Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Gino Spagone
| Born | 4 Jan 1906 | La Spezia |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Career information
C.C.: Head of Flottiglia Massaua: from 26.03.1940 to 01.03.1941?Promoted to C.F. in 1940.
GUGLIELMOTTI (C.F. C.O.): from 01.03.1941 to 14.08.1941.
From 25.12.1941, Head of 1° GRUPSOM (La Spezia).
Joined RSI.
Commands listed for Gino Spagone
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guglielmotti (GI, I.30 or I.33) | Ocean going | C.F. | 1 Mar 1941 | 14 Aug 1941 |
Ships hit by Gino Spagone
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Gino Spagone
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Guglielmotti (GI, I.30 or I.33) | 4 Mar 1941 | 1757 | Massawa | 6 May 1941 | 2000 | Pauillac | 12424,5 | Passage from Massawa to Bordeaux. Reached the first rendezvous point (25°00'S, 20°00'W) at 1250 hours on 11th April and joined Archimede at 1400 hours on 13th April 1941. Sighted the German supply ship Nordmark on the following day, who told them to change the rendezvous to 25°00'S, 26°00'W. Refuelled from Nordmark on 16th April 1941. She was located by British aircraft at 0345 GMT on 5th May 1941 in position 45°30'N, 07°30 W. | |
| 9 Mar 1941 | 1500 | 3° 40'N, 50° 08'W | At 1500 hours, a vessel was sighted at a distance of 20,000 metres. It was apparently travelling from Somalia toward India. As per her instructions, Guglielmotti dived to avoid being seen. | |||||||
| 5 Apr 1941 | 2230 | 30° 08'S, 2° 10'W | At 2230 hours, a vessel was sighted steering 105°. Gugliemotti dived to avoid being seen. | |||||||
| 9 Apr 1941 | 1210 (e) | (e) 25° 07'S, 20° 05'W | Italian signals had been deciphered giving the position of the refuelling rendezvous with the German supply ship Nordmark. The Royal Navy had sent the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Alcantara, the sloops HMS Bridgewater and HMS Milford and the submarine HMS Severn to intercept (operation GRAB). The British submarine sighted an Italian submarine which was probably Guglielmotti but could not get into an attack position. | |||||||
| 11 Apr 1941 | 1250 | 25° 00'S, 20° 00'W | At 1250 hours, Guglielmotti reached the rendezvous point with the German supply ship Nordmark and cruised in the area. At 1310 hours, the submarine Ferraris was encountered. | |||||||
| 13 Apr 1941 | 1250 | 25° 00'S, 20° 00'W | At 1400 hours, the submarine Archimede was encountered near the rendezvous point with Nordmark. She had been cruising the area since noon on 8th April. Archimede, Guglielmo and Ferraris were now together cruising in the area. | |||||||
| 14 Apr 1941 | 1550 | 25° 00'S, 20° 00'W | At 1550 hours, the German supply ship Nordmark was met. She was disguised as the American steamer Prairie. As she had been earlier sighted by an aircraft (a seaplane from HMS Alcantara), the present rendezvous appeared to have been compromised. She informed the submarines to change the refuelling point to 25°00' S, 26°00' W. They broke off the meeting to relocate at the new rendezvous. | |||||||
| 16 Apr 1941 | 2308-0740/17 | 25° 00'S, 26° 00'W | From 2308 hours on 16th April to 0740 hours the following morning, Guglielmotti refuelled and took provisions from the German supply ship Nordmark. | |||||||
| 2. | Guglielmotti (GI, I.30 or I.33) | 7 May 1941 | 1230 | Pauillac | 7 May 1941 | 1640 | Bordeaux | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | ||
8 entries. 2 total patrol entries (2 marked as war patrols) and 7 events.