Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Carlo Fecia di Cossato
| Born | 25 Sep 1908 | Rome | |
| Died | 27 Aug 1944 | (35) | Naples (committed suicide) |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Career information
CIRO MENOTTI (T.V. C.O.): from 27.04.1940 to 27.08.1940.MARCANTONIO BRAGADINO (T.V. C.O.): from 18.08.1940 to 26.08.1940.
RUGGIERO SETTIMO (T.V. C.O.): from 27.08.1940 to 24.09.1940.
CIRO MENOTTI (T.V. C.O.): from 25.09.1940 to 20.11.1940.
ENRICO TAZZOLI (T.V. First Officer): from 19.11.1940 to 17.01.1941.
Promoted C.C. in January 1941.
ENRICO TAZZOLI (C.C. C.O.): from 18.01.1941 to 28.02.1943.
Promoted C.F. on 23.01.1943.
From 17.04.1943, in command of torpedo boat ALISEO and Squadron leader.
Committed suicide in Naples on 27.08.1944.
Commands listed for Carlo Fecia di Cossato
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | Minelaying | T.V. | 18 Aug 1940 | 26 Aug 1940 |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | Ocean going | T.V. | 27 Apr 1940 | 27 Aug 1940 |
| Ruggiero Settimo (RS) | Ocean going | T.V. | 27 Aug 1940 | 24 Sep 1940 |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | Ocean going | T.V. | 25 Sep 1940 | 20 Nov 1940 |
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | Ocean going | C.C. | 18 Jan 1941 | 28 Feb 1943 |
Ships hit by Carlo Fecia di Cossato
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 Apr 1941 | Enrico Tazzoli | Aurillac | Cargo ship | 4,733 |  | Sunk |
| 2. | 7 May 1941 | Enrico Tazzoli | Fernlane | Cargo ship | 4,310 |  | Sunk |
| 3. | 10 May 1941 | Enrico Tazzoli | Alfred Olsen | Tanker | 8,817 | | Sunk |
| 4. | 19 Aug 1941 | Enrico Tazzoli | Sildra | Tanker | 7,313 | | Sunk |
| 5. | 6 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Astrea | Cargo ship | 1,406 |  | Sunk |
| 6. | 7 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Tønsbergfjord | Cargo ship | 3,156 | | Sunk |
| 7. | 9 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Montevideo | Cargo ship | 5,785 |  | Sunk |
| 8. | 12 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Cygnet | Cargo ship | 3,628 |  | Sunk |
| 9. | 13 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Daytonian | Cargo ship | 6,434 | | Sunk |
| 10. | 15 Mar 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Athelqueen | Tanker | 8,780 | | Sunk |
| 11. | 2 Aug 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Kastor | Cargo ship | 5,497 |  | Sunk |
| 12. | 6 Aug 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Havsten | Cargo ship | 6,161 | | Sunk |
| 13. | 12 Dec 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Empire Hawk | Cargo ship | 5,032 | | Sunk |
| 14. | 12 Dec 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Ombilin | Cargo ship | 5,658 | | Sunk |
| 15. | 21 Dec 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Queen City | Cargo ship | 4,814 | | Sunk |
| 16. | 25 Dec 1942 | Enrico Tazzoli | Dona Aurora | Cargo ship | 5,011 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Carlo Fecia di Cossato
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 3 Jun 1940 | 1210 | Trapani | 3 Jun 1940 | 1600 | Trapani | 32,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 16 Jun 1940 | 1300 | Trapani | 16 Jun 1940 | 1650 | Trapani | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| 1. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 18 Jun 1940 | 2006 | Trapani | 30 Jun 1940 | 2230 | Trapani | 1888 | Patrolled between Gaudo Island and Ras El Tin (Libya), in 33°50'N, 23°50'E, on a patrol line with Manara. Uneventful. | |
| 2. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 9 Jul 1940 | 0030 | Trapani | 12 Jul 1940 | 1200 | Trapani | 459 | Sailed to operate on a patrol line with Manara, in 38°00'N, 10°20'E. Uneventful. | |
| 3. | Fratelli Bandiera (BA) | 16 Jul 1940 | 0015 | Trapani | 16 Jul 1940 | 0650 | Trapani | 63,5 | Sailed for patrol in 37°55'N, 09°20'E but was ordered back very quickly. | |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 18 Jul 1940 | 0945 | Trapani | 18 Jul 1940 | 1315 | Trapani | 20 | Trials. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 26 Jul 1940 | 0005 | Trapani | 27 Jul 1940 | 1800 | Taranto | 453 | Passage Trapani-Taranto. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 18 Aug 1940 | Taranto | 26 Aug 1940 | Taranto | In Taranto. Change in command. | |||||
| 4. | Ruggiero Settimo (RS) | 29 Aug 1940 | 0350 | Taranto | 23 Sep 1940 | 0825 | Messina | 2764 | Patrolled southeast of Crete, between (1) 32°20'N, 26°46'E (2) 31°48'N, 27°22'E (3) 33°46'N, 28°26'E (4) 33°12'N, 29°03'E. | |
| 16 Sep 1940 | 0506 | (0) SE of Crete. | An unidentified enemy warship was sighted. The submarine dived to attack, but contact could not be regained. | |||||||
| 17 Sep 1940 | 1948 | (0) SE of Crete. | The submarine sighted two destroyers at 1945 hours and was seen by them. She dived and was depth charged, but after stopping her engines, they appear to lose contact and no damage incurred. | |||||||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 25 Sep 1940 | 0900 | Taranto | 25 Sep 1940 | 1630 | Taranto | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 29 Sep 1940 | 0930 | Taranto | 29 Sep 1940 | 1725 | Taranto | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 5 Oct 1940 | 0835 | Taranto | 5 Oct 1940 | 1425 | Taranto | 33 | Trials. | ||
| 5. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 11 Oct 1940 | 2122 | Taranto | 12 Oct 1940 | 1010 | Taranto | 77 | Hydrophone watch in Gulf of Taranto. | |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 14 Oct 1940 | 0910 | Taranto | 14 Oct 1940 | 1445 | Taranto | 42 | Exercises. | ||
| 6. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 15 Oct 1940 | 2125 | Taranto | 16 Oct 1940 | 0930 | Taranto | 79 | Hydrophone watch in Gulf of Taranto. | |
| 7. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 20 Oct 1940 | 2127 | Taranto | 21 Oct 1940 | 0945 | Taranto | 77 | Hydrophone watch in Gulf of Taranto. | |
| 8. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 21 Oct 1940 | 2156 | Taranto | 22 Oct 1940 | 0920 | Taranto | 78 | Hydrophone watch in Gulf of Taranto. | |
| 9. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 24 Oct 1940 | 0925 | Taranto | 8 Nov 1940 | 0925 | Taranto | 1690 | Patrolled with Salpa south of Crete, between 34°00'N and 34°40'N, and between 25°20'E and 26°30'E. Uneventful. | |
| 10. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 6 Apr 1941 | 1345 | Bordeaux | 6 Apr 1941 | 2030 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 11. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 7 Apr 1941 | 0930 | Le Verdon | 7 Apr 1941 | 1300 | Le Verdon | Trials. | ||
| 12. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 7 Apr 1941 | 1955 | Le Verdon | 23 May 1941 | 2030 | Bordeaux | 8937 | Patrol between Freetown and the Azores, near Cape Verde Islands. Then refit in Bordeaux from 23rd May to 15th July. | |
| 8 Apr 1941 | 1404+ | Two drifters were sighted. Initially believed they could have been German vessels and the submarine made a recognition signal but when this was not answered, Fecia di Cossato ordered to open fire. After five rounds, they were identified as Spanish fishing vessels and fire was checked. | ||||||||
| 10 Apr 1941 | 0418 | 45° 00'N, 12° 00'W | The submarine was informed of a convoy and Fecia di Cossato decided to intercept by continuing steering of 270° until the meridian 18°30' W was reached. It was reached at 2006 hours on 11th April and the submarine began to patrol the area. | |||||||
| 11 Apr 1941 | 0935 | 44° 54'N, 18° 36'W (0) Approximately. | An escort vessel was sighted. Enrico Tazzoli dived to gain an attack position, but could neither sight nor detect the target with her hydrophones and contact was lost. | |||||||
| 12 Apr 1941 | 0736 | 44° 54'N, 18° 36'W (0) Italian Grid 8403/46. | At 0732 hours, a small cruiser or large destroyer, steering 270° was sighted at 3,500 metres. Four minutes later, a torpedo (533mm) was fired at a range of 1,200 metres and a hit was heard after 80 seconds. The result has not been confirmed. | |||||||
| 15 Apr 1941 | 2017 | 37° 09'N, 18° 43'W (0) Approximately. | An unidentified submarine was sighted at a distance of 10,000 metres. Enrico Tazzoli made a recognition signal but when it was not answered, she turned away. | |||||||
| 15 Apr 1941 | 2315 | 37° 09'N, 18° 43'W | At 2131 hours, a steamer was observed zigzagging at a distance of 15,000 metres. The submarine waited until dusk before closing. At 2315 hours, a torpedo (450mm, A 110 type) was fired from a distance of 1,000 metres. It missed due to a mistake in angling the torpedo. The target was the British Aurillac (ex-French, 4,248 GRT, built 1921). At 2316 hours, a second torpedo (533mm, W270 type) was fired, but missed again as Aurillac took evasive action. Enrico Tazzoli now opened fire on Aurillac, which replied with her stern gun. Fecia di Cossato lamented that his submarine's gunfire was not very accurate but after three hits, the steamer's gun was silenced. At 2355 hours, At 2355 hours, the submarine fired a single torpedo (533mm, W 270 type) which hit after 40 seconds and the freighter sank. There were forty-one survivors. Twenty-two reached Madeira in a lifeboat, the other nineteen were picked up by a Portuguese ship. One later died. | |||||||
| 16 Apr 1941 | 1956 | 37° 38'N, 16° 17'W | Following a signal received from BETASOM at 1305 hours reporting a convoy, the submarine altered course to intercept. At 1956 hours, a large vessel was sighted proceeding at 14 knots steering 330°. However, this ship was lost in a sudden rain squall and course was resumed to intercept the convoy. Position was reached at 1305 hours on the 17th and the submarine submerged to listen to her hydrophones. Tazzoli then moved north, but visibility was poor. At 1805 hours on the 18th, the chase was abandoned and the submarine returned to her patrol area. | |||||||
| 19 Apr 1941 | 1610 | 38° 02'N, 16° 06'W | A large ship was sighted amidst rain squalls. This turned out to be the American Exeter (9360 GRT, built 1931) and the submarine aborted the attack. | |||||||
| 22 Apr 1941 | 2355 | 38° 55'N, 19° 50'W | A vessel was sighted but was identified as Portuguese and let go. | |||||||
| 29 Apr 1941 | 1707 | 29° 50'N, 17° 32'W | A vessel was sighted at a distance of 15,000 metres. It was identified as Portuguese and let go. | |||||||
| 3 May 1941 | 1230-1600 | 22° 00'N, 19° 20'W | A vessel was sighted at a distance of 15,000 metres. It turned out to be the Spanish Mosquitera (1,777 GRT, built 1896) and left unmolested. | |||||||
| 6 May 1941 | 1826 | 11° 40'N, 20° 30'W (0) Approximately. | A destroyer squadron, in line ahead on a 180° course, was observed from a distance of 10,000 metres. They were too far to be attacked. | |||||||
| 6 May 1941 | 2135 | 11° 40'N, 20° 30'W | A large passenger ship was sighted at a distance of 12,000 metres, proceeding on a 230° course at 16 knots. The submarine moved at flank speed to intercept, but could not close the range at less than 5,000 meters and the attack was abandoned. | |||||||
| 7 May 1941 | 1022 0825 GMT (e) | 9° 55'N, 20° 15'W (e) 10° 02'N, 20° 17'W | At 0900 hours, a steamer was observed zigzagging at a distance of 10,000 metres. The submarine dived and proceeded on an interception course. At 1022 hours, a pair of torpedoes 450mm, W 200 type) were fired at a range of about 3,000 metres, one hit after 140 seconds and the target was brought to a stop. This was the Norwegian Fernlane (4,310 GRT, built 1927). At 1050 hours, a single torpedo (450mm, A 115 type) was fired and caused further damage. The target was still afloat but now abandoned. At 1115 hours, a fourth torpedo (450mm, type A 115) was fired which hit the Norwegian ship and she finally sank at 1125 hours. There were no casualties. The thirty-five survivors (thirty-two crew members and three passengers) reached Caravela Island in the Bissagos Archipelago by their own means. | |||||||
| 10 May 1941 | 0106 | 2° 50'N, 20° 55'W | At 2016 hours on 9th May 1941, a steamer was sighted at a distance of 14,000 metres. It was briefly lost in a rain squall before the submarine regained visual contact at a distance of 3,000 metres at 0051 hours on the 10th. At 0106 hours, one torpedo was fired from 700 metres. FECIA DI COSSATO was persuaded that it had hit but saw no explosion. This was the Norwegian tanker Alfred Olsen (8817 GRT, built 1934). At 0110 hours, the submarine fired a stern shot (533mm, W 270 type) but it apparently missed under. The submarine opened fire but it was inaccurate because of the darkness. Firing was suspended after a few rounds. At 0114 hours, the submarine turned for a bow shot (450mm, type W 200). Fecia Di Cossato believed it had hit but it did not explode. It was followed by another bow torpedo was fired but it missed. A stern shot (450mm, W 200 type) was now attempted but, although it squarely hit the Norwegian ship, it failed to sink her. Gunfire was resumed from a distance of only 200 metres and several hits were scored. At 0152 hours, another torpedo was fired (450mm, W 200 type) from about 300-400 metres. Fecia Di Cossato believed it had hit but failed to explode. It is possible that the torpedo passed under the target, as the short range may not have allowed to reach its correct depth at the moment of impact. At 0200 hours, a seventh torpedo (533mm, type W 270) was now fired from 300-400 metres and again Fecia Di Cossato believed that it had hit but failed to explode! Reserve torpedoes were now loaded. At 0605 hours, an eighth torpedo (533mm, type W 270) was fired but missed, due to an irregular run as the torpedo turned to an angle of 90°. At 0651 hours, a ninth torpedo (533mm, W 270 type) was fired at Alfred Olsen. This time it hit but the Norwegian ship still remained afloat! At 1033 hours, a tenth torpedo (533mm, W 270 type) was fired. It hit but the Norwegian ship still refused to sink! From 1100 to 1127 hours, the submarine finally finished off the Norwegian tanker by gunfire from a distance of 200 metres and she sank at 1152 hours. All thirty-four crew members were later rescued. | |||||||
| 17 May 1941 | 0731 | 31° 30'N, 18° 20'W | At 0110 hours, Enrico Tazzoli sighted a vessel proceeding toward Gibraltar and closed to investigate. At 0731 hours, the submarine surfaced, dentified the vessel as the Vichy French tanker Frimaire (9,131 GRT, built 1930) and she was allowed to proceed. | |||||||
| 23 May 1941 | 1347 1335 (e) | 45° 57'N, 1° 30'W (e) 46° 08'N, 1° 15'W | Enrico Tazzoli waited at the rendezvous point to meet her escort to bring her in. She had not located her in the morning fog. The fog had began to dissipate when suddenly an aircraft appeared at 1347 hours. At first, it was believed to be a German aircraft and the submarine attempted to exchange recognition signals and fired two Very lights. However, it was British Beaufort 'K' of 217 Squadron which came swooping down at a height of 50-60 metres, releasing two bombs and machine-gunning the submarine who replied with its antiaircraft guns. The bombs fell only ten metres from Tazzoli and exploded ten seconds after impact. The bullets raked the deck, seriously wounding one of Breda machine gunners whose leg was later amputated. The aircraft came back on a second run, still raking the submarine with machine gun fire and dropping four bombs which straddled her. On a third run, the aircraft appeared to have been hit and drew away. It was believed that it was shot down but this was not confirmed. | |||||||
| 13. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 15 Jul 1941 | 1125 | Bordeaux | 15 Jul 1941 | 1530 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 14. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 15 Jul 1941 | 2200 | Le Verdon | 11 Sep 1941 | 1400 | Bordeaux | 10204 | Sailed for patrol in 44°00'N, 24°00'W (patrol between 23°30'W and 24°30'W on a north-south axis). On 22nd July, proceeded to 20°00'N, 24°00'W. Patrolled off Freetown. The submarine carried a total of nineteen torpedoes (three in canisters carried on deck). | |
| 17 Jul 1941 | 0800 | An unidentified aircraft came out from the sun directly at the submarine. Tazzoli opened fire and made the recognition signal. The signal was answered by the aircraft which finally went away. | ||||||||
| 20 Jul 1941 | 1920 1500Z (e) | (e) 43° 51'N, 21° 52'W | The American steamer Lehigh (5,103 GRT, built 1919) was sighted. She was on passage from Philadelphia to Vigo and although the submarine had both guns manned, she refrained from attack. | |||||||
| 30 Jul 1941 | 0225 | An illuminated Spanish ship was observed. The submarine closed to investigate and then turned away. | ||||||||
| 10 Aug 1941 | 2203 | 3° 56'N, 4° 53'W | At 0705 hours on 9th August (the date could actually be the 10th, as the narrative in the report is not clear), three dark shadows were observed. The submarine made a submerged approach, identifying it as a convoy of three large ships escorted by two gunboats. Fecia di Cossato decided to trail it from a distance and attack after dark. For the whole day, the convoy was in sight. At 1750 hours on the 10th, a steamer was met on a westerly course, but it was decided not to divert from the task of dealing with the convoy. At 2055 hours, an illuminated vessel was encountered and the submarine was forced to move around her so as not to divulge its presence. At 2203 hours, Enrico Tazzoli had closed the convoy, which now was identified as three steamers escorted by two gunboats. Fecia Di Cossato intended to target a gunboat and a steamer. Two torpedoes, aimed at the gunboat, were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 600 metres, angled to 20° to starboard. He had allowed for a speed of 10 knots but, shortly after, he realised that the warship was actually making 16-18 knots and the torpedoes missed astern. | |||||||
| 10 Aug 1941 | 2207 | 3° 56'N, 4° 53'W | Two torpedoes from tubes no.2 and 3 were aimed at the freighter and also missed. One torpedo appeared to veer on the right whereas the wake of the second could not be seen. Both attacks appeared to have been unobserved. The submarine then turned to 90°, with the intention to carry a stern attack at another freighter, but was forced to take evasive action when the gunboat on the starboard side of the convoy turned toward her. Fecia di Cossato decided to resume the attack submerged, but was thwarted by defects. Contact with the convoy was lost and Enrico Tazzoli took the direction of Las Palmas. | |||||||
| 11 Aug 1941 | 2200 | 3° 47'N, 6° 18'W | At 1440 hours, the submarine sighted smoke bearing 100° on the horizon and closed. It appear to be a convoy of three steamers, steering 270°, escorted by a single gunboat. Fecia di Cossato decided to trail it and attack it on the surface after dark. However, visibility had dropped and the convoy was lost from sight until 2102 hours, when a single steamer was observed. Visibility was still poor; the Captain's intention to start with a stern attack on this freighter was thwarted by the appearance of a gunboat and the other two freighters, followed by a second gunboat. Enrico Tazzoli slowed with the intention to work her way astern of the convoy and attack the last freighter. However, the submarine was apparently discovered by one of the freighters, which opened fire and forcing her to submerge. Between 2210 and 2222 hours, two patterns of depth charges were heard. The submarine could only surface at 0030 hours and tried to regain contact with the convoy. | |||||||
| 12 Aug 1941 | 2210 | 4° 18'N, 9° 25'W | At 1140 hours on 12th August, a smoke was seen on the horizon and the submarine closed to investigate. It proved to be a submarine chaser with two steamers in single file. Fecia di Cossato decided to attack it on the surface, at dusk. Having temporarily lost sight of the convoy, Enrico Tazzoli regained contact at 2206 hours at close range (1,000 metres) and fired a stern shot at 2210 hours and immediately submerged. Four minutes later, a detonation was heard. Later, information was trickling in that a ship named Zangara had been hit and beached on the African coast. There was no such ship. A British ship named Sangara (5,445 GRT, built 1939) existed, but she was not hit. | |||||||
| 19 Aug 1941 | 2318 1915 (e) | 5° 20'N, 13° 07'W (e) 5° 00'N, 12° 10'W | At 2259 hours, a large tanker was sighted on a 90° course at a distance of 4,000 metres. At 2318 hours, Fecia Di Cossato ordered the firing of no.1 and no.4 tubes but due to a mistake in drill, tube no.3 was also fired. After 24 and 27 seconds two hits were observed to hit forward and aft but the target was still afloat. This was the Norwegian tanker Sildra (7,313 GRT, built 1927) in ballast on a trip from Freetown to Curaçao. At 2337 hours, Enrico Tazzoli turned for a stern shot. Tube no.6 was fired and a hit was observed after 26 seconds, but the target failed to sink. At 2354 hours, no.8 tube was fired but the wake was not observed and the torpedo missed. At 2400 hours, Enrico Tazzoli fired no.7 tube. A hit was observed after 41 seconds and the tanker finally sank. Because of the heavy seas, the submarine had been unable to make use of her guns. There were no casualties. The forty survivors took to three lifeboats, two of which reached Manna Point (Sierra Leone) on 21st August and the third reached the coast south of Cape St. Ann the following afternoon. | |||||||
| 20 Aug 1941 | 1440 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. The submarine surfaced at 1551 hours and loaded the three torpedoes which had been carried on deck. | ||||||||
| 6 Sep 1941 | 1203-1215 | 39° 50'N, 16° 15'W (0) Approximately. | A submarine was sighted at a distance of 10,000 metres and Enrico Tazzoli closed with the gun crew at their station. At 1215, a signal rocket was fired and the submarine was recognised as Baracca, who would be sunk by HMS Croome two days later. | |||||||
| 7 Sep 1941 | 1440 | An unidentified aircraft was sighted and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 8 Sep 1941 | 1912 | An unidentified aircraft was sighted and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 10 Sep 1941 | 0355 | At 0355 hours, a submarine was encountered and recognised to be Finzi. | ||||||||
| 15. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 6 Dec 1941 | 0945 | Bordeaux | 6 Dec 1941 | 1315 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 16. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 6 Dec 1941 | 1805 | Le Verdon | 27 Dec 1941 | 1430 | St. Nazaire | 4600 | Sailed on a mission to rescue the survivors from the German raider Atlantis and her supply ship Python, northwest of Cape Verde (took 60 men from U-68). Four submarines participated in the operation: Finzi, Calvi, Torelli and Tazzoli. The four commanders were decorated by Admiral Doenitz. | |
| 16 Dec 1941 | 1155-1355 | 19° 05'N, 26° 40'W (0) Italian Grid 8491/15. | The German submarine U-68 (KK Karl-Friedrich Merten) was encountered, she was carrying survivors from the raider Atlantis and the supply ship Python. The Italian submarine took off sixty survivors and brought them to St. Nazaire. | |||||||
| 20 Dec 1941 | 1947 | 35° 38'N, 17° 26'W | At 1947 hours, a smoke was sighted and the submarine closed to investigate. At 2210 hours, as the submarine had closed to just a few hundred metres from her stern, identifying it as Portuguese, the attack was broken off. | |||||||
| 17. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 5 Feb 1942 | 1000 | Bordeaux | 5 Feb 1942 | 1445 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 18. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 6 Feb 1942 | 1500 | Le Verdon | 6 Feb 1942 | 1730 | Le Verdon | Trials. | ||
| 19. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 7 Feb 1942 | 1900 | Le Verdon | 9 Feb 1942 | 1625 | Le Verdon | Sailed for patrol but returned because of defects. Initially BETASOM had issued an order on 2nd February to bombard Berkeley (New Jersey) 35 miles north of Atlantic City, but three days later the order was countermanded by Admiral Legnani who warned them not to entertain similar ideas. | ||
| 20. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 10 Feb 1942 | 0850 | Le Verdon | 10 Feb 1942 | 1305 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | ||
| 21. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 11 Feb 1942 | 1530 | Bordeaux | 1 Apr 1942 | 1820 | Bordeaux | 9283 | Sailed for patrol after brief stop at Pauillac and Le Verdon (to embark and then disembark the pilot). Operated in Florida Strait between 26°30'N and 29°50'N and east coast of Florida and 77°50'W meridian, carried nineteen torpedoes. Refit from end of March to 1st June (mileage from 7 February). | |
| 4 Mar 1942 | 0259 2210/3 (e) | 28° 45'N, 59° 10'W (e) 28° 44'N, 59° 15'W | At 1903 hours on 3rd March 1942, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and the submarine went on an intercepting course. At 0259 hours on 4th March, two torpedoes were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 2,000 metres, but they missed. This was the British tanker Rapana (8,017 GRT, built 1935). The two remaining bow tubes were emptied from a distance of 1,500 metres, but they also missed. The tanker managed to escape. | |||||||
| 6 Mar 1942 | 0235 0025Z (e) | 28° 55'N, 63° 30'W (e) 29° 12'N, 64° 29'W | At 2131 hours on 5th March, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and the submarine closed. At 0235 hours on 6th March, gunfire was opened with 25 100mm rounds and 45 machine gun rounds expended. Fecia di Cossato described his own shooting as very inaccurate due to the heavy seas, but the vessel did not appear to be armed and her crew quickly abandoned ship. This was the Dutch Astrea (1,406 GRT, built 1921) bound from Rio de Janeiro to New York via Trinidad. At 0323 hours, Enrico Tazzoli presented her stern to deliver the coup de grace and fired one torpedo. It hit after 18 seconds but the Dutch ship remained afloat. At 0330 hours, a second stern shot was fired, hitting Astrea after 18 seconds and she sank. There were no casualties. The crew of twenty-seven was picked up on 16th March by the Dutch Hebe and fifteen were then transferred to the Argentine Rio Iguazu. | |||||||
| 6 Mar 1942 | 0323 0040Z (e) | 28° 05'N, 63° 30'W (e) 29° 12'N, 64° 29'W | Enrico Tazzoli presented her stern to deliver the coup de grace and fired one torpedo. It hit after 18 seconds but the Dutch ship remained afloat. | |||||||
| 7 Mar 1942 | 0502 2230Z/6 (e) | 30° 15'N, 67° 45'W | At 1836 hours on 6th March, a vessel was sighted steering 330° at a distance of 18,000 metres. The submarine trailed her by keeping at a respectful distance to avoid being seen and close after dark. At 0502 hours on 7th March, two torpedoes were fired from the bow tubes and hits were claimed after 45 and 48 seconds. This was the Norwegian Tønsbergfjord (3,156 GRT, built 1930) on a voyage from Bombay to New York via Capetown and Trinidad. She had sailed from Trinidad on 1st March for the last leg of her trip when she was attacked. The survivors reported only one torpedo hit. At 0512 hours, the Norwegian ship had been abandoned, but she was sinking slowly. The submarine fired 15 rounds to accelerate her destruction. There were no casualties and thirty-three survivors. One survivor was picked up by the Norwegian Arthur W. Sewall in 31°29' N, 67°49' W on 12th March and landed in Halifax on 19th March. Eighteen survivors linked up with thirty-one from Montevideo (sunk in the early hours of 9th March by Tazzoli) and were picked up by the Dutch Telamon on 13th March in 29°29' N, 70°00' W and landed at Jérémie (Haiti) on 16th March, the remainder were picked up the Norwegian Velma. | |||||||
| 9 Mar 1942 | 0201 | 27° 40'N, 69° 10'W (e) 29° 13'N, 69° 35'W | At 1330 hours on 8th March, a vessel was sighted at 17,000 metres in 27°40' N, 69°10' W. The submarine appeared to be in a favourable position and dived at 1515 hours to carry a submerged attack. However, the target altered course and the submarine had no other choice than to surface at 1740 hours to resume the chase and keep at a distance until darkness when she closed to the attack. At 0201 hours on 9th March, a torpedo was fired from a bow tube and hit after 45 seconds. The ship was damaged but did not sink. This was the Uruguayan Montevideo (5,785 GRT, built 1920, ex Italian Adamello seized in 1941) bound from Montevideo to New York via St. Thomas, carrying 6,000 tons of wool and meats. Enrico Tazzoli opened fire to speed up her sinking and after ten rounds, most of which hit, a stern torpedo was fired at 0210 hours. It failed to explode due to the short range, which probably prevented the pistol from arming, but Montevideo finally slid to the bottom. Of her crew, fourteen were missing and thirty-five survived. Thirty-one, including two seriously wounded, linked with nineteen survivors from the Norwegian Tønsbergfjord and were later picked up by the Dutch Telamon and landed at Jérémie, Haiti. Four survivors reached Trinidad. | |||||||
| 11 Mar 1942 | 2345 1645 EST (e) | 24° 10'N, 72° 55'W (e) 24° 02'N, 74° 21'W | At 2145 hours, a vessel was sighted and the submarine closed, diving at 2250 hours to carry a submerged attack. At 2345 hours, tubes no.6 and no.7 were fired and both were claimed hits. The target was the Panamanian Cygnet (3,628 GRT, built 1917) with a Greek crew, bound from Georgetown (British Guyana) to Portland (Maine), but they reported only one torpedo hit at this time and the ship was still afloat. | |||||||
| 12 Mar 1942 | 0005 1645 EST (e) | 24° 10'N, 72° 55'W (e) 24° 05'N, 74° 21'W | At 0005 hours, Enrico Tazzoli finished off the Panamian Cygnet by gunfire. All thirty of her crew were rescued by the British Monarch of Nassau and landed at Nassau (Bahamas). The survivors described the submarine as painted in light blue. | |||||||
| 12 Mar 1942 | 1200 | 26° 30'N, 74° 30'W (e) 26° 34'N, 74° 22'W | A vessel was sighted at 20,000 metres and chase was given. At 1645 hours, it was given up as the vessel was too fast to catch up with. | |||||||
| 13 Mar 1942 | 1808 1120Z (e) | 26° 30'N, 74° 30'W (e) 26° 34'N, 74° 22'W | At 1621 hours, a vessel was sighted at a distance of 17,000 metres. The submarine was in a favourable position and dived at 1717 hours to carry a submerged attack. At 1808 hours, a pair of torpedoes was fired from the stern tubes and both were claimed to have hit after 58 seconds. This was the British Daytonian (6,434 GRT, built 1922) bound for Halifax from Mobile (Alabama). Her survivors reported only one hit and she did not sink immediately. At 1845 hours, Enrico Tazzoli fired 19 rounds at Daytonian, causing further damage. At 1914 hours, the submarine turned away for a stern shot which hit the British ship after 23 seconds and she sank at 1922 hours. One was killed, her fifty-eight survivors landed at Nassau on 15th March. | |||||||
| 15 Mar 1942 | 2138 1500 2010Z (e) | 26° 50'N, 75° 40'W (e) 25° 50'N, 75° 40'W | At 1925 hours, the submarine sighted a tanker at about 18,000 metres. At 2045 hours, the submarine dived to carry a submerged attack. At 2138 hours. Enrico Tazzoli fired two torpedoes from the bow tubes. Both were claimed to have hit after 78 seconds. In fact only one torpedo hit the engine room on the port side. British tanker Athelqueen (8780 GRT, built 1928) bound for Port Everglades from Oban with convoy O.S.20. The tanker crew observed the submarine to surface at about 2,000 yards and fired three 4,7" rounds and the submarine submerged. The crew began to abandon ship. The submarines had readied tubes no.3 and 4. As she attempted to move ahead of the tanker to avoid the fire from her stern gun, she accidentally collided with her and the bow was distorted. The torpedo attack had to be canceled and the two torpedoes had to be removed from the tubes. At 2241 hours, the submarine surfaced and, using both her 100mm guns to fire 128 rounds, sank the Athelqueen. Apparently, the submarine's fire hit her reserve's ammunition causing explosions. Three of her crew were killed. Fecia Di Cossato brought his submarine next to one of the lifeboats to interrogate the survivors and told them that land was 60 miles away. The forty-six survivors reached Abaco. | |||||||
| 16 Mar 1942 | 2001 1715 (e) | 29° 50'N, 74° 10'W (e) 29° 56'N, 74° 05'E | The collision with Athelqueen had certainly upset Carlo Fecia Di Cossato and forced him to abort his mission. As the submarine was returning home, at 2001 hours, she sighted a tanker at a distance of 20,000 metres. The submarine was in no condition to attack. This was the tanker British Resolution (8408 GRT, built 1937) steering 240° who reported the submarine. | |||||||
| 17 Mar 1942 | 0400 | 30° 55'N, 73° 20'W | An unknown tanker was sighted at a distance of 2,500 metres on a 070° course. The submarine could not take any action as she was short on fuel. At 0600 hours, an illuminated ship was also sighted but it must have been neutral. | |||||||
| 20 Mar 1942 | 1614-1621 1048 (e) | 38° 10'N, 60° 30'W (e) 37° 03'N, 60° 39'W | At 1614 hours, a tanker was sighted at 3,500 metres on a 230° course. Enrico Tazzoli was forced to submerge as the vessel opened accurate fire. Di Cossato did not want to use his two remaining torpedoes as he feared his bow tubes were distorted by the collision with Athelqueen. This was believed to be the British tanker Davila (8,053 GRT, built 1938). | |||||||
| 25 Mar 1942 | 1729 | 52° 18'N, 35° 20'W | At 1725 hours, a steamer was sighted at 20,000 metres but disappeared six minutes later. | |||||||
| 25 Mar 1942 | 2015 | 42° 20'N, 34° 40'W | At 2015 hours, a steamer was sighted at a distance of 20,000 metres. The submarine was short on fuel and turned away to avoid being seen. | |||||||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 4 Jun 1942 | 0900 | Bordeaux | 4 Jun 1942 | 1550 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 5 Jun 1942 | 1500 | Le Verdon | 5 Jun 1942 | 1710 | Le Verdon | Trials. | |||
| 22. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 5 Jun 1942 | 1950 | Le Verdon | 7 Jun 1942 | 0800 | Le Verdon | ? | Sailed for patrol, but early return because of defects. | |
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 8 Jun 1942 | 0820 | Le Verdon | 8 Jun 1942 | 1420 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 18 Jun 1942 | 0820 | Bordeaux | 18 Jun 1942 | 1230 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| 23. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 18 Jun 1942 | 1950 | Le Verdon | 5 Sep 1942 | 1410 | Bordeaux | 12817 | Caribbean patrol between Cape Rojo (Puerto Rico), Punta Pedrera (north Caracas, Venezuela), Punta Besta (Santo Domingo) and Cape Vela (Guajira peninsula, Colombia). Carried 314 rounds of 12 cm and nineteen torpedoes (eight forward, eight aft and three in outside containers). | |
| 20 Jun 1942 | 0156 0153 (e) | 45° 30'N, 4° 30'W (0) Approximately. | At 0156 hours, the submarine was illuminated by an aircraft. The officer of the watch rightfully judged that there was no time to dive and ordered the machine guns to fire. This was Wellington 'B' of 172 Squadron, piloted by Pilot Officer F.C. Blackmore, who had sighted the submarine 1 mile away and switched its Leigh Light at a distance of 3/4 mile. Approach had been made at a poor angle and no depth charges were released, but the rear machine gunner fired off two bursts as the aircraft flew on a parallel course 100 yards from the submarine. Enrico Tazzoli managed to submerge before a second aircraft run could be made. | |||||||
| 21 Jun 1942 | 0530 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 22 Jun 1942 | 1300 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 22 Jun 1942 | 1646 | A German submarine was sighted. | ||||||||
| 22 Jun 1942 | 1737 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 23 Jun 1942 | 0410 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 26 Jun 1942 | 1305 | 35° 18'N, 20° 37'W | The submarine sighted a ship and trailed it until dusk when a submerged approach was made to attack. At 2119 hours, the vessel was recognised to be the Portuguese Carvhalo Aurja (4,468 GRT, built 1930) and the attack aborted. | |||||||
| 1 Jul 1942 | 1930 | 32° 30'N, 37° 30'W | At 1930 hours, a steamer was sighted and was chased until 2310 hours when her nationality was recognised as Swiss and the attack aborted. | |||||||
| 6 Jul 1942 | 1825 | 29° 40'N, 52° 30'W | At 1825 hours, a motor ship was sighted and chased until 2000 hours, when she managed to draw away. | |||||||
| 12 Jul 1942 | 1350 | 18° 30'N, 67° 30'W (0) Approximately. | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 12 Jul 1942 | 1811 | 18° 30'N, 67° 30'W (0) Approximately. | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 12 Jul 1942 | 2213 | 18° 30'N, 67° 30'W | A convoy of six tankers was sighted at 12,000 metres. Enrico Tazzoli attempted to close submerged, but the mist prevented it and at 2230 hours she surfaced. | |||||||
| 12 Jul 1942 | 2230 2030Z (e) | 18° 30'N, 67° 30'W (e) 18° 40'N, 67° 10'W (0) Approximately. | Enrico Tazzoli had just surfaced to chase the convoy, when an aircraft was sighted on opposite course, passing 200 meters to port. There was no time to man the machine guns so the submarine dived. She had reached a depth of 40 metres when a bomb exploded fairly close. Apparently, a surface craft (K189? HMS Bergamot? according to aircraft, but unlikely) joined the hunt and ten depth-charges were dropped. | |||||||
| 13 Jul 1942 | 0240 | 18° 30'N, 67° 30'W (0) Approximately. | Enrico Tazzoli had surfaced at 0203 hours to chase the convoy, when at 0240 hours she was suddenly strafed by an aircraft. She crash-dived . No bombs were dropped, but she lost contact with the convoy. | |||||||
| 14 Jul 1942 | 1345 | (0) Near Mona Pass. | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 14 Jul 1942 | 1346 | 15° 00'N, 68° 00'W (0) Approximately. | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 16 Jul 1942 | 1151 | 12° 55'N, 68° 30'W | At 1151 hours, an unknown vessel was sighted. The submarine attempted to close, but the vessel was faster and the chase was abandoned at noon. | |||||||
| 18 Jul 1942 | 1914 | An unidentified aircraft was seen at 1,000 metres and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 19 Jul 1942 | 2040 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 20 Jul 1942 | 1804 | 13° 15'N, 69° 00'W | At 1804 hours, a destroyer was sighted. The submarine attempted to close without success. | |||||||
| 20 Jul 1942 | 2029 | 13° 15'N, 69° 00'W (0) Approximately. | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 21 Jul 1942 | 1902 | 14° 35'N, 68° 20'W | At 1902 hours, a smoke was sighted on the horizon. The submarine closed and submerged as she was in a favourable position but, at 1953 hours, the vessel was identified as the Argentine steamer Rio Diamante (5,272 GRT, built 1918) and the attack was aborted. | |||||||
| 21 Jul 1942 | 2115 | 14° 30'N, 68° 10'W | At 2115 hours, a destroyer was sighted. The submarine dived to carry out an attack but could not close the range sufficiently. | |||||||
| 22 Jul 1942 | 0045 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 23 Jul 1942 | 1610 | 14° 30'N, 78° 10'W | At 1610 hours, a destroyer was observed but disappeared nine minutes later. | |||||||
| 23 Jul 1942 | 2143 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 24 Jul 1942 | 1255 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 28 Jul 1942 | 1930 | 15° 18'N, 59° 25'W | At 1930 hours, a small submarine chaser was observed, forcing the submarine to dive. | |||||||
| 29 Jul 1942 | 1825 | 13° 37'N, 60° 15'W | A submarine chaser was sighted at 1825 hours, but Enrico Tazzoli could not gain an attacking position. | |||||||
| 30 Jul 1942 | 1500? | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 30 Jul 1942 | 1700 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 30 Jul 1942 | 2232 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 31 Jul 1942 | 0456 | 12° 42'N, 60° 55'W | At 0456 hours, a submarine chaser was seen and the submarine took avoiding action. | |||||||
| 31 Jul 1942 | 1120 | 11° 50'N, 60° 30'W | At 1120 hours, a destroyer was seen but the submarine could not gain an attacking position. | |||||||
| 31 Jul 1942 | 1515 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 1 Aug 1942 | 1616 | 11° 10'N, 59° 10'W | At 1616 hours, a steamer was observed and the submarine took an intercepting course. This was the Greek Kastor (5,497 GRT, built 1921), on passage from Bombay to St. John (New Brunswick) via Capetown and Trinidad, carrying 8,000 tons of general cargo. At 1840 hours, a tanker came into view. Fecia di Cossato elected to investigate it, but the tanker proved too fast and the submarine returned to her original course to intercept the Greek ship. | |||||||
| 2 Aug 1942 | 0016 2220Z/1 (e) | 10° 40'N, 58° 40'W (e) 10° 54'N, 59° 12'W | Encountering a vessel at 0016 hours, Enrico Tazzoli fired two torpedoes from the bow tubes. Both hit after 50 and 52 seconds and she sank. One was killed and three drowned. The survivors told Fecia Di Cossato that their ship was the Dutch Castor, but he perhaps misunderstood. A US aircraft reported the Dutch Castor (1830 GRT, built 1939) as torpedoed at 0900Z hours on 2nd August 1942 in 10°54' N, 59°12' W. It is possible that the aircraft relayed a signal, which may have used the call sign of the Dutch vessel and that Di Cossato made the same mistake. There is no doubt that his victim was the Greek Kastor (5,497 GRT, built 1921). The Dutch Castor arrived a few days later at Trinidad. Thirty-one survivors (including the Master) were rescued by the corvette USS Surprise and landed at Trinidad on 3rd August. A report mentions that they were picked up by the American armed yacht USS Tourmaline, but this appears to be an error. | |||||||
| 3 Aug 1942 | 0123 | 11° 00'N, 57° 10'W | At 1644 hours on 2nd August, the submarine sighted a steamer on a 270° course. At 1945 hours, Fecia Di Cossato judged the conditions favourable for a submerged attack and Enrico Tazzoli dived. By 2107 hours, the submarine had still not reached an attack position and surfaced to close the range. Three minutes later, another smoke was sighted over the horizon. Fecia Di Cossato decided to concentrate his efforts on the first ship and, at 0123 hours on 3rd August, he ordered tubes no.3 and no.4 fired from a distance of 400 metres. They both had an erratic course and missed. At 0148 hours, torpedoes were fired from tubes no. 1 and no. 2 from a distance of 800 metres. They missed ahead as the ship appeared to go full speed astern. The second ship appeared to be an escort vessel, coming to the assistance of the first. With all forward tubes empty, Di Cossato had to disengage and withdraw. | |||||||
| 3 Aug 1942 | 1358 | 10° 50'N, 58° 45'W | At 1358 hours, a vessel was observed. At 1412 hours, Enrico Tazzoli dived as conditions appeared to be good for a submerged attack. However, the vessel was zigzagging and appeared to move away. The submarine had to surface to resume the chase, with the intention to attack it at dusk, but her speed may have been underestimated and she was lost from view. | |||||||
| 4 Aug 1942 | 1902 | 11° 10'N, 57° 05'W | A periscope was sighted, which probably belonged to a German submarine. Enrico Tazzoli made a recognition signal but when it was not answered, she turned away. | |||||||
| 4 Aug 1942 | 2220 | 11° 12'N, 57° 30'W | At 2220 hours, a submarine chaser was observed and the submarine dived to carry out an attack, but the warship passed out of range. | |||||||
| 6 Aug 1942 | 1040 | 10° 25'N, 57° 10'W | At 0945 hours, a dark shape was observed at a distance of 8,000 metres. Enrico Tazzoli closed and identified it as a tanker. At 1031 hours, torpedoes from no.3 and no.4 tubes were fired but missed. The target was the derelict Norwegian Havsten (6,161 GRT, built 1930). She had been torpedoed by U-160 (OL Georg Lassen) on 3rd August and had been abandoned. Of her crew, two had been killed, two captured and thirty were later rescued. Fecia di Cossato did not mention any survivors. | |||||||
| 6 Aug 1942 | 1048 | 10° 25'N, 57° 10'W | At 1048 hours, Enrico Tazzoli turned to deliver two stern shots. They both hit after 35 and 38 seconds. A third stern torpedo was fired at 1108 hours and missed. Havsten finally sank at 1115 hours. | |||||||
| 6 Aug 1942 | 1422 | 10° 00'N, 57° 00'W | At 1422 hours, a vessel was sighted and Enrico Tazzoli closed to attack, but was robbed by a U-boat at 1717 hours. This was, most probably, the Polish Rozewie (766 GRT, built 1938) who was torpedoed and sunk by U-66 (KL Friedrich Markworth). | |||||||
| 8 Aug 1942 | 1040 | 10° 45'N, 53° 59'W | At 1040 hours, a steamer was sighted, but as the submarine closed she was identified as Argentine and let go. | |||||||
| 12 Aug 1942 | 1142 | 10° 35'N, 53° 50'W | At 1142 hours, a steamer was sighted. At 1720 hours, as the submarine closed, she was identified as Argentine and let go. | |||||||
| 12 Aug 1942 | 1844 | 11° 10'N, 53° 35'W | At 1844 hours, a steamer was sighted. At 2155 hours, as the submarine closed, she was identified as Argentine and let go. | |||||||
| 28 Aug 1942 | 1525 | 38° 05'N, 19° 22'W | At 1525 hours, a steamer was sighted. At 1916 hours, as the submarine closed, she was identified as the Portuguese steamer Gaza (4,705 GRT, built 1914) and let go. | |||||||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 5 Nov 1942 | 1416 | Bordeaux | 5 Nov 1942 | 1830 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 6 Nov 1942 | 1015 | Le Verdon | 6 Nov 1942 | 1142 | Le Verdon | Trials. From 2015 to 2245 hours, went to action stations because of air raid over Le Verdon. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 7 Nov 1942 | Le Verdon | 8 Nov 1942 | Le Verdon | At Le Verdon. Air raids during both days. | |||||
| 7 Nov 1942 | 1630-1900 | (0) Le Verdon. | At 1630-1900 hours, there was an air raid on Le Verdon. The submarine was at anchor and opened fire with her machine guns. | |||||||
| 8 Nov 1942 | 0810 | (0) Le Verdon. | At 0810 hours, Enrico Tazzoli was still anchored at Le Verdon, when an enemy four-engine bomber flew over her and was immediately engaged with the starboard machine gun. The aircraft was set afire and crashed in the sea. The claim has not been confirmed. | |||||||
| 24. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 9 Nov 1942 | 2250 | Le Verdon | 10 Nov 1942 | 1108 | Le Verdon | Sailed for patrol but early return because of defects. | ||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 11 Nov 1942 | 0735 | Le Verdon | 11 Nov 1942 | 1224 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 13 Nov 1942 | 0919 | Bordeaux | 13 Nov 1942 | 1345 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 13 Nov 1942 | 1715 | Le Verdon | 14 Nov 1942 | 1220 | Le Verdon | Trials. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 15 Nov 1942 | 0715 | Le Verdon | 15 Nov 1942 | 1124 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 18 Nov 1942 | 1454 | Bordeaux | 18 Nov 1942 | 1822 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| 25. | Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 19 Nov 1942 | 0810 | Bordeaux | 1 Feb 1943 | 1147 | Le Verdon | 13715 | Patrolled off Brazil, near Cape San Rocco. She carried nineteen torpedoes (eight forward, eight aft and three in external containers) and 314 rounds of 102mm. After this patrol, Fecia di Cossato took over the command of the torpedo boat Aliseo and committed suicide after the Armistice. From 10th February to 1st May, Tazzoli was modified as a transport submarine. | |
| 20 Nov 1942 | 2230 | 44° 32'N, 5° 52'W | At 2230 hours, an unknown submarine was observed on an easterly course. Enrico Tazzoli turned away. | |||||||
| 28 Nov 1942 | 1500-1835 | 30° 05'N, 25° 05'W | The submarine Leonardo Da Vinci was sighted at 1157 hours. From 1500 to 1835 hours, Enrico Tazzoli took 30 tons of fuel from her [25 tons according to the Leonardo Da Vinci report]. | |||||||
| 29 Nov 1942 | 2337 | 27° 08'N, 26° 15'W | At 2337 hours, a vessel was sighted but Enrico Tazzoli could not catch up. | |||||||
| 12 Dec 1942 | 0059 2400 GMT/11 (e) | 5° 33'N, 39° 25'W (e) 3° 00'N, 38° 00'W | At 2008 hours on 11th December, a vessel was sighted at a distance of 18,000 meters. The submarine went on an intercepting course. At 0059 hours on the 12th, two bow torpedoes were fired and one hit. She was the British Empire Hawk (5,590 GRT, built 1919), on passage from New York to Alexandria via Trinidad and Capetown. She was carrying 3,500 tons of coal and 2,200 tons of general cargo. She remained afloat and opened machine gun fire on the submarine. At 0117 hours, the submarine turned for a stern shot at Empire Hawk. The torpedo had an erratic run and missed. At 0120 hours, Enrico Tazzoli fired a torpedo from a stern tube and it hit the target but she remained upright. Enrico Tazzoli turned again, this time for a bow shot at Empire Hawk. This torpedo also had an erratic run and missed. At 0123 hours, the submarine fired another torpedo from a stern tube, but it had an erratic run and missed. At the same time, both guns opened fire and, within a short time, Tazzoli fired another torpedo which hit. Gunfire was maintained until 0210 hours, when Empire Hawk finally sank. Thirty-one survivors were picked up by the steamer Cape Breton on the 17th. Twenty survivors, including the Master, reached the Brazilian coast on 25th December. There were no victims. | |||||||
| 12 Dec 1942 | 1929-1930 1930 GMT 1610 or 184 (e) | 7° 35'N, 39° 25'W (e) 7° 25'N, 39° 19'W | At 1659 hours, a steamer was sighted at 20,000 metres and chased. At 1825 hours, the submarine submerged for the final run and at 1929 hours, two torpedoes were fired from the stern tubes, one hit and the target sank. This was the Dutch Ombilin (5,658 GRT, built 1916), on passage from Montreal to Capetown via Trinidad. Of her crew of eighty-one, the Master and the Engineer were captured by the submarine, twenty-four survivors were rescued by the British steamer City Of Sydney, thirty by the Argentine tanker Santa Cruz (and the remainder ?). There were no victims. Following this action, the submarine proceeded in loading torpedoes stored externally. | |||||||
| 17 Dec 1942 | 2055 | 0° 45'N, 44° 55'W | At 1303 hours, a vessel was sighted at a distance of 12,000 metres. The submarine trailed it with the intention of attacking it after dark. At 2055 hours, the submarine was making its attack run when, due to an error in drill, a torpedo was fired and exploded shortly after leaving the tube, shaking the submarine. | |||||||
| 18 Dec 1942 | 0815 | 2° 30'N, 47° 33'W | Undeterred by the previous incident, Enrico Tazzoli trailed the vessel and at 0815 hours on 18th December, two torpedoes were fired from the bow tubes. Their run was erratic and they missed. | |||||||
| 21 Dec 1942 | 2058 1730 (e) | 0° 41'S, 41° 35'W (e) 0° 49'S, 41° 34'W | At 1232 hours, Enrico Tazzoli sighted a steamer at a distance of 5,000 metres and dived for a submerged attack. It was realised that an attack position could not be gained in time, so the submarine surfaced again at 1356 hours, with the intention of trailing the steamer and attack it after dark. At 2058 hours, two stern torpedoes were fired and both hit. This was the British Queen City (4,809 GRT, built 1924) steering 312°, bound from Capetown to Trinidad, carrying 7,900 tons of general cargo. Queen City sighted the U-boat, described as of the MARCELLO class, 0.25 mile on starboard beam steering 070°. The two hits had crippled her, but she did not sink. Using gunfire, the submarine finally sent the British ship to the bottom. There were no casualties. One rating was taken prisoner aboard the submarine. Forty-four survivors, distributed in two lifeboats, reached the Brazilian coast. . | |||||||
| 23 Dec 1942 | 0912 | 2° 12'S, 39° 22'W | A corvette was sighted at a distance of 10,000 metres and Enrico Tazzoli dived. | |||||||
| 25 Dec 1942 | 1040 1030 (e) | 2° 03'S, 35° 38'W (e) 2° 02'S, 35° 17'W | At 0925 hours, a smoke was sighted over the horizon at 25,000 metres. It was gaining rapidly on the submarine and she submerged. At 1040 hours, two bow torpedoes were fired. Although, Fecia Di Cossato recorded that both hit, whereas survivors acknowledged only one hit. The torpedo had been sighted making a sound like a motorboat and porpoising.The ship had attempted to avoid by turning hard to port, but it appeared to veer and strike it amidship. This was the American Dona Aurora (5,011 GRT, built 1939). She had been on a voyage from Capetown to Baltimore with a general cargo of manganese ore, cow and sheep hides, wool, coffee and dye stuff. Seven were killed. Enrico Tazzoli picked up three survivors, including a ship's boy. Fifty-three survivors were picked up by the British Testbank on 27th December and another nine by the seaplane tender USS Humboldt. | |||||||
| 30 Dec 1942 | 1805 | 6° 55'S, 33° 15'W | At 1805 hours, a steamer was sighted at 16,000 metres. Three hours later, the submarine had closed to within attacking distance but aborted the attack when the Argentine flag was recognised. | |||||||
| 31 Dec 1942 | 1600 | 5° 35'S, 31° 30'W | An unidentified aircraft was seen at 10,000 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 3 Jan 1943 | 1305 | 1° 40'S, 26° 20'W | At 1045 hours, the submarine reached the rendezvous point and began cruising in the vicinity. Ammiraglio Cagni appeared at 1305 hours, but Enrico Tazzoli could not refuel from her due to the heavy seas. However, the ship's boy from Dona Aurora was transferred to Cagni as he required medical attention. | |||||||
| 6 Jan 1943 | 1538 | 0° 56'S, 32° 33'W | An unidentified aircraft was seen at 10,000 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 19 Jan 1943 | 1404 | 15° 54'N, 34° 42'W | At 1404 hours, a smoke was sighted over the horizon at a distance of 30,000 metres. The submarine closed and at 1630 hours, the steamer passed ahead, traveling at a speed of 15 knots, but the track angle was not favourable and the ship was apparently neutral. The attack was aborted. | |||||||
| 26 Jan 1943 | 1132 | 36° 00'N, 18° 42'W | At 1132 hours, a German submarine was sighted at 10,000 metres. | |||||||
| 26 Jan 1943 | 1345 | 36° 18'N, 18° 33'W | At 1345 hours, a smoke was sighted at 20,000 metres. The submarine went on an intercepting course but recognised the vessel as the Spanish Cabo De Buena Esperanza (12,595 GRT, built 1921) and the attack aborted. | |||||||
| 30 Jan 1943 | 0345 | An unidentified aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3) | 1 Feb 1943 | 1252 | Le Verdon | 1 Feb 1943 | 1623 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
156 entries. 47 total patrol entries (25 marked as war patrols) and 117 events.