Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Giovanni Celeste

Born  22 Jan 1905Messina
Died  28 Feb 1943(38)Killed in action

Ranks

  T.V.Tenente di Vascello

Decorations

10 Feb 1941 Croce di guerra al valore militare
27 Jun 1942 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
14 Jan 1943 Croce di guerra al valore militare
14 Jan 1948 Medaglia d'argento al valore militare (posthumous)

Career information

SIRENA (T.V. resp.): from 22.12.1940 to 10.01.1941 (refit at Taranto).
H.4 (T.V. C.O.): From 11.04.1941 to 27.05.1941.
H.2 (T.V. C.O.): From 29.05.1941 to 31.12.1941.
PERLA (T.V. C.O.): From 03.01.1942 to 09.06.1942.
ENRICO TOTI (T.V. C.O.): From 17.08.1942 to 20.01.1943.
ex French REQUIN (T.V. C.O.): From 17.01.1943 to 22.01.1943?
FR.111 (ex-French PHOQUE) (T.V. C.O.): From 01.02.1943? to 28.02.1943 (sunk, Celeste was killed).

Commands listed for Giovanni Celeste


Submarine Type Rank From To
Sirena (SI)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.22 Dec 194010 Jan 1941
H 4 (H4)CoastalT.V.11 Apr 194127 May 1941
H 2 (H2)CoastalT.V.29 May 194131 Dec 1941
Perla (I.33 or I.30)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.3 Jan 19429 Jun 1942
Enrico Toti (TO)Ocean goingT.V.17 Aug 194220 Jan 1943
FR 113 (ex-Requin) ()T.V.17 Jan 194322 Jan 1943
FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()T.V.1 Feb 194328 Feb 1943

Ships hit by Giovanni Celeste

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Giovanni Celeste

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Sirena (SI)22 Dec 1940Taranto10 Jan 1941TarantoRefit at Taranto. Change in command.

H 4 (H4)14 Apr 19410830La Spezia14 Apr 19411150La Spezia30Exercises.

H 4 (H4)21 Apr 19410820La Spezia21 Apr 19411245La Spezia30Exercises.

H 4 (H4)24 Apr 19410805La Spezia24 Apr 19411115La Spezia4Gyrocompass tests.

1.H 4 (H4)26 Apr 19411825La Spezia29 Apr 19411005Leghorn346,5Hydrophone watch off Tino Island in anticipation of an important naval force from Gibraltar

H 4 (H4)29 Apr 19411025Leghorn29 Apr 19411605Leghorn346,5Exercises.

2.H 4 (H4)1 May 19412015La Spezia2 May 19411030La Spezia90Hydrophone watch on the Ligurian Gulf. Uneventful.

3.H 4 (H4)2 May 19411900La Spezia3 May 19411045La Spezia91Hydrophone watch on the Ligurian Gulf. Uneventful.

4.H 4 (H4)9 May 19411815La Spezia10 May 19411012La Spezia87Hydrophone watch on the Ligurian Gulf. Uneventful.

H 4 (H4)14 May 19410820La Spezia14 May 19411645La Spezia38,3Exercises.

H 4 (H4)16 May 19410810La Spezia16 May 19411245La Spezia24,4Exercises.

H 2 (H2)29 May 19410800Taranto29 May 19411130Taranto32Exercises with the pilot vessel Limbara.

H 2 (H2)3 Jun 19410800Taranto3 Jun 19411515Taranto22,5Exercises.

5.H 2 (H2)13 Jun 19412200Taranto14 Jun 19411020Taranto98Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

6.H 2 (H2)14 Jun 19412100Taranto15 Jun 19411030Taranto100Hydrophone watch.

H 2 (H2)16 Jun 19410900Taranto16 Jun 19411457Taranto97Exercises with the submarine Corridoni, escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara.

H 2 (H2)17 Jun 19410835Taranto17 Jun 19411312Taranto28,5Exercises in Gulf of Taranto with the submarines H.8 and Corridoni and the torpedo boat Aretusa.

H 2 (H2)26 Jun 19410600Taranto26 Jun 19411357Taranto35Exercises, escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara.

H 2 (H2)1 Jul 19410800Taranto1 Jul 19411435Taranto32Exercises.

H 2 (H2)16 Jul 19410815Taranto16 Jul 19411600Taranto36,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)18 Jul 19410423Taranto18 Jul 19411715Taranto72Exercises with the torpedo boat San Martino.

7.H 2 (H2)25 Jul 19412115Taranto26 Jul 19411045Taranto100Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

H 2 (H2)28 Jul 19410924Taranto28 Jul 19411304Taranto27Exercises.

8.H 2 (H2)5 Aug 19411100Taranto6 Aug 19410545Taranto104,5Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

9.H 2 (H2)7 Aug 19412100Taranto8 Aug 19411240Taranto98Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

10.H 2 (H2)10 Aug 19412100Taranto11 Aug 19411015Taranto96Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

11.H 2 (H2)18 Aug 19412200Taranto19 Aug 19411200Taranto99Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

12.H 2 (H2)19 Aug 19412245Taranto20 Aug 19411030Taranto94Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

13.H 2 (H2)24 Aug 19412110Taranto25 Aug 19411210Taranto100Hydrophone Watch. Uneventful.

H 2 (H2)29 Aug 19410647Taranto29 Aug 19410926Taranto8,5Exercises.

14.H 2 (H2)7 Sep 19412100Taranto8 Sep 19411112Taranto96Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

15.H 2 (H2)8 Sep 19412103Taranto9 Sep 19411300Taranto95Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

16.H 2 (H2)14 Sep 19412105Taranto15 Sep 19411250Taranto100,5Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

17.H 2 (H2)16 Sep 19412146Taranto17 Sep 19411325Taranto98,5Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

18.H 2 (H2)17 Sep 19412115Taranto18 Sep 19411340Taranto98Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

H 2 (H2)20 Sep 19410700Taranto20 Sep 19410932Taranto6Exercises.

H 2 (H2)21 Sep 19410700Taranto21 Sep 19412013Taranto93,5Hydrophone trials and exercises in 40°00'N, 17°33'E with the sloop Diana.

19.H 2 (H2)23 Sep 19412130Taranto24 Sep 19411105Taranto98Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

H 2 (H2)25 Sep 19410700Taranto25 Sep 19410850Taranto4,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)28 Sep 19410200Taranto28 Sep 19410810Gallipoli56,5Passage Taranto-Gallipoli.

H 2 (H2)29 Sep 19410610Gallipoli29 Sep 19411626Gallipoli39Exercises.

H 2 (H2)30 Sep 19410702Gallipoli30 Sep 19411630Gallipoli49Exercises.

H 2 (H2)1 Oct 19410700Gallipoli1 Oct 19411455Gallipoli28Exercises with MAS boat.

H 2 (H2)2 Oct 19410700Gallipoli2 Oct 19411829Gallipoli20Exercises.

H 2 (H2)3 Oct 19410700Gallipoli3 Oct 19411435Gallipoli12,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)4 Oct 19410800Gallipoli4 Oct 19411340Taranto56Passage Gallipoli-Taranto.

H 2 (H2)6 Oct 19410710Taranto6 Oct 19411005Taranto8,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)6 Nov 19410710Taranto6 Nov 19410941Taranto8,5Exercises.

20.H 2 (H2)11 Nov 19411640Taranto12 Nov 19411115Taranto113Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful. Then entered dock.

H 2 (H2)19 Nov 19410710Taranto20 Nov 19411000Taranto7Exercises.

H 2 (H2)26 Nov 19410713Taranto27 Nov 19411050Taranto7Exercises.

H 2 (H2)3 Dec 19411216Taranto3 Dec 19411715Taranto35,5Exercises.

H 2 (H2)10 Dec 19410722Taranto10 Dec 19411736Taranto57Trials.

H 2 (H2)11 Dec 19410730Taranto12 Dec 19411552Taranto47Exercises, escorted back by the torpedo boat Lince.

H 2 (H2)21 Dec 19410718Taranto21 Dec 19411315Gallipoli55Passage Taranto-Gallipoli.

21.H 2 (H2)22 Dec 19410615Gallipoli22 Dec 19411645Gallipoli43Hydrophone Watch in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.

H 2 (H2)23 Dec 19410800Gallipoli23 Dec 19411400Taranto55Passage Gallipoli-Taranto.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)8 Jan 19420855Naples8 Jan 19421435Naples38Trials.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)13 Jan 19420928Naples13 Jan 19421620Naples11Gyrocompass tests.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)14 Jan 19420645Naples14 Jan 19421700Naples62Exercises with the torpedo boat Circe (equipped with S-Gerät).

Perla (I.33 or I.30)17 Jan 19420810Naples17 Jan 19421555Naples42,5Exercises.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)19 Jan 19421400Naples19 Jan 19421855Naples29,5Exercises.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)24 Jan 19421740Naples24 Jan 19422210Naples21Exercises.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)28 Jan 19420910Naples29 Jan 19420955Messina251Passage Naples-Messina.

22.Perla (I.33 or I.30)10 Feb 19421656Messina26 Feb 19421050Messina1992Patrolled off Cyrenaica within 8 miles from 34°30'N, 20°30'E, on a patrol line with Topazio, Tricheco and Malachite. On the evening of 15 February, she was shifted to 148° - 58 miles. Uneventful. Heard only hydrophone effect. T.V. Celeste was criticised for his excessive prudence.

23.Perla (I.33 or I.30)26 Mar 19421825Messina11 Apr 19420813Messina1942,5Escorted out by MAS 562 for a patrol off Cyrenaica between 34°30'N and 34°40'N, and between 22°10'E and 23°10'E. On 2nd April, was moved to a new area between 33°40'N and 34°20'N, and between 22°00'E and 22°25'E.
  28 Mar 19421510At 1510 hours, an Italian steamer escorted by a destroyer of the FRECCIA class were sighted.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)28 Apr 19421515Naples28 Apr 19421845Naples19Exercises.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)1 May 19421438Naples1 May 19421745Naples17,5Trials.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)3 May 19420825Naples3 May 19421820Naples67Trials, escorted by MAS 547.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)6 May 19420955Messina7 May 19420900Trapani229,5Passage Messina-Trapani.

24.Perla (I.33 or I.30)8 May 19422045Trapani25 May 19420720Trapani871,5Patrolled in zone K.2 (between 36°53'N and 36°57'N, and between 11°12'E and the Tunisian coast). On 17th May, was ordered to a new area between 36°20'N and 36°50'N, and between 09°20'E and 09°50'E, east of La Galite and off Cape Kelibia (Tunisia). Several French ships were sighted.
  11 May 19420355
(0) Zone K.2 or off Ras Mustafa near Keliibia (Tunisia).
At 0350 hours, a warship was sighted travelling at a speed just under 25 knots.

At 0355 hours, two torpedoes (533mm) were fired from stern tubes at a distance of 600 metres. They missed.

This was the fast minelayer HMS Welshman. She had sailed from Malta at 2130 hours, on 10th May, after delivering supplies for the beleaguered island and was on her way to Gibraltar.

T.V. Celeste was reprimanded as he had not made an enemy report immediately after his attack on the minelayer. As report was only sent at 0517 hours and, was not received by Rome, the opportunity to sink this warship was lost.

Perla (I.33 or I.30)26 May 19421130Trapani27 May 19420825Messina210,8Passage Trapani-Messina, escorted in by the torpedo boat Abba.

Enrico Toti (TO)25 Sep 19420800Taranto25 Sep 19421855Taranto42Trials.

25.Enrico Toti (TO)27 Sep 19421022Taranto28 Sep 19420830Taranto140Sailed on supply mission (63.3 tons of petrol) but returned following a fire in the forward battery.
  27 Sep 19421915
(0) About 60 miles from Taranto.
An accidental fire occurred in the battery compartment. The submarine was forced to abort her mission.

Enrico Toti (TO)17 Nov 19420830Taranto17 Nov 19421515Taranto46Trials.

26.Enrico Toti (TO)19 Nov 19422300Taranto24 Nov 19421125TripoliSupply mission to Tripoli (60.5 tons: 57.5 tons of petrol, 2.7 tons of lubricating oil and 0.3 ton of fats).
  20 Nov 19421346
(0) About 100 miles South of Crotone.
Two unknown aircraft were observed at a distance of 3,000 metres flying toward the submarine, which dived immediately.

27.Enrico Toti (TO)24 Nov 19422120Tripoli24 Nov 19422157TripoliChanged anchorage.

28.Enrico Toti (TO)25 Nov 19420750Tripoli25 Nov 19420845TripoliChanged anchorage.
  25 Nov 19421933
(0) About 60 miles NE of Tripoli.
The submarine sighted an illuminated vessel, which proved to be the hospital ship Virgilio.

29.Enrico Toti (TO)25 Nov 19421340Tripoli28 Nov 19422325Taranto1373Return trip from supply mission to Tripoli, the submarine suffered more engine defects. The submarine brought back 2.25 tons of Gold and other valuables from the Banca d'Italia and Cassa di Risparmio of Tripoli.
  25 Nov 19421933
(0) About 60 miles NE of Tripoli.
The submarine sighted an illuminated vessel, which proved to be the hospital ship Virgilio.

FR 113 (ex-Requin) ()18 Jan 1943Ferryville (Bizerta)18 Jan 1943Ferryville (Bizerta)Trials interrupted by defects.
  18 Jan 19432200
(0) At Ferryville.
At 2200 hours, the submarine crew witnessed a heavy air raid which caused fires very near her, but FR.113 was unscathed.

FR 113 (ex-Requin) ()19 Jan 1943Ferryville (Bizerta)19 Jan 1943Ferryville (Bizerta)Successful trials in the lake of Bizerta.

FR 113 (ex-Requin) ()20 Jan 19430657Ferryville (Bizerta)22 Jan 19430340Naples328Passage Bizerta-Naples with Espadon, escorted by the torpedo boat Cascino (who towed Requin part of the way) and later by the torpedo boats Animoso and Ardito. On 8th February 1943, she was assigned to the La Spezia command.

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()1 Feb 19430915Naples1 Feb 1943Time???NaplesTrials.

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()9 Feb 1943Time???Naples1 Feb 19431750NaplesExercises.

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()12 Feb 19430940Naples12 Feb 19431325NaplesExercises.

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()14 Feb 19430836Naples14 Feb 19431545NaplesExercises.

FR 113 (ex-Requin) ()20 Feb 1943Naples20 Feb 1943NaplesThe submarine was in Naples when an air raid by the USAAF caused slight damage. Two ratings were killed.
  20 Feb 1943
(0) Naples harbour.
During the day, the harbour came under heavy air attack from the USAAF. The submarine ex-French Requin (later renamed FR.113) was slightly damaged from splinters and had two ratings killed (Mario Cali and Guerrino Fabbi).

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()23 Feb 19430155Naples24 Feb 19430637AugustaPassage Naples-Augusta.

FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()26 Feb 1943PMAugusta26 Feb 1943AugustaTrials.

30.FR 111 (ex-Phoque) ()27 Feb 19431551Augusta28 Feb 19431445SunkShe was carrying 38.3 tons of stores (28 tons of ammunition and 10.3 tons of petrol) to Lampedusa, via 37°00'N, 13°00'E. At 0745 hours on the 28th, the submarine informed MARICOSOM that she had defects and wished to turn back. This was accepted by MARICOSOM's 1041/28 signal. Sunk between Cape Passero and Cape Murro di Porco by enemy fighter bombers.
  28 Feb 19431445
1435 (e)

(0) 10 miles SW of Cape Murro di Porco
At 1145 hours, FR.111 was attacked by enemy bombers and sunk.

These were actually eleven Spitfire fighter bombers (six of 185 and five of 249 Squadrons with two escorting fighters from each squadron) returning from a raid on Cassabillo Power Station (9 miles SW of Syracuse). They reported attacking a U-boat with MG and cannon fire, five miles east of Avola. The submarine replied briefly with a machine gun and reported attacked by four aircraft.

The submarine was machine-gunned with all the personnel on deck killed or wounded and sank. An Italian seaplane picked up two survivors and Germans forces another twenty-five (including two wounded and a corpse). Five officers and eighteen ratings were killed. One Spitfire was slightly damaged by flying fragments from the submarine.

90 entries. 90 total patrol entries (30 marked as war patrols) and 9 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines