entries. 89 total patrol entries (8 marked as war patrols) and 11 events.