June 1942
| 2-4 | June | Operation STYLE II (HMS Eagle with Spitfires for Malta). |
| 4 | June | Battle of Midway. |
| 8-10 | June | Operation SALIENT (HMS Eagle with Spitfires for Malta). |
| 11-18 | June | Operation HARPOON (six heavily escorted merchant ships from Gibraltar to Malta). |
| 12-16 | June | Operation VIGOROUS (ten merchant ships and one tanker from Alexandria to Malta). |
| 21 | June | Rommel took Tobruk. |
| 30 | June | Axis Forces reached El Alamein. |
Italian submarine patrols in the Mediterranean during June 1942
| Beilul (…6 June) | Veniero (…9?June*) | Brin (…9 June) |
| Aradam (…9 June) | Corallo (…10 June) | Ondina (…11 June) |
| Malachite (…11 June) | Acciaio (4-12 June) | Sirena (4-21 June) |
| Nereide (4-5 June) | Giada (4-11 June) | Galatea (7-18 June) |
| Velella (8-20 June) | Zaffiro (8-9 June*) | Alagi (8-18 June) |
| Axum (8 June) | Emo (12-19 June) | Giada (12-17 June) |
| Bronzo (12-29 June) | Otaria (12-18 June) | Uarsciek (12-17 June) |
| Acciaio (12-17 June) | Onice (13-17 June) | Dessié (13-17 June) |
| Aradam (13-17 June) | Micca (14-19 June) | Atropo (14-18 June) |
| Zoea (14-19 June) | Ascianghi (14-18 June) | Axum (14-18 June) |
| Platino (14-18 June) | Corallo (14-17 June) | Malachite (14-20 June) |
| Onice (17-20 June) | Dessié (18-21 June) | Pisani (19-20 June) |
| Jalea (19-20 June) | Acciaio (19-21 June) | Alagi (20-21 June) |
| Pisani (20-21 June) | Jalea (20-21 June) | Axum (20-25 June) |
| Onice (21-25 June) | Otaria (22-23 June)x | Emo (22 June…) |
| Jalea (22-23 June) | Pisani (22-23 June) | Uarsciek (23-24 June) |
| Malachite (23-25 June) | Velella (23-29 June) | Giada (23-24 June) |
| Atropo (23-26 June) Pt.1 | Squalo (23-24 June) | Pisani (23-24 June) |
| Micca (24-28 June) Pt.1 | Zoea (25-28 June) Pt.1 | Corridoni (26-30 June) Pt.1 |
| Atropo (27-30 June) Pt.2 | Otaria (27 June…) | Bragadino (27 June…) Pt.1 |
| Ascianghi (28 June…) | Micca (28 June…) Pt.2 | Zoea (29 June…) Pt.2 |
| Sciesa (29 June…) Pt.1 | Toti (30 June…) Pt.1 |
On 2 June, the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle sailed from Gibraltar, screened by the light cruiser Charybdis and five destroyers. She flew off thirty-one Spitfires from 37°47’ N, 02°46’ E, and all reached Malta save four, which were shot down by Messerschmitt 109s (Operation STYLE II). Malachite and Veniero were almost immediately informed of the sortie but failed to make contact.
In the early afternoon of 4 June, 10 miles northeast of Ras Uleima, Beilul (T.V. Francesco Pedrotti) attacked a convoy of three steamers led by a corvette with three torpedoes but registered no hits. The submarine was counter-attacked with depth charges and suffered some damage. This was only realised when she was back in Leros.
On 7 June, still operating off the Tunisian coast, Corallo (C.C. Gino Andreani) sank a third Tunisian boat, the motor vessel Hadj Mohamed (26 GRT), bound for Bone from Bizerta. The crew of six were rescued by the submarine.
Shortly after, patrolling 35 miles north of Algiers, Brin (T.V. Luigi Andreotti) was attacked before dawn by an aircraft of the Stirling type. This was Sunderland ‘R’ (W3983) of 10 Squadron (RAAF) piloted by Flight Lieutenant R.W. Marks. The aircraft had detected the surfaced submarine with its radar at a range of three miles and released eight depth charges. The submarine was surprised but replied quickly with her machine guns. The aircraft was claimed to have been hit; it was not clear if indeed it was, but one engine started vibrating and was forced to return to base. At noon, Brin was again under attack, this time by Catalina ‘M’ of 202 Squadron (Flight Officer R.M. Corrie, RAAF). It dropped four depth charges and claimed the submarine had sunk. Later, the loss of Veniero would be attributed to this aircraft, but there is no doubt that Brin was the target. The submarine was only slightly damaged in these attacks.
On 8 June, in a tragic mistake, Alagi (T.V. Sergio Puccini) sank the Italian destroyer Usodimare (1,917 tons) in convoy with steamers Pisani and Sestriere and destroyer Premuda and torpedo-boat Circe, which were sighted west of Trapani on course 180°, 13 knots. The convoy on passage from Palermo to Tripoli was about sixty-five miles north of Cape Bon when Alagi fired a salvo of three torpedoes. They missed ahead of the merchant ships, but Usodimare on the opposite flank could not avoid a torpedo and was broken in two. Six officers and 115 ratings, including some passengers, were killed or drowned. The presence of the British-built Premuda (former Yugoslav Navy) had induced her in error. Aradam (T.V. Oscar Gran), also in the vicinity, saw a column of smoke marking the end of the ship and made an enemy report. Puccini had been executive officer to T.V. Walter Auconi of Dandolo when the latter mistakenly attacked the Vichy French Le Tarn and the Spanish Castillo Oropesa in November 1941.
The same day, HMS Eagle departed from Gibraltar for another successful mission. Thirty-two Spitfires were sent to Malta from 37°18’ N, 02°30’ E (north of Algiers), and all reached Malta safely (operation SALIENT).[1]
Loss of Zaffiro
On the morning of 9 June, 35 miles southeast of Ibiza, Catalina ‘J’ of 240 Squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant D.E. Hawkins, attacked a submarine of the Dessié or Perla-class proceeding on the surface on a 210° course. The submarine was straddled with four depth charges, dived only to resurface five minutes later, and was abandoned as she sank by the stern. The crew was sighted waving a white flag. Because of the heavy swell, the seaplane could not alight and pick them up. There was no doubt that this was Zaffiro (T.V. Carlo Mottura), which had sailed from Cagliari in company with Velella for a patrol south of the Balearic Islands and to intercept the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, reported—correctly—to have left Gibraltar the previous day. There were no survivors; five officers and forty-two ratings were lost.
About an hour later, some fifty miles southeast of Ibiza, it was the turn of Malachite (T.V. Alpinolo Cinti) to be attacked by Catalina ‘D’ (VA726) of 240 Squadron (Flight Lieutenant Godber). Four depth charges were released, but the submarine quickly dived and escaped.
On 10 June, Galatea (T.V. Carlo Gladstone Cruciani), patrolling off Ras Uleima, reported being attacked by an unidentified aircraft that dropped five small bombs. This may have been a Swordfish of 815 Squadron.
The battle of the HARPOON and VIGOROUS convoys
When it was learnt that an eastbound convoy (HARPOON)[2] had sailed from Gibraltar, six submarines were ordered to form a patrol line: Acciaio, Bronzo, Emo, Giada, Otaria, and Uarsciek while a seventh, Velella, operated near the Balearic Islands. On 13 June, Aradam, Dessié, and Onice were also deployed, followed by Ascianghi, Corallo, and Platino the next day. The Royal Air Force continued to be a major nuisance for Italian submarines. On 13 June, Otaria (T.V. Alberto Gorini) came under air attack by Sunderland ‘O’ of 202 Squadron (Squadron Leader R.B. Burrage), which dropped seven 250-lb depth charges. The submarine was undamaged, but a crew member was seriously wounded by bomb fragments.
During the afternoon and evening of 14 June, the Italian Battle Fleet sailed in strength from Taranto and Sicilian ports to intercept the Gibraltar convoy.[3]
Alagi, Atropo, Axum, Galatea, Micca, Nereide, Sirena, and Zoea were deployed against the convoy from Alexandria (VIGOROUS). This was also one of the largest submarine deployments of the war for the Regia Marina; no less than twenty-one units were at sea operating against both convoys.
On 14 June, after midnight, Uarsciek (T.V. Gaetano Arezzo della Targia) fired a salvo of three torpedoes (a fourth misfired) at a destroyer in the HARPOON convoy but failed to score a hit. The same day at dawn, Giada (T.V. Gaspare Cavallina) fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle but had no better luck. Italian torpedo bombers drew first blood as they sank the Dutch transport Tanimbar and seriously damaged the light cruiser HMS Liverpool.
On the evening of 14 June, north of the Tunisian coast, Alagi fired two stern torpedoes at an aircraft carrier but scored no hit. The target was probably Eagle with Argus, Malaya, Kenya, Liverpool, and Charybdis of Operation HARPOON. Due to an error in transmission, the torpedoes were angled 60° to port instead of 60° to starboard. They passed harmlessly between the destroyers Pakenham and Inconstant. The submarine was hunted unsuccessfully by the destroyer Marne and then by the minesweeper Speedy.
At dawn the following day, Micca (C.C. Alberto Galeazzi) reported being attacked by a Sunderland; she was patrolling east of Malta. Her attacker has not been identified.
About three hours later, it was the turn of Uarsciek to come in view again of the HARPOON force as it withdrew to Gibraltar. She could only report their position as they passed out of range; she was finally put down by an aircraft. Shortly after, Giada was patrolling north of Cape Bougaroni when she was straddled by eight bombs while at periscope depth and was later depth-charged by antisubmarine craft, but her attackers have not been identified.
In the afternoon, northeast of Pantelleria, Ascianghi (T.V. Rodolfo Bombig) discovered four merchant vessels escorted by six destroyers. This was the HARPOON convoy proceeding to Malta. The submarine was too far to intervene. Onice (C.C. Ferdinando Corsi) also observed the convoy as it passed out of range. The transport Chant received three direct hits from aircraft bombs and was sunk. The Burdwan and Kentucky were damaged by near-misses and abandoned when Admiral Zara ’s Cruiser Squadron arrived on the scene. They were finished off in an action in which the destroyer HMS Bedouin was disabled by gunfire, then sunk by a torpedo bomber, and HMS Pathfinder was badly damaged.
This busy day was not over. Just before midnight, Bronzo (T.V. Cesare Buldrini) observed an escort vessel of the Kingfisher class, which opened fire on the submarine. This was HMS Coltsfoot with Geranium escorting the RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) Brown Ranger (operation HARPOON). The corvette had detected the submarine with her radar at a range of 8,000 yards. Radar contact was lost, but lookouts spotted the submarine and fired star shells. Bronzo turned to attempt a stern shot, but as the vessel approached at 20 knots, T.V. Buldrini elected to go deep. The submarine reached a depth of sixty metres when four depth charges exploded very close and four more as the submarine was at ninety metres. At midnight, another four depth charges were heard, by 0050 hours on the 16th the submarine had now reached a depth of 117 metres. Coltsfoot fired a total of nineteen depth charges in four runs but she could no longer linger in the area and rejoined her charge. At 0115 hours, the submarine surfaced with the gun crew ready to fight it out, but the enemy had vanished.
Before noon on 16 June, Malachite (T.V. Alpinolo Cinti) observed at a range of over 20,000 metres, a cruiser, and two destroyers. She could not close to less than 10,000 metres and abandoned the chase. These ships were most likely from the HARPOON convoy withdrawing. About an hour and a half later, Emo (T.V. Giuseppe Franco) closed the same force to about 6,000 metres before giving up the attack. After dark, Bronzo attempted an attack on a battleship of the Queen Elizabeth class (probably HMS Malaya), but although the submarine came within 2,500 metres, she could not get into a favourable position. Only two transports of the original six, Troilus and Orari reached Malta; the latter was damaged by mine. The Polish destroyer Kujawiak was mined and sunk, and several vessels were damaged.
The VIGOROUS convoy[4] had not fared better. On 15 June, the light cruiser Newcastle was damaged by a torpedo from the German MTB S 56, while the destroyer Hasty was sunk by S 55. The destroyers Airedale and the Australian Nestor were sunk by aircraft, the old battleship Centurion (armed only with anti-aircraft guns), and the light cruiser Birmingham damaged. With the imminent threat of the Italian battle fleet looming, the convoy turned back, but during the night, the light cruiser HMS Hermione was lost to the torpedoes of U-205 (KL Franz-Georg Reschke). The Italian squadron did not get off easily as the heavy cruiser Trento was damaged by aircraft and finished off by the submarine HMS Umbra (Lt S.L.C. Maydon, RN). The battleship Littorio was damaged by a torpedo from a Malta-based Wellington bomber.
If the battles of the HARPOON/VIGOROUS convoys were a success for Italian arms, the submarines had been a disappointment. They would have to wait for the Battle of Mid-August to make their weight felt.
Before midnight on 21 June, Bronzo was missed by four torpedoes fired at her by the submarine HMS P43 (Lt A.C. Halliday, RN). Buldrini had seen the enemy and believed it to be of the Tritone class but was unaware of the attack. Yet, he had been alerted by a signal from Maricosom (1215/18 June) that a British submarine was nearby.
During the evening of 23 June, Onice (C.C. Ferdinando Corsi) and Axum (T.V. Renato Ferrini) were ordered to intercept a tanker off Ras Maamour. The search was fruitless.
At dawn on 27 June, near the northern coast of Tunisia, Velella (T.V. Giovanni Febbraro) fired two torpedoes at an illuminated tanker as she could not ascertain her nationality. Despite a range of only 500 metres, they missed. A third torpedo was unintentionally fired and was also wide. This was fortunate as the vessel was the French Noroit (435 GRT, built 1935).
Returning home from a supply trip to Derna, Zoea (T.V. Rino Erler) was attacked on 29 June by a Maryland (364) from 203 Squadron (Pilot Officer E. Boyce), which strafed the submarine. The submarine replied with her deck gun and anti-aircraft armament, and the aircraft was chased away. Through ULTRA SIGINT (signal intelligence), it had been learnt that Italian submarines Atropo, Bragadino, Corridoni, and Zoea, used to transport stores to Derna, were passing through 33°20’ N, 22°40’ E. In fact, they were informed that Zoea was due in Derna on the 27th. Luckily for her, it was only on her return trip that the signal was deciphered.
Italian submarine patrols in the Black Sea during June 1942
| C.B.1 (7-8 June) | C.B.2 (7-9 June) | C.B.3 (7-9 June) |
| C.B.1 (12-14 June) | C.B.3 (12-13 June) | C.B.2 (12-14 June) |
| C.B.5 (13 June*) | C.B.4 (14-16 June) | C.B.3 (14-16 June) |
| C.B.2 (16-18 June) | C.B.1 (16-18 June) | C.B.6 (18-19 June) |
| C.B.6 (19-21 June) | C.B.4 (20-22 June) | C.B.1 (24-26 June) |
| C.B.4 (26-28 June) | C.B.1 (29 June…) |
In the Black Sea, the only available submarine for the Axis was the Rumanian Delfinul. Consideration had been given to transfer the Finnish submarine Saukko to this theatre, but this was abandoned. Instead, Italian midget submarines were now arriving via the Danube waterway. A trio of midget submarines was sent from Costanza to Yalta (C.B.1, C.B.2, and C.B.3). On 5 June, about 25 miles from Cape Sarytch, C.B.1 discovered a destroyer at a range of 7,000 metres. C.B.2, who was within voice range, was informed verbally, but the enemy passed out of range. The second trio (C.B.4, C.B.5, and C.B.6) followed and arrived without incident. Later in the year, six Type II German U-boats would also be sent to the Black Sea via the Danube.
Loss of C.B.5
The C.B. boats would incur their first and only loss in this theatre when C.B.5 was sunk on 13 June by the Soviet MTB D-3 under Senior Lieutenant Konstantin Georgievitch Kotchiev. He carried out an audacious attack by firing a torpedo 200 metres from the breakwater in the Yalta harbour. There were no casualties though the loss would initially be attributed to an air attack as a Soviet MTB-2 bomber had raided the harbour an hour before.
At about the same time, C.B.3 (T.V. Giovanni Sorrentino) was patrolling south of Sevastopol and fired two torpedoes at a cruiser of the Kirov class, which was trailing 2,000 metres behind a large destroyer of the Tashkent-class. They were the light cruiser Molotov escorted by the destroyer Bditelniy, and they were evacuating the wounded from the beleaguered city. Unfortunately, the torpedoes had not been serviced properly—the staff maintenance had not yet reached Yalta—and the port torpedo sank to the bottom after exiting the tube. The starboard torpedo did not fare better. After a run of about 250 metres, it also sank. The Soviet warships did not observe the attack.
C.B.3 returned to Yalta the same afternoon and sailed again with C.B.4 (T.V. Ennio Suriano) for another patrol in the same area the following day. On the morning of 15 June, C.B.4 observed a Soviet submarine on a westerly course at a distance of four miles but could not close. Early in the afternoon, C.B.3 fired two torpedoes at the submarine L-5 on a northerly course and claimed one hit, but both missed (some sources mention that this was S-32, but this is an error). Fortune did not smile at C.B.4 when, the next day, she detected another submarine on an easterly course, but the range of six miles prevented an attack from being carried out.
On 17 June, both C.B.1 (T.V. Enrico Lesen d’Aston) and C.B.2 (S.T.V. Attilio M. Russo) observed a submarine at 5,000 metres, but again, the distance could not be closed. C.B.1 was prevented from attacking a small Soviet torpedo boat as her torpedoes were set for a depth of three metres, and she was herself attacked by two MTBs later during the night. At dawn on 18 June, C.B.2 fired two torpedoes at submarine A.4 and claimed one hit; however, again, the torpedoes missed. Three hours later, she investigated what appeared to be two lifeboats. C.B.2 closed to within fifty metres, and about eight men were observed on board. They suddenly opened fire with machine guns and other light weapons on the midget submarine. They were a Soviet reconnaissance team from the Sevastopol Defence District returning from an unsuccessful trip behind enemy lines. C.B.2 was hit about twenty times and replied with a light machine gun to keep them at bay as she hastily withdrew. Damage was insignificant; the midget boat made an enemy report, and a MAS boat was sent to the scene.
Upon their return to Yalta, C.B.2 and C.B.3 came under air attack during the afternoon of 19 June, and both were seriously damaged by splinters. Their periscopes were damaged and could only be repaired at Costanza, where they had to be temporarily withdrawn. Success was achieved at dusk the same day when MAS-571 and MAS-573 attacked the Soviet submarine SC-214, who was torpedoed and sunk by the former. Two survivors were picked up.
In the early hours of 27 June, C.B.4 discovered a large destroyer steering 110° at high speed at a distance of about 8,000 metres; the attack was impossible. This was the destroyer Tashkent; she would be bombed the next day by Stukas but would reach Novorossiisk only to be sunk there by air attack on 2 July. Another destroyer was spotted by the midget. This time, the attack was thwarted by two motor torpedo boats, which were then joined by the destroyer. The midget dived down to sixty-two metres and reported being seriously depth-charged. She counted fifty-eight depth charges; her periscope was flooded, and she leaked fuel. C.B.4 had to abort her patrol.
On 30 June, C.B.1 discovered a submarine four miles away, but again, no attack was possible.
Italian submarine patrols in the Atlantic during June 1942
| Barbarigo (…16 June) | Cappellini (…19 June) | Bagnolini (…28 June) |
| Da Vinci (…) | Archimede (…) | Torelli (2-4 June)x |
| Morosini (3 June…) | Tazzoli (5-7 June)x | Finzi (6 June…) |
| Torelli (6 June…) | Tazzoli (18 June…) | Giuliani (24 June…) |
Before midnight on 2 June, the Panamian four-masted windjammer Reine Marie Stewart (1,087 GRT, built 1920), on passage Lourenço Marques to New York, was intercepted by Da Vinci (C.C. Luigi Longanesi Cattani). The crew was given time to evacuate, but attempts by a boarding party to destroy her with demolition charges and to set her afire failed. Early the following day, a torpedo proved defective and sank after a 50-meter run. She was finally sunk with a second torpedo. The eleven survivors were picked up by the British freighter Afghanistan. On 8 June, Da Vinci continued her patrol with the sinking of the Danish Chile (5,570 GRT, built 1915). This ship had sailed independently from Capetown for Freetown with a cargo of 2,500 tons of pig irons, 800 tons of cotton seed, and 6,380 tons of ground nuts. The first two torpedoes were seen and avoided. The next two hit the engine room on the port side. Five were killed, and thirty-nine survivors were later picked up by the armed trawler HMT Spaniard. On 11 June, it was the turn of the Dutch Alioth (5,483 GRT, built 1937), who required an expenditure of no less than six torpedoes and had to be finished off with gunfire. Her forty-four survivors were divided into two lifeboats; one was equipped with an engine and towed the other. They made for Freetown, 850 miles away. Nine days later, they were located by the escort carrier HMS Archer about 5 miles from their destination, and were towed in. Two days later, the British Clan MacQuarrie (5,060 GRT, built 1913) was also dispatched with five torpedoes and gunfire. The ship had ninety-two passengers and crew; they all took to three lifeboats. The first lifeboat with twenty-eight survivors (the 29th, the Chief Engineer had died of exposure) was found by the Norwegian tanker Glarona. The other two lifeboats with sixty-three survivors were recovered by the French Désirade.
As she was proceeding for a patrol, some seventy-five miles northwest of Aviles (Spain), Torelli (T.V. Augusto Migliorini) was caught on the surface during the night of 4 June by Wellington ‘F’ (Squadron Leader J.H. Greswell) of 172 Squadron equipped with a Leigh Light. The aircraft detected the submarine by ASV radar at a range of 6.5 miles and illuminated it seconds before dropping four 250-lb depth charges. The submarine was damaged by near misses—one rating was wounded—and ran aground near Cape Penas.
This was the first attack of the war by an aircraft using the Leigh Light, a powerful searchlight that helped the aircraft spot the U-boat. The first success of the Leigh light occurred a month later when U–502 was sunk. As submarines used the dark hours to replenish their batteries, the combination of airborne radar and Leigh Light would significantly reduce their effectiveness. To counter this, U-boats were later equipped with Metox, a radar warning device. For the time being, Coastal Command aircraft could not close the Mid-Atlantic gap, and U-boats had a relatively safe area to operate. The arrival of long-range Liberator bombers and the use of escort carriers made life increasingly difficult for them, but this did not come before the spring of 1943. Italian submarines would not be equipped with a Snorkel, an air intake apparatus that allowed their German counterparts to operate almost continuously underwater and recharge their batteries. This only came at the beginning of 1944, yet the Italian Navy had experimented with a Snorkel as early as 1926.
After brief repairs, Torelli sailed on 7 June but was again bombed by two Sunderlands. The first was Sunderland ‘X’ (W3994) of 10 Squadron (RAAF), piloted by Pilot Officer T.A. Egerton and he dropped his eight depth charges while his front and rear gunners sprayed the submarine with machine gun fire. The aircraft remained far from the submarine until relieved by Sunderland ‘A’ (W4019) from the same squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant E. St C. Yeoman. The submarine defended herself vigorously with her anti-aircraft armament. Both aircraft were hit; the first had two wounded and the second one wounded. Torelli had one killed and several wounded, including Migliorini (nine required hospitalisation), and took refuge at Santander. She carried repairs from 8 June to 14 July and should have been interned, but the Spanish government was lenient toward its Fascist friends, and the submarine was allowed to reach Bordeaux for further repairs.
In the afternoon of 15 June, Archimede (T.V. Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia) attacked the Panamian Cardina (5,586 GRT, built 1919) on passage to Trinidad. Hit by two torpedoes, she finally sank after midnight. There were no casualties. Her thirty-four survivors made for the Brazilian coast and reached Salines. However, attempts to attack the American Columbian (4,954 GRT, built 1918) on 17 June failed; the vessel managed to flee after a brief exchange of machine gun fire with the submarine.
Tazzoli (C.C. Carlo Fecia di Cossato) departed from Le Verdon on 18 June, but the Bay of Biscay was becoming hot for Axis submarines. During the night of 19/20 June, she was surprised by Wellington ‘B’ of 172 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer F.C. Blackmore. He discovered the submarine a mile away and used his Leigh Light, but the angle of this attack was poor and he decided not to drop depth charges and just carry a strafing run. After a brief reply with his anti-aircraft armament, Di Cossato did not waste any time in diving and the aircraft could not find its target in the second run.
Finzi (C.C. Ugo Giudice) supplied Da Vinci with fourteen tons of fuel on 20 June.
On the afternoon of 27 June, southwest of Madeira, Archimede discovered a fast southbound convoy of twenty ships but could not intercept it. This was probably convoy WS.20.
The difficulties encountered by Italian submarines in the Atlantic were exemplified by Barbarigo (C.C. Enzo Grossi) chasing a steamer for six hours on 11 June. It turned out to be the Portuguese Lima. On 26 June, Tazzoli chased the Portuguese Carvalho Araújo for eight hours before recognizing her nationality. Similar examples are frequently found in patrol reports of the Betasom submarines.
On the last day of the month, some 600 miles northeast of Puerto Rico, the Dutch Tijsa (aka Tysa, 5,327 GRT, built 1938), on a trip from Port Said to Baltimore, was sunk by a combination of torpedo and gunfire. The culprit was believed to have been Morosini (T.V. Francesco D’Alessandro), who signalled that she sank a ship on this date in the same area. There were forty-three survivors and no casualties. The only details from this attack come from the survivors, who stated that three torpedoes and twenty-three rounds were fired. The submarine would not return from her patrol.
[1] Operation SALIENT: the aircraft carrier Eagle, the light cruisers Charybdis and Cairo, and the destroyers Westcott, Wishart, Partridge, Antelope, Wrestler, and Ithuriel.
[2] The HARPOON convoy consisted of the transports Troilus, Burdwan, Orari, Tanimbar, Chant, and Kentucky, escorted by the light cruiser Cairo, the fast minelayer Welshman (later detached), and nine destroyers. They were covered by the battleship Malaya, the aircraft carriers Eagle and Argus, the light cruisers Kenya, Liverpool, and Charybdis, and seven destroyers.
[3] The battleships Littorio and Vittorio Veneto, the heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento, the light cruisers Garibaldi, Duca d’Aosta, Eugenio di Savoia, and Montecuccoli, and nineteen destroyers (Alpino, Bersagliere, Mitragliere, Legionario, Freccia, Folgore, Aviere, Geniere, Camicia Nera, Corazziere, Oriani, Ascari, Gioberti, Vivaldi, Malocello, Zeno, Premuda, Pigafetta and Saetta).
[4] The VIGOROUS convoys:
Convoy MW.11a: Ajax, City of Edinburgh, City of Lincoln, City of Pretoria and Elizabeth Bakke.
Convoy MW.11b: Bulkoil and Potaro.
Convoy MW.11c: Aagtekirk, Bhutan, City of Calcutta, and Rembrandt (the first two were sunk by air attack in the early phase).
Escort and cover: the old battleship Centurion, the light cruisers Newcastle, Birmingham, Cleopatra, Hermione, Dido, Euryalus, Arethusa, and Coventry, and twenty-six destroyers.