Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Carlo Ferracuti
| Born | 9 Jan 1906 | San Pietro di Feletto (Treviso) | |
| Died | Jan 1941 | (34) | Killed in action |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Career information
NEGHELLI (C.C. C.O.): from 28.08.1938 to 19.01.1941? (sunk, Ferracuti was killed).Commands listed for Carlo Ferracuti
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neghelli (NG) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 28 Aug 1938 | 19 Jan 1941 |
Ships hit by Carlo Ferracuti
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 13 Dec 1940 | Neghelli | HMS Coventry | Anti-arcraft cruiser | 4,190 |  | Damaged |
| 2. | 19 Jan 1941 | Neghelli | Clan Cumming | Cargo ship | 7,264 | | Damaged |
War patrols listed for Carlo Ferracuti
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Neghelli (NG) | 9 Jun 1940 | 0705 | La Spezia | 21 Jun 1940 | 0845 | La Spezia | 759 | Patrolled south of Cape Antibes. Area of patrol between 42°54'N, and between 43°24'N and 07°00'E and 07°40'E. | |
| 13 Jun 1940 | 0340 | 43° 10'N, 7° 20'E | At 0240 hours, a 6,000-ton steamer was sighted proceeding with lights according to regulations. Neghelli closed to investigate but as the flag could not be made out and she was steering 240° toward Marseilles (or Toulon), an attack was prepared. At 0340 hours, a single torpedo was fired from a bow tube (450mm, W.200 type) at a range of 1,800 metres. It missed as her speed was apparently 2-3 knots slower than initially estimated. C.C. Carlo Ferracuti decided not to pursue the action with the gun in order not to reveal his position. He was hoping to have more worthwhile targets. | |||||||
| 13 Jun 1940 | 1445 1340 GMT (e) | 43° 10'N, 7° 20'E (0) Approximately. | At 1445 hours, Neghelli was on a listening watch at a depth of 27 metres, when she was suddenly depth charged. She had not detected her aggressors. These were the French destroyers La Bayonnaise and Baliste escorting the 15th Submarine Division (or 15e DSM: Vénus, Pallas, Iris and Archimède to take positions for the Vado operation. Both attacked the submarine with depth-charges. | |||||||
| Neghelli (NG) | 26 Jun 1940 | 2200 | La Spezia | 27 Jun 1940 | 2040 | La Maddalena | 213 | Passage La Spezia-La Maddalena with Argo and Scirè. | ||
| 2. | Neghelli (NG) | 3 Jul 1940 | 1410 | La Maddalena | 7 Jul 1940 | 0755 | La Maddalena | 723 | Patrolled within 5 miles from 37°12'N, 07°30'E on a 290°-110° axis, on a patrol line with Scirè and Diaspro off Algerian coast. | |
| 6 Jul 1940 | 2200 | (0) Off Sardinia. | At 2200 hours, the Italian steamer Derna (1,769 GRT, built 1912) was sighted at a distance of 2,500 metres, on a southerly course toward Cagliari. Neghelli was not aware of the presence of Derna, fortunately the vessel promptly identified herself and the attack was aborted. | |||||||
| Neghelli (NG) | 22 Jul 1940 | 1340 | La Maddalena | 22 Jul 1940 | 1945 | La Maddalena | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| 3. | Neghelli (NG) | 31 Jul 1940 | 2225 | La Maddalena | 1 Aug 1940 | 1523 | Cagliari | Sailed with Scirè and Argo and brief stop at Cagliari to pick up her sailing orders before proceeding for patrol. | ||
| 4. | Neghelli (NG) | 1 Aug 1940 | 1546 | Cagliari | 11 Aug 1940 | 1100 | La Maddalena | 1369 | Patrolled south of the Balearic Islands on a line from 38°20'N 6°20'E to 06°00'E, on a patrol line with Argo and Scirè. The compressor of her starboard diesel engine broke down but was repaired during the mission [mileage is from 31st July]. | |
| 5 Aug 1940 | 1830 | (0) 70 miles SW of Asinara. | At 1830 hours, two torpedo tracks were observed. They missed the submarine at one minute interval, the first 250 metres ahead and the second 50 metres ahead. These were probably porpoises as no other submarine carried out an attack in this vicinity on that day. | |||||||
| Neghelli (NG) | 14 Aug 1940 | 0045 | La Maddalena | 14 Aug 1940 | 1954 | La Spezia | 205 | Passage La Maddalena-La Spezia. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 19 Sep 1940 | 0810 | La Spezia | 19 Sep 1940 | 1831 | La Spezia | 54 | Exercises with the submarine Fieramosca. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 20 Sep 1940 | 0800 | La Spezia | 20 Sep 1940 | 1857 | La Spezia | 27,5 | Exercises with the submarines Cappellini, H 1 and H 4. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 21 Sep 1940 | 0900 | La Spezia | 21 Sep 1940 | 1526 | La Spezia | 61 | Exercises with the submarines Scirè, Viniero and the auxiliaries Porto Sdobba and Rimini. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 27 Sep 1940 | 1350 | La Spezia | 27 Sep 1940 | 1802 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises with the submarine Tazzolli. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 2 Oct 1940 | 0820 | La Spezia | 2 Oct 1940 | 1220 | La Spezia | 21 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 4 Oct 1940 | 0845 | La Spezia | 4 Oct 1940 | 1250 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 12 Oct 1940 | 0917 | La Spezia | 12 Oct 1940 | 1250 | La Spezia | 20 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 14 Oct 1940 | 1335 | La Spezia | 14 Oct 1940 | 1750 | La Spezia | 26 | Exercises with the submarines H 1, H 8 and the torpedo boat Curtatone. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 16 Oct 1940 | 0907 | La Spezia | 16 Oct 1940 | 1134 | La Spezia | 21 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 17 Oct 1940 | 0906 | La Spezia | 17 Oct 1940 | 1230 | La Spezia | 24 | Exercises with the torpedo boat Curtatone. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 18 Oct 1940 | 1400 | La Spezia | 18 Oct 1940 | 1800 | La Spezia | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 21 Oct 1940 | 0906 | La Spezia | 21 Oct 1940 | 1215 | La Spezia | 19 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 22 Oct 1940 | 1345 | La Spezia | 22 Oct 1940 | 1750 | La Spezia | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 29 Oct 1940 | 0855 | La Spezia | 29 Oct 1940 | 1237 | La Spezia | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 31 Oct 1940 | 0850 | La Spezia | 31 Oct 1940 | 1120 | La Spezia | 17 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 9 Nov 1940 | 0855 | La Spezia | 9 Nov 1940 | 1250 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 10 Nov 1940 | 1500 | La Spezia | 10 Nov 1940 | 1736 | La Spezia | 21 | Exercises. | ||
| Neghelli (NG) | 15 Nov 1940 | 1240 | La Spezia | 17 Nov 1940 | 1645 | Messina | 490 | Passage La Spezia-Messina. | ||
| 16 Nov 1940 | 0530 | At 0530 hours, an Italian cruiser escorted by two destroyers was sighted on a northerly course. Neghelli made the recognition signal but was not answered. | ||||||||
| Neghelli (NG) | 21 Nov 1940 | 1400 | Messina | 25 Nov 1940 | 1305 | Leros | 645 | Passage Messina-Leros. Uneventful. | ||
| 5. | Neghelli (NG) | 11 Dec 1940 | 0600 | Leros | 22 Dec 1940 | 1415 | Leros | 1336 | Sailed for a patrol off Mersa Matruh between 31°40'N and 32°40'N. and between 26°40'E and 27°40'E. | |
| 13 Dec 1940 | 2036 2042 (e) | (0) 340° - Mersa Matruh - 70 miles. | At 2022 hours, a shadow was sighted at a distance of 6,000 metres and was identified as a SOUTHAMPTON class cruiser. At 2036 hours, range had closed to 1,900 metres when three torpedoes (533mm) were fired from the bow tubes at 12 seconds then 40 seconds intervals. One hit was heard 95 seconds after the first torpedo was fired and it hit the cruiser forward. At 2038 hours, a fourth torpedo (450mm) was fired from a bow tube at a range of 1,600 metres. It missed. Neghelli was about to turn to fire stern torpedoes when the cruiser turned straight toward her, forcing her to submerge and the attack was foiled. The target was the 4,190-ton antiaircraft cruiser HMS Coventry. She was on her way to join convoy A.N. 10 and was hit, losing part of her stern. There were no casualties. She could still make 13 knots and was joined by the destroyers of the 2nd Flotilla HMS Hyperion (D.2), HMS Mohawk and HMS Diamond at 0015 hours on the 14th. The escort was reinforced by the destroyers from the 14th Flotilla HMS Jervis (D.14), HMS Janus and HMS Hereward. The stricken cruiser and her escort arrived at Alexandria at noon on the 14th. | |||||||
| 6. | Neghelli (NG) | 14 Jan 1941 | 0040 | Leros | 19 Jan 1941 | 1125 | Sunk with all hands | Sailed for patrol off Cerigo (Kythera) and east of Morea [orders mention that she sailed for area GIORGIO (?) and was allowed to go to area MARIO (?) and ARNALDO (?) and sub area LUIGI OVEST ?)]. Reported sunk by HMS Greyhound in 37°15'N, 24°04'E. No survivors, five officers and forty-one ratings lost. | ||
| 18 Jan 1941 | 1430 (e) | (0) Near Cape Sunion. | At 1430 hours, a Greek coast watcher reported sighting a submarine. The sighting may have been bogus, but there is a possibility it was Neghelli, who was lost the following day. | |||||||
| 19 Jan 1941 | 1125 (e) | On the morning of 19th January, Convoy A.S. 10 was proceeding from Piareus to Port Said. It consisted of the British transports Clan Cumming (7,264 GRT, built 1938), with Clan Macdonald (9,653 GRT, built 1939) and Empire Song (9,298 GRT, built 1940), the three vessels were ex-EXCESS convoy, escorted by the light cruiser HMS Calcutta and the destroyers HMS Greyhound, HMS Janus and HMS Defender. At 1117C hours, HMS Defender obtained an ASDIC echo in 37°16,5' N, 24°03' E but it was then classified as "Non-Sub". At 1125C hours, Clan Cumming was on the port wing of the convoy when she was hit forward by a torpedo. Despite being hit, she managed to make 10 knots and, escorted by Janus, she turned back and reached Piraeus at 1900 hours. There is little doubt that her attacker was the submarine Neghelli. HMS Greyhound obtained an ASDIC contact at 2,000 yards and carried out three attacks with a total of eighteen depth-charges (5 at 1130, 6 at 1139 and 7 at 1146 hours) set at 100, 150, 250 and 500 feet. No result could be observed. HMS Mohawk and HMS Hereward joined the escort of the two remaining ships at 1645 hours, relieving Greyhound and Defender. A submarine was sighted off the Gulf of Petali at 2100 hours. This was about 40 miles from the area where Clan Cumming was torpedoed and thus well within the range of Neghelli had she survived the depth charge attack and retired to the northeast. If this sighting was genuine, this would mean that the submarine survived the depth-charging by Greyhound and may have been lost through other means, perhaps the victim of a Greek mine. Clan Cumming did not survive her long, she was mined and sunk on 15th April 1941. Neghelli did not return from her patrol and was lost lost with all hands. C.C. Carlo Ferracuti, four officers and forty-one ratings perished. | ||||||||
30 entries. 28 total patrol entries (6 marked as war patrols) and 8 events.