Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Francesco Murzi
| Born | 18 Feb 1908 | Marciana Marina |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
GIOVANNI BAUSAN (C.C. C.O.): from 26.12.1939 to 18.01.1941.DES GENEYS (C.C. C.O.): from 19.01.1941 to 17.06.1941.
BARBARIGO (C.C. C.O.): from 28.06.1941 to 11.08.1941.
AMMIRAGLIO MILLO (C.C. C.O.): from 20.08.1941 to 29.11.1941 (Murzi was injured in a car accident at Tripoli).
AMMIRAGLIO MILLO (C.C. C.O.): from 14.12.1941 to 28.12.1941.
In 1942, became Head of 10° GRUPSOM (Augusta).
From 10.12.1942, served at MARICOSOM.
From 01.05.1943, served as Head of 7° GRUPSOM (Cagliari) and leader of 7° GRUPPO A.S.
Commands listed for Francesco Murzi
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | Ocean going | C.C. | 26 Dec 1939 | 18 Jan 1941 |
| Des Geneys (DN) | Ocean going | C.C. | 19 Jan 1941 | 17 Jun 1941 |
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | Ocean going | C.C. | 28 Jun 1941 | 11 Aug 1941 |
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | Ocean going | C.C. | 20 Aug 1941 | 29 Nov 1941 |
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | Ocean going | C.C. | 14 Dec 1941 | 28 Dec 1941 |
Ships hit by Francesco Murzi
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 Jul 1941 | Barbarigo | Macon | Cargo ship | 5,141 |  | Sunk |
| 2. | 27 Jul 1941 | Barbarigo | Horn Shell | Tanker | 8,272 | | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Francesco Murzi
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 30 May 1940 | 0802 | Augusta | 30 May 1940 | 1532 | Augusta | 7,5 | Exercises. | ||
| 1. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 11 Jun 1940 | 2045 | Augusta | 13 Jun 1940 | 0840 | Augusta | 230 | Patrolled in Sicilian Channel in 36°12'N, 14°46'E. | |
| 13 Jun 1940 | 0800 approx. | (0) Off Cape San Croce (Augusta, Sicily) | A torpedo track was sighted and missed the submarine ten metres ahead. Possibly attacked by HMS Grampus which did not return from patrol or perhaps a porpoise was mistaken for a "torpedo". | |||||||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 17 Jun 1940 | 1854 | Augusta | 17 Jun 1940 | 1954 | Augusta | 3 | Exercises. | ||
| 2. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 18 Jun 1940 | 1455 | Augusta | 26 Jun 1940 | 0828 | Augusta | 966 | Patrolled off Cerigotto in 35°20'N, 23°20'E. Uneventful. | |
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 28 Jun 1940 | 0435 | Augusta | 28 Jun 1940 | 1156 | Messina | 75 | Passage Augusta-Messina. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 11 Jul 1940 | 0754 | Messina | 11 Jul 1940 | 1558 | Messina | 67 | Exercises. | ||
| 3. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 12 Jul 1940 | 1330 | Messina | 14 Jul 1940 | 1950 | Pantelleria | 614 | Patrolled off Pantelleria and Cape Bon in 36°55'N, 11°30'E. Patrol was cut short due to defects. Uneventful. | |
| 4. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 19 Jul 1940 | 0509 | Pantelleria | 21 Jul 1940 | 1020 | Pantelleria | 614 | Sailed again for patrol in 36°55'N, 11°30'E but again cut short due of defects. Uneventful. | |
| 5. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 22 Jul 1940 | 0345 | Pantelleria | 22 Jul 1940 | 1624 | Trapani | Passage Pantelleria-Trapani. | ||
| 6. | Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 23 Jul 1940 | 1400 | Trapani | 24 Jul 1940 | 0752 | Messina | 614 | Passage Trapani-Messina [mileage from 12th to 24th July]. | |
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 11 Aug 1940 | 0754 | Messina | 13 Aug 1940 | 1755 | Pola | 628 | Passage Messina-Pola. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 16 Aug 1940 | 0611 | Pola | 16 Aug 1940 | 1327 | Fiume | 68 | Passage Pola-Fiume, then refit. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 27 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Fiume | 27 Nov 1940 | 1423 | Fiume | 78 | Exercises. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 6 Dec 1940 | 0813 | Fiume | 6 Dec 1940 | 1414 | Fiume | 12 | Exercises. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 8 Dec 1940 | 0843 | Fiume | 8 Dec 1940 | 1648 | Pola | 62 | Passage Fiume-Pola. | ||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 15 Dec 1940 | 0918 | Pola | 16 Dec 1940 | 0205 | Pola | 12 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
| 15 Dec 1940 | 1019+ | (0) Punta Val di Torre di Brioni Maggiore. | While proceeding for exercises the submarine ran aground in bad weather and suffered some damage. C.C. Murzi was reprimanded. | |||||||
| Giovanni Bausan (BN) | 16 Jan 1941 | 0552 | Pola | 16 Jan 1941 | 1707 | Pola | 113,3 | Trials, escorted by the tug Tenace. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 19 Jan 1941 | 0951 | Pola | 19 Jan 1941 | 1940 | Pola | 101 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 20 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 20 Jan 1941 | 1738 | Pola | 73 | Exercises with the submarine Adua, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 24 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 24 Jan 1941 | 1740 | Pola | 68 | Sailed with the submarine Adua, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 28 Jan 1941 | 1630 | Pola | 29 Jan 1941 | 0118 | Pola | 102 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 31 Jan 1941 | 0815 | Pola | 31 Jan 1941 | 1710 | Pola | 71 | Attack exercises on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliaries Jadera and San Giorgio. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 5 Feb 1941 | 0827 | Pola | 5 Feb 1941 | 1754 | Pola | 39 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 7 Feb 1941 | 0817 | Pola | 7 Feb 1941 | 1930 | Pola | 75 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 8 Feb 1941 | 0825 | Pola | 9 Feb 1941 | 0100 | Pola | 90 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 10 Feb 1941 | 0914 | Pola | 10 Feb 1941 | 1700 | Pola | 25 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 14 Feb 1941 | 0823 | Pola | 14 Feb 1941 | 1717 | Pola | 63 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 15 Feb 1941 | 0927 | Pola | 15 Feb 1941 | 2355 | Pola | 95 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 17 Feb 1941 | 0830 | Pola | 17 Feb 1941 | 1659 | Pola | 59 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 26 Feb 1941 | 0814 | Pola | 26 Feb 1941 | 1700 | Pola | 57 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 28 Feb 1941 | 0815 | Pola | 1 Mar 1941 | 0229 | Pola | 115 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana and later by San Giorgio, for night firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 1 Mar 1941 | 2008 | Pola | 2 Mar 1941 | 0507 | Pola | 54 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 3 Mar 1941 | 2008 | Pola | 3 Mar 1941 | 0507 | Pola | 37 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliaries San Giorgio, Jadera and Laurana. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 6 Mar 1941 | 1730 | Pola | 7 Mar 1941 | 0025 | Pola | 63 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 17 Mar 1941 | 0810 | Pola | 17 Mar 1941 | 1612 | Pola | 52 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 19 Mar 1941 | 0820 | Pola | 19 Mar 1941 | 1726 | Pola | 46 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 21 Mar 1941 | 0815 | Pola | 21 Mar 1941 | 1643 | Pola | 42 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 24 Mar 1941 | 0820 | Pola | 24 Mar 1941 | 1750 | Pola | 48 | Exercises with the submarine Bausan, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio, Jadera and Laurana. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 25 Mar 1941 | 0815 | Pola | 25 Mar 1941 | 1449 | Pola | 46 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 27 Mar 1941 | 0821 | Pola | 27 Mar 1941 | 1815 | Pola | 12 | Exercises with the submarines Jalea, Medusa and Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 28 Mar 1941 | 0824 | Pola | 28 Mar 1941 | 1618 | Pola | 50 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 31 Mar 1941 | 1320 | Pola | 31 Mar 1941 | 0025 | Pola | 102 | Exercises. | ||
| 7. | Des Geneys (DN) | 4 Apr 1941 | 1559 | Pola | 5 Apr 1941 | 0940 | Pola | 71,5 | Hydrophone watch with the submarine Pisani in 45°21'N, 13°13'E, to cover the passage of a convoy on the Venice-Trieste route. Uneventful. | |
| 8. | Des Geneys (DN) | 17 Apr 1941 | 1555 | Pola | 18 Apr 1941 | 1015 | Pola | 70,2 | Hydrophone watch in 45°12'N, 12°57'E, to cover the passage of the battleship Roma. Uneventful. | |
| Des Geneys (DN) | 6 May 1941 | 0749 | Pola | 6 May 1941 | 1910 | Pola | 67,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 7 May 1941 | 0743 | Pola | 7 May 1941 | 1734 | Pola | 64,7 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 9 May 1941 | 0743 | Pola | 9 May 1941 | 1842 | Pola | 61,9 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola. | ||
| Des Geneys (DN) | 10 May 1941 | 1043 | Pola | 11 May 1941 | 0210 | Pola | 80 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola and then night torpedo firing exercises with torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 9 Jul 1941 | 0745 | Bordeaux | 9 Jul 1941 | 1138 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 9 Jul 1941 | 1648 | Le Verdon | 9 Jul 1941 | 1919 | Le Verdon | Trials. | |||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 10 Jul 1941 | 0830 | Le Verdon | 10 Jul 1941 | 1945 | La Pallice | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice. | |||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 11 Jul 1941 | 1203 | La Pallice | 11 Jul 1941 | 1930 | La Pallice | 44 | Trials. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 13 Jul 1941 | 1241 | La Pallice | 13 Jul 1941 | 1720 | La Pallice | Trials in Le Pertuis d'Antioche. | |||
| 9. | Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 13 Jul 1941 | 2059 | La Pallice | 11 Aug 1941 | 1303 | Bordeaux | 6234 | Sailed for patrol west of Gibraltar in 37°25'N, 15°25'W. On 21st July, was ordered to 34°00'N, 18°30'W and subsequently 32°00'N, 16°30'W. Murzi was on his first Atlantic patrol but was seconded by good officers (T.V. Rodolfo Bombig [later c.o. Ascianghi and Zoea], T.V. Roberto Rigoli [later c.o. of Platino, Barbarigo and S.3] and S.T.V. Angelo Amendolia [later c.o. of Bagnolini and S.4]). | |
| 22 Jul 1941 | 1718 | 34° 55'N, 18° 35'W | At 1818 hours, Barbarigo sighted a convoy steering 250° and trailed it. At 2130 hours, she had reported convoy in German Grid CF 8989 [34°51' N, 19°10' W] steering 330°, but lost contact at 2320 hours. U-203 and U-93 reported that they would intercept this convoy. | |||||||
| 25 Jul 1941 | 0112 2230 GMT (e) | 32° 18'N, 26° 20'W (e) 32° 48'N, 26° 12'W | At 1230 hours on 24th July, in 33°50' N, 24°55' W, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and Barbarigo altered course to intercept. The vessel was steering on a southerly course. The attack was carried out at 0112 hours on the 25th. A torpedo (450mm, type W 200) was fired at 1,000 metres, but missed due to an error in calculating the angle. The target was the British Macon (5,141 GRT, built. 1919). After spending the past five months repairing her boilers, she had sailed from Ponto Delgada (Azores) for Freetown, carrying 3,800 tons of general cargo. Back in February 1941, she had been part of convoy O.B. 290, but had been diverted to the Azores due to her boiler problems. Barbarigo maneuvered to get a better position. At 0239 hours, a second torpedo (533mm, W 280 type) was fired from 700 metres and hit under the funnel. The vessel began to settle. Between 0328 and 0430 hours, Barbarigo fired 49 100mm rounds in the helpless vessel and she finally sank the next day. Of the fifty men on board, twenty-one survivors were picked up by the sloop HMS Londonderry and landed at Freetown, another twenty-seven survivors were picked up by Clan Macpherson and landed at Capetown. Two were killed or missing and two later died of exposure. | |||||||
| 25 Jul 1941 | 1140 | 32° 25'N, 24° 43'W | At 1140 hours, a silhouette resembling a submarine emitting smoke was seen. | |||||||
| 27 Jul 1941 | 0037 | 33° 23'N, 23° 33'W | At 1240 hours on 26th July, in 33°22' N, 21°20' W, the masts and superstructure of a ship were sighted. Five minutes later, it was identified as a large tanker approaching rapidly and Barbarigo dived. However, range was more than 2,000 metres and the submarine was not at a favourable angle. She surfaced again at 1503 hours and maneuvered for an interception after dark. At 0037 hours on 27th July, a torpedo (533mm, W 280 type) was fired from a bow tube at 3,100 metres and hit. The target was the British tanker Horn Shell (8272 GRT, built 1931), in ballast, bound from Gibraltar to Curacoa, zigzagging at 11,5 knots. She was struck in the engine room on the port side and began to sink by the stern. At 0127 hours, the submarine fired a second torpedo (450mm, A 115 type) and it hit the tanker amidship on the starboard side. Six minutes later, a third torpedo (450mm, W 200 type) hit the starboard no.2 tank. Finally, at 0238 hours, a fourth torpedo (450mm, A 115 type) hit in the engine room on the starboard side and she sank. Of the crew of fifty-six, seventeen were killed or missing. Master and fourteen of her crew were picked up by the Brazilian Cuyaba and landed at Pernambuco, twelve were rescued by the Portuguese Africa Ocidental and nine by the Portuguese trawler Maria Leonor (eight were taken off by the escort destroyer HMS Avon Vale as the radio operator had died). | |||||||
| 30 Jul 1941 | 1635 | 36° 45'N, 12° 49'W | At 1635, a German U-boat was encountered and recognition signals exchanged. | |||||||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 31 Aug 1941 | 0634 | Monfalcone | 31 Aug 1941 | 1640 | Monfalcone | 69 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 5 Sep 1941 | 0930 | Monfalcone | 5 Sep 1941 | 1635 | Pola | 80 | Passage Monfalcone-Pola. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 8 Sep 1941 | 0613 | Pola | 8 Sep 1941 | 2227 | Pola | 169 | Diving trials. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 11 Sep 1941 | 0739 | Pola | 11 Sep 1941 | 1407 | Pola | 49 | Exercises with Ammiraglio Cagni and the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 12 Sep 1941 | 0830 | Pola | 12 Sep 1941 | 1713 | Pola | 5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 16 Sep 1941 | 0636 | Pola | 16 Sep 1941 | 1728 | Fiume | 122,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 18 Sep 1941 | 1537 | Fiume | 18 Sep 1941 | 1920 | Fiume | 18 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 22 Sep 1941 | 1502 | Fiume | 22 Sep 1941 | 1815 | Fiume | 15 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 23 Sep 1941 | 1513 | Fiume | 23 Sep 1941 | 1756 | Fiume | 14 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 29 Sep 1941 | 1401 | Fiume | 29 Sep 1941 | 1845 | Pola | 56 | Passage Fiume-Pola. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 6 Oct 1941 | 0905 | Pola | 6 Oct 1941 | 2011 | Pola | 75 | Trials, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 8 Oct 1941 | 0735 | Pola | 8 Oct 1941 | 1836 | Pola | 150 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 14 Oct 1941 | 1130 | Pola | 14 Oct 1941 | 1805 | Pola | 42,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 18 Oct 1941 | 1411 | Pola | 18 Oct 1941 | 1614 | Pola | 4,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 21 Oct 1941 | 0755 | Pola | 21 Oct 1941 | 1805 | Pola | 72 | Exercises. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 25 Oct 1941 | 0707 | Pola | 25 Oct 1941 | 1845 | Pola | 124 | Trials. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 26 Oct 1941 | 0836 | Pola | 26 Oct 1941 | 1518 | Pola | 56 | Trials escorted by the torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary Grado. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 28 Oct 1941 | 0803 | Pola | 28 Oct 1941 | 1740 | Pola | 65 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 29 Oct 1941 | 1253 | Pola | 29 Oct 1941 | 2113 | Pola | 79,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Grado. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 31 Oct 1941 | 0914 | Pola | 31 Oct 1941 | 1650 | Pola | 57 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 3 Nov 1941 | 2012 | Pola | 5 Nov 1941 | 1000 | Taranto | 514 | Passage Pola-Taranto. | ||
| Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 20 Nov 1941 | 0715 | Taranto | 20 Nov 1941 | 1639 | Taranto | 30 | Exercises. | ||
| 10. | Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 21 Nov 1941 | 1300 | Taranto | 23 Nov 1941 | 1815 | Derna | Supply mission to Derna (138 tons of petrol in 7073 cans and 6.8 tons of ammunition in 325 boxes). Uneventful. | ||
| 11. | Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 24 Nov 1941 | 0613 | Derna | 26 Nov 1941 | 1330 | Taranto | 1173 | Return trip from supply mission to Derna. The submarine received several signals from MARICOSOM reporting enemy forces but did not alter course [mileage is for round trip]. | |
| 12. | Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 23 Dec 1941 | 1345 | Taranto | 25 Dec 1941 | 1212 | Tripoli | Supply mission to Tripoli (87 tons of petrol in 4376 cans, 61.3 tons of food supplies and 4.5 tons of ammunition). Uneventful. | ||
| 13. | Ammiraglio Millo (EM) | 25 Dec 1941 | 1930 | Tripoli | 26 Dec 1941 | 1252 | Tripoli | Sailed from Tripoli and submerged in 32°59'N, 13°09'E as a precaution against night air raids and returned to complete the unloading. C.C. Murzi was injured in an automobile accident and was replaced by C.C. Zanchi. [Murzi became one of the Grupsom leaders in 1942]. | ||
84 entries. 80 total patrol entries (13 marked as war patrols) and 7 events.