Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Nicola Maiorana

Born  23 Oct 1907Aieta (Cosenza)
Died  29 Mar 1941(33)Killed in action on heavy cruiser ZARA

Ranks

  C.C.Capitano di Corvetta

Decorations

17 May 1946 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare (posthumous)

Career information

X.2 (C.C. C.O.): from 29.04.1940 to May 1940.
GOFFREDO MAMELI (C.C. C.O.): from 22.05.1940 to 10.11.1940.
On 29.03.1941, killed on the heavy cruiser ZARA at the battle of Matapan.

Commands listed for Nicola Maiorana


Submarine Type Rank From To
Goffredo Mameli (GM)Ocean goingC.C.22 May 194010 Nov 1940

Ships hit by Nicola Maiorana


DateSubmarineShip hitTypeGRTNat.Loss type
1.2 Aug 1940Goffredo MameliRoulaCargo ship1,041GreekSunk

War patrols listed for Nicola Maiorana

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Goffredo Mameli (GM)1 Jun 19400710Augusta1 Jun 19401517Messina65Passage Augusta-Messina.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)10 Jun 1940Messina10 Jun 1940MessinaAt Messina.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)6 Jul 19400550Messina6 Jul 19401545Messina47Exercises.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)12 Jul 19400545Messina12 Jul 19401325Messina62Exercises.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)14 Jul 19401100Messina15 Jul 19401140Taranto247Passage Messina-Taranto.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)21 Jul 19400925Taranto21 Jul 19401515Taranto30Exercises.

1.Goffredo Mameli (GM)22 Jul 19401830Taranto9 Aug 19401408Taranto1988,5Patrolled south of Crete, between 33°20'N and 34°00'N, and between 26°00'E and 27°00'E.
  24 Jul 1940021037° 40'N, 17° 50'E
(0) 90 miles SSE of Crotone.
A 10,000-ton transport was sighted steering 200°. Goffredo Mameli opened fire but after fourteen rounds the gun jammed. The machine guns followed up, but the target escaped in the darkness. It has not been identified but was probably an Italian vessel.
  2 Aug 19400050
0020 (e)
33° 50'N, 26° 35'E
(e) 34° 06'N, 'E
The submarine was charging her batteries when, at 2320 hours on 1 August, a dark shape was sighted. Switching to her diesels she quickly increased speed to close in the heavy swell. The target appeared to be steering 120-130° and making for an Egyptian port. At 0050 hours, two bow torpedoes (533mm) were fired from a range of 800 metres but the freighter apparently sighted them and took avoiding action.

This was the Greek Roula (1041 GRT, built 1899) carrying tobacco, food and matches from Istanbul to Port Said.

At 0102 hours, Goffredo Mameli turned for a stern shot (450mm, A.115 type) from 900 metres, but once again the Greek ship managed to evade it.

At 0112 hours, the submarine opened fire with her deck gun from a distance of 1,000 metres. After the third round the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats.

At 0153 hours, Goffredo Mameli tried to finish off the Greek ship with a bow torpedo (450mm, type W 115) fired from 600 metres, but again it missed.

At 0202 hours, A fifth torpedo fired from a bow tube (533mm) at a distance of 600 metres, missed again. It was a frustrating time!

Finally, the Greek ship was sent to the bottom with the main deck gun, which had fired a total of forty-one rounds. Ten survivors, including the captain, reached Dhaba on 4th August. Eight men were missing.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)14 Aug 19400938Taranto15 Aug 19400630Messina245Passage Taranto-Messina.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)13 Sep 19400615Messina13 Sep 19401530Messina60Exercises.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)19 Sep 19400610Messina19 Sep 19401500Messina50Exercises.

2.Goffredo Mameli (GM)19 Sep 19402353Messina8 Oct 19401530Messina1995Patrolled north of Benghazi, between 32°40'N and 33°20'N, and between 19°30'E and 20°30'E, on a patrol line with Tembien. On 3rd October was ordered to patrol west of Benghazi to hunt for a British submarine reported to be lurking there.
  1 Oct 19401700-180032° 51'N, 20° 08'E
(0) 283° - Tolmeita - 42 miles.
The submarine was proceeding submerged and reported a violent bombardment, but was undamaged.

Goffredo Mameli (GM)6 Nov 19400805Messina6 Nov 19401540Messina61Exercises.

13 entries. 12 total patrol entries (2 marked as war patrols) and 3 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines