Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Carlo Todaro

Born  26 Oct 1907Leghorn
Died  4 Jun 1987(79)Rome

Ranks

  T.V.Tenente di Vascello

Decorations

27 Jun 1942 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare

Career information

Brother of Salvatore Todaro.
SMERALDO (T.V. C.O.): from 06.02.1940 to 07.10.1940.
ADUA (T.V. C.O.): from 09.10.1940 to 16.01.1941.
From 22.08.1941 to 10.05.1942, on sick leave.
From 11.05.1942, served at MARISTAT.

Commands listed for Carlo Todaro


Submarine Type Rank From To
Smeraldo (SD)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.6 Feb 19407 Oct 1940
Adua (AD)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.9 Oct 194016 Jan 1941

Ships hit by Carlo Todaro

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Carlo Todaro

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
1.Smeraldo (SD)8 Jun 19402200Tobruk21 Jun 19400815Tobruk1091,4Patrolled 60 miles (or 30 miles?) west of Alexandria.
  11 Jun 1940010031° 11'N, 28° 44'E
(0) 60 miles west of Alexandria.
At 0050 hours, two shadows were sighted and appeared to be two vessels navigating on opposite course to the submarine. One small vessel leading a larger one.

At 0100 hours, a stern torpedo (533mm, W-H type) was fired at a range of 1,000 metres aimed at the larger vessel. It missed. T.V. Carlo Todaro believed that the rough seas (force 4) had disturbed his aim.

This was the first attack by an Italian submarine in World War Two. It was apparently unobserved.

The target was possibly the tanker British Union (6,987 GRT, built 1927). She had sailed from Alexandria and was proceeding to Monemvasia to refuel H.M. destroyers (but is also reported to have left only on 12th June). Her presence would later be the object of a protest from the Greek government. The freighter African Prince (4,653 GRT, built 1939) was due at Alexandria from Istanbul on 12th June, but is unlikely to have been the target, as this vessel appeared to be leaving from Alexandria.

2.Smeraldo (SD)3 Jul 19402200Tobruk9 Jul 19402240Tobruk524Patrolled in 34°16'N, 23°24'E on a patrol line with Lafolè. Was victim of the worst recorded anti-submarine attack in World War II (by an Italian submarine) with 200 depth charges dropped on 7th and 8th July. She managed to return to Tobruk but could not be repaired there.
  8 Jul 19401635-2230
1654 (e)
At 1615 hours, a noise was detected and the submarine went into silence running to get better reception.

At 1635 hours, Smeraldo was suddenly shaken by a violent explosion. She escaped by going down to 80 metres. The depth charging lasted until 2230 hours and some 200 depth charges were counted (certainly an exaggeration!).

She had been hunted by the destroyers HMS Hasty and HMS Ilex, screening the battleship HMS Malaya.

Smeraldo (SD)2 Aug 19401700Tobruk7 Aug 19401420Taranto679Passage Tobruk-Taranto for repairs via coastal route till Ras Aamer then direct to Santa Maria di Leuca.

Smeraldo (SD)11 Aug 19402200Taranto14 Aug 19400930Pola495,3Passage Taranto-Pola for repairs.

Smeraldo (SD)5 Oct 19400730Pola5 Oct 19401510Pola29Exercises.

Smeraldo (SD)7 Oct 19401430Pola7 Oct 19401730Pola4Exercises.

Adua (AD)9 Oct 19400750Pola9 Oct 19401440Fiume64,5Passage Pola-Fiume.

Adua (AD)12 Oct 19400800Fiume12 Oct 19401352Fiume20,2Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Nettuno.

Adua (AD)14 Oct 19400805Fiume14 Oct 19401440Pola62,5Passage Fiume-Pola.

Adua (AD)23 Oct 19400806Pola23 Oct 19401730Pola63,5Exercises.

Adua (AD)25 Oct 19400800Pola25 Oct 19401618Pola10Gyrocompass tests.

Adua (AD)31 Oct 19400754Pola31 Oct 19401730Pola64,7Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua.

Adua (AD)4 Nov 19400800Pola4 Nov 19401730Pola17,2Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua.

Adua (AD)6 Nov 19400810Pola6 Nov 19401715Pola41,5Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua.

Adua (AD)8 Nov 19400800Pola8 Nov 19401237Pola42,5Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua.

Adua (AD)11 Nov 19400810Pola11 Nov 19401730Pola43,3Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua.

Adua (AD)13 Nov 19400735Pola13 Nov 19401732Pola17Exercises with the tug Tenace.

Adua (AD)15 Nov 19400800Pola15 Nov 19401732Pola16,5Exercises with the tug Tenace.

Adua (AD)20 Nov 19400805Pola20 Nov 19401742Pola42,7Exercises with the tug Tenace.

Adua (AD)21 Nov 19400806Pola21 Nov 19401723Pola48,7Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marittimo.

Adua (AD)23 Nov 19400810Pola23 Nov 19401748Pola42,5Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)25 Nov 19400756Pola25 Nov 19401700Pola41,5Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)27 Nov 19400805Pola27 Nov 19401712Pola41Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)28 Nov 19400800Pola28 Nov 19401712Pola49,8Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)4 Dec 19400807Pola4 Dec 19401747Pola46,5Torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the tug Tenace.

Adua (AD)9 Dec 19400808Pola9 Dec 19401800Pola51,6Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the tug Tenace for simulated attacks on the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)13 Dec 19400803Pola13 Dec 19401803Pola47,2Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the sloop Diana.

Adua (AD)15 Dec 19400810Pola15 Dec 19401703Pola46,8Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola.

Adua (AD)16 Dec 19400830Pola16 Dec 19401645Pola44,5Attack exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola.

Adua (AD)20 Dec 19400807Pola20 Dec 19401810Pola43,5Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)24 Dec 19400817Pola24 Dec 19401505Pola41Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)26 Dec 19400800Pola26 Dec 19401830Pola49Attack exercises with the submarines Bragadino and Des Deneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio and the submarine chaser Laurana.

Adua (AD)28 Dec 19401600Pola29 Dec 19400220Pola70,5Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys for night torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)30 Dec 19400805Pola30 Dec 19401810Pola48,5Sailed with the submarine Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)2 Jan 19410823Pola2 Jan 19411715Pola59,5Sailed with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for attack exercises on the torpedo boat Audace.

Adua (AD)4 Jan 19410818Pola4 Jan 19411630Pola56,8Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana.

Adua (AD)6 Jan 19410807Pola6 Jan 19411715Pola54,8Exercises with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the submarine chaser Laurana.

Adua (AD)7 Jan 19410804Pola7 Jan 19411413Pola27,5Gunfire exercises with the submarines Bragadino, Des Geneys and Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana.

Adua (AD)11 Jan 19410804Pola12 Jan 19410045Pola58,5Attack exercises with the submarine Des Geneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio.

Adua (AD)13 Jan 19410800Pola13 Jan 19411642Leme Channel32,5Passage Pola-Leme Channel and exercises with the submarines Fieramosca, Fisalia and Pisani. Escorted by torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary San Giorgio.

Adua (AD)14 Jan 19410800Leme Channel (Rovigno)15 Jan 19410840Pola51Passage Leme Channel-Pola, and exercises with the torpedo boat Audace and the submarines Pisani, Fieramosca and Fisalia.

41 entries. 41 total patrol entries (2 marked as war patrols) and 2 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines