Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Vittorio Pescatore
| Born | 20 Dec 1919 | Mirabello Sannitico (Campobasso) | |
| Died | Jul 1943 | (23) | Killed in action |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Career information
COMANDANTE ALFREDO CAPPELLINI (S.T.V. officer): from 05.11.1940 to June 1942+.Promoted T.V. on ?
ACCIAIO (T.V. C.O.): from 25.03.1943 to 12.07.1943? (sunk, Pescatore was killed).
Commands listed for Vittorio Pescatore
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acciaio (AC) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 25 Mar 1943 | 12 Jul 1943 |
Ships hit by Vittorio Pescatore
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Vittorio Pescatore
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acciaio (AC) | 30 Mar 1943 | 1015 | La Maddalena | 30 Mar 1943 | 1250 | La Maddalena | 28 | Exercises and command transferred to T.V. Vittorio Pescatore. | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 2 Apr 1943 | 1020 | La Maddalena | 2 Apr 1943 | 1104 | La Maddalena | 1 | Changed moorings. | ||
| 1. | Acciaio (AC) | 3 Apr 1943 | 1508 | La Maddalena | 17 Apr 1943 | 0640 | La Maddalena | 1523 | Patrolled between 39°00'N and 39°40'N, and between 05°00'N and 05°40'E and off Cape de Fer, on a barrage line with Velella, Axum and Argo. | |
| 4 Apr 1943 | 2010 | 39° 40'N, 5° 14'E | At 2010 hours, three aircraft were seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 5 Apr 1943 | 2125 | 39° 10'N, 5° 34'E | At 2125 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 1,500 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| Acciaio (AC) | 17 Apr 1943 | 0854 | La Maddalena | 17 Apr 1943 | 0926 | La Maddalena | 1 | Changed moorings. | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 18 Apr 1943 | 1100 | La Maddalena | 19 Apr 1943 | 0830 | Naples | Passage La Maddalena-Naples. The German submarine chaser UJ-2210 was alerted that she might encounter the submarine south of Ponza Island. | |||
| Acciaio (AC) | 19 Apr 1943 | 0944 | Castellammare di Stabia | 19 Apr 1943 | 1130 | Castellammare di Stabia | 246 | Passage Naples-Castellammare di Stabia (mileage from 18 April 1943). | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 30 Apr 1943 | 0805 | Castellammare di Stabia | 30 Apr 1943 | 1205 | Castellammare di Stabia | 12 | Exercises. | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 5 May 1943 | 0210 | Castellammare di Stabia | 7 May 1943 | 0834 | Bonifacio | 269 | Passage Castellammare di Stabia-Bonifacio. Heard only Hydrophone noises. | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 29 May 1943 | 1100 | Bonifacio | 29 May 1943 | 1135 | Bonifacio | 0 | Changed moorings. | ||
| Acciaio (AC) | 9 Jun 1943 | 0530 | Bonifacio | 9 Jun 1943 | 0740 | La Maddalena | 20 | Passage Bonifacio-La Maddalena. | ||
| 2. | Acciaio (AC) | 12 Jun 1943 | 1715 | La Maddalena | 22 Jun 1943 | 0722 | La Maddalena | 1000 | Patrolled between 38°40'N and 39°20'N and 05°40'E and 06°20'E. On 18th June, she was ordered to a new area between the parallel 37°40'N, and a line from Cape Bougaroni and Cape de Fer, and between meridians 06°34'E and 07°20'E. | |
| 13 Jun 1943 | 0815 | 40° 30'N, 7° 05'E | At 0815 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 15,000 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 15 Jun 1943 | 0122 | 38° 14'N, 6° 40'E | At 0122 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 2,000 metres. At 0130 hours, the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 17 Jun 1943 | 2310 | 38° 17'N, 7° 06'E | At 2310 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 19 Jun 1943 | 2208 | 37° 10'N, 7° 05'E | At 2208 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 3,000 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 3. | Acciaio (AC) | 10 Jul 1943 | 0215 | La Maddalena | 27 Jul 1943 | Date??? | Sunk with all hands | Sailed for patrol with the submarine Argento to patrol in zones 108 [between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, 08°20'E and 08°40'E] and 102 [between 37°40'N and 38°00'N, 08°20'E and 08°40'E] respectively through Point B (Punta Scorno) to point 40°40'N, 07°50'E then south to parallel 38°00'N and thence to patrol areas (also mentioned via (a) 41°08'N, 08°19'E (b) 40°40'N, 07°50'E then straight south until 38°00'N). At 1943 hours on 13th July, she was ordered to zone 171. At 1345 hours on 16th July, she was ordered via 39°00'N, 15°00'E (northwest of Stromboli) and point M3 (Cape Vaticano) to zone 80 off the east coast of Sicily (zone A and B) and to keep east of 15°50'E while charging batteries. [she was replacing Brin who had been assigned to the area but had abandoned her patrol because of defects] She disappeared without a trace (five officers and forty-one ratings missing). Postwar research attributed her loss to a torpedo from HMS Unruly but the submarine attacked was Brin. At 1315 hours on 23rd July, she was ordered to carry out an offensive reconnaissance from the southeast corner of her zone on course 149° to 36°16'N, 16°05'E hence course south to parallel 36°06'N and then to lower half of zone 83. She was to have returned to Naples on about 27th July 1943. On 24th July Marina Messina was alerted that the submarine would be returning through the Messina Strait via point S.1 (Capo Dell'Armi or near 37°57'N, 15°41'E) and M3 (Cape Vaticano) and would require escort (none were available) but the submarine did not show up. She may have been sunk on 12th July by Hudson 'Q' of 608 Squadron. | ||
| 12 Jul 1943 | 0020 | 39° 40'N, 5° 14'E | At 0020 hours, Hudson 'Q' of 608 Squadron, piloted by Pilot Officer R.F. Burling, detected a submarine by radar at a distance of 9 miles. It was proceeding on the surface, steering 110° at 6-8 knots. The U-boat submerged as the aircraft dived on the submarine firing eight rockets from 500 feet. The first five overshot by 20 to 40 feet, the remainder could not be observed, as the aircraft flew over the spot. A large oil patch was observed approximately 600 yards long and 50 yards wide. There is little doubt that the submarine attacked was Acciaio as her patrol area was just a few miles to the west - but was she sunk? We have no solid evidence that she was the victim of this attack. On the other hand, we have not seen evidence of any other attack that could have disposed of her. Giada was in the adjacent area (grid squares 107 and 114) and reported to be in 38°20' N, 08°20' E at 0515 hours, but did not report any attack. | |||||||
| 18 Jul 1943 | 0400 (e) | At 0400 hours, an aircraft reported a U-boat steering 180° and later altered to 090°. The submarine escaped. This was U-407. | ||||||||
| 19 Jul 1943 | 2255-2315 (e) | At 2255 hours, Hudson (HZ.215) of 221 Squadron (Flight Lieutenant N. Barron), attacked an Italian submarine but the depth charges hung up. A German U-boat was seen in the same position at 2315 hours and was reported to surface forces. It was probably U-81 (OL Johann-Otto Krieg) in both cases. No evidence this was Acciaio. | ||||||||
18 entries. 12 total patrol entries (3 marked as war patrols) and 9 events.