January 1943
| 23 | January | The British 8th Army captured Tripoli. Rommel retreated to the Mareth Line in Tunisia. |
Italian submarine patrols in the Mediterranean during January 1943
| Delfino (…2 January) Pt.1 | Dandolo (…2 January) | Giada (…6 January) |
| Galatea (…7 January) | Argo (…8 January) | Alagi (…10 January) |
| Ametista (…10 January) | Aradam (…11 January) | Delfino (2-6 January) Pt.2 |
| Ascianghi (3-21 January) | Turchese (4 January)x | Argento (4-6 January) |
| Malachite (4-6 January) | Avorio (4-11 January) | Dandolo (4-6 January) |
| Mocenigo (4-11 January) | Bronzo (6-13 January) | Settimo (7-12 January) Pt.1 |
| Beilul (7-23 January) | Nereide (8-22 January) | Narvalo (9-12? January) Pt.1 |
| Wolframio (11-12 January)x | Nichelio (11-19 January) | Otaria (12-16 January) Pt.1 |
| Settimo (12-15 January) Pt.2 | Giada (12-25 January) | Narvalo (13-14 January*) Pt.2 |
| Santarosa (15-20 January*) Pt.1 | Zoea (16-23 January) Pt.1 | Otaria (16-19 January) Pt.2 |
| Onice (17 January…) | Corridoni (17-23 January) Pt.1 | Turchese (17-22 January) |
| Tritone (17-19 January*) | Malachite (20-23 January) | Avorio (20-24 January) |
| Dandolo (20-24 January) | Argento (20-31 January) | Bronzo (21 January…) |
| Zoea (23-28 January) Pt.2 | Mocenigo (23-31 January) | Platino (27-31 January) |
| Acciaio (27 January…) | Galatea (30 January…) |
At dawn on 1 January, near Bougie, Dandolo (T.V. Giacomo Scano) attacked a large merchant vessel with a full bow salvo. Despite two hits claimed, there was no confirmation of this loss.
Ametista (T.V. Francesco Caprile) had an uneventful patrol east of Cyprus, marred by the death of a sergeant due to a high fever on 2 January. Upon her return to Leros, the submarine was disinfected.
Off Bougie, Argo (T.V. Pasquale Gigli) fired a bow salvo at two cruisers (one of them believed to be of the Southampton class) and four destroyers at midnight on 7 January but achieved no success.
During the evening of 7 January, Alagi (T.V. Sergio Puccini), patrolling north of Bougie, was illuminated by Wellington ‘Z’ (LB.178, Pilot Officer J.R. Riding) of 179 Squadron which released four Mark XI Torpex depth charges, but they missed the diving submarine astern. The aircraft was equipped with radar and had detected the submarine before using its Leigh Light. Alagi surfaced an hour later but dived again upon sighting an aircraft.
At midnight, it was the turn of Mocenigo (T.V. Alberto Longhi) to be detected with radar by Wellington ‘X’ (LB145) of 179 Squadron (Flight Sergeant T. Hasty), which dropped two depth charges after using its Leigh light, the other two hanged up but again the submarine escaped.
Just before midnight on 9 January, Avorio (T.V. Mario Priggione), patrolling off the Algerian coast, was surprised by Wellington ‘W’ (HX.531, Flight Sergeant A.D.S. Martin) of 179 Squadron with a Leigh Light; she replied with her machine guns but was near-missed by four depth charges and suffered some damage which forced her to return to base.
After midnight on 11 January, Mocenigo was attacked for the second time in four days by an aircraft from 179 Squadron. This time, it was Wellington ‘V’ (HX562) piloted by Flying Officer G. Dring; four depth charges were dropped; again, the submarine was fortunate to avoid damage.
Loss of Narvalo
On the 14th, Narvalo (T.V. Lodovico Grion) was returning from a supply mission to Tripoli when she was caught on the surface by Beaufort ‘Q’ of 39 Squadron from Luqa airfield (Malta) piloted by Flying Officer J.N. Cartwright. Four depth charges exploded across her bow. The destroyer HMS Pakenham and the destroyer escort HMS Hursley from a nearby convoy were summoned to the scene. Disabled, the Italian submarine was abandoned. Of her crew T.V. Grion, twenty-nine ratings and seven prisoners of war were rescued, thirty-seven were killed including four prisoners and three Italian Army officers who were passengers.
The Italian Navy was taking over French submarines in Bizerte. On the night of 16 January, an air raid on the harbour caused minor splinter damage to Nautilus.
During the evening of 17 January, off Cape Bougaroni, Nichelio (T.V. Carlo Girola) sighted an aircraft at a range of 2,000 metres. Girola judged that he had no time to dive and elected to battle it out on the surface. This was Hudson ‘J’ of 500 Squadron piloted by Flight Lieutenant H G. Holmes, who released three depth charges and then followed up on a second run with a 250-lb anti-submarine bomb. The submarine replied with her machine guns, as she could not dive until a leak was repaired. This took about an hour, and Nichelio finally made her escape. The submarine had been hit by three depth charges, one of which was found embedded in the bow after her return to Cagliari; the other two did not explode. The anti-submarine bomb also caused some damage, and the submarine had to proceed to Naples to complete repairs, which took nearly a month. The following afternoon, Nichelio was attacked by Hudson ‘K’ of 608 Squadron (Lt. E.U. Johanssen) which dropped a single bomb but it fell wide. The submarine crash-dived as three more bombs exploded without causing damage.
Loss of Santorre di Santarosa
At dawn of 19 January, Santarosa (T.V. Giuseppe Simonetti) also on a supply mission, ran aground three miles northeast of Kaliuscia, near Tripoli (Libya). The following night she was sighted by three MTBs as attempts were being made to tow her away with three tugs. They were MTB-260 (with Lt J.P. Evenlon, RNVR, Senior Officer, and Temporary Lt Harry Frederick Wadds, RANVR as commanding officer), MTB-264, and MTB-313. They were carrying out Operation CHILDHOOD. Santarosa fired back with her two 13.2mm machine guns but was torpedoed by MTB–260 and had to be scuttled. Two men were killed. Her fifty-two survivors were brought back to Italy by the torpedo boats Uragano and Ciclone. Three days later, the Eighth Army entered Tripoli and the wreck was inspected by the British.
Just before midnight on 21 January, Avorio (T.V. Mario Priggione), who had sailed from Cagliari for a patrol off Bougie but had been delayed by a defective torpedo tube cap, sighted an enemy submarine. Uncertain if it was friend or foe, the Italian submarine dived. This was HMS P212 (Cdr. Ben Bryant, DSC, RN), who also dived a few minutes later. No contact could be regained.
Loss of Tritone
During the morning of 18 January, Tritone (C.C. Paolo Monechi) was cruising off Bougie when she was attacked by Hudson ‘R’ of 500 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer J.R. Pugh. A single 250-lb anti-submarine bomb was dropped but the submarine escaped by quickly diving. For Tritone, this was only a reprieve, as she was detected the next day at 1413 hours by HMCS Port Arthur screening convoy MKS.6. The corvette obtained an Asdic contact at 1,700 yards and dropped a pattern of ten depth charges. She was then joined by the destroyer HMS Antelope. The submarine was forced to the surface and came under fire before being abandoned. Four officers, including Monechi, and twenty-two ratings were picked up; twenty-six were killed or drowned, including a civilian worker.
Dandolo (T.V. Giacomo Scano) returned to Cape Bougaroni (this was her second patrol for this month). Before dawn on 22 January, she fired a bow salvo at a large vessel in a convoy escorted by two cruisers and destroyers, but the range was rather long (3,000 metres) and the torpedoes missed, despite the claim of two hits. This was probably the Philippeville section (seven ships) of the KMS.7 convoy.
At about the same time, near Philippeville (Skikda), Argento (T.V. Renato Frascolla) was attacked by a bomber using the Leigh Light. Although straddled by four bombs, she escaped unscathed and claimed to have shot down the aircraft. This appears to be confirmed as Wellington ‘U’ (HX690) of 179 Squadron, piloted by Flying Officer T.H. Gordon-Glassford, was lost in this area the same day.
Malachite (T.V. Alpinolo Cinti), also patrolling near Philippeville, at dawn on 22 January, fired four G7e torpedoes at a destroyer in a convoy of ten merchant vessels escorted by three destroyers but missed. This was probably again the KMS.7 convoy.
On the evening of 23 January, Giada (T.V. Gaspare Cavallina) was west of Cape Bougaroni when she fired four torpedoes at a large transport without success. Three days later, a little further east, Mocenigo (T.V. Alberto Longhi) did not fare better when she fired two torpedoes at a freighter in a convoy or on the 30th, when she emptied her four stern tubes at four escorted freighters.
Loss of the former French Calypso
The French submarine Calypso, seized by the Italians at Bizerte, was sunk in an air raid when the freighter Noto carrying ammunition blew up in her vicinity during the evening of 30 January.
Finally, Platino (T.V. Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano) achieved the only success of the month when she attacked a convoy after midnight on 30 January, east of Bougie. She fired her six torpedoes and sank the corvette HMS Samphire. Forty-five men were killed or drowned; there were only thirty-three survivors. This had been a most disappointing month for the sommergibili.
Italian submarine patrols in the Atlantic during January 1943
| Tazzoli (…) | Cagni (…) | Cappellini (…) |
| Barbarigo (24 January…) |
Ammiraglio Cagni (C.C. Carlo Liannazza) attempted to hand over eight torpedoes (450mm calibre) to Tazzoli (C.C. Carlo Fecia di Cossato) on 3 January; the heavy seas rendered the operation impossible. She could only transfer the ship’s boy from Dona Aurora, who was taken prisoner the previous month as he required medical attention. She did manage to refuel from the milk-cow [supply submarine] U–459 (KK Wilamowitz-Möllendorf) on 13 January. Through ULTRA intercepts, the initial rendezvous was known, and, in a breach of security, destroyers had been sent to wait in the area. Two destroyers were observed by Wilamowitz-Möllendorf and when the BdU was informed, he ordered a new rendezvous further east.
Barbarigo (T.V. Roberto Rigoli, who had now replaced Grossi as her commanding officer) used her new Metox effectively and dived a few times when aircraft were detected as she proceeded for a new Atlantic patrol.
Bagnolini (T.V. Angelo Amendolia) was proceeding from Le Verdon to La Pallice for trials. She encountered bad weather, and signalman Aldo Marchesoni was badly injured when he attempted to secure the port machine guns. Water kept seeping through the conning tower hatch and the submarine was forced to use her electric motors.