Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Antonio De Giacomo
| Born | 27 Sep 1911 | Siena | |
| Died | 13 Dec 1979 | (68) | Marina di Campo (Portoferraio) |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
PIETRO CALVI (T.V. First Officer); from 01.06.1937 to ?LUIGI TORELLI (T.V. C.O.): from 27.03.1941 to 19.05.1942.
Promoted C.C. ca. August 1941.
LUCIANO MANARA (C.C. C.O.): from 04.06.1942 to 19.11.1942.
Ex-French PHOQUE (C.C. C.O.): from 31.12.1942 to 12.01.1943?
LUIGI TORELLI (C.C. C.O.): from 26.01.1943 to 03.04.1943 (actually to 16.03.1943 when wounded and replaced by S.T.V. Dechecchi).
Commands listed for Antonio De Giacomo
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | Ocean going | T.V. | 27 Mar 1941 | 19 May 1942 |
| Luciana Manara (MR) | Ocean going | C.C. | 4 Jun 1942 | 19 Nov 1942 |
| FR 111 (ex-Phoque) () | C.C. | 31 Dec 1942 | 12 Jan 1943 | |
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | Ocean going | C.C. | 26 Jan 1943 | 3 Apr 1943 |
Ships hit by Antonio De Giacomo
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 Jul 1941 | Luigi Torelli | Ida Knudsen | Tanker | 8,913 |  | Sunk |
| 2. | 20 Feb 1942 | Luigi Torelli | Scottish Star | Cargo ship | 7,224 |  | Sunk |
| 3. | 26 Feb 1942 | Luigi Torelli | Esso Copenhagen | Tanker | 9,245 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Antonio De Giacomo
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 14 Apr 1941 | 0930 | Bordeaux | 14 Apr 1941 | 1600 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon and trials off Le Verdon. | ||
| 2. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 15 Apr 1941 | 0800 | Le Verdon | 15 Apr 1941 | 1600 | La Pallice | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice and trials at Le Pertuis d'Antioche. | ||
| 3. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 16 Apr 1941 | 0800 | La Pallice | 16 Apr 1941 | 1800 | La Pallice | Trials at Le Pertuis d'Antioche. | ||
| 4. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 17 Apr 1941 | 2000 | La Pallice | 16 May 1941 | 1230 | Bordeaux | 5060,9 | Sailed for patrol off Ireland between (1) 55°00'N and 57°00'N, and between 25°00'W and 40°00'W. (2) between 51°00'N and 53°00'N, and between 16°00'W and 23°00'W (3) between 51°00'N and 52°00'N, and between 15°00'W and 20°00'W (4) between 56°00'N and 57°00'N, east of 25°00'W. | |
| 18 Apr 1941 | 1845 | 46° 50'N, 6° 25'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 1845 hours, Torelli sighted an aircraft quite far and dived. | |||||||
| 18 Apr 1941 | 2230 | 47° 00'N, 7° 05'W | At 2230 hours, lights were seen on the horizon similar to British star shells. Torelli altered course toward them but, at 2350 hours, nothing was seen and she resumed her course toward the patrol area. | |||||||
| 19 Apr 1941 | 0830 | 47° 30'N, 9° 30'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 0830 hours, Torelli sighted an aircraft close in the mist and dived. | |||||||
| 20 Apr 1941 | 0945 | 48° 25'N, 13° 45'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 0945 hours, Torelli sighted a Sunderland and dived. | |||||||
| 22 Apr 1941 | 0850 | 51° 10'N, 20° 25'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 0850 hours, Torelli sighted a biplane of the aircraft carrier type (Swordfish) and dived. | |||||||
| 22 Apr 1941 | 1100 | 51° 25'N, 20° 50'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 1100 hours, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and closed. At 1215 hours, a convoy of seventeen ships on NE course was sighted and reported by signal at 1300 hours: Italian Grid 6894/44, 10-20 ships, steering 025°, 8 knot. The submarine kept in contact at a distance At 1500 hours, Torelli made a further signal giving Grid 6894/24 , steering 045°, 7 knots. At 2130 hours, only seven smokes were sighted, indicating the convoy had split earlier. At 2400 hours, another signal gave Grid 6820, 8-10 ships, steering 240°, 13 knots. The smokes could no longer be seen in the darkness (Rome time, it was still dusk) and. by 0800 hours on 23rd April, it was evident that contact had been lost and BETASOM was so informed at 1030 hours. | |||||||
| 26 Apr 1941 | 1710 | 52° 25'N, 19° 00'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 1710 hours, Torelli sighted an aircraft at a distance and dived. | |||||||
| 26 Apr 1941 | 1925 | 52° 20'N, 19° 30'W (0) Italian Grid 6894/24. | At 1925 hours, Torelli sighted an aircraft at a distance and dived. | |||||||
| 30 Apr 1941 | 1635 | 51° 30'N, 19° 00'W | At 1635 hours, Torelli had dived to carry out repairs to the gyrocompass, when three explosions were heard, believed to be from aircraft bombs at 2-3,000 meters. The submarine was at a depth of 45 meters at the time and went down to 90 meters by precaution. At 1715 hours, another salvo of bombs fell at a distance of 1,000 meters and, by 1810 hours, a total of 37 explosions had been heard. In heavy mist, the submarine surfaced at 1825 hours and got away at 14 knots. | |||||||
| 4 May 1941 | 1540 | 56° 55'N, 23° 35'W | At 1540 hours, a German submarine was sighted steering NW. | |||||||
| 9 May 1941 | 1115 | (0) Approx. between 56° and 57° N east of 25°W. | At 1115 hours, Torelli was informed of a convoy 130 miles to the south and altered course to intercept. At 0640 hours on 10th May, a new signal from Barbarigo put the convoy 150 miles further south and the chase was abandoned. | |||||||
| 10 May 1941 | 1755 | 55° 15'N, 21° 50'W | At 1755 hours, two large steamers were sighted at 10,000 metres, unescorted,steering 260°, 13 knots. Torelli maneuvered to attack, but at 2035 hours, intercepted a distress signal "S.S.S. PORT CAMPBELL 55°01' N, 23°01' W. Submarine sighted." and the two vessels turned away. By 0130 hours on the 11th, contact had been lost. | |||||||
| 11 May 1941 | 1935 | 52° 45'N, 21° 50'W | At 1035 hours, the submarine Cappellini was met and exchanged recognition signals. | |||||||
| 5. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 29 Jun 1941 | 1000 | Bordeaux | 28 Jul 1941 | 1100 | Bordeaux | 5765 | Sailed for patrol off Gibraltar through (1) 43°00'N, 25°00'W (2) 33°30'N, 25°00 W (3) 33°00'N, 13°00 W for patrol in: First area: between (1) 36°55'N, 12°25'W (2) 36°45'N, 11°45 W (3) 34°45'N, 10°05'W (4) 35°05'N, 10°55'W. Second area: between (1) 35°55'N, 10°55'W (2) 37°55'N, 11°55'W (3) 34°45'N, 16°35'W (4) 37°05'N, 21°25'W. Third area: between (1) 30°55'N, 15°05'W (2) 35°55'N, 13°45'W (3) 35°25'N, 15°55'W (4) 31°25'N, 15°35'W. | |
| 30 Jun 1941 | 1045 | At 1045 hours, BETASOM ordered the submarines to the following positions: Torelli in Grid 2533/36 or 36°58'N, 12°30'W Morosini in 2511/33 or 36°30'N, 13°20'W Cappellini in 8511/66 or 35°58'N, 14°00'W Da Vinci in 8511/33 or 35°30'N, 13°20'W Baracca in 8533/31 or 35°10'N, 12°30'W Malaspina in 3972/51 or 33°00'N, 11°45'W. Torelli proceeded. | ||||||||
| 6 Jul 1941 | 0339 | 36° 45'N, 11° 45'W | At 0314 hours, a shadow, which proved to be a destroyer, was sighted at 4,000 metres. Six minutes later a second destroyer appeared. At 0320 hours, it was now established that the first ship was actually a cruiser and, two minutes later, an aircraft carrier was also observed. At 0325 hours, the enemy squadron appeared to be formed with a SOUTHAMPTON class cruiser leading it, followed 2,000 metres in her wake by the aircraft carrier HMS Furious, with a DEFENDER class destroyer abeam and another 3,000 metres astern. They were steering 280° at 16 knots. At 0339 hours, Torelli, who had remained on the surface, fired two torpedoes (one 533mm set at 46 knots and one 450mm set at 39 knots) from the bow tubes, aimed at the nearest destroyer from a distance of 1,300 metres. They missed. The submarine reverted course for a stern attack. This was indeed HMS Furious escorted by the destroyers HMS Wishart, HMS Legion, HMS Lance and HMS Fury. At 0340 hours, Torelli fired a torpedo (533mm, 46 knots) from a stern tube, again aimed at the destroyer. It missed ahead. The destroyer turned toward the submarine and dropped two depth charges some distance away. Torelli remained on the surface. At 0500 hours, the submarine made an en enemy report, but ten minutes later had lost contact. At 1120 hours, BETASOM ordered the submarines to the following positions: Torelli in 9697/16 (34°55' N, 10°05' W) Morosini in 8597/16 (35°55' N, 10°05' W) via 2597/13 Cappellini in 8597/13 (35°25' N, 10°05' W) Da Vinci in 9697/56 (34°55' N, 10°45' W) Malaspina in 3997/16 (33°55' N, 10°05' W) Baracca in 9697/13 (34°25' N, 10°05' W) | |||||||
| 6 Jul 1941 | 1245 | At 1245 hours, the Morosini was sighted in the mist. | ||||||||
| 7 Jul 1941 | 1235 | 34° 45'N, 10° 05'W | At 1235 hours, a convoy of two steamers with three escorts was observed, steering 205°. Torelli tried to maintain conact and, at 1600 hours, reported the convoy in Italian Grid 8597/32. This was convoy O.G.66, which had sailed on 24th June from Liverpool for Gibraltar. | |||||||
| 7 Jul 1941 | 1630 | The conning tower of a submarine was sighted. | ||||||||
| 7 Jul 1941 | 1708 1600A (e) | 34° 55'N, 10° 00'W | At 1258 hours, Torelli had made contact at 5,000 metres with the convoy, but was forced to dive. HMS Eridge, of the 13th Destroyer Flotilla, was on the starboard side of the heavily-escorted convoy O.G. 66 and, at 1155A hours, first sighted a submarine fine on the starboard bow at 5-6 miles. The destroyer HMS Farndale was on the port side of the convoy and joined at 1250A hours, but her ASDIC broke down and she could not get a contact. The A/S hunt went on. At 1708 hours, Torelli had again made contact with the convoy, when an escort vessel fired two rounds, which fell 300 metres astern in the submarine's wake. Two minutes later she dived. This was the destroyer HMS Farndale and, at 1600A hours, she had sighted the submarine at a range of 8 miles and fired four rounds from her no.1 4" gun at 13,000 yards. HMS Eridge closed, but it was now her turn to have her ASDIC fail. Torelli managed to elude her two hunters, but kept on trailing the convoy. At 2100 hours, she made an enemy report giving the position as Grid 3997/55 (33°45' N, 10°45' W). | |||||||
| 8 Jul 1941 | 0800 | 34° 50'N, 10° 30'W | At 0800 hours, the submarine Malaspina was encountered and exchanged recognition signals. At 1100 hours, BETASOM issued orders for new positions: Bianchi in 2772/11 (36°05' N, 11°05' W) Torelli in 8597/61 (35°05' N, 10°55' W) Morosini in 8597/34 (35°35' N, 10°25' W) Baracca in 9697/11 (34°05' N, 10°05' W) Malaspina in 3997/54 (33°35' N, 10°45' W) Da Vinci in 9697/25 (34°15' N, 10°45' W) (the BETASOM diaries give the position as 35°55' N, 19°15' W but this is a typographic error). | |||||||
| 10 Jul 1941 | 1300 | 37° 55'N, 11° 55'W | At 1300 hours, a neutral tanker was sighted steering toward Lisbon. | |||||||
| 13 Jul 1941 | 0330 0243 (e) | 35° 02'N, 16° 42'W | At 0330 hours, two shadows were sighted. Two minutes later, they were identified as submarine chasers and Torelli immediately dived to 125 metres. At 0346 hours, five depth-charges exploded, followed at 0415 hours by two more and another six at 0430 hours. The submarine was slightly damaged. This was the escort destroyer HMS Avon Vale, steering 127° at 18 knots with HMS Farndale in company. She had sighted the submarine at 0235A hours. Fire was not opened from fear of the blinding effect from the flash, which was a mistake. At 0243 hours, she dropped five depth charges set at 350, 250 and 150 feet. Her commander was criticised for having lost an opportunity to destroy a U-boat. | |||||||
| 19 Jul 1941 | 1030 | 35° 40'N, 14° 27'W | At 1030 hours, a shadow was sighted and initially thought to be a fishing vessel. The submarine attempted to close submerged but lost sight of it. | |||||||
| 19 Jul 1941 | 1219 | 35° 40'N, 14° 27'W (0) Approximately. | At 1219 hours, a small submarine chaser (about 200 tons) was sighted. Torelli took avoiding action. | |||||||
| 19 Jul 1941 | 1920 | 31° 40'N, 14° 30'W | At 1920 hours, a ship was sighted which turned out to be the Spanish steamer Monte Banderas (1,597 GRT, built 1929). | |||||||
| 21 Jul 1941 | 1030 | 35° 40'N, 14° 27'W | At 1030 hours, a small vessel was sighted, initially believed to be a fishing boat. Torelli dived and closed to investigate. At 1219 hours, she sighted a second vessel, and recognised both to be submarine chasers of about 200 tons. She took avoiding action. | |||||||
| 21 Jul 1941 | 2319 2210 (e) | 34° 42'N, 14° 38'W | At 2134 hours, a large tanker (later identified as of the SCOTTISH AMERICAN class) was sighted, zigzagging and steering about 060°, 11 knots. Torelli maneuvered to intercept after dark. At 2319 hours, a single torpedo was fired from a bow tube at a distance of 1,000 metres. Torelli quickly reverted course and fired a second torpedo from a stern tube. Both were claimed to hit, but survivors stated that only the first one hit the port quarter in the pump room, whereas the next two missed. This was the Norwegian tanker Ida Knudsen (8,913 GRT, built 1925). She was carrying 13,000 tons of fuel oil from Port of Spain to Gibraltar. At 2328 hours, Torelli fired another torpedo from a stern tube at 600 metres. At the moment of firing, the submarine was rocked by a large wave and the torpedo missed a few metres astern. At 2335 hours, the target was observed to be shaken by a large explosion,. Probably a secondary explosion following the first torpedo hit. By this time, an SOS had been sent but was interrupted by the explosion. The crew began to abandon ship. At 2340 hours, the submarine had reverted course to gain a more favourable position and, fired a fourth torpedo from a forward tube at 1,000 metres. It hit abaft the forecastle on the starboard side, causing further damage but the tanker remained afloat. At 2356 hours, a fifth torpedo from a bow tube hit amidship. At 0017 hours on 22nd July, a sixth torpedo finally sealed the fate of the tanker. Five were killed. Fourteen survivors were rescued by the Portuguese trawler Altair and brought to Las Palmas. On 28th July, a lifeboat with seventeen survivors reached Agadir (Morocco). On 9th August 1941, two survivors reached Tenerife in a lifeboat. | |||||||
| 6. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 5 Sep 1941 | 0715 | Bordeaux | 5 Sep 1941 | 1300 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon and trials. | ||
| 7. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 5 Sep 1941 | 1950 | Le Verdon | 6 Sep 1941 | 1200 | Pauillac | Sailed for patrol but defects forced an early return. Escorted back by Sperrbrecher 14. | ||
| 8. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 6 Sep 1941 | 1730 | Pauillac | 6 Sep 1941 | 2005 | Bordeaux | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | ||
| 9. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 7 Sep 1941 | 1000 | Bordeaux | 7 Sep 1941 | 1315 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 10. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 7 Sep 1941 | 1830 | Le Verdon | 25 Sep 1941 | 1500 | Le Verdon | 3782,6 | Sailed for patrol west of Gibraltar through 45°40'N until the 14°00'W meridian and then south. At 1900 hours on 18th September ordered to 38°05'N, 10°05'W thence to 37°55'N, 12°05'W. At 1050 hours on the 19th, ordered 36°15'N, 12°45'W. At 0955 hours on the 20th, ordered to 36°35'N, 15°35'W. At 1830 hours on the 20th, ordered to 36°55'N. 15°45'W. At 1930 hours on the 21st, ordered to 39°05'N, 21°55'W, etc. | |
| 13 Sep 1941 | 0615 | 37° 50'N, 10° 42'W | At 0615 hours, a 4,000-ton Swiss ship was sighted proceeding toward Lisbon. | |||||||
| 19 Sep 1941 | 0110 | 36° 14'N, 9° 50'W | At 0110 hours, a large Spanish ship was sighted. At 0910 hours, Morosini signalled the discovery of a convoy in 35°45' N, 11°15' W. At 1050 hours, BETASOM ordered the submarines to take the following positions by dusk: Torelli Italian grid 6711/61 (36°05' N, 12°55' W) (the BETASOM war diaries give it as 36°15' N, 12°45' W but this appears to be a mistake in translating the Grid) Malaspina 0111/66 (35°55' N, 12°55' W) Morosini 0111/64 (35°35' N, 12°55' W) Baracca 6711/52 (36°15' N, 12°45' W) Da Vinci 0111/63 (35°25' N, 12°55' W) | |||||||
| 19 Sep 1941 | 1740 | 36° 21'N, 12° 03'W | At 1740 hours, a biplane aircraft (Swordfish?) was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 19 Sep 1941 | 1930 | 36° 19'N, 12° 24'W | At 1930 hours, a convoy was sighted and reported by Torelli at 2100 hours, in 36°15' N, 12°45' W, steering 310°, 7 knots. | |||||||
| 20 Sep 1941 | 0033 | 36° 42'N, 13° 04'W | At 0033 hours, an Italian submarine was encountered. She was believed to be either Da Vinci or Malaspina. As they were near the convoy, they did not exchange signals so as not to disclose their positions. The submarine was sighted again at 0048 and 0116 hours. At 0955 hours, BETASOM ordered the submarines to take the following positions: Torelli Italian grid 6792/44 (38°35' N, 15°35' W) Malaspina 3476/41 (38°05' N, 14°35' W) Morosini 2092/15 (37°45' N, 15°05' W) Baracca 2092/32 (37°15' N, 15°25' W) Da Vinci 3488/63 (38°25' N, 13°55' W) This was revised at 1230 hours: Torelli 6792/55 (36°55' N, 15°45' W) Malaspina 2092/43 (37°35' N, 15°35' W) Morosini 2092/42 (37°15' N, 15°35' W) Baracca 2092/32 (37°15' N, 15°25' W, no change) Da Vinci 2092/34 (37°35' N, 15°25' W). | |||||||
| 20 Sep 1941 | 1622 | 37° 25'N, 15° 15'W | At 1622 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 20 Sep 1941 | 1930 | 37° 05'N, 15° 42'W (0) Italian Grid 6792/66. | At 1930 hours, the convoy (H.G. 73) was sighted steering 280°, 7 knots. Torelli trailed the convoy and was ordered to attack after midnight. The visibility had suddenly dropped and the submarine tried to regain contact but could not do so. | |||||||
| 21 Sep 1941 | 0825 [dawn] | 37° 05'N, 18° 35'W | At 0825 hours (at dawn), Torelli regained visual contact at 2,500 metres. Due to the short distance De Giacomo decided to submerge to carry out his attack. At 1930 hours, BETASOM had ordered the submarines to the following positions (if they were not already in contact): Torelli Italian Grid 1366/61 (39°05' N, 21°55' W) Malaspina 1366/43 (39°25' N, 21°35' W) Da Vinci 1366/25 (39°45' N, 21°45' W) Morosini 1556/42 (40°15' N , 20°35' W) Baracca 1556/24 (40°35' N, 20°15' W) | |||||||
| 21 Sep 1941 | 2202 2110 (e) | 37° 30'N, 19° 20'W (0) Approximately. | Torelli had been able to maintain contact with the convoy, despite poor visibility caused by frequent rain squalls. At 2103 hours, an escort vessel was sighted. C.C. De Giacomo believed his submarine had been spotted by the enemy. He decided to remain surfaced and keep its distance. At 2200 hours, the vessel could be identified as a submarine chaser. The submarine signalled BETASOM that it had lost contact with the convoy. At 2202 hours, the submarine chaser turned to starboard and despite the complete darkness, she opened fire. The shots were long but the submarine crash-dived to 130 meters, seven depth-charges exploded above her, causing slight damage. At 2310 hours, another pattern of seven depth-charges was heard at a distance, At 0030 hours on 22nd September, fifteen depth-charges exploded in the vicinity, causing serious damage to the batteries. The submarine went down to 150 meters. At 0310 hours, Torelli surfaced and, fortunately, the submarine chaser was gone, but she had to abandon her patrol. The destroyer hunting the submarine was HMS Vimy from convoy H.G.73 She had first sighted Torelli at 2005A hours and chased her, opening fire at 2103A hours from about 0.75 mile. Fourteen 4" rounds were fired, but no hits were claimed. At 2126A hours, she dropped a pattern of fourteen depth charges. A delay in operating the ASDIC prevented her from obtaining an accurate contact. | |||||||
| 22 Sep 1941 | 0817 | 38° 34'N, 18° 30'W | At 0817 hours, a submarine chaser and another minor vessel were sighted and Torelli dived. | |||||||
| 24 Sep 1941 | 0859 | 43° 05'N, 10° 06'W | At 0859 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 24 Sep 1941 | 1630 | 43° 45'N, 7° 44'W | At 1630 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 24 Sep 1941 | 1700 | 43° 45'N, 7° 30'W | At 1700 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 24 Sep 1941 | 1816 | 43° 43'N, 7° 18'W | At 1816 hours, a German submarine with an escort vessel were sighted. Recognition signals were exchanged. | |||||||
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 25 Sep 1941 | 1630 | Le Verdon | 25 Sep 1941 | 1945 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
| 11. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 2 Dec 1941 | 0900 | Bordeaux | 2 Dec 1941 | 1705 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. Delayed by fog, which forced the submarine to drop anchor at Barbe de Squire. | ||
| 12. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 5 Dec 1941 | 1750 | Le Verdon | 23 Dec 1941 | 1046 | St. Nazaire | 4995 | Sailed on a mission to rescue the survivors from the German raider Atlantis and her supply ship Python, northwest of Cape Verde (took 55 men from U-A). Four submarines participated in the operation: Finzi, Calvi, Torelli and Tazolli. The four commanders were decorated by Admiral Doenitz. | |
| 14 Dec 1941 | 1730-2130 | 17° 15'N, 27° 35'W | Between 1730 at 2130 hours, the German submarine U-A was met and Torelli supplied her with food. The U-boat was carrying survivors from the raider Atlantis. Two officers and fifty-three ratings were transferred to the Italian submarine and brought to St. Nazaire. | |||||||
| 17 Dec 1941 | 0641 | 27° 50'N, 23° 10'W | At 0641 hours, an 8,000-ton vessel was sighted, but was left alone. Torelli had orders to avoid all attacks to bring her passengers safely to St. Nazaire. | |||||||
| 22 Dec 1941 | 0948 | 44° 00'N, 6° 20'W | At 0948 hours, a tanker was sighted and was apparently Spanish. | |||||||
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 23 Dec 1941 | 1930 | St. Nazaire | 24 Dec 1941 | 1500 | Bordeaux | Passage St. Nazaire-Bordeaux. | |||
| 13. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 31 Jan 1942 | 0930 | Bordeaux | 31 Jan 1942 | 1300 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 14. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 1 Feb 1942 | 1840 | Le Verdon | 31 Mar 1942 | 1800 | Bordeaux | 9947 | Patrolled off Martinique (she carried fourteen torpedoes). | |
| 4 Feb 1942 | 1300 | 44° 50'N, 10° 50'W | At 1300 hours, a Sunderland aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 20 Feb 1942 | 0304 2105 ATS/19 (e) | 13° 24'N, 49° 36'W | At 1115 hours on 19th February, a vessel was sighted in 16°06' N, 50°35' W, steering 170°. She was travelling fast and the submarine took the whole day to catch up. At 0304 hours on the 20th, two torpedoes (533mm, S.I. type) were fired at a distance of 900 metres. Both hit the target. At 0327 hours, Torelli fired 6 100mm rounds, but fire was checked as the ship was being abandoned (the survivors believed that fire had been directed at the W/T aerial) and she sank at 0405 hours. This was the British Scottish Star (7,224 GRT, built 1916, ex Millais) on a voyage from London to Montevideo with 2,000 tons of general cargo. Her identity was revealed when she made an SOS. Four were killed or missing. Sixty-nine (or 68?) were rescued (fifty-two by the light cruiser HMS Diomede). The remaining sixteen reached Barbados in lifeboat no. 2 at 1530 hours, local time, on 27th February. | |||||||
| 24 Feb 1942 | 1556 | 11° 00'N, 53° 30'W | At 1556 hours, a two-funnel steamer was sighted proceeding at high speed. At 1644 hours, Torelli gave up chasing the vessel on the surface, as her diesels were emitting too much smoke. She submerged. The vessel was steering 130° but still distant at 12,000 metres. At 1715 hours, the range had dropped to 4,000 metres, but remained too far for a successful torpedo attack. C.C. De Giacomo waited until she was at some distance to surface and gave chase, intending to attack after dark. At 2032 hours, a second ship was sighted and De Giacomo decided to switch attack to this new target. | |||||||
| 24 Feb 1942 | 2032 | 10° 30'N, 53° 00'W | At 2032 hours, a steamer was sighted steering 275°. The submarine gave chase but lost it in a rain squall at 0530 hours, on 25th February. | |||||||
| 25 Feb 1942 | 1248 | 10° 32'N, 53° 20'W | At 1104 hours (dawn), two tankers were sighted. At 1248 hours, Torelli carried out a submerged attack, firing two torpedoes (450mm) from the stern tubes at a distance of 800 metres, aimed at one of the two tankers sighted earlier. They missed. Because her batteries were low, Torelli could not attempt another submerged attack and waited until the following night. She appeared to be a large modern tanker similar to W.B. WALKER of 10,500 tons, armed with a single 120 mm gun and six machine-guns. It was the Panamanian tanker Esso Copenhagen (9,245 GRT, built 1939) carrying fuel from Aruba to Buenos Aires. At 0043 hours on 26th February, one torpedo (533mm, S.I. type) was fired from a bow tube at a distance of 1,500 metres. It missed. Torelli maneuvered to get into a better position. At 0142 hours, another bow torpedo (533mm) was fired from 1,300 metres. It hit the tanker but she remained afloat. A minute later, the submarine opened fire with her four machine guns to force the quick evacuation of her victim. At 0150 hours, Toreilli opened fire with her stern gun, causing further damage. Having sighted seven survivors clinging to a capsized lifeboat, the submarine located another lifeboat which was not manned and towed it to the survivors who then boarded it. De Giacomo then waited for the ship to sink. By 1555 hours, the tanker was still afloat. A stern torpedo (450mm, type A 115) was fired from close range, which hit amidship, provoking a large fuel leak but the ship refused to sink. At 1630 hours, the submarine finished off the ship with a few rounds from her stern gun and she finally sank at 1720 hours. One was killed. Thirty-eight survivors were rescued by the American Eastern Guide and the Dutch Notis and landed at Trinidad. | |||||||
| 9 Mar 1942 | 1217 | 9° 20'N, 56° 30'W | At 1217 hours, a small passenger ship was sighted, steering 330°. Torelli chased her until midnight when she turned out to be French vessel proceeding to Martinique. | |||||||
| 11 Mar 1942 | 0109 | 13° 10'N, 56° 30'W | At 2320 hours on 10th March, a vessel was sighted zigzagging on a mean 070° course. At 0109 hours, Torelli fired a torpedo (533mm, S.I. type) from a bow tube at 800 metres. It missed. The submarine was left with one defective torpedo in a forward tube. She attempted a stern attack, which was thwarted when the vessel escaped at high speed. This was the British Orari (10,107 GRT, built 1931) who made an SOS. | |||||||
| 19 Mar 1942 | 1325 | 29° 40'N, 43° 40'W | At 1325 hours, a steamer was sighted. Torelli gave chase until 1420 hours, when she was identified as Spanish. | |||||||
| 26 Mar 1942 | 1955 | 45° 20'N, 19° 00'W | At 1955 hours, a periscope was sighted. Torelli turned away. | |||||||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 5 Jun 1942 | 1422 | Fiume | 6 Jun 1942 | 0308 | Fiume | 85 | Exercises with the submarine Menotti, escorted by the torpedo boat Insidioso. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 8 Jun 1942 | 1419 | Fiume | 9 Jun 1942 | 0221 | Fiume | 56 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 11 Jun 1942 | 1006 | Fiume | 12 Jun 1942 | 0320 | Fiume | 84 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 13 Jun 1942 | 0832 | Fiume | 13 Jun 1942 | 2045 | Fiume | 71 | Exercises with the submarine Menotti, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Trau. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 16 Jun 1942 | 0930 | Fiume | 17 Jun 1942 | 0035 | Fiume | 63 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 18 Jun 1942 | 1410 | Fiume | 18 Jun 1942 | 2015 | Fiume | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 22 Jun 1942 | 1720 | Fiume | 22 Jun 1942 | 2046 | Fiume | 16 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 23 Jun 1942 | 2100 | Fiume | 24 Jun 1942 | 0155 | Fiume | 35 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 24 Jun 1942 | 2100 | Fiume | 25 Jun 1942 | 0125 | Fiume | 50 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 26 Jun 1942 | 1420 | Fiume | 27 Jun 1942 | 0040 | Fiume | 65 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 29 Jun 1942 | 1443 | Fiume | 30 Jun 1942 | 0135 | Fiume | 50 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 1 Jul 1942 | 1406 | Fiume | 2 Jul 1942 | 0309 | Fiume | 58 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 3 Jul 1942 | 1445 | Fiume | 4 Jul 1942 | 0250 | Fiume | 79 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 6 Jul 1942 | 1430 | Fiume | 7 Jul 1942 | 0200 | Fiume | 60 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 8 Jul 1942 | 1425 | Fiume | 9 Jul 1942 | 0125 | Fiume | 63 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 10 Jul 1942 | 1610 | Fiume | 11 Jul 1942 | 0120 | Fiume | 45 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 14 Jul 1942 | 1429 | Fiume | 15 Jul 1942 | 0205 | Fiume | 68 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 16 Jul 1942 | 1420 | Fiume | 17 Jul 1942 | 0315 | Fiume | 67 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 20 Jul 1942 | 1445 | Fiume | 21 Jul 1942 | 0210 | Fiume | 71 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 22 Jul 1942 | 1337 | Fiume | 23 Jul 1942 | 0100 | Fiume | 58 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 24 Jul 1942 | 1220 | Fiume | 25 Jul 1942 | 0120 | Fiume | 50 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 28 Jul 1942 | 1210 | Fiume | 28 Jul 1942 | 1900 | Fiume | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 30 Jul 1942 | 0800 | Fiume | 30 Jul 1942 | 1640 | Fiume | 31 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 1 Aug 1942 | 0910 | Fiume | 1 Aug 1942 | 1455 | Fiume | 17 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 3 Aug 1942 | 0720 | Fiume | 3 Aug 1942 | 1245 | Fiume | 15 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 3 Aug 1942 | 1515 | Fiume | 4 Aug 1942 | 0127 | Fiume | 43 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 5 Aug 1942 | 1015 | Fiume | 6 Aug 1942 | 0045 | Fiume | 51,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 7 Aug 1942 | 1500 | Fiume | 8 Aug 1942 | 0110 | Fiume | 65,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 11 Aug 1942 | 0915 | Fiume | 11 Aug 1942 | 1320 | Fiume | 9,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 11 Aug 1942 | 1600 | Fiume | 11 Aug 1942 | 1820 | Fiume | 10,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 13 Aug 1942 | 1450 | Fiume | 14 Aug 1942 | 0030 | Fiume | 59,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 17 Aug 1942 | 1510 | Fiume | 18 Aug 1942 | 0025 | Fiume | 63 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 19 Aug 1942 | 1515 | Fiume | 19 Aug 1942 | 2015 | Fiume | 11 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 20 Aug 1942 | 1452 | Fiume | 21 Aug 1942 | 0105 | Fiume | 71 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 22 Aug 1942 | 0830 | Fiume | 22 Aug 1942 | 1220 | Fiume | 12 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 24 Aug 1942 | 1510 | Fiume | 24 Aug 1942 | 1820 | Fiume | 12,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 26 Aug 1942 | 1510 | Fiume | 27 Aug 1942 | 0050 | Fiume | 65 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 28 Aug 1942 | 1610 | Fiume | 28 Aug 1942 | 2025 | Fiume | 14,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 31 Aug 1942 | 1500 | Fiume | 1 Sep 1942 | 0101 | Fiume | 64 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 2 Sep 1942 | 1500 | Fiume | 3 Sep 1942 | 0105 | Fiume | 53,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 4 Sep 1942 | 1950 | Fiume | 5 Sep 1942 | 0100 | Fiume | 41 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 7 Sep 1942 | 1505 | Fiume | 8 Sep 1942 | 0145 | Fiume | 69,69 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 11 Sep 1942 | 1458 | Fiume | 11 Sep 1942 | 2355 | Fiume | 53,25 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 14 Sep 1942 | 0830 | Fiume | 14 Sep 1942 | 1830 | Fiume | 64,75 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 15 Sep 1942 | 0430 | Fiume | 15 Sep 1942 | 1300 | Fiume | 2,48 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the torpedo boat Fortunale. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 17 Sep 1942 | 1500 | Fiume | 17 Sep 1942 | 2015 | Fiume | 10,6 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the torpedo boat Fortunale. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 19 Sep 1942 | 0825 | Fiume | 19 Sep 1942 | 1830 | Fiume | 13,56 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 21 Sep 1942 | 1135 | Fiume | 21 Sep 1942 | 2020 | Fiume | 10,85 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the auxiliary Marcello. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 23 Sep 1942 | 1410 | Fiume | 24 Sep 1942 | 0017 | Fiume | 46,11 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 25 Sep 1942 | 0841 | Fiume | 25 Sep 1942 | 1545 | Fiume | 16,85 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 28 Sep 1942 | 0930 | Fiume | 28 Sep 1942 | 1400 | Fiume | 13,93 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the auxiliary Abbazia. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 29 Sep 1942 | 1125 | Fiume | 29 Sep 1942 | 2320 | Fiume | 35,87 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the gunboat Cattaro. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 30 Sep 1942 | 1015 | Fiume | 30 Sep 1942 | 2400 | Fiume | 51,25 | Exercises with the submarine Delfino, escorted by the gunboat Cattaro. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 2 Oct 1942 | 0825 | Fiume | 2 Oct 1942 | 1742 | Fiume | 50,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 5 Oct 1942 | 1330 | Fiume | 5 Oct 1942 | 2400 | Fiume | 58 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 6 Oct 1942 | 1050 | Fiume | 6 Oct 1942 | 2400 | Fiume | 67 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 8 Oct 1942 | 0740 | Fiume | 8 Oct 1942 | 1340 | Fiume | 34,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 9 Oct 1942 | 1040 | Fiume | 9 Oct 1942 | 2300 | Fiume | 64 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 12 Oct 1942 | 0945 | Fiume | 12 Oct 1942 | 2235 | Fiume | 64 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 13 Oct 1942 | 1230 | Fiume | 13 Oct 1942 | 1900 | Fiume | 28 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 15 Oct 1942 | 0945 | Fiume | 15 Oct 1942 | 1725 | Fiume | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 16 Oct 1942 | 1230 | Fiume | 16 Oct 1942 | 2400 | Fiume | 63 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 19 Oct 1942 | 1200 | Fiume | 19 Oct 1942 | 2120 | Fiume | 45 | Exercises with the submarines Delfino and Jalea, escorted by the torpedo boat Insidioso. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 21 Oct 1942 | 1220 | Fiume | 21 Oct 1942 | 2240 | Fiume | 55 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 23 Oct 1942 | 1230 | Fiume | 23 Oct 1942 | 2100 | Fiume | 43 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 26 Oct 1942 | 0930 | Fiume | 26 Oct 1942 | 1530 | Fiume | 26,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 26 Oct 1942 | 1820 | Fiume | 26 Oct 1942 | 2200 | Fiume | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 28 Oct 1942 | 1050 | Fiume | 28 Oct 1942 | 2020 | Fiume | 55,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 29 Oct 1942 | 1150 | Fiume | 29 Oct 1942 | 1645 | Fiume | 26,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 31 Oct 1942 | 0835 | Fiume | 31 Oct 1942 | 2145 | Fiume | 68 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 2 Nov 1942 | 0920 | Fiume | 2 Nov 1942 | 2010 | Fiume | 74 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 3 Nov 1942 | 1100 | Fiume | 3 Nov 1942 | 2035 | Fiume | 64 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 5 Nov 1942 | 0945 | Fiume | 5 Nov 1942 | 1745 | Fiume | 48 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 6 Nov 1942 | 1040 | Fiume | 6 Nov 1942 | 1645 | Fiume | 40 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 7 Nov 1942 | 1250 | Fiume | 7 Nov 1942 | 1745 | Fiume | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 9 Nov 1942 | 0820 | Fiume | 9 Nov 1942 | 1140 | Fiume | 22,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 10 Nov 1942 | 1645 | Fiume | 10 Nov 1942 | 2150 | Fiume | 45 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 12 Nov 1942 | 0725 | Fiume | 12 Nov 1942 | 1200 | Fiume | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 13 Nov 1942 | 0725 | Fiume | 13 Nov 1942 | 1200 | Fiume | 31,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 16 Nov 1942 | 1315 | Fiume | 16 Nov 1942 | 2050 | Fiume | 54,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 17 Nov 1942 | 0835 | Fiume | 17 Nov 1942 | 2000 | Fiume | 79 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 19 Nov 1942 | 0830 | Fiume | 19 Nov 1942 | 1715 | Fiume | 45,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 19 Nov 1942 | 1845 | Fiume | 19 Nov 1942 | 2215 | Fiume | 47 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 20 Nov 1942 | 0830 | Fiume | 20 Nov 1942 | 1250 | Fiume | 25,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 20 Nov 1942 | 1816 | Fiume | 20 Nov 1942 | 2030 | Fiume | 20 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 23 Nov 1942 | 0835 | Fiume | 23 Nov 1942 | 1735 | Fiume | 51 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 24 Nov 1942 | 0850 | Fiume | 24 Nov 1942 | 1230 | Fiume | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 25 Nov 1942 | 0900 | Fiume | 25 Nov 1942 | 1410 | Fiume | 28,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 26 Nov 1942 | 1305 | Fiume | 26 Nov 1942 | 2030 | Fiume | 52,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 27 Nov 1942 | 0825 | Fiume | 27 Nov 1942 | 1745 | Fiume | 48 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 28 Nov 1942 | 0815 | Fiume | 28 Nov 1942 | 1700 | Fiume | 58,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 30 Nov 1942 | 0755 | Fiume | 30 Nov 1942 | 2005 | Fiume | 79,5 | Exercises. | ||
| FR 111 (ex-Phoque) () | 31 Dec 1942 | 1100 | Bizerta | 31 Dec 1942 | 1100 | Bizerta | The submarine was taken over by an Italian crew. | |||
| FR 111 (ex-Phoque) () | 2 Jan 1943 | 0700 | Bizerta | 2 Jan 1943 | Bizerta | Trials. | ||||
| FR 111 (ex-Phoque) () | 6 Jan 1943 | 1305 | Ferryville | 7 Jan 1943 | 2330 | Palermo | 215 | Passage Bizerta-Palermo with ex-Saphir and German Ruhr, escorted by the torpedo boat Animoso and Groppo. | ||
| FR 111 (ex-Phoque) () | 11 Jan 1943 | 0830 | Palermo | 12 Jan 1943 | 1130 | Naples | 180 | Passage Palermo-Naples with ex-Saphir, towed by Luni and Ursus escorted by the torpedo boat Groppo. Converted to transport submarine at Castellammare di Stabia. The external tubes and the deck gun were removed. | ||
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 11 Feb 1943 | 1045 | Bordeaux | 11 Feb 1943 | 1500 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 11 Feb 1943 | 1645 | Le Verdon | 12 Feb 1943 | 0530 | Le Verdon | Trials. | |||
| Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 12 Feb 1943 | 1400 | Le Verdon | 12 Feb 1943 | 1545 | Le Verdon | Trials. | |||
| 15. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 13 Feb 1943 | 1700 | Le Verdon | 15 Feb 1943 | 1520 | Bordeaux | Sailed for patrol but turned because of a fuel leak. Equipped with Metox. | ||
| 14 Feb 1943 | 0015 | 45° 07'N, 2° 21'W | At 0015 hours, an aircraft with a projector (Leigh Light) was sighted. It had not been detected by the Metox At 0017 hours, the aircraft came back and the submarine crash-dived. Two bombs exploded. There was no apparent damage, but by daylight, it was noticed that Torelli was leaking fuel and C.C. De Giacomo decided to turn back. The attacking aircraft has not been identified. | |||||||
| 16. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 20 Feb 1943 | 1724 | Bordeaux | 20 Feb 1943 | 1952 | Pauillac | Passage Bordeaux-Pauillac. Had sailed for patrol earlier (0725/20) but turned back because of heavy fog. | ||
| 17. | Luigi Torelli (TI, I.9, UIT.25) | 21 Feb 1943 | 0745 | Pauillac | 3 Apr 1943 | 1730 | Bordeaux | Patrolled off Brazil. Equipped with Metox, which was not used all the time. More than half of her crew was substituted on this patrol, considerably reducing her efficiency. Upon her return, transformed as a transport submarine. | ||
| 23 Feb 1943 | 2315 | 44° 30'N, 7° 47'W | At 2315 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 24 Feb 1943 | 2150 | 44° 00'N, 9° 40'W | At 2118 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 25 Feb 1943 | 0225 | 43° 32'N, 10° 15'W | At 0225 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 25 Feb 1943 | 0730 | 43° 25'N, 10° 20'W | At 0730 hours, an aircraft was suddenly sighted (it had not been detected by Metox) and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 26 Feb 1943 | 1110 | 39° 10'N, 14° 50'W | At 1110 hours, an aircraft was seen. It was probably a Clipper and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 26 Feb 1943 | 1405 | 38° 35'N, 15° 25'W | At 1405 hours, an aircraft was seen. It was probably a Clipper and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 26 Feb 1943 | 2100 | 38° 15'N, 16° 00'W | At 2100 hours, an aircraft was detected by Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 27 Feb 1943 | 1647 | 35° 45'N, 18° 40'W | At 1647 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 27 Feb 1943 | 2250 | 35° 10'N, 19° 10'W | At 2250 hours, an aircraft was detected by Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 11 Mar 1943 | 1635-2148 | 5° 50'N, 29° 13'W | At 1635 hours, the submarine Barbarigo was encountered. She was returning home and ceded 26 tons of fuel to Torelli. The refuelling was completed at 2148 hours. | |||||||
| 16 Mar 1943 | 1800 | 7° 15'S, 29° 10'W | At 1800 hours, an aircraft was seen and Torelli dived. The hatch was not closed properly and she was forced to surface but the aircraft did not spot her. | |||||||
| 16 Mar 1943 | 1910 1645 (e) | 7° 15'S, 29° 10'W | Torelli had problems with a defective valve in her diesel engines. She surfaced at 1815 hours. At 1900 hours, a fighter aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm type was observed. Ten minutes, later it attacked, dropping a bomb which missed the submarine by 30 metres on the port side. The submarine's machine guns put up accurate antiaircraft fire. This was a Dauntless (SBD) of VC-29 Squadron from the escort carrier USS Santee (CVE-29). It was piloted by Ensign E.M. Koos and he attacked a surfaced submarine with a single bomb which (he claimed) landed about 25 feet off the submarine's port beam. During the attack heavy flak hit the Dauntless, knocking out it's radio and wounding Ensign Koos, but he managed to land the aircraft on his carrier. At 1940 hours, three aircraft of the same type were observed. Two came low and attacked, dropping one bomb each. The first, dropped a bomb which missed the starboard bow and caused no damage. The second, also dropped a bomb, narrowly missing the submarine on the starboard bean and covering the conning tower with fragments. The third did not attack leading C.C. DE Giacomo to believe it was the one which attacked earlier. Both planes were flying low (50-70 metres) and strafed the submarine. At 2005 hours, C.C. De Giacomo was wounded in the right arm and had to temporarily relinquish command to his First Officer S.T.V. Sergio De Checchi. Two ratings were seriously wounded. He claimed that one aircraft was shot down and another set afire. These aircraft were also from Santee. The first was a Dauntless, piloted by Ensign J. Oster. The other was an Avenger, piloted by Ensign W.R. Taylor and actually dropped two bombs. One was observed to narrowly missed the submarine on the port side (De Giacomo stated it dropped on the starboard side). The submarine submerged at 2020 hours but had suffered damages and was leaking oil and air. Attempts were made to repair the damages, but they were unsuccessful and, at 2105 hours on 17th March, De Giacomo signalled BETASOM that he had to abort his patrol. | |||||||
| 28 Mar 1943 | 1225 | 35° 35'N, 22° 00'W | At 1225 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 29 Mar 1943 | 0400 | 38° 00'N, 19° 30'W | At 0400 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 29 Mar 1943 | 2245 | 40° 35'N, 16° 30'W | At 2245 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 31 Mar 1943 | 0830 | 44° 02'N, 10° 25'W | At 0830 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 2 Apr 1943 | 0110 | 44° 48'N, 5° 00'W | At 0110 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 3 Apr 1943 | 0715 | At 0715 hours, the submarine Barbarigo was encountered and recognition signals were exchanged. | ||||||||
183 entries. 118 total patrol entries (17 marked as war patrols) and 72 events.