Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Roberto Rigoli
| Born | 9 Apr 1914 | Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
BARBARIGO (T.V. Navigation Officer then First Officer): from 22.10.1940 to April 1942+.PLATINO (T.V. C.O.): from 28.06.1942 to 22.11.1942.
BARBARIGO (T.V. C.O.): from 15.12.1942 to 07.05.1943.
S.3 (T.V. C.O.): from 17.07.1943? to 08.09.1943 (working up at Danzig).
Joined RSI.
Commands listed for Roberto Rigoli
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platino (PT) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 28 Jun 1942 | 22 Nov 1942 |
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | Ocean going | T.V. | 15 Dec 1942 | 7 May 1943 |
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | Ocean going | T.V. | 7 May 1943 | 31 May 1943 |
| S 3 () | Sea going | T.V. | 17 Jul 1943 | 9 Sep 1943 |
Ships hit by Roberto Rigoli
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 24 Feb 1943 | Barbarigo | Monte Igueldo | Cargo ship | 3 |  | Sunk |
| 2. | 2 Mar 1943 | Barbarigo | Affonso Penna | Cargo ship | 3,540 |  | Sunk |
| 3. | 3 Mar 1943 | Barbarigo | Stag Hound | Cargo ship | 8,591 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Roberto Rigoli
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platino (PT) | 28 Jun 1942 | 2105 | Messina | 30 Jun 1942 | 0835 | Cagliari | 363 | Passage Messina-Cagliari. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 8 Jul 1942 | 0800 | Cagliari | 8 Jul 1942 | 1300 | Cagliari | 26 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 10 Jul 1942 | 1500 | Cagliari | 11 Jul 1942 | 1010 | La Maddalena | 202 | Passage Cagliari-La Maddalena with Acciaio. | ||
| 1. | Platino (PT) | 18 Jul 1942 | 1800 | La Maddalena | 4 Aug 1942 | 1200 | La Maddalena | 1588 | Patrolled north of Algiers, between 37°00'N and 37°20'N, and between 02°20'E and 02°40'E. Sighted only French ships. | |
| 20 Jul 1942 | 0807 | At 0807 hours, the submarine was surprised by an aircraft and had no time to submerge. Three or four rounds were fired with the machine-gun before it was recognised to be German Junker 88 bomber and fire was checked. | ||||||||
| 2. | Platino (PT) | 18 Aug 1942 | 0040 | La Maddalena | 19 Aug 1942 | 0445 | La Maddalena | 300 | Sailed for a patrol in area between 37°20' N and 37°50'N, and between 09°20'E and 10°20'E, to intercept an enemy convoy north of Tunisia [PEDESTAL], but was recalled before reaching it. | |
| Platino (PT) | 3 Sep 1942 | 0755 | La Maddalena | 3 Sep 1942 | 1240 | La Maddalena | 33,7 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 7 Sep 1942 | 0740 | La Maddalena | 7 Sep 1942 | 1340 | La Maddalena | 62,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 12 Sep 1942 | 0740 | La Maddalena | 12 Sep 1942 | 1340 | La Maddalena | 33,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 13 Sep 1942 | 2350 | La Maddalena | 15 Sep 1942 | 1507 | Augusta | 436 | Passage La Maddalena-Augusta with submarines Acciaio and Bronzo. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 30 Sep 1942 | 0819 | Augusta | 30 Sep 1942 | 1315 | Augusta | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 14 Oct 1942 | 0800 | Augusta | 14 Oct 1942 | 1305 | Augusta | 31,7 | Exercises. | ||
| Platino (PT) | 5 Nov 1942 | 1214 | Augusta | 5 Nov 1942 | 1845 | Messina | 85 | Sailed for patrol but then ordered to Messina. | ||
| 5 Nov 1942 | 2250 | At 2250 hours, there was a leak and the rating Vittorio Mrak started a pump to deal with it. His leg was caught in the pump and he was severely injured. T.V. Roberto Rigoli signalled his intention to land the injured man at Palermo. The submarine met MAS 544 off Palermo, the injured man was transferred and the submarine resumed her course to Cagliari. | ||||||||
| Platino (PT) | 5 Nov 1942 | 2030 | Messina | 6 Nov 1942 | 0823 | Off Palermo | Passage Messina-Cagliari but diverted to Palermo to land an injured rating. | |||
| 5 Nov 1942 | 2250 | At 2250 hours, there was a leak and the rating Vittorio Mrak started a pump to deal with it. His leg was caught in the pump and he was severely injured. T.V. Roberto Rigoli signalled his intention to land the injured man at Palermo. The submarine met MAS 544 off Palermo, the injured man was transferred and the submarine resumed her course to Cagliari. | ||||||||
| Platino (PT) | 6 Nov 1942 | 0826 | Off Palermo | 6 Nov 1942 | 1845 | Cagliari | 387 | Passage Palermo-Cagliari. | ||
| 3. | Platino (PT) | 7 Nov 1942 | 0907 | Cagliari | 14 Nov 1942 | 1315 | Cagliari | 839 | Sailed for patrol off Bone in 38°00'N, 08°00'E but due to North African landings was shifted to 38°00'N, 03°40'E. | |
| 8 Nov 1942 | 0816 | At 0816 hours, a German aircraft was sighted and exchanged recognition signals. | ||||||||
| 8 Nov 1942 | 1000 | At 1000 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 8 Nov 1942 | 1220 | At 1220 hours, the Italian submarine Argo was encountered and exchanged recognition signals. At 2104 hours, Platino was ordered to patrol off Cape Cavallo. | ||||||||
| 9 Nov 1942 | 0543 | At 0543 hours, a submarine was sighted following a parallel course. It was believed to be Italian. | ||||||||
| 9 Nov 1942 | 1815 | 37° 20'N, 4° 00'E | At 1815 hours, firing and explosions could be observed in the distance. Platino tried to close but sighted nothing. | |||||||
| 10 Nov 1942 | 0805 | 38° 15'N, 4° 30'E | At 0805 hours, a destroyer was sighted at 6,000 metres. Platino closed to attack but could not get to a distance of less than 4,000 meters. | |||||||
| 11 Nov 1942 | 2135 | At 2135 hours, the submarine Mocenigo was encountered and exchanged recognition signals. | ||||||||
| 12 Nov 1942 | 0228 | 36° 47'N, 5° 11'E | At 0030 hours, a light was sighted at a distance. It was believed to be a vessel afire in the Bay of Bougie, At 0228 hours, against the light, a destroyer and four corvettes were sighted steering 110°. Shortly after, two more corvettes were also observed west of Cape Carbon. A corvette used a searchlight, but did not notice the submarine. At 0259 hours, an aircraft flew over and dropped five flares. Platino dived. | |||||||
| 12 Nov 1942 | 0359 | 36° 46'N, 5° 10'E | At 0359 hours, Platino had just surfaced, when a corvette was sighted at a distance of 400 metres. The submarine crash-dived to a depth of 120 metres but was not detected. | |||||||
| 12 Nov 1942 | 0500 | 36° 46'N, 5° 10'E (0) Approximately. | At 0500 hours, Platino was proceeding on the surface away from Bougie with the intention to return the following night, when a corvette was sighted at a range of 700 metres. A torpedo tube was made ready, but the corvette did not notice the submarine. | |||||||
| 13 Nov 1942 | 0131 | 36° 46'N, 5° 07'E | At 0131 hours, a corvette was sighted on the starboard bow. Platino was on the surface and turned toward her, closing to 300 metres but was not in a favourable angle. Absolute silence was maintained and the corvette did not discover the submarine. Platino dived at 0142 hours and bottomed at 30 metres. At 0150 hours, the submarine surfaced and watched the corvette disappear. The vessel on fire sighted earlier impeded the visibility. At 0233 hours, a corvette was sighted and appeared to be steering toward the submarine but continued on her way without incident. | |||||||
| 13 Nov 1942 | 0326 | 36° 43'N, 5° 06'E | At 0235 hours, a dark shape was sighted and identified as a large merchant vessel outlined against Cape Carbon and a corvette was observed to be leaving the Bay of Bougie. At 0314 hours, a destroyer was sighted and there was some movements in the corvettes patrolling outside the bay. At 0326 hours, four torpedoes (533mm) were fired from the bow tubes at a range of 1,000 metres aimed at the large merchant vessel. The depth was only 17 metres and the torpedoes were set for depths of 5 and 7 metres. The tracks of two torpedoes was observed to stop after 250 metres, leading T.V. Roberto Rigoli to believe they had been embedded in the mud. The other two were observed to hit the vessel amidships in a formidable explosion. At 0345 hours, Platino dived and proceeded to leave the area. At 1401 hours, she reported her action in a signal. At 1652 hours, an order was received from MARICOSOM to return to base. Unfortunately, this attack was not confirmed. Some Italian sources have claimed that the submarine sank the troop transport Narkunda (16,632 GRT, built 1920). This vessel was hit by two bombs and sunk as she was leaving from Bougie for Algiers at 1720 hours on 14th November, 31 killed, 211 survivors were picked up by the minesweeper HMS Cadmus. | |||||||
| 13 Nov 1942 | 1744 | At 1744 hours, a submarine was sighted apparently firing her four machine-guns and deck gun at an aircraft. Platino dived immediately. | ||||||||
| Platino (PT) | 15 Nov 1942 | 1741 | Cagliari | 16 Nov 1942 | 2227 | Naples | 280 | Passage Cagliari-Naples. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 19 Jan 1943 | 1457 | Bordeaux | 19 Jan 1943 | 1947 | Le Verdon | 49 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 20 Jan 1943 | 0830 | Le Verdon | 20 Jan 1943 | 1650 | La Pallice | 50 | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 21 Jan 1943 | 1255 | La Pallice | 21 Jan 1943 | 1632 | La Pallice | 6,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 23 Jan 1943 | 1408 | La Pallice | 23 Jan 1943 | 1730 | La Pallice | 5,5 | Exercises. | ||
| 4. | Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 24 Jan 1943 | 1624 | La Pallice | 3 Apr 1943 | 1337 | Le Verdon | 10280,3 | Patrolled between 12°00'S and 15°00'S, and between 36°00'W and the Brazilian coast. | |
| 27 Jan 1943 | 2250 | At 2250 hours, an aircraft was detected by the Metox apparatus and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 28 Jan 1943 | 0800 | At 0800 hours, an aircraft was detected by the Metox apparatus and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 28 Jan 1943 | 1815 | At 1815 hours, an aircraft was detected by the Metox apparatus and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 29 Jan 1943 | 1305 | At 1305 hours, two aircraft were seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 1 Feb 1943 | 1100 | At 1100 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 2 Feb 1943 | 1145 | At 1145 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 5 Feb 1943 | 0640 | At 0640 hours, a steamer was sighted proceeding toward the Azores. She proved to be Spanish and the submarine turned away. | ||||||||
| 24 Feb 1943 | 1318 1241 GCT (e) | 4° 30'S, 32° 30'W (e) 4° 09'S, 32° 18'W | At 0925 hours, a smoke was seen on the horizon. It appeared to be traveling at less than 10 knots. T.V. Rigoli decided not to wait for darkness and intercept her in broad daylight. At 1225 hours, Barbarigo dived to carry out a submerged attack. At 1318 hours, two stern torpedoes (450mm) were fired from a distance of 1,200 metres. Both hit but the vessel was only damaged. This was the Spanish Monte Igueldo (3,282 GRT, built 1921) bound from Buenos Aires to Teneriffe and Las Palmas carrying 5,400 tons of wheat and corn and a single ton of sugar for the British consul in Las Palmas. It was another tragic error, as Spain was a not only neutral, but a tacit ally of the Axis. | |||||||
| 24 Feb 1943 | 1343 0940 (e) | 4° 30'S, 32° 30'W (e) 4° 37'S, 32° 04'W | At 1343 hours, T.V. Rigoli decided to surface to finish the stricken Monte Igueldo with his artillery. The hatch had barely been opened, when a heavy explosion astern shook the submarine. An aircraft was observed passing about 400 metres on the starboard side. The submarine's helm was hard to port as the gunners rushed to their station. The aircraft, identified as an American Consolidated 31 type, came to about 100 metres from the stern as the Breda machine guns opened fire and it flew away toward the south. The forward 100mm gun fired a round at a range of 1,000 metres and came very close in hitting the aircraft. At about 3,000 metres, the aircraft suddenly turned back for a new attack, but another 100mm exploded near and prevented it from completing the attack. It flew away, but appeared to stay at a distance of 10,000 metres. The aircraft was P-6 a PBM-3c (Mariner) of USN squadron VP-74 piloted by Ensign W.J. Barnard, USN, investigating a radar contact, which turned out to be the Spanish Monte Igueldo being torpedoed. It had discovered the submarine surfacing but, as it attacked, the machine guns jammed. It could only deliver a stick of four depth charges from a height of 60 feet. The aircraft was hit by antiaircraft fire in both wings. It had two more depth charges, but the intensity of the antiaircraft fire dissuaded the pilot from carrying out a new attack. | |||||||
| 24 Feb 1943 | 1354 | 4° 30'S, 32° 30'W (e) 4° 09'S, 32° 18'W | Rigoli now decided to finish off his victim before other aircraft arrived to the scene. At 1352 hours, he ordered his gun crews below but as they were executing the order, Gunnery Sergeant Pietro Picchi, who had undone his safety belt, was carried off by a wave. Not wasting time, Rigoli ordered his submarine to turn back in so doing, fired a third torpedo (450mm) from a stern tube. It had an erratic course and missed. At 1404 hours, Picchi who had calmly waited for his submarine to fetch him, was recovered. Although by this time, the identity of the target had been confirmed, Rigoli decided to finish her off. At 1407 hours, a fourth torpedo (533mm) was fired from a bow tube and Monte Igueldo slid beneath the waves. There were thirty-four survivors, and one killed. Her Master, 49 year-old Emilio Ibargurengoitia Aresti, very correctly described the two torpedo hits as made by smaller torpedoes then the third torpedo hit to be a larger one. Monte Igueldo had been stopped the previous day and searched by the light cruiser USS Savannah (CL-42). | |||||||
| 2 Mar 1943 | 2301 2200Z (e) | 16° 44'S, 36° 10'W (e) 16° 14'S, 37° 30'W | At 1703 hours, a vessel was sighted zigzagging at 12 knots, on a mean course of 200°. The submarine moved easily to take position ahead of her. At 2301 hours, a pair of torpedoes (533mm) was fired, angled at 15° to port, at a distance of 540 metres. The second torpedo did not appear to follow the proper path and a third one was immediately fired. All three hit the target. At 2302 hours, Rigoli also decided to open fire, but after the first round, it was checked as crew and passengers were observed taking to lifeboats and the ship sank. This was Brazilian Affonso Penna (3,540 GRT, built 1910) on a trip from Pernambuco to Rio de Janeiro. Some 119 survivors were picked up by the American freighter Tennessee. Eight survivors reached land at Porto Seguro on 6th March. Thirty-one crew members and eighty-four passengers were missing. | |||||||
| 3 Mar 1943 | 2313 2215Z (e) | 16° 19'S, 36° 45'W (e) 16° 44'S, 36° 33'W | At 1647 hours, a motorship (later estimated at 12,000 tons) was observed in the distance. It appeared to have spotted the submarine and tried escaping on a straight line without zigzagging, steering 230°. Barbarigo raced to intercept at 15.5 knots. However, the heat in the engine room was such, that a box of provisions was set afire. The fire was quickly extinguished without slowing down the submarine. At 2313 hours, three torpedoes (533mm) were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 780 metres. All three hit, but the vessel did not sink. At 2329 hours, a torpedo (450mm) was fired from a stern tube, but it missed under. At 2344 hours, another torpedo (450mm) from a stern tube was the coup-de-grace and the ship sank. This was the American refrigeration ship Stag Hound (8,591 GRT, built 1942) routed independently from New York to Rio de Janeiro. The crew of eighty-four were rescued by the Argentine steamer Rio Colorado and landed at Rio de Janeiro on 6th March. | |||||||
| 11 Mar 1943 | 1630 | The submarine Luigi Torelli was encountered and, from 1656 to 2136 hours, took 20 tons of fuel from Barbarigo. | ||||||||
| 22 Mar 1943 | 1832 | At 1832 hours, a Spanish ship was sighted but left alone. | ||||||||
| 27 Mar 1943 | 0505 | At 0505 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 28 Mar 1943 | 1312 | At 1312 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 29 Mar 1943 | 0508 | At 0508 hours, an aircraft was detected with Metox and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 1 Apr 1943 | 1735 | At 1735 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 3 Apr 1943 | 0703 | At 0703 hours, an Italian submarine (Torelli) was encountered with a German escort. Barbarigo requested that a German minesweeper take her in tow as she had great difficulty in maneuvering because of defects to her steering gear. The tow parted three times and the attempt was abandoned. However the submarine managed to keep station and reached Le Verdon where the repairs were completed. | ||||||||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 4 Apr 1943 | 1440 | Le Verdon | 4 Apr 1943 | 1833 | Bordeaux | 49 | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | ||
| Barbarigo (BO, I.15) | 7 May 1943 | Bordeaux | 31 May 1943 | Bordeaux | In Bordeaux. | |||||
| S 3 () | 20 Jul 1943 | Danzig | 20 Jul 1943 | Danzig | First day of trials. | |||||
| S 3 () | 3 Aug 1943 | Danzig | 3 Aug 1943 | Danzig | Last day of trials. Then transferred to Rhönne. | |||||
| S 3 () | 9 Sep 1943 | Danzig | 9 Sep 1943 | Danzig | Seized by the Germans at the armistice. Did not carry out patrols. Bombed in Hamburg on 1st April 1945. | |||||
56 entries. 26 total patrol entries (4 marked as war patrols) and 35 events.