July 1942
| 14 | July | Operation G.G.1 (Decima Flottiglia MAS’ attack on Gibraltar). |
| 14-16 | July | Operation PINPOINT (HMS Eagle with Spitfires for Malta). |
| 19 | July | U-boats abandoned their attacks along the American coastline as convoys and defenses were now better organized. |
| 20-21 | July | Operation INSECT (HMS Eagle with Spitfires for Malta). |
| 27 | July | Rommel attempted a breakthrough at the Alamein line without success. |
Italian submarine patrols in the Mediterranean during July 1942
| Zoea (…2 July) Pt.2 | Micca (…2 July) Pt.2 | Sciesa (…3 July) Pt.1 |
| Bragadino (…3 July) Pt.1 | Toti (…5 July) Pt.1a | Ascianghi (…11 July) |
| Emo (…17 July) | Otaria (…21 July) | Perla (1-9 July*) |
| Bandiera (2-3- July) | Squalo (2-3 July) | Asteria (2-21 July) |
| Ondina (3-11 July*) | Nereide (3-21 July) | Jalea (3-4 July) |
| Corridoni (3-7 July) Pt.2 | Bragadino (3-8 July) Pt.2 | Alagi (3-22 July) |
| Santarosa (5-9 July) Pt.1a | Toti (5-6 July) Pt.1b | Atropo (6-9 July) Pt.1a |
| Onice (6-21 July) | Sciesa (6-9 July) Pt.2 | Narvalo (7-10 July) Pt.1a |
| Micca (8-12 July) Pt.1 | Zoea (8-11 July) Pt.1 | Toti (8-9 July) Pt.1c |
| Pisani (9-10 July) | Toti (9-10 July) Pt.1d | Santarosa (9-10 July) Pt.1b |
| Atropo (9-10 July) Pt.1b | Squalo (10-11 July) | Toti (10-13 July) Pt.2a |
| Santarosa (10-14 July) Pt.2 | Narvalo (11 July) Pt.1b | Zoea (11-14 July) Pt.2 |
| Atropo (11-13 July) Pt.1c | Jalea (12-13 July) | Squalo (12-13 July) |
| Narvalo (12-13 July) | Pisani (13-14 July) | Micca (13-16 July) Pt.2 |
| Atropo (13-16 July) Pt.2 | Narvalo (13-17 July) Pt.2 | Jalea (13-14 July) |
| Dandolo (13-23 July) | Corridoni (14-16 July) Pt.1 | Bandiera (14-15 July) |
| Squalo (14-15 July) | Cobalto (15-30 July) | Axum (15-20 July) |
| Dessié (16-27 July) | Bronzo (16-20 July) | Velella (16-20 July) |
| Dagabur (16-20 July) | Malachite (16-17 July)x | Bragadino (16-20 July) Pt.1 |
| Menotti (17-18 July) | Corridoni (17-19 July) Pt.2 | Squalo (17-18 July) |
| Platino (18 July…) | Zoea (19-22 July) Pt.1 | Santarosa (20 July) Pt.1x |
| Bragadino (20-25 July) Pt.2 | Atropo (21-24 July) Pt.1a | Acciaio (22 July…) |
| Zoea (22-25 July) Pt.2 | Sciesa (24-28 July) Pt.1 | Atropo (24-25 July) Pt.1a |
| Atropo (25-28 July) Pt.2 | Narvalo (27-30 July) Pt.1 | Micca (27-31 July) Pt.1 |
| Scirè (27 July…) | Squalo (28-29 July) | Pisani (28-29 July) |
| Axum (29 July…) | Sciesa (29 July…) Pt.2 | Narvalo (30 July…) Pt.2 |
| Toti (31 July…) Pt.1 | Micca (31 July…) Pt.2 |
The operations focus shifted to the eastern Mediterranean as Axis forces appeared to be on the brink of taking Egypt. The Mediterranean Fleet evacuated Alexandria and relocated to Haifa and Beirut, but this had not diminished its capacity to strike back at enemy submarines.
On 2 July, on a transport mission, Sciesa (T.V. Raul Galletti) arrived off Derna. Before entering harbour, she bottomed at a depth of forty-seven metres to carry out repairs to a compressor. A short-circuit fire was quickly extinguished by the prompt intervention of the engineer officer Francesco La Motta and the submarine received the order to unload at Ras El Hilal instead. On the afternoon of 4 July, the crew received a surprise visit from the Duce. He was met with enthusiasm and thanked them for their sacrifice.
Loss of Perla
On 9 July, patrolling off Beirut, Perla (T.V. Gioacchino Ventura) had been detected successively by Sunderland ‘X’ 230 (W3987) of 230 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer R.H. Holcombe, by a Walrus of 700 Squadron piloted by Lieutenant P.C. Chorley and finally by Blenheim ‘A’ (No.5640) of 13 Hellenic Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer Kipouros. Escort vessels were sent to hunt, and at 1730 hours, the submarine fired two torpedoes at HMS Hyacinth. The torpedoes were seen in time and the corvette took avoiding action by combing the track and gained an Asdic contact at 1,000 yards. Hyacinth dropped three depth charge patterns, and at 1748 hours, the submarine was forced to surface and was sprayed with gunfire. One rating was killed, and she surrendered. She was towed with difficulty to Beirut with the assistance of HMS Gloxinia, MTB-261, and MTB-265. Her helm was stuck to starboard, and she arrived at her destination only at 0320 hours the next day. She became the British P712 and, in December 1942, was ceded to the Royal Hellenic Navy and renamed Matrozos.
Loss of Ondina
The Levant area had become very dangerous for Italian submarines. Two days later, it was the turn of Ondina (T.V. Gabriele Andolfi) to be attacked southeast of Cyprus by the South African corvettes Protea (Lt Gordon Burn Wood) and Southern Maid (Lt J. Bangley). The two corvettes were on passage from Beirut to Famagusta when, at 1500 hours on 11 July, some fifty miles west of Tripoli (Syria), they observed a surfaced submarine at a distance of about two to three miles. It submerged immediately, and the two vessels began a systematic anti-submarine search. At 1610 hours, an Asdic contact was obtained and Southern Maid acted as directing vessel as Protea dropped a first pattern of six depth charges, followed by two more patterns. The submarine was forced to the surface, and a Walrus (W2709) of 700 Squadron (Lt Cook, observer, and Sub-Lt P.A. Jordan, pilot) arrived on the scene and released two 250-lb anti-submarine bombs. The corvettes opened fire with their 4-inch (102mm) guns and lighter armament, scoring at least two direct hits. At 1700 hours, the submarine sank. Five of her crew were killed, Andolfi, four officers, and thirty-six ratings (including two wounded) were picked up by the two corvettes.
Alagi (T.V. Sergio Puccini) had better luck when, in the evening of 12 July, with two torpedoes, she attacked the old Turkish steamer Antares (3,723 GRT, built 1893) proceeding from Alexandretta to Haifa. The ship was hit in the engine room and beached near Tartus, Syria. On 14 July, attempts to tow her by Tientsin and Southern Isles failed. She was finally refloated on 27 July with the assistance of the tug Henrietta Moller and towed to Iskanderun.
In the early hours of 14 July, off Famagusta, Asteria (T.V. Pasquale Beltrame) attacked a destroyer with two single shots but had no success. This was possibly the South African corvette Protea which had been detached to assist the Dutch tanker Ondina, torpedoed by U–652.
The same day, at dawn, some thirty miles south of Crete, Galatea (T.V. Carlo Gladstone Cruciani), on passage from Leros to Pola, stopped with a warning shot a Greek sailing vessel which was immediately abandoned. The crew included two Germans and the vessel was carrying supplies for Axis forces in North Africa. They re-embarked and resumed their voyage.
Operation G.G.1
On the same evening, at the other end of the Mediterranean, the first operation from the tanker Olterra located at Algeciras, was undertaken by the Decima Flottiglia MAS. Twelve frogmen were used, and they caused serious damage to the British Baron Douglas (3,899 GRT, built 1932), Shuna (1,575 GRT, built 1937), and the American Empire Snipe (2,497 GRT, built 1919). A fourth vessel, Baron Kinnaird (3,355 GRT, built 1927), was slightly damaged. The British Meta (1,578 GRT, built 1931) was also reported as damaged. However, this was not confirmed.
On the evening of 15 July, Axum (T.V. Renato Ferrini), patrolling near La Galite Island, fired a salvo of three torpedoes at a ship believed to be the minelaying cruiser Manxman on her way to Malta but scored no hit. This was the fast minelayer Welshman, who had been under repeated air attacks since the late afternoon.
Following information that the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, the light cruisers Charybdis and Cairo, and three destroyers had sailed from Gibraltar for an eastward destination, the submarines Dagabur, Malachite, and Velella departed Cagliari in the early hours of 16 July to take up defensive positions near La Galite Island. In fact, Eagle had already flown off thirty-one Spitfires to Malta and turned back to Gibraltar (Operation PINPOINT).[1]
On 20 July, Platino (T.V. Innocenzo Ragusa) was surprised by a Junker 88 bomber diving from the sun and fired a few rounds with her machine gun before both sides realised their error, and the attack was broken off.
In the early hours of 21 July, southeast of Ibiza, Dandolo (T.V. Alberto Campanella) fired a salvo of four torpedoes at a British squadron, but they all missed. This was again HMS Eagle with her destroyer screen returning to Gibraltar after flying off twenty-nine Spitfires for Malta (Operation INSECT).[2]
Atropo (C.C. Pietro Abate) arrived off Ras Hilal from Derna and came under fire from nervous coastal batteries before her identity was recognised, fortunately without damage.
Italian submarine patrols in the Black Sea during July 1942
| C.B.1 (…1 July) |
It was a quiet month for the midget submarines as they were all back at Costanza.
Italian submarine patrols in the Atlantic during July 1942
| Da Vinci (…1 July) | Archimede (…4 July) | Morosini (…) |
| Finzi (…) | Giuliani (…) | Tazzoli (…) |
| Calvi (2-15 July*) | Torelli (14-15 July) |
On the first day of the month, in rough weather, Morosini (T.V. Francesco D’Alessandro) tried to refuel from Finzi (C.C. Ugo Giudice). The attempt failed as they collided with minor damage. On 4 July, another try did not fare better, and the operation was abandoned. The submarine attacked a small armed vessel on 19 July but without success.
On 3 July, Italian submarines were ordered to capture, whenever possible, the master and the engineer officer of the merchant ships they sank. Three days later, they were also instructed to sink Brazilian ships without warning.
At nightfall on 12 July, Tazzoli (C.C. Carlo Fecia di Cossato) discovered a convoy of six ships off the north coast of Puerto Rico but was attacked by a B-18 bomber (Captain James M. Huntsman) from 417th Bomber Squadron (USAAF). A single Mk.17 depth charge was dropped (a second one failed to release) as the submarine dived. It exploded fairly close as the submarine reached a depth of 40 metres but caused no damage. An escort vessel was detached from the convoy and dropped several depth charges without results.
Loss of Pietro Calvi
On the evening of 14 July, Calvi (C.F. Primo Longobardo), on her way for a patrol area in the Caribbean, made contact with convoy SL.115. She was detected by the sloop HMS Lulworth (ex-USS Chelan), who had been chasing away U–130. The sloop carried out depth charge attacks and forced the Italian submarine to the surface. Calvi attempted to defend herself by firing two stern torpedoes at the escort vessel, but they missed. She opened fire with her deck guns, but they were quickly silenced by the gunfire from the sloop. Longobardo was killed, and the submarine was abandoned. Three officers and thirty-two ratings were picked up by HMS Bideford and Londonderry. Forty-three were killed or missing. Lieutenant (E) F.W. North, RN, entered the submarine to collect documents but paid his temerity with his life when the submarine suddenly sank. Upon learning the name of the submarine captain, Commander John Standley Dalison, RN, of HMS Londonderry (escort leader) was greatly distressed as he had befriended Longobardo when they were stationed in China before the war. He had kept a silver cigarette case he had received for his birthday from the future Italian captain with the inscription ‘Con molta amicizia. Shanghai. 26.12.29. Primo Longobardo’. Dalison had served at the time on the heavy cruiser HMS Berwick and Longobardo on the gunboat Sebastiano Caboto and the two men had become friends. Longobardo was posthumously awarded the Medaglia D’Oro.
Escape of Luigi Torelli
Torelli (T.V. Augusto Migliorini) had taken refuge at Santander (Spain) in June 1942 following air attacks. The British Naval Attaché in Madrid was pressing the Spaniards to intern her. She escaped during the evening of 14 July after ‘overpowering’ two Spanish officers and a pilot while conducting trials. Obviously, she had the complicity of local authorities and reached Bordeaux the next evening.
On 16 July, Giuliani (C.C. Gian Domenico Bruno) intercepted an SOS from the American freighter Robin Doncaster, giving a position southeast of Bermuda, indicating she was being chased by a U-boat but then cancelled it. The Italian submarine was in the vicinity and attempted to intercept but was sighted by Catalina P-6 (No.2367) piloted by Chief Machinist Mate Russel from VP-52 Squadron based at Bermuda. The aircraft dropped four depth charges. Only three exploded as the submarine reached a depth of twenty-five metres; the fourth was a dud. The submarine was not damaged and went down to ninety metres to escape her tormentor.
Three days later, Morosini attacked a small armed vessel. The attack is not well documented, as the submarine was sunk a few weeks later.
On 23 July, Finzi refuelled Giuliani with 49 tons of fuel and 4.5 tons of fresh water. The next day, northeast of Puerto Rico, Giuliani missed a large vessel with two torpedoes. A hit was heard, but this was doubtful as she was later seen decamping at high speed.
On 27 July, Finzi ceded 25 tons of fuel to Morosini and received one ton of lubricating oil in return. Two days later, she attacked a large two-funnel liner with three torpedoes. The range was 2,500 metres, and she missed. She carried three torpedoes in deck containers, which were now transferred to her forward tubes.
[1] Operation PINPOINT: aircraft carrier Eagle, light cruisers Charybdis and Cairo, screened by the destroyers Westcott, Wrestler, Ithuriel, Vansittart, and Antelope.
[2] Operation INSECT: aircraft carrier Eagle, light cruisers Charybdis and Cairo, screened by the destroyers Westcott, Wrestler, Ithuriel, Vansittart, and Antelope.