January 1944
| 11 | January | Count Ciano was executed. |
| 17 | January | The Allies reached Monte Cassino. |
| 22 | January | Allied forces landed at Anzio. |
Italian submarine patrols in the Mediterranean during January 1944
| Nichelio (18-30 January) | Platino (26 January…) |
During the month, proposals were made to send British human torpedoes to Taranto and have former Italian members of the Decima Flottiglia MAS man them. It was hoped that there would be greater cooperation between British and Italian special units and that an exchange of information would benefit both. Although the present weather was not favourable to limpet operations, the winter months were used to prepare for spring operations in the Aegean. Eventually, human torpedoes were used not in Greek waters but instead against Italian ports in German hands.
The submarines Dandolo, Marea, Mameli, Vortice, and Tito Speri, escorted by the destroyer Grecale, sailed from Taranto on 3 January for Gibraltar. After a stop at Pantelleria, they sailed on 8 January and the next day were off Algiers when they were attacked by U-616 (OL Siegfried Koitschka). The U-boat fired four torpedoes (including two Zaunkönig or homing torpedoes) at the group; Koitschka claimed to have sunk two submarines, but all of them were unharmed. One of the torpedoes had exploded prematurely near Speri and Mameli. The Grecale, mistakenly believing they were under air attack, ordered the group to take refuge in Algiers. The five Italian submarines reached Gibraltar on the 12th of the month.
On 9 January, the submarine UI 9 (former Nautilo, now under German control) and U-81 were bombed and sunk in Pola harbour during a raid by 107 Liberator bombers of the 15th USAAF escorted by forty-seven Thunderbolts and thirty-four Lightning fighters.
Nichelio (T.V. Gaspare Cavallina) carried out a special mission, landing three groups of agents near Pesaro, for Operations ABBERLEY/COMEBACK I & II (SOE) and ENGRAVE I and ENGRAVE II (SIS). She also picked up agents from the Italian missions BEAUMONT, OAT, and GRAIN LANE, in the Gulf of Venice (18-30 January).
Just after midnight on the 30th, Platino landed five OSS agents (two missions) at Chioggia, near the Adige, on the western coast of the Gulf of Venice. Twenty-four hours later, two agents from a third mission landed near Parenzo (Istria). OSS reports do not concur and invert the number of agents who landed in the two areas. According to them, one mission was led by Italian Air Force Captain Bruno Rossoni from Padua with Italian Air Force Petty Officer Gaetano Neglia from Palermo (‘Pear’ mission) and landed near Chioggia. The other two missions were landed near Parenzo (Istria). One was led by Italian Army Lieutenant Egon De Basseggio from Trieste with an Italian Navy Petty Officer from Palermo (‘Fig’ mission), and the other (‘Plum’ mission) was headed by Italian Captain Cristoforo De Hartungen from Bolzano with his wireless operator, Italian Navy seaman Salvatore Amodio from Palermo.
At the end of the month, Manara (T.V. Alberto Donato), escorted by the corvette Baionetta, transferred from Taranto to Palermo. The United States Navy had found Palermo to have excellent facilities, with a good shipyard and a drydock; the latter, though blocked by the wreck of the destroyer Geniere, had since been put back in service. It was decided to base an Italian submarine for ASW training, and warships transiting between North Africa and the Italian ports would take the time to stop there for exercises. Manara was the first submarine to be used to that effect, but her stay was short, and in early March, she left to operate at Malta and Taranto. Two months later, Ammiraglio Cagni would arrive at Palermo and would provide excellent training until the end of the war.
On 29 January, Dandolo, Mameli, Marea, Speri and Vortice escorted by the destroyer escort USS Neunzer (DE-150) sailed from Gibraltar for Bermuda where they formed “Italian Submarine Squadron One”. They were to be used for anti-submarine training with the United States Navy.
On 30 January, the Rumanian Navy returned the five C.B. boats (C.B.1, C.B.2, C.B.3, C.B.4, and C.B.6) to the Italian Navy of the Socialist Republic. They were manned by personnel from the 1st Naval Division under C.V. Enzo Grossi. The Division was also to provide personnel for the C.B. boats being completed in the Adriatic, as well as the two CM-boats.