Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines


Astrea

TypeCargo ship
CountryDutch Dutch
Built1921GRT1,406

Date of attack6 Mar 1942Time0330
0055Z (e)
FateSunk by submarine Enrico Tazzoli (C.C. Carlo Fecia di Cossato)
Position of attack28° 55'N, 63° 30'W
Complement27 (no casualties, 27 survivors)
Convoy
Notes At 2131 hours on 5th March, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and the submarine closed.

At 0235 hours on 6th March, gunfire was opened with 25 100mm rounds and 45 machine gun rounds expended. Fecia di Cossato described his own shooting as very inaccurate due to the heavy seas, but the vessel did not appear to be armed and her crew quickly abandoned ship.

This was the Dutch Astrea (1,406 GRT, built 1921) bound from Rio de Janeiro to New York via Trinidad.

At 0323 hours, Enrico Tazzoli presented her stern to deliver the coup de grace and fired one torpedo. It hit after 18 seconds but the Dutch ship remained afloat.

At 0330 hours, a second stern shot was fired, hitting Astrea after 18 seconds and she sank. There were no casualties. The crew of twenty-seven was picked up on 16th March by the Dutch Hebe and fifteen were then transferred to the Argentine Rio Iguazu.

Position of attack

Ships hit by Italian submarines