January 1945

General Events

1JanuaryOperation NORDWIND. The last massive air attack was carried out by the Luftwaffe on Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium, and France.
12JanuaryThe Soviet Army crossed the Vistula.
15 JanuaryThe Italian Naval Squadron, interned in Minorca, was allowed to leave for Malta.
17JanuaryWarsaw was liberated.

Mediterranean

Italian (RSI) submarine patrols in the Mediterranean during January 1945

C.B.6 (29 January…)C.B.20? (29 January…) 

Two Italian midget submarines, C.B.6 (ex-C.B.17) and C.B.20 of the Italian Socialist Republic, sailed from Pola for a patrol southwest of Premuda and Scirda on the traffic lane between Ancona and Zara. The patrol was fruitless as the two midgets had to be recalled the next day for Operation KOGGE 1 (29 January-2 February). This was a minelaying operation carried out by the German torpedo boats TA.41 (ex-Lancia) and TA.45 (ex-Spica) during the night of 31 January/1 February.

On 29 January, C.B.19 was being transferred from Pola to Trieste when off Brioni, she collided with the German lighter F-1043. She was forced to turn back; her repairs would take one month.

On 30 January, five miles west of Premuda, C.B.20 (S.T.V. Galante) reported being hunted by vessels equipped with ‘Hastig’ (sic, Asdic) and had to dive to 60 metres to escape. The next day, she observed two MTBs and steamships but could not take offensive action.

Atlantic

On 21 January, after concluding a series of exercises at New London (Connecticut), Mameli (T.V. Cesare Buldrini) moved to Casco Bay (Maine) for another series of ASW training with US naval units, which would go on until the middle of May.

On 25 January, Vortice (T.V. Giovanni Manunta) sailed from New London for Port Everglades (Florida) to conduct anti-submarine training until the end of June, when she proceeded to Key West for docking. She replaced Marea, which sailed for Portsmouth (New Hampshire) and a long refit.