Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Alfredo Criscuolo

Born  14 Aug 1904Naples

Ranks

  C.C.Capitano di Corvetta
1 May 1941 C.F.Capitano di Fregata

Decorations

19 Jul 1940 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
29 Mar 1943 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare

Career information

MOROSINI (C.C. C.O.): from 01.12.1938 to 11.04.1941.
Promoted to C.F. on ?
From 04.05.1941, Head of GRUPSOM NAPOLI.
LUCIANO MANARA (C.F. resp.): from 01.11.1941 to 08.01.1942 (refit at Naples).
From 21.04.1942 to June 1942+, Head of 7° GRUPSOM CAGLIARI.
Joined RSI.

Commands listed for Alfredo Criscuolo


Submarine Type Rank From To
Morosini (MS, I.20)Ocean goingC.C.1 Dec 193811 Apr 1941
Luciana Manara (MR)Ocean goingC.F.1 Nov 19418 Jan 1942

Ships hit by Alfredo Criscuolo

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Alfredo Criscuolo

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
1.Morosini (MS, I.20)5 Jun 19401800Naples24 Jun 19402130NaplesSailed with Provana and patrolled off Cape Palos (Spain) in 36°40'N, 00°16'E. Reported by MARICOSOM on 23rd June in 37°50'N, 07°20'E.
  12 Jun 19400745
(0) 85 miles SE of Palos.
At 0745 hours, a steamer was sighted and closed to 400 metres. It was identified as the Greek Styliani (sic, Stylianos Chandris? 6,060 GRT, built 1920). The attack was aborted.
  15 Jun 19400143
(0) 85 miles SE of Palos.
At 0136 hours, a shadow was sighted. It was identified as a French 1,000-ton two-funnel torpedo boat. At 0143 hours, Morosini fired a torpedo (533mm) from 400 metres. Due to an error in drill, the wrong torpedo tube was fired and the torpedo, which was not angled as intended, missed.
  15 Jun 19400630
(0) About 85 miles SE of Palos.
At 0547 hours, turbine noises were heard. At 0630 hours, a convoy of three large ships escorted by destroyers was sighted at 14,000 metres. They passed out of range.
  17 Jun 1940
(0) Approx. 36.50 N, 00.10 E (Cape Palos).
A Spanish ship was sighted steering 070° at a distance of 3,000 metres,.
  21 Jun 1940033536° 50'N, 0° 10'EAt 0315 hours, a dense smoke was observed. Morosini proceeded for a stern attack and at 0335 hours, fired one torpedo (533mm) at a medium sized merchant vessel (steamship of 7-8,000 GRT about 140 metres in length), zigzagging on a NNE course, 8-9 knots. After 56 seconds, a loud explosion was heard and the vessel claimed sunk. There was no confirmation of this attack.

2.Morosini (MS, I.20)11 Jul 19402350Naples26 Jul 19400900Naples2066,4Patrolled south of Alboran Island with Nani, between Cape Sacratif and Cape Quillates and between Cape de Gata (Almeria) and Cape Tres Forcas (Morocco). Sighted only a few vessels in Spanish territorial waters.

Morosini (MS, I.20)10 Aug 19400907Naples10 Aug 19401640Naples36Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)12 Aug 19400908Naples12 Aug 19401415Naples35Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)24 Aug 19401440Naples24 Aug 19401530Naples1Changed moorings.

Morosini (MS, I.20)29 Aug 19401645Naples2 Sep 19402230TarantoPassage Naples-Taranto.

Morosini (MS, I.20)15 Sep 19400930Naples15 Sep 19401030Naples1Changed moorings.

Morosini (MS, I.20)24 Sep 19400730Naples24 Sep 19400800Naples0,5Changed moorings.

Morosini (MS, I.20)30 Sep 19400830Naples30 Sep 19401715Naples49,4Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)4 Oct 19400825Naples4 Oct 19401600Naples38,8Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)7 Oct 19400827Naples7 Oct 19401747Naples50,7Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)10 Oct 19400800Naples10 Oct 19401405Naples32Exercises.

Morosini (MS, I.20)18 Oct 19400726Naples18 Oct 19401202Naples32Exercises.

3.Morosini (MS, I.20)25 Oct 19400800Naples28 Nov 19401700Bordeaux4150,27Passage Naples to Bordeaux. Patrolled off Oporto (Portugal) and then to 20'W, between 40°00'N and 42°00'N and 12°00'W and 17°00'W. Passed Gibraltar on 31st October 1940.
  3 Nov 19401135-1235At 1135 hours, a steamer was sighted and the submarine proceeded submerged to attack but, at a distance of 1,000 metres, it was recognised to be a hospital ship.
  10 Nov 19400630At 0630 hours, an illuminated ship was observed steering 100°, toward the Portuguese coast. It was assumed neutral and was not chased.
  20 Nov 19402000At 2000 hours, Morosini was informed that a convoy of thirty ships had sailed at 1400 hours from Gibraltar. The submarine moved to the eastern edge of her patrol area and awaited further information, but nothing was sighted and, at 2000 hours on the 26th, she left her patrol.
  27 Nov 19401037
(0) Near the Spanish coast.
At 1037 hours, two vessels were sighted proceeding eastward. Morosini closed the coast, but no further contacts were made.

Morosini (MS, I.20)7 Dec 19401000Bordeaux7 Dec 19401040Bordeaux0,5Moved to dock.

Morosini (MS, I.20)13 Dec 19401140Bordeaux13 Dec 19401210Bordeaux0,5Undocked and move back to quay.

Morosini (MS, I.20)4 Jan 19411140Bordeaux4 Jan 19411210Le Verdon55Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon.

Morosini (MS, I.20)5 Jan 19411004Le Verdon5 Jan 19411910La Pallice64Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice, escorted by the minesweeper M-9 and submarine chasers UJ-D, UJ-E and UJ-128.

Morosini (MS, I.20)15 Jan 19410850La Pallice15 Jan 19411708La Pallice20Trials.

Morosini (MS, I.20)17 Jan 19410905La Pallice17 Jan 19411815La Pallice22,7Trials.

4.Morosini (MS, I.20)22 Jan 19411600La Pallice24 Feb 19411800Bordeaux4558,6Sailed for patrol off Irish coast (1) between 54°00'N and 55°00'N and 18°00'W and 25°00'W (2) between 54°00'N and 55°00'N and 15°00'W and 18°00'W.
  30 Jan 1941120055° 44'N, 20° 20'WAt 1200 hours, the submarine Baracca was encountered and recognition signals exchanged.
  1 Feb 1941Time?54° 23'N, 17° 24'WMorosini sighted an unidentified submarine which submerged.
  7 Feb 1941220854° 19'N, 18° 00'WAt 2208 hours, a large sloop was observed but was not attacked according to instructions (?).
  8 Feb 1941200554° 30'N, 17° 20'W
(0) Approximately.
At 2005 hours, a U-boat was sighted at 1,000 metres. It turned back after making a signal. Immediately after, a steamer was sighted.
  8 Feb 1941203054° 30'N, 17° 20'WAs soon as the steamer was sighted, Morosini proceeded for a surface attack.

At 2030 hours, a torpedo (533mm) was fired, followed two minutes later by a second one (also 533mm) at less than 500 metres. Both missed.

At 2132 hours, a third torpedo (450mm) was launched from 400 metres, but it immediately turned to port. At 2141 hours, a loud underwater explosion was felt. The steamer was now transmitting an SOS and was identified as the Dutch Prins Fredrik Hendrik (1,288 GRT, built 1936). C.C. Criscuolo was discouraged of having failed to secure a hit, although three torpedoes had been fired at point blank range. He decided to abandon chase.

Luciana Manara (MR)1 Nov 1941Naples8 Jan 1942NaplesRefit in Naples.

33 entries. 22 total patrol entries (4 marked as war patrols) and 14 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines