Italian submarine fates
Ships hit by Italian submarines
Clan Cumming
| Type | Cargo ship | |||
| Country |  British | |||
| Built | 1938 | GRT | 7,264 | |
| Date of attack | 19 Jan 1941 | Time | 1125 (e) | |
| Fate | Damaged by submarine Neghelli (C.C. Carlo Ferracuti) | |||
| Position of attack | 37° 10'N, 24° 05'E | |||
| Complement | ||||
| Convoy | AS 10 | |||
| Notes | On the morning of 19th January, Convoy A.S. 10 was proceeding from Piareus to Port Said. It consisted of the British transports Clan Cumming (7,264 GRT, built 1938), with Clan Macdonald (9,653 GRT, built 1939) and Empire Song (9,298 GRT, built 1940), the three vessels were ex-EXCESS convoy, escorted by the light cruiser HMS Calcutta and the destroyers HMS Greyhound, HMS Janus and HMS Defender. At 1117C hours, HMS Defender obtained an ASDIC echo in 37°16,5' N, 24°03' E but it was then classified as "Non-Sub". At 1125C hours, Clan Cumming was on the port wing of the convoy when she was hit forward by a torpedo. Despite being hit, she managed to make 10 knots and, escorted by Janus, she turned back and reached Piraeus at 1900 hours. There is little doubt that her attacker was the submarine Neghelli. HMS Greyhound obtained an ASDIC contact at 2,000 yards and carried out three attacks with a total of eighteen depth-charges (5 at 1130, 6 at 1139 and 7 at 1146 hours) set at 100, 150, 250 and 500 feet. No result could be observed. HMS Mohawk and HMS Hereward joined the escort of the two remaining ships at 1645 hours, relieving Greyhound and Defender. A submarine was sighted off the Gulf of Petali at 2100 hours. This was about 40 miles from the area where Clan Cumming was torpedoed and thus well within the range of Neghelli had she survived the depth charge attack and retired to the northeast. If this sighting was genuine, this would mean that the submarine survived the depth-charging by Greyhound and may have been lost through other means, perhaps the victim of a Greek mine. Clan Cumming did not survive her long, she was mined and sunk on 15th April 1941. Neghelli did not return from her patrol and was lost lost with all hands. C.C. Carlo Ferracuti, four officers and forty-one ratings perished. | |||