Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines

Type	Cargo ship
Country	British
Built	1930	GRT	5,358

Date of attack	15 Jul 1941	Time	0059 2230 GMT (e)
Fate	Sunk by submarine Morosini (C.C. Athos Fraternale)
Position of attack	36° 18'N, 11° 27'W
Complement	44 (no casualties, 44 survivors)
Convoy
Notes	At 1607 hours on 14 July 1941, a smoke was sighted on the horizon. Morosini took an intercepting course with the intention of attacking after dark. At 2345 hours, the submarine had closed on the surface to 800 metres and launched a torpedo (450mm) from a bow tube. The torpedo porpoised, breaking the surface twice, it turned to port and missed. At 2356 hours, a second torpedo (533mm) was fired from a bow tube at a distance of 700 metres. After 32 seconds, it hit the stern section. The vessel made an SOS identifying herself as the British *Rupert De Larrinaga* (5,358 GRT, built 1930). She was from convoy OG.67d and was carrying coal from the Tyne to Las Palmas. *Rupert De Larrinaga* was still afloat and, at 0059 hours, Morosini fired a third torpedo (533mm), this time from a stern tube. It hit after 23 seconds and the vessel sank at 0105 hours. All her crew of forty-four were rescued by the Spanish steamer *Campeche* (MARICOSOM reported it as the Spanish steamer *Caceres* but this was an error).