Cristiano D'Adamo

The Zoea was a submarine of the Foca-class submarine minelayers, commissioned by the Regia Marina during the late 1930s. The Foca-class submarines were improved versions of the preceding Pietro Micca Class. The Foca could transport a total of 36 mines, which they ejected through chutes in the stern.
The Zoea was laid down by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto at their Taranto shipyard on February 3rd, 1936.
She was launched on December 5th, 1937 and completed on February 12th, 1938.

Due to the spacious holds for mines, during the conflict it was widely used in transport missions carrying out 21 such missions.

The Zoea
(Italian National Archives)

On June 18^th, 1940, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Giorgio Bernabò, the Zoea was the first Italian submarine to carry out such a mission departing from Naples for Tobruk with 48 tons of ammunition and returning to Taranto on the 24th. An analysis created by Lorenzo Colombo points out that more than a ton of fuel was consumed for each ton of material delivered, an unsustainable ratio.

On June 29^th the Zoea was dispatched to the waters west of Alexandria to lay mines, but two of these accidentally exploded prematurely and forced the laying to be stopped; Zoea then moved south of Crete but was attacked and damaged by an aircraft, thus having to return to Taranto.

On October 10^th, the boat left Taranto to lay a mines field in the Haifa area (British Palestine at the time). In a similar mission, more or less at the same time, and in the same area, the twin boat Foca disappeared. On October 21^st, 1940 at around 08.25 PM near Cape Colonne (Calabria) Captain Bernabò nearly escape being rammed by the British submarine H.M.S. Parthian, Lieutenant Commander Michael Gordon Rimington, but avoid the collision thanks to the lookouts who spot the other vessel in time to allow a diversionary maneuver.

In December of the same year the Zoea is sent to Island of Leros for another transport mission. An assignment that will be repeated in April of the following year.  In May, with command having been transferred to Lieutenant Enrico Lambertini, the boat is again sent to Libya and more specifically Derna. What followed was a frenetic shuttling between Taranto and Libya with the boat loaded in any possible way with valuable and extremely needed materiel.

General Erwin Rommel’s visit to the Zoea
(© IWM RML 685 For non-commercial use)

In August 1941 command is transferred to Lieutenant Commander Alberto Campanella. On the 6^th the Zoea leaves for Bardia (Bardiyah) and two days later is attacked by a British Bristol Blenheim but is able to repel the attack. Upon arriving in Derna, even General Erwin Rommel is at the docks to welcome the arrival of the submarine and its precious cargo.

The Zoea after the incident that caused it to sink to the bottom of the harbor
(Photo  Achille Rastelli & Erminio Bagnasco)

In Taranto the Zoea underwent modification to remove the deck gun which was unusually mounted within the conning tower structure.  Here, a very unusual event took place and due to human error the Zoea sunk at its slip due to the opening of some air vents or perhaps even one of the mine hutches.  After the necessary repairs, the boat will be once again ready for service in 1942 continuing the transport missions to Libya.

At the beginning of September 1943, as part of the “Zeta Plan” to counter the imminent Anglo-American landing in Salerno, it was deployed for defensive purposes in the Ionian Sea. Following the armistice, and in compliance with the instructions received, the crew surrendered to the Allies in the port of Augusta, Sicily, and from there, on September 16th, transferred to Malta where the Zoea arrived the following day. On October 13th, the boat left Malta in a group with 14 other submarines, including her sister ship Atropos to return to Italy.

In 1945 it was retired from active service for work that was never finished. After the war, it was decommissioned and then sent for demolition. During its long service, the Zoea never conducted any offensive action nor registered casualties.

Operational Records

Patrols (Med.)	Patrols (Other)	NM Surface	NM Sub.	Days at Sea	NM/Day	Average Speed
32		31,192	2,689	195	173.75	7.24

In the early 1940s the Ametista, a costal submarine of the Sirena class,”600″ series, type Bernardis, was used to test the release of SLCs at sea.

Muggiano  (La Spezia), April 24th, 1933 – The launch of the Ametista
(Istituto Luce B025601)

Bracing was placed on the deck on which three of the craft were placed, then secured with cables. The boat then dived into the outer harbor of La Spezia and released the three SLCs that, as part of the demonstration,  reached and mined the old explorer Quarto; however, the timing and complexity of the operation made it clear that the solution adopted was not the best solution for the transport of SLCs (cylindrical containers were adopted on later submarines).

The Ametista in the early years

In the first months of the war, the Ametista operated in the Aegean Sea, without achieving any result. On October 13^th, 1940, during a bombardment of the base of Leros, crew members of the Ametista were killed: Carmine Cantone, Enrico Castellato and Luigi Martano. In 1941 the commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander Virgilio Spigai. In September of that year, the boat was sent to the Kasos Channel along with the submarines Gemma and Tricheco on patrol.

In December 1942 it was subjected to an in-depth inspection after which it was estimated to be mostly efficient: the main problems were the noise from the pumps and shaft lines, thus facilitating detection, and the fact that the hydrophones were in a state judged to be “mediocre” (while the other equipment, such as acoustic signaling devices and ultrasonic soundings, was judged to be in good condition).

On September 9^th, 1943, following the armistice, the Ametista left Rijeka (Fiume) under the command of Sub-Lieutenant (Res.) Luigi Ginocchio, arriving in Ancona the morning of two days later. Captain Ginocchio then left to move to Brindisi towing the pocket submarine CB. 11, but off the coast of Numana, not too far to the Conero, the captain decided to scuttle the boat as the other submarine Serpente had already done.   The two CBs – the Serpente was towing CB12 – continued sailing with their own means, arriving on the 13th at the Tremiti Islands and leaving on the 17th, the first for Brindisi and the other for Taranto.

Both Ginocchio and Allegri, once ashore, headed north, where they later joined the Italian Social Republic, enlisting in the National Republican Navy. After the war, the two captains were tried by a military court for the crime of “loss of ship”. Ginocchio was found to be young and still a “trainee” – he was an office in the reserve – and had been influenced in his choice by the behavior of his superior in rank at the command of the Serpente.

The wreck of the Ametista was resurfaced after the war and scrapped in the port of Ancona.

Operational Records

Patrols (Med.)	Patrols (Other)	NM Surface	NM Sub.	Days at Sea	NM/Day	Average Speed
27		15,619	3,246	195	96.74	4.03

Actions

Date	Time	Captain	Area	Coordinates	Convoy	Weapon	Result	Ship	Type	Tonns	Flag

Crew Members Lost

Last Name	First Name	Rank	Italian Rank	Date
Cantone	Carmine	Sergeant	Sergente	9/12/1943
Castellato	Enrico	Chief 2nd Class	Capo di 2a Classe	9/12/1943
Martano	Luigi	Chief 2nd Class	Capo di 2a Classe	9/12/1943

The submarine Ammiraglio Caracciolo was one of the boats of the ‘Ammiragli” class and did not enter service until almost a year after the beginning of the conflict.  Launched on October 16^th, 1940 by the CRDA shipyard of Monfalcone it was delivered to the Regia Marina on May 1^st, 1941. Crew training continued until December of the same year.

The Caracciolo still under construction in Monfalcone

By virtue of its large size – it was an oceanic submarine – it was used to transport materials to North Africa despite the fact that it was a risky and low-yielding service. A clear indication of the already struggling supply line between the continent and the North African front.

Lieutenant Commander Alfredo Musotto

On December 8^th, 1941, the Caracciolo departed Taranto for her first mission, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Alfredo Musotto, with 122 tons of gasoline in 7,000 tins of 20 liters each,16.5 tons of ammunition, 1.6 ton of food supplies bound for Libya. Captain Musotto had previously served aboard the Malaspina and Otaria and thus was an experienced commander. Off Sollum (alternative spelling Sallum, and Egyptian town at the border with Libya) the submarine was strafed by a British aircraft with one casualty (Ensign Milos Baucer) but supposedly was able to shoot down the airplane.   

The Caracciolo with the mimetic painting

Subsequently attacked by naval units, Captain Musotto dove to 80 meters and avoided their intense hunt. On December 10th, the Caracciolo reached Bardia, where she quickly unloaded the cargo and then departed later that day, with the crew also Italian and German soldiers (mainly Bersaglieri and Carabinieri officers) on board to be transported to the Island of Suda where she would eventually load other supplies. There is a report that the Caracciolo may also have been transporting 22 British POWs, however this is most probably mistaken.

In the early hours of December 11th, about 30 miles from Bardia (alternative spelling Bardiyah), the Caracciolo sighted a British convoy – it was convoy T.A. 2 convoy consisting of the small steamer Darien II (459 GRT, built 1892), escorted by the destroyer H.M.S. Farndale – bound for Alessandria. At 2:40 AM the Caracciolo went on the attack by launching two torpedoes from the stern tubes against the merchant ship, missing it, and then two more from the bow tubes, against the destroyer. The British escort vessel dodged the torpedoes by counter maneuvering.

H.M.S. Farndale

The submarine submerged, but the British units began to bombard it with depth charges. The Caracciolo dove to a depth of 160 meters (this is questionable, but possible) but, badly damaged, had to surface. Once on the surface, it was immediately hit by the fire of the Farndale which mowed down the gunners and machine gunners and compromised the survival of the unit. Scuttling procedures were started and shortly afterwards – it was about three o’clock in the morning – while the survivors abandoned ship. The Caracciolo disappeared into a very rough sea in position 32º09′ N and 25º19′ E, just off Ras Bu Wushayyikah.

Of the crew, 48 men disappeared at sea (15 members of the crew of the Caracciolo, including Captain Musotto, 4 non-commissioned officers and 10 sub-chiefs and sailors along with 33 passengers), while 53 survivors were rescued and captured by the Farndale. This was one of the most blatant waste of resources and human lives having the Italian Navy utilized a submarine designed for oceanic operations to transport material and personnel.

Operational Records

Patrols (Med.)	Patrols (Other)	NM Surface	NM Sub.	Days at Sea	NM/Day	Average Speed
6		1,445	72	8	189.63	7.9

Actions

Date	Time	Captain	Area	Coordinates	Convoy	Weapon	Result	Ship	Type	Tonns	Flag
12/11/1941	02:40	T.V. Alfredo Musotto	Mediterranean	32°09’N-25°19’E		Torpedo	Failed	Darien	Steam Freighter	459	Great Britain
12/11/1941	02:40	T.V. Alfredo Musotto	Mediterranean	32°09’N-25°19’E		Torpedo	Failed	H.M.S. Farndale	Destroyer	1050	Great Britain

Crew Members Lost

Last Name	First Name	Rank	Italian Rank	Date
Aliberti	Sabato	Chief 1st Class	Capo di 1a Classe	12/11/1941
Baucer	Milos	Ensign	Guardiamarina	12/11/1941
Berrà	Giuseppe	Sublieutenant G.N.	Tenente G.N.	12/11/1941
Bragagnolo	Mario	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Bregaglio	Guido	Sergeant	Sergente	12/11/1941
Caruso	Antonio	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Ciavattone	Panfilio	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Consolo	Enrico	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Coslovich	Albino	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Ferrari	Palmiro	Chief 2nd Class	Capo di 2a Classe	12/11/1941
Fungi	Martino	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Garibotti	Giuseppe	Chief 3rd Class	Capo di 3a Classe	12/11/1941
Leto	Onorato	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Menetto	Bruno	Naval Rating	Comune	12/11/1941
Musotto	Alfredo	Lieutenant Commander	Capitano di Corvetta	12/11/1941
Scarpantoni	Ettore	Junior Chief	Sottocapo	12/11/1941
Uttaro	Osvaldo	Naval Rating	Comune	12/11/1941

The Ambra was a costal submarine of the Type 600, class Perla, “600” series, type Bernardis, and entered service August 4^th, 1936. At the beginning of the war, the Ambra operated both in the Gulf of Taranto and in the waters off Alexandria in Egypt. In the early hours of December 16^th, 1940, it was spotted by two British ships and subjected to twelve hours of anti-submarine hunting but managed to escape unharmed.

The launch of the Ambra

In March 1941, under the command of Lieutenant Mario Arillo, it was sent, along with the Ascianghi and Dagabur, to an area between Alexandria and Cape Krio (island of Rhodes). On March 31^st at 2:37 AM, on her return course, she came across a large, escorted ship sailing about 2,000 meters away and at a speed of 10 knots. Moving closer, at 2.44 AM Captain Arillo launched three torpedoes, remaining on the surface even after the launch to make sure of the result: two of the torpedoes hit the unit – it was the modern British light cruiser HMS Bonaventure, which was escorting, along with three destroyers, a convoy of two transports (the Bonaventure may have been already been previously damaged by the Dagabur) which sank in position 32°20′ N and 26°35′ E. 

The first torpedo struck at the aft end of the forward engine room and the second detonated abreast the aft engine room, destroying the aft watertight transverse bulkhead and exposing ‘X’ magazine to the open sea. The consequent severe flooding caused a severe list to starboard within minutes and the ship capsized within six minutes of the attack.

H.M.S. Bonaventure

Of the British crew, 138 men (23 officers and 115 non-commissioned officers and sailors) were lost, while the survivors were rescued by the destroyer H.M.S. Hereward. Ambra then submerged, evading seven depth charge attacks by the destroyer H.M.S. Stuart, which lasted for several hours. The action was one of the main successes achieved by Italian submarines against warships.

Captain Arillo

Between March and April 1942, the Ambra was converted into a submarine “carrier” of assault craft, with the application of three cylindrical container for SLCs (pigs or chariots) resistant up to a depth of 90 meters: they were placed on the deck, one forward of the turret and the other two, coupled, aft.

The cylindrical container for SLCs (pigs or chariots)

In April 1942 the Ambra was assigned to the first special mission (Operation G.A. 4): an SLC attack on the British naval base in Alexandria, Egypt. This mission was supposed to complete and further the effects of the previous raid on the port of Alexandria: the targets would have been the battleship Queen Elizabeth – which, despite the serious damage, had been refloated and brought to a floating dock – and the large submarine support ship Medway.

The Ambra departed from La Spezia on April 29^th and docked in Leros on May 5th. After embarking three SLCs and 9 operators of the 10th Light Flotilla (4 officers and 5 non-commissioned officers and sailors; 6 were destined for the attack and 3 were in reserve) who had arrived by plane on May 6^th. After addressing some faults that had occurred in the meantime, the submarine departed Leros on May 12th, arriving off Alexandria two days later.

Around 7 PM the Ambra moved to a depth of ten meters and only few hundred meters from shore, and at 8:50 PM released the SLCs. However, the submarine had been moved by the strong current a few miles away from the planned point, and Captain Arillo felt that he should not report it to the SLC crews as he was not sure of the actual position After all, it was not the only problem: one of the SLC pilots, Egil Chersi, felt ill and had to be replaced together with his second. After the release, one of the SLCs, malfunctioning, had to be sunk and the two operators were forced to swim to shore. The crews of the other two vessels, unable to find their targets, had to sink the SLCs and swim to shore (all 6 operators were captured, 4 immediately and the remaining two on June 29th). The Ambra, which left Egyptian waters around 9 PM, arrived in La Spezia midday on May 24th.

On December 1^st, 1942, Operation N.A. 1 against the port of Algiers began. The Ambra was supposed to bring a mixed unit near the Algerian port: three SLCs with their crews (6 men) and 10 “Gamma men” (divers saboteurs) of the X MAS (the “Gammas” were composed of elements of both the Navy and the Army, 5 and 5; their commander was the lieutenant of the Naval Arms Corps Agostino Morello); the submarine would release “Gamma” and SLC while resting on the bottom of the sea, while two men from the X MAS would remain on the surface, acting as lookouts.

On December 4th, in the early afternoon, the submarine left La Spezia and three days later arrived off the Algerian coast; however, due to adverse weather and sea conditions, he had to wait until December 11^th before he could approach Algiers to begin the final phase of the operation. Navigating submerged to elude the strong vigilance, and with the echo sounder broken, the submarine hit the seabed abruptly at about ninety meters. The boat kept dragging on the sandy bottom until it reached a depth of about 18 meters and then came to a rest.  However, when the two lookouts were sent to the surface, it turned out that the coast was not visible, nor were any ships to be seen.

Moving again and very close to the seabed, stopping from time to time to send lookouts to the surface, the submarine finally found itself inside the bay with 6 merchant ships moored all around. Since they were already behind schedule, the raiders were sent out (first the “Gamma”, between 10.30 and 11 PM, followed by the SLC between 11 PM and 11.20 PM. However, the crews did not act with coordination: only one of the SLCs and five “Gammas” managed to carry out the attack, while the others hurried to try to return to the submarine and one surrendered to the local authorities, thus triggering the alarm. Despite the risk the Ambra remained on the bottom until 2.54 AM, before having to leave without anyone having returned; the raiders had all fallen prisoners.

During the departure there was also a collision with a wreck, fortunately without consequences; It was not until 19:45 on December 12^th – after being submerged for 36 hours – that the Ambra was able to return to the surface, recharge the batteries and refresh the air supply. At noon on the 15th, the submarine docked at La Spezia. Although less than half of the raiders managed to plant explosive charges, the steamers Ocean Vanquisher (7174 GRT) and Berto (1493 GRT) were sunk, and two other large merchant ships, the Empire Centaur (7041 GRT) and the Armattan (4558 GRT) suffered serious damage. Commander Mario Arillo received the Gold Medal for Military Valour; twelve of the raiders were decorated with the Silver Medal for Military Valor and another with the War Cross for Military Valor.

The third and final mission of the Ambra took place in 1943 during the Sicilian campaign. The commander of the submarine was no longer Arillo, but Lieutenant Commander Renato Ferrini. On the night of July 17^th, the submarine, carrying three MTR explosive boats, moved near Syracuse to attack the ships moored in the area. At round three o’clock it was spotted by an anti-submarine aircraft and hit with depth charges and forced to surface with serious damage. Towed to Naples by the torpedo boat Partenope, after temporary repairs, Ambra relocated to La Spezia on July 27th.

At the proclamation of the armistice – September 8^th – the boat was still under repair, and it was scuttled. Salvaged by the Germans, it was sunk again in the harbor in 1944, during an aerial bombardment.

Operational Records

Patrols (Med.)	Patrols (Other)	NM Surface	NM Sub.	Days at Sea	NM/Day	Average Speed
31		16,890	2,747	162	121.22	5.05

Actions

Date	Time	Captain	Area	Coordinates	Convoy	Weapon	Result	Ship	Type	Tonns	Flag
3/31/1941	02.44	T.V. Mario Arillo	Mediterranean	33°20’N-26°35’E		Torpedo	Failed	H.M.S. Stuart	Destroyer		Great Britain
3/31/1941	02.44	T.V. Mario Arillo	Mediterranean	33°20’N-26°35’E		Torpedo	Sank	H.M.S. Bonaventure	Light Cruiser	5440	Great Britain
12/12/1942		T.V. Mario Arillo	Mediterranean	Agerie’S		Artillery	Sank	Berto	Steam Freighter	1493	Norwey

Crew Members Lost

Last Name	First Name	Rank	Italian Rank	Date
Fanizza	Leonardo	Naval Rating	Comune	7/17/1943