Filippo Corridoni was a minelaying submarine of the Bragadin-class (displacement of 965 tons on the surface and 1,068 tons submerged).
During the interwar period, the boat carried out normal training activities and short cruises in Italian waters. A unit of mediocre characteristics, it did not carry out a single mine-laying mission throughout the conflict, instead it was used – thanks to the large spaces it had for the transport of mines, which could also be used as “holds” to store supplies – for transport tasks, carrying out 15 missions of this type during the 1940-1943 period, bringing gasoline, ammunition and other materials to North Africa and later also to Lampedusa.
During the same period, the boat also completed 23 patrols and seven transfer missions, covering a total of 20,960 miles on the surface and 2,172 submerged. After the armistice it was again employed in a resupply suction, this time to Leros (Greece), and then underwent major maintenance work in Taranto and later it was sent to Aden, where it was employed in the anti-submarine training of British air and naval units, carrying out 56 missions of this type until the end of the war. Altogether it completed 180 assignments of all types during the 1940-1945 conflict, covering a total of 38,219.52 nautical miles.
The boat’s motto was “With the people for the fatherland”.
Brief and Partial Chronology
July 4th, 1927
Setting up was started at the Franco Tosi shipyards in Taranto.
March 30th, 1930
The boat was launch at the Franco Tosi shipyard in Taranto, with the blessing of the bishop of Taranto. Present at the launch, among others, was Oreste Bovini, mayor of the town of Pausula, the birthplace of the eponymous patriot of the submarine (which a few months later would be renamed Corridonia in his honor). Subsequently, a delegation of the submarine’s crew, including its commander, Lieutenant Commander Ignazio Castogiovanni, visited Corridonia.
The blessing of the Filippo Corridoni
November 17th, 1931
The submarine officially entered service and it was assigned to the IV Submarine Squadron, based in Taranto, which it formed together with Fratelli Bandiera, Luciano Manara, Ciro Menotti and Santorre Santarosa.
Corridoni while being fitted
June 13th, 1932
In Ancona, the boat received the combat flag, and the godmother was Mrs. Maria Luchetti. The flag was blessed by the bishop of Ancona and placed in a bonnet designed by the Ancona sculptor Filandro Castellani.
1933
Placed under the “Scuola Comando” a training facility.
1934
Corridoni was assigned to the VIII Submarine Squadron of Taranto, together with her boat of the same class Marcantonio Bragadin and the submarines Settembrini, Settimo, Salpa, and Serpente.
Corridoni entering Taranto’s inner harbor
1935
Due to the mediocre seaworthiness (little stability and strong pitching in rough seas), shortly after completion Corridoni underwent modification works that saw the raising of the tip of the bow (thus giving a “nose”, then eliminated in 1943) and the application of side counter hulls (saddles). The stern was also shortened and modified, due to the mediocrity of the mine-laying equipment. After the changes, the length decreases from 71.5 to 68 meters, the width increases from 6.15 to 7.10 meters and the draft decreases from 4.98 to 4.30 meters.
1935-1940
During the Spanish Civil War, the second lieutenant of the Naval Engineers Danilo Stiepovich, future Gold Medal for Military Valor, served on Corridoni.
1936
Corridoni was sent to Tripoli for a short time.
1938
Corridoni and Bragadin form the XLV Submarine Squadron (part of the IV Grupsom of Taranto), which includes all the minelaying boats of the Regia Marina: the much older X 2 and X 3 and the more modern Pietro Micca, Foca, Atropo and Zoea.
June 4th, 1940
The command of Corridoni was assumed by the Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci, 36 years old, from Radda in Chianti.
June 10th, 1940
When Italy entered the war, Corridoni (Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci) was undergoing works in Taranto. It was part of the XLIX Submarine Squadron of the IV Grupsom, based in Taranto, together with the more modern minelayer submarines Atropo and Zoea.
Corridoni departing for a patrol
June 16th through June 23rd, 1940
Corridoni sailed from Taranto under the command of Lieutenant Commander Minucci, for end-of-the-work trials.
June 26th, 1940
At 1.40 AM, Corridoni (Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci) sailed from Taranto bound for Naples, where it had to embark some material to be urgently taken to Libya on a transport mission.
June 28th, 1940
The boat arrived in Naples at 06:00 PM, after having travelled 480 miles.
June 30th, 1940
Corridoni left Naples at 05.20 PM, bound for Tobruk with 15 tons of ammunition and materials for the Regia Aeronautica on board destined for the Tobruk air base, as well as crates with publications, documents, and hydrographic material for that naval base (another source speaks of a total of 27 tons of cargo, materials for the Navy and the Air Force).
July 3rd, 1940
After passing through conventional point C (32°13’40’N, 23°51’E) and covering 772 (or 852) miles, it arrived in Tobruk at 09:00 PM, four hours behind schedule, after a smooth crossing. Providential delay: the British secret services were in fact able to learn of the expected arrival of Corridoni in Tobruk at 05:00 PM on July 3rd, and had sent a Short Sunderland anti-submarine seaplane (the “R” aircraft of the 228th Squadron of the Royal Air Force) to the scene with the express task of sinking it. However, when the Sunderland arrived in Tobruk, it did not find Corridoni since it had yet to arrive.
During the stop of Corridoni in Tobruk, the Libyan port was the object of three air attacks, on July 5th, 13th, and 15th.
July 16th, 1940
Corridoni left Tobruk at 06:45 AM bound for Leros, carrying materials including other crates of documents, publications, and hydrographic material for that base.
July 19th, 1940
The boat arrived in Leros at 03.30 PM, after having covered 426 miles.
July 24th, 1940
The boat left Leros at 4.20 PM, with the order to patrol between Crete and Sapienza and then return to Taranto.
August 8th, 1940
The boat arrived in Taranto at 03.15 PM, after a mission without any major events. It traveled 1,235 miles.
August 9th through September 24th, 1940
In the shipyard in Taranto.
September 25th through October 3rd, 1940
Corridoni (Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci) completed several end-of-the-work trials.
October 9th and 10th, 1940
The boat was in Taranto during two British air attacks, participating in the anti-aircraft reaction with the machine guns.
October 13th, 1940
At 4.20 PM Corridoni (Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci) left Taranto for a transport mission to Rhodes and Leros, with food and materials from the Army and Air Force on board. The Royal Navy’s secret service was aware of the mission, thanks to the interception and deciphering of Italian messages by the “ULTRA” organization. On October 15th, the command of the Mediterranean Fleet was first informed that a submarine loaded with supplies would reach Rhodes, docking in the conventional areas “Antonio” and “Luigi”, and that the submarine in question was Corridoni, which would enter the Aegean on the afternoon of October 16th, reaching Rhodes on the morning of the 18th.
October 15th, 1940
From 09.30 AM to 02.02 PM Corridoni was hunted, in position 37° 50’N and 19° 50’E, by a destroyer that tried to locate it with sonar, launching depth charges at 09.48 and 10.35. The boat did not suffer any damage.
October 19th, 1940
Corridoni arrived in Rhodes at 09.25 AM, after having covered 820.5 miles (according to another source 706).
October 20th, 1940
The boat left Rhodes at 11.25 pm, bound for Leros.
October 21st, 1940
The boat arrived in Leros at 11:45 AM, having covered 820.5 miles.
October 27th, 1940
The boat left Leros at 05.55 PM for a patrol in the Aegean, still under the command of Lieutenant Commander Minucci.
November 6th, 1940
The boat returned to Leros at 07.50 AM after having covered 1,072 miles, without having detected anything to report.
November 13th, 1940
The boat left Leros at 04.35 PM to return to Italy. The British were aware of this voyage through “ULTRA”, which on November 12th had learned from intercepted messages that “the date of departure of Corridoni from Rhodes has been postponed and will be communicated to Rome“, and two days after that Corridoni was assigned the route conventionally called “Ebro” and that the submarine was to leave on the evening of the 13th, unless it would receive different orders later.
November 18th, 1940
The boat arrived in Taranto at 03.45 PM, after having covered 681.5 miles. This was followed by a period of work in drydock.
December 28th and 31st, 1940
Corridoni set sail from Taranto for two training sorties, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci.
January 6th, 1941
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci, Corridoni sailed from Taranto at 07.30 AM for a patrol south of the Otranto Channel, at 38°40′ N and 20°00′ E, to protect traffic with Albania. During the mission, it failed to spot any enemy units or detect anything strange, except for explosions in the distance.
January 17th, 1941
The boat returned to Taranto at 05.30 PM, after having covered 1,251 miles.
February 4th, 1941
Lieutenant Commander Minucci handed over command of Corridoni to Lieutenant Lodovico Grion, 31 years old, from Trieste.
February 6th, 1941
Under the command of Lieutenant Lodovico Grion, Corridoni sailed from Taranto at 10.25 AM for a short training patrol, returning to base at 20.45 PM.
February 7th, 1941
Another exercise from Taranto, from 08.05 AM to 01.10 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Lodovico Grion, with the escort of the minesweeper RD 13. Followed at 08.15 PM by a hydrophone patrol in the Gulf of Taranto under the command of Lieutenant Commander Manlio Minucci.
February 8th, 1941
The boat returned to Taranto at 10.40 AM, after having covered 99 miles without any major events.
February 12th, 1941
Going out to sea for exercise, under the command of Lieutenant Lodovico Grion, from 08.15 AM to 03.45 PM., followed at 09.14 PM by hydrophone patrol.
February 13th, 1941
The boat returned to Taranto at 10.15 AM, after covering 88.5 miles.
February 21st through 26th, 1941
The boat set sail from Taranto for several cinematography sessions.
Picture taken from the Corridoni by operator of the “Istituto Luce”
March 7th, 1941
The boat set sail from Taranto at 08.15 PM for a hydrophone patrol, under the command of Lieutenant Grion.
March 8th, 1941
The boat returned to Taranto at 10.40 AM, after having covered 99 miles.
March 18th, 1941
Departure from Taranto for exercise from 06.35 AM to 04.59 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Grion and with the escort of the tugboat Palmaria. The boat traveled 63.5 miles.
March 19th, 1941
Another trip to sea for exercise, from 06.48 AM to 04.46 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Grion and with the escort of the torpedo boat San Martino.
April 23rd, 1941
Lieutenant Grion relinquished command of Corridoni to 39-year-old Ugo Gentili from L’Aquila.
June 15th, 1941
Under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, Corridoni set sail from Taranto at 10:00 AM for a training patrol returning at 11.50 AM after covering 3 miles.
June 16th, 1941
Another exercise outing, under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, from 08.18 AM to 04.35 PM, together with the old submarine H 2 and with the escort of the auxiliary escort ship F 46 Limbara. The boat traveled 41 miles.
June 17th, 1941
Another exercise from Taranto, from 12:00 PM to 05.12 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili. Also participating in the exercise were the submarines H 2 and H 8 and the torpedo boat Arethusa; traveled 35.5 miles.
June 21st through June 25th, 1941
Corridoni departed from Taranto for training patrols.
June 29th, 1941
The boat set sail from Taranto at 09.35 AM, under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, for a transport mission to Derna.
July 1st, 1941
Recalled before reaching his destination, at 03:00 AM in the morning Corridoni met the submarine Atropo off Capo Santa Maria di Leuca, exchanging recognition signals. It arrived in Taranto at 01.10 PM, after having traveled 390 miles.
July 2nd, 1941
It set sail again from Taranto at 02.45 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, to transport 53 tons of ammunition to Derna.
July 6th, 1941
Corridoni arrived in Derna at 8:20 PM (or 8:50 PM), after a smooth crossing.
July 7th, 1941
The boat left Derna at 02:00 AM.
July 10th, 1941
The boat arrived in Taranto at 12.20 PM, after having covered 1,166.5 miles, of which 1,077 on the surface and 89.5 submerged.
July 19th, 1941
The boat set sail from Taranto at 08.35 AM under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, to transport 58 tons of ammunition to Derna.
July 22nd, 1941
Arrived in Derna at 9.13pm.
July 23rd, 1941
The boat left Derna at t03:00 AM to return to Taranto.
July 26th, 1941
The boat arrived in Taranto at 12.55 PM, after having covered 1,181 miles (1,110 on the surface and 62 submerged).
August 8th, 1941
Corridoni set sail from Taranto at 11.10 AM, under the command of Lieutenant Ugo Gentili, to transport 13,735 tons of diesel (in 859 cans) and 48 tons of ammunition to Bardia.
The use of Corridoni in the transport of supplies to this port was decided by Supermarina following pressure from the Afrika Korps Command (General Rommel attaches great importance to the supplies transported by submarines in the ports near the front line, although these quantities are derisory compared to what arrived with the convoys of much larger merchant ships in the much more distant ports of Tripoli and Benghazi) and Admiral Eberhard Weichold, Kriegsmarine liaison officer in Italy.
On 6 July, Admiral Weichold wrote a letter to his Italian colleagues (“The following considerations of the Seekriegsleitung are submitted to the General Staff of the Italian Royal Navy, with a request for examination and reply. The general situation of maritime transport, especially in the central Mediterranean area, including the unloading capacity of the ports of Tripoli and Benghazi, was not satisfactory, given the supply needs for the war in North Africa. (…) The transport of ammunition and, in part, also spare parts for weapons and vehicles with the submarines ATROPO and ZOEA was greeted with great satisfaction by the Afrika Korps and the Quartermaster General of the German Army.
Despite the relatively small quantities transported by submarines to the port of Derna so far, these quantities already represented a great relief of supplies for the front, since the road to the front was much shorter than that from the ports of Benghazi and Tripoli, for example. Taking this into account, the General Staff of the Regia Marina had already arranged for the use of two other submarines (Corridoni and Micca) for direct supply to Derna. This measure was greeted with special gratitude by the Seekriegsleitung and, of this was convinced by the Liaison Staff, especially by the Afrika Korps.
Seekriegsleitung was convinced that the General Staff of the Regia Marina was also of the opinion that the possibility of refueling with submarines in a port close to the front, which has been so successfully initiated, can be extended. The absolute necessity of strengthening precisely this direct supply to the front results from the above-mentioned transport needs, as well as from the situation of the front and its further development…”) with which it proposed, among other things, the intensification of the traffic of transport submarines with the use of additional units in this task, and also advocated the use of Porto Bardia for the disembarkation of supplies, this source being even closer than Derna to the front line.
Porto Bardia was a poorly equipped and poorly defended marina, and its use was full of problems and unknowns; nevertheless, Supermarina agrees to use it as a landing place for some transport missions carried out with submarines.
August 12th, 1941
At 03:00 AM, Corridoni sighted in position 32°00′ N and 25°40′ E a submarine that was identified on board as the Zoea. For this reason, and because Maricosom has issued orders not to attack submarines sighted east of the 22nd meridian East, no attack maneuver was performed. It was later revealed that the submarine was not actually the Zoea, but in all probability an enemy unit.
At 07:38 PM, Corridoni arrived in Bardia, where he was visited on board by General Erwin Rommel. At 10:15 PM, while at anchor in Bardia intent on unloading supplies, Corridoni was attacked by an aircraft during a raid by three Fairey Albacores of the 826th Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm (one of which was armed with a torpedo, while the other two carried two 227 kg bombs). The plane, having taken the submarine’s crew by surprise, dropped four bombs (evidently, they were both Albacores armed with bombs and not just one as believed on board), which fell into the sea about twenty meters on the starboard side of the Corridoni, which was violently shaken by the explosions, although without suffering damage, except for the loss of the gyrocompass. The Albacores spotted a slick of oil and mistakenly believe they have damaged the submarine. Four hours later, a second “wave” of two Albacores armed with torpedoes arrived, causing no damage.
At 11.40 PM the submarine left Bardia to return to Italy. (Four days later, Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of 826th Squadron conducted a new raid on Bardia in an attempt to hit the Corridoni, not knowing that he had left in the meantime. According to a source, at 10:15 PM the Corridoni, while finishing unloading its cargo in Bardia, was targeted by six cannons fired from the direction of the open sea, probably from a submarine, without suffering any damage).
August 15th, 1941
At 02:33 PM an enemy submarine was sighted at a distance of 5,000 meters, in position 35°00′ N and 21°10′ E: it was the British H.M.S. Torbay (Lieutenant Commander Anthony Cecil Capel Miers), who in turn had sighted Corridoni forward, from five miles away. Both submarines dove to attack, but in doing so they lost contact with each other.
August 17th, 1941
The boat arrived in Taranto at 12.48 PM, after having covered 1,516 miles (1,431 on the surface and 85 submerged).
The performance of this mission (and of the almost simultaneous ones of the Atropos and the Zoea) was described by Supermarina in memo no. 141 of 27 August as follows: “The units have carried out their task with considerable skill, brilliantly managing to overcome the difficulties and risks inherent in the operation. The navigation conducted on the surface until one day before the arrival continued submerged during the daylight hours of the day of the arrival to avoid sighting by the enemy. Entry into Bardia was generally made after sunset, due to the danger presented by air attacks on the locality, which were always frequent and strong. Entering the port in such conditions presents some nautical difficulties due to the lack of light signals and the configuration of the coast which does not offer special characteristics for recognition. In the port, the disembarkation operations, carried out during the night by means of rafts and rubber floats, provided by the German army, lasted an average of 4 hours, and were carried out by the ship’s personnel with the cooperation of German soldiers. It should be noted that during unloading operations in the event of aerial bombardment, the unit cannot dive as the doors are open for the unloading of the material and was surrounded by numerous barges (up to 6 at a time) loaded with exceptionally flammable material and without any effective fire-fighting means. In addition, a possible maneuver to leave the port was long and laborious given the narrowness of the stretch of water. All the difficulties were brilliantly overcome by the commanders and crews of the submarines, who noted with deep pride the satisfaction expressed to them by the German Command of Bardia for the transport of essential material to the expeditionary corps for the conduct of war operations.”
August 28th, 1941
Lieutenant Giovanni Cunsolo, 30, from Palermo, took command of the Corridoni, replacing Lieutenant Gentili.
September 4th, 1941
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Giovanni Cunsolo, Corridoni left Taranto at 06.15 AM for exercise, returning at 12.58 PM, after having covered 32 miles.
September 10th, 1941
Another exit from Taranto for exercise, from 11.02 AM to 06:00 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Giovanni Cunsolo. The boat traveled 39 miles.
September 12th, 1941
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Giovanni Cunsolo, Corridoni sailed from Taranto at 10.25 AM to transport 55 tons of supplies to Bardia. As early as September 9th, as a result of the decryptions of “ULTRA”, the British were aware of this journey.
September 13th, 1941
At 09.50 PM a destroyer was sighted 800 meters away, with a course of 340° and a speed of 22 knots, and it attacked Corridoni. The submarine dove to a depth of 70 meters and felt a “metallic” jolt, and then descended to 130 meters. The boat resurfaced at 10:12 PM, finding that the destroyer had disappeared. Since the submarine does not respond well to commands, Commander Cunsolo decides to abort the mission and turn back, considering the failures too serious to continue.
September 14th, 1941
At 05:00 PM a drifting mine, of the Italian-made P 200 type, was sighted in position 38°18′ N and 18°20′ E. The device was destroyed by machine gun fire.
September 15th, 1941
The boat arrived in Taranto at 02.50 PM, after having covered 667 miles. A long period of maintenance followed.
October 22nd, 1941
During the works, Commander Cunsolo handed over the reins to Lieutenant Alberto Longhi, 28, from Naples.
December 2nd, 1941
Lieutenant Longhi left the command of the Corridoni, still under repairs, to return it to Commander Cunsolo.
January 21st, 1942
Once work was completed, Corridoni set sail from Taranto at 09.25 AM for sea trials, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Cunsolo returning to port at 06:06 PM, after having covered 31 miles.
January 24th and 25th, 1942
Two training sorties from Taranto
January 29th, 1942
The boat left Taranto at 03.16 PM to move to Brindisi, still under the command of Lieutenant Commander Cunsolo. At 05:30 PM, 4.2 miles by 264° from Torre Ovo (near Santa Maria di Leuca), Corridoni accidentally launched a torpedo following an error during an exercise. Later, a torpedo was sighted, which was reported by radio, believing that it was launched by an enemy unit. Later, however, it was concluded that it was indeed the torpedo launched by the Corridoni.
January 30th, 1942
The boat arrived in Brindisi at 09.25 AM, after covering 156.2 miles.
February 1st, 1942
Commander Cunsolo handed over command to Lieutenant Alberto Longhi.
February 3rd, 1942
After only two days, Lieutenant Longhi handed over command to Lieutenant Commander Loris Albanese, 34, from Giuncarico.
March 3rd, 1942
Under the command of Lieutenant Commander Loris Albanese, Corridoni set sail from Brindisi at 08.15 AM for a training patrol, returning at 04.17 PM, after having cvovered 46 miles.
April 8th, 1942
Lieutenant Commander Albanese left the command of the Corridoni, which was again taken over by his peer Cunsolo.
April 10th, 1942
Again, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Cunsolo, Corridoni made an exit from Brindisi from 08.43 AM to 9.50 AM, to conduct a test aimed at verifying the presence of leaks.
April 11th, 1942
Still under the command of C.C. Cunsolo, Corridoni made an outing at sea from Brindisi for trials from 1.30 PM to 5 PM, together with her sister ship Bragadino and with the escort of the torpedo boat Orsa and the minesweeper RD 32. The boat travelled 18.5 miles.
April 20th, 1942
Exit from Brindisi for gyrocompass tests, from 08:00 AM to 11.50 AM, under the command of C.C. Cunsolo covering 4 miles.
April 24 to June 17th, 1942
Several training patrols from Brindisi under Commander Cunsolo and Lieutenant Armando Rosso.
June 21st, 1942
Corridoni sailed from Brindisi at 08.20 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to move to Taranto.
June 22nd, 1942
The boat arrived in Taranto at 03:00 PM, after having covered 158 miles.
June 25th, 1942
Departure from Brindisi for exercise, from 03.10 PM to 05.10 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso travelling 9.5 miles.
June 1942
Following insistent requests from the German Commands, on June 21st the Grupsom Taranto received orders to use some of its units to transport aviation gasoline for the Luftwaffe. The German authorities were pressing for the use of submarines in transport missions to bring supplies close to the front lines, during the advance of Rommel’s forces which has just recaptured Tobruk and was advancing towards the Egyptian border, although the normal traffic of merchant ships was going smoothly, with very limited losses, and despite the fact that a submarine cannot carry even a tenth of what a small merchant ship can cargo. Other German agencies and commands made similar requesst, but the order remains strictly limited to aircraft gasoline only.
The Corridoni was among the submarines chosen for this service, together with her sister ship Bragadin, the minelayers Micca, Atropo and Zoea and the large and elderly Enrico Toti, Antonio Sciesa, Narvalo and Santorre Santarosa.
June 26th, 1942
Corridoni sailed from Taranto at 11.20 AM (12.30 PM for another source), under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to transport to Derna one and a half tons of food and 54 tons of gasoline in cans (for another source, 56 tons of ammunition). The British, through the interceptions of “ULTRA”, knew that the Corridoni, together with Atropo, Bragadino and Zoea, were being used to transport supplies to Derna, and that had to pass through 33°20′ N and 22°40′ E.
June 28th, 1942
At 11.30 AM a drifting mine was sighted in position 35°45′ N and 20°11′ E.
June 29th, 1942
Between 10:45 Am and 11:05 AM, about ninety miles northeast of Derna, twenty-four bombs exploded at a distance of at least 1,000 meters from the Corridoni. No noise from ship engines was detected on board, which was why it was believed that the bombs were dropped from aircraft. Zoea, sailing about fifty miles to the west, also hears explosions in the distance.
June 30th, 1942
Corridoni arrived in Derna at 08:55 PM (08:30 PM for another source).
July 3rd, 1942
Once the cargo was disembarked, the boat left Derna at 08.10 PM bound for Messina.
July 5th, 1942
At 05.30 AM, orders were received on board to remain east of the meridian 22° East until noon, but at that moment Corridoni was in position 03°26′ N and 20°34′ E, 73 miles away, and therefore unable to reach the indicated area in time.
July 7th, 1942
The boat arrived in Messina at 01.10 PM after having covered 569.5 miles. At 03.35 PM left for Trapani, escorted by the torpedo boat Giuseppe Dezza to three miles south of Stromboli.
July 8th, 1942
At 12:35 PM, two Italian steamers were sighted, heading north, escorted by a CANT Z. 501 seaplane; They appear to be under airstrike, and a tall column of smoke was visible. Corridoni arrived in Trapani at 05.13 PM, after having covered 217.7 miles.
July 13th, 1942
Exit from Trapani for exercise, from 03.35 PM to 05.12 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso. The boat traveled 13.22 miles.
July 14th, 1942
Corridoni set sail from Trapani at 01.15 PM (4.40 PM for another source), under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to transport 50 tons of aviation gasoline in cans for the Regia Aeronautica to Tripoli. It was escorted by the minesweeper RD 16, then replaced by the torpedo boat Centauro until 09.10 PM, given the worsening of the weather and sea conditions.
July 16th, 1942
After passing through the conventional point “V” (33°12′ N and 12°56′ E), at 05.30 AM Corridoni encountered a requisitioned fishing boat, sent to meet it from Tripoli, which piloted it through the minefields. The boat arrived in Tripoli at 10:52 AM (10:30 AM for another source), after having traveled 449.7 miles.
July 17th, 1942
Having disembarked the fuel, Corridoni left Tripoli at 08:00 PM (8.30 PM according to another source) to return to Trapani.
July 18th, 1942
At 3:36 PM, an Italian-made drifting mine was sighted twelve miles by 166° from the Island of Linosa.
July 19th, 1942
Corridoni arrived in Trapani at 12:00 PM(10.30 AM for another source), after having covered 844.2 miles.
July 24th, 1942
The boat left Trapani for training at 03:00 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Rosso.
July 25th, 1942
The boat returned to Trapani at 01.45 AM, after having covered 27 miles, and left at 02.45 PM to move to Messina.
July 27th, 1942
The boat arrived in Messina at 6.09 AM, after having covered 223.6 miles.
August 5th, 1942
Corridoni sailed from Messina at 06.20 PM (06.45 for another source), under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to transport 52 tons of gasoline in cans for the Italian army and 70 tons of ammunition to Derna.
August 6th, 1942
At 10:53 AM, a dive was ordered following the sighting of a British Short Sunderland seaplane. Back on the surface, at 4:10 PM, Corridoni sighted two German planes six kilometers away, with which it exchanged recognition signals.
August 8th, 1942
The boat arrived in Derna at 8.50 PM.
August 11th, 1942
After disembarking the supplies, Corridoni left Derna 0 7.30 PM to return to Italy. During the return voyage it carried out an offensive patrol off the coast of Malta.
August 14th, 1942
At midnight, it left the ambush area having only one diesel engine working. The boat sighted the Bragadin at 03:57 PM, five thousand meters away, in position 37°18′ N and 16°35′ E.
August 15th, 1942
The boat arrived in Augusta at 07:45 AM, having traveled 1,291 miles.
August 22nd, 1942
Under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, Corridoni set sail from Augusta at 09.05 PM (09.40 PM for another source), with 47.5 tons of gasoline on board to be transported to Tripoli.
August 25th, 1942
At 08.32 AM, in position 33°30′ N and 16°32′ E, a periscope was sighted at a distance of four thousand meters; A conning tower also becomes visible for a short time. However, it did not appear that there were any other submarines in the area.
August 26th, 1942
At 06:45 AM and 07:35 AM, north of Tripoli, two planes were sighted, the first German and the second Italian; Recognition signals are exchanged with both.
After a navigation characterized by malfunctions of both the gyrocompass and the magnetic compass, Corridoni arrived in Tripoli at 09.27 AM (8.40 AM for another source).
August 30th, 1942
The boat left Tripoli at 02:29 PM, bound for Taranto. At 4:10 PM, north of Tripoli, the torpedo boat General Antonino Cascino and a steamer she was escorting were sighted.
August 3st1, 1942
North of Tripoli, Corridoni saw stray mines several times: at 8:13 AM, 8:46 AM, 8:54 AM, 12:42 PM and 02:45 PM.
September 2nd, 1942
The boat arrived in Taranto at 04.40 PM (03.30 PM for another source), after having covered 1,260 miles.
November 20th, 1942
At 03:15 PM (03:23 PM according to another source) Corridoni, under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, sailed from Taranto to transport 55 tons of supplies and gasoline in cans to Tripoli.
November 21st, 1942
At 08.50PM a drifting mine was sighted, in position 36°06′ N and 18°30′ E.
November 24th, 1942
At 02.15 AM, in position 33°02′ N and 14°16′ E, a Santarosa-class submarine was sighted at only 600-700 meters; recognition signals are exchanged, from which it was learned that it was Ciro Menotti. At 12.55 PM (09.20 AM for another source) Corridoni reached Tripoli.
November 25th, 1942
The boat left Tripoli at 02:30 PM (01:00 PM according to another source) to return to Italy.
November 26th, 1942
At 11:09 AM an aircraft approached the submarine in position 33°02′ N and 14°16′ E. Since it was not possible to identify it, at 11.18 AM it was decided as a precaution to dive. At 11:22 AM, explosions were heard nearby.
November 29th, 1942
At 03:00 PM (04.35 PM for another source) Corridoni arrived in Tranto, after having covered 567.3 miles.
December 18th, 1942
The boat set sail from Taranto at 01:15 PM (2:40 PM according to another source), under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to transport 22 tons of ammunition to Buerat el Hsum (another source speaks of 46 tons of gasoline in cans, three tons of lubricating oil and two tons of food). Later the destination was changed to Tripoli.
December 19th, 1942
Corridoni received orders to search for the survivors of a German plane shot down in position 36°00′ N and 16°20′ E. Arriving on the scene at 08.37 PM, he found no one due to poor visibility.
December 22nd, 1942
The boat arrived in Tripoli at 01.05 PM (12.45 PM for another source).
December 23rd, 1942
The boat left Tripoli at 02:00 PM (01:00 PM according to another source) bound for Taranto.
December 27th, 1942
The boat arrived in Taranto at 05.15 PM (04.30 PM for another source), after having covered 1,304.4 miles without major events.
January 17th, 1943
Corridoni set sail from Taranto at 11:00 AM under the command of Lieutenant Armando Rosso, to transport 18 tons of ammunition and 41 tons of other supplies to Tripoli. This was one of the very last supply missions to the Libyan capital, which will fall into British hand a few days later.
January 20th, 1943
At 5.45 AM, when it was in position 33°48′ N and 16°04′ E, Corridoni received orders to head towards conventional point no. 4.
January 21st, 1943
At 12.30 PM, as the British Eighth Army was now at the gates of Tripoli, Corridoni received orders to head for Zuara instead. At 8:22 PM, another change of plans: order to return to base.
January 23rd, 1943
On the very day that Tripoli was occupied by Montgomery’s army, Corridoni arrived in Augusta at 4:50 AM, after having traveled 990.7 miles, still carrying the supplies it had not been able to deliver.
March 8th, 1943
Under the command of Lieutenant Rosso, Corridoni left Augusta at 5.30 PM, bound for Trapani.
March 9th, 1943
At 2.04 AM, off the coast of Cava d’Aliga on the Sicilian coast, Corridoni unknowingly passes just 450 meters forward of the British submarine H.M.S. United (Lieutenant John Charles Young Roxburgh), which, however, did not attack it because it was in charge of recovering a dinghy with two British officers sent the previous day to carry out a reconnaissance of one of the beaches chosen for the landings of Operation Husky, the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily that would take place four months later. Roxburgh had in fact received express orders to refrain from any offensive action during the recovery of the squad sent on reconnaissance.
March 10th, 1943
The boat arrived in Trapani at 9.31 AM and embarked supplies for the garrison of Lampedusa.
Corridoni in Lampedusa protected by a mimetic net
March 12th, 1943
The boat sets sail from Trapani at 05:00 PM bound for Lampedusa.
March 14th, 1943
At 01:02 AM, at position 35°31′ N and 12°45′ E, a small unit, possibly a MAS, was sighted in poor visibility. Unable to identify it with certainty, Corridoni moved away. At 6.50 PM the submarine reached Lampedusa and disembarked the supplies, without being harassed by several planes that were sighted in the meantime.
March 16th, 1943
The boat left Lampedusa at 3.10 AM, bound for Augusta.
March 17th, 1943
At 12.55 Am a salvo of bombs fell into the sea in position 36°45′ N and 16°00′ E, about two hundred meters from Corridoni. No planes were sighted, but the hydrophones pick up noise from ships’ machines. Other bombs fell at 01:38 PM, but farther away, between 1,000 and 2,000 meters.
March 18th, 1943
The boat arrived in Augusta at 02:46 AM, having traveled 780 miles.
March 29th, 1943
The boat set sail from Augusta at 06.16 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Rosso, for another transport mission to Lampedusa. It carried 55 tons of urgent supplies on board.
At 11.25 PM, in position 37°08′ N and 15°52′ E, an enemy submarine was sighted, with a course of 110° and a speed of 10 knots. When distance dropped to only 500 meters, since the angle of Corridoni was too sharp to launch the torpedoes with a reasonable probability of success, Commander Rosso decides to move away and dove for safety at a depth of 40 meters.
The enemy submarine was almost certainly the British H.M.S. Unison (Lieutenant Anthony Robert Daniell), sailing back to Malta at the end of a patrol.
April 1st, 1943
Corridoni arrived in Lampedusa at 9.13pm.
April 4th, 1943
The boat left Lampedusa at 00.30 AM to return to Augusta.
April 7th, 1943
The boat arrived in Augusta at 02:38 AM, having covered 701 miles.
April 8th, 1943
The boat left Augusta at 07:46 PM, still under the command of T.V. Rosso, to move to Naples.
April 10th, 1943
The boat arrived in Naples at 12.10 PM, after having covered 295 miles.
May 25th, through 14 July 14th, 1943
Under repairs in Naples, under the command – exclusively for this period – of the second lieutenant Plinio Pagni, 28 years old, from Livorno. During these works, some modifications were made to the hull, the most conspicuous of which was the elimination of the “nose” at the bow.
At the end of the works, Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, 28 years old, from Udine, took command: he was the last commander of Corridoni in wartime, as well as the one who held command for the longest time, until September 14th, 1945.
July 14th, 1943
Under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, Corridoni left Naples for training at 09:00 AM, returning four hours later, after having covered 25.5 miles.
July 16th, 1943
Another trip from Naples for exercise, from 08.30 AM to 04.15 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini. The boat traveled 30.8 miles.
July 17th, 1943
The boat left Naples at 06.45 PM, under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, to move to Pozzuoli, where he arrived at 08.30 PM after having travelled 12 miles.
July 22nd, 1943
Departure from Pozzuoli for training, from 09.15 AM to 11.20 AM, under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini. The boat traveled 13.2 miles.
July 23rd, 1943
Another exit from Pozzuoli for tranining, from 04.45 AM to 02:00 PM, again under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini. The boat traveled 20.3 miles.
July 24th, 1943
The boat left Pozzuoli at 03.45 AM, under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, to move to La Maddalena (Sardinia).
July 25th, 1943
Corridoni arrived in La Maddalena at 08.45 AM, after having covered 223.8 miles.
July 28th, 1943
The boat left La Maddalena at 09.57 AM to move to Cala Villamarina, where it arrived at 10.55 AM, after having covered 4.2 miles.
July 31st, 1943
The boat left Cala Villamarina at 09.57 AM for Porto Palma, where he arrived at 10.55 AM, after covering three miles.
August 1st, 1943
Departure from Porto Palma for training, from 08:00 AM to 12.45 PM, travelling 25 miles. miles.
August 5th, 1943
The boat left Porto Palma at 11.05 AM to move to Mezzo Schifo, where it arrived at 11.50 AM, after covering 5 miles.
August 6th, 1943
The boat left Mezzo Schifo at 06.20 PM to return to Porto Palma, where he arrived at 7.08 PM
August 7th, 1943
The boat departed Porto Palma at 08.30 AM to return to Mezzo Schifo, where he arrived an hour later, having covered 6 miles.
August 8th, 1943
Corridoni left Mezzo Schifo again, at 08.25 AM, to return to Porto Palma, arriving there at 9.12 AM
August 13th, 1943
Departure from Porto Palma for training, from 08.50 AM to 11.35 AM, travelling 17 miles.
August 20th, 1943
Departure from Porto Palma for exercise, from 09:00 AM to 11.35 AM travelling 13 miles.
August 29th, 1943
The boat set sail from Porto Palma at 08.15 AM to transfer to La Maddalena, where he arrived at 09:00 AM, after covering four miles.
September 7th, 1943
The boat left La Maddalena at 08.15 AM to return to Porto Palma, where he arrived at 09:00 AM. Here, on the evening of September 8th, Corridoni was surprised by the proclamation of the armistice of Cassibile.
September 9th, 1943
Following the announcement of the armistice between Italy and the Allies, Corridoni, still under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, left Porto Palma at 01.35 PM, heading south (according to another source, towards La Spezia).
September 10th, 1943
At 1:05 AM, Corridoni was sighted in position 42°45′ N and 09°54′ E (twenty miles east of Bastia) by the Dutch submarine Dolfijn (Lieutenant Commander Henri Max Louis Frédéric Emile van Oostrom Soede). The Dutch boat sighted the Italian unit forward on a northerly course and noticed that its navigation lights were turned off and did not seem to comply with the instructions issued by radio by the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean following the armistice.
Approaching the Corridoni, however, the Dolfijn men note that it did not seem to undertake hostile maneuvers, and that the silhouette was not that of a German U-boat. They tried unsuccessfully to call the Italian submarine, until van Oostrom Soede decided to ram him to the extreme stern, in order to disable the stern rudders, preventing him from diving and thus allowing an inspection squadron to be sent on board.
This was done, keeping the cannon and torpedoes ready to fire, and a group of Dutch sailors ready to board the Corridoni. Commander Asquini was invited aboard the Dutch unit to confer with his former enemy. Here he explains that he had not received the news of the armistice due to the malfunction of the radio, and that he had fled from La Maddalena the previous morning because the Germans were occupying that base. Having learned that the Italian submarine was running out of lubricating oil (for another source, fuel) and was therefore unable to reach Bona, as well as being unable to dive because the hasty departure has prevented the completion of some repair work in progress at La Maddalena, the Dutchman lets it continue to Portoferraio (according to a source Asquini suggested going to Portoferrario and van Oostrom Soede would have authorized him to do so later having contacted the command of the 8th Submarine Flotilla via radio to ask for orders, which arrived after a few hours and then passed to Corridoni; according to another source, it was the commander of the Dolfijn who told Asquini to head for Portoferraio to refuel and then to Bona), where he arrived at 11.40 AM, after having covered 204 miles.
In fact, all the torpedo boats and submarines coming from the ports of the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea converged in Portoferraio: in addition to the Corridoni, the torpedo boats Impavido and Indomito (the first of which had on board the admirals Aimone of Savoia-Aosta and Amedeo Nomis of Pollone, respectively inspector general of the MAS and superior commander of the torpedo boats) from Lerici, Ardente and Animoso from Genoa, Ariete, Antonio Mosto and Ardimentoso from La Spezia, Fortunale, Calliope and Nicola Fabrizi from Pozzuoli, Aliseo, Ardito and Giacinto Carini from Bastia and the corvettes Ape (already present in Portoferraio when the armistice was announced), Coot (from La Spezia), Cormorano (from Bastia), Danaide and Minerva (from La Maddalena), as well as the submarines Axum (from Gaeta), H 1, H 2 and H 4 (all from Ajaccio), the motor torpedo boat MS 55 (from Gaeta), the MAS 544 (from La Spezia) and 551 (from Lerici), two gunboats (from La Spezia and Genoa), the military tugboat Porto Palo (from La Spezia), the auxiliary cruiser Filippo Grimani and a dozen anti-submarine lookouts from La Spezia. Admiral Nomis di Pollone, by order of Supermarina, takes command of this heterogeneous flotilla, called the Torpedo Division.
From Portoferraio the flotilla continued southwards, with the exception of Ardito (unable to continue due to the damage suffered in a German attack on Bastia), Impavido (immobilized by a breakdown), Grimani, the two MAS (also immobilized by breakdowns), Porto Palo and some VAS.
September 11th, 1943
At 09.40 AM Corridoni left Portoferraio to reach Palermo, under American control.
September 13th, 1943
The boat arrived in Palermo at 07.15 AM, after covering 251.5 miles. Here the Italian ships coming from the Island of Elba stop for a few days, resulting in a significant inconvenience for the local US commands. The commander of the local US Navy base, Captain Leonard Doughty, announced to his superiors the arrival of the flotilla of Nomis di Pollone, sarcastically paraphrasing the message sent earlier by Admiral Andrew Browne Cunningham (Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy and Commander-in-Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet) regarding the arrival in Malta of the Italian battle fleet following the armistice (“I AM pleased to inform their Lordships that the Italian fleet was at anchor under the guns of the fortress of Malta“): “I AM pleased to inform their Lordships that Palermo was under the guns of an Italian fleet.”
Corridoni is Malta (the first boat from the left)
Admiral Cunningham has already decided to use Italian torpedo boats to escort Allied convoys in the Mediterranean, in order to free up an equal number of Anglo-American torpedo boats for other uses. However, having not yet agreed on such collaboration with Admiral Raffaele De Courten (Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy) and not being entirely certain of the feasibility of such an agreement with the former enemy, he decided for the moment to transfer the ships of Nomis di Pollone to Malta (where he had already merged, on the basis of the armistice provisions, the bulk of the Italian fleet), where it could, in the worst case, take possession of them by force if it was not possible to reach an agreement for their use.
After meeting the two Italian admirals on board Aliseo, Captain Doughty and two of his subordinates organized the supply of the Italian ships with supplies and medicines, in order to allow them to continue to Malta.
September 19th, 1943
Corridoni left Palermo at 09.47 AM to move to Malta, together with the submarines Axum, Nichelio, H 1, H 2 and H 4, as well as the torpedo boats Antonio Mosto, Aliseo, Animoso, Ardimentoso, Ariete, Indomito, Fortunale and Calliope, the corvettes Minerva, Danaide, Gabbiano, Ape and Cormorano, the auxiliary submarine destroyer AS 121 Regina Elena, the motor torpedo boats MS 35, MS 55 and MS 64 and the anti-submarine lookouts VAS 201, VAS 204, VAS 224, VAS 233, VAS 237, VAS 240, VAS 241, VAS 246 and VAS 248.
September 20th, 1943
The boat arrived in Malta at 06.54 PM, after having covered 280 miles, mooring at the anchorage of Fort Maddalena.
September 22nd, 1943
The Italian submarines in Malta, previously scattered in the various moorings of the island, were grouped into two groups, one concentrated in Marsa Scirocco and the other in St. Paul’s Bay.
Leaving Fort Maddalena at 02:32 PM, Corridoni moved to St. Paul’s Bay, 8 miles away, where it arrived at 03:54 PM (According to another source, Corridoni was assigned to the Marsa Scirocco group, together with Atropo, Axum, Bandiera, Bragadin, Giada, Marea, Nichelio, Settembrini and Vortice, under the “dependence” of the battleship Giulio Cesare).
October 3rd, 1943
The boat left St. Paul’s Bay, at 12:30 PM, and moved on to Marsa Muscetto, where he arrived at 03:00 PM, after traveling 13 miles.
October 16th, 1943
Following Italy’s declaration of war on Germany, Corridoni (still under the command of Lieutenant Asquini) left Malta at 08.45 AM to move to Haifa, together with the submarines Atropo, Zoea and Ciro Menotti; The four units are to be used from the Palestinian base to supply the garrison on the island of Leros, which was besieged and incessantly bombarded by German forces, as well as to evacuate the wounded. Their estimated carrying capacity was 70 tons of ammunition or 40 tons of food.
The refueling of Leros takes place under particularly difficult conditions: German air supremacy was such that the units carrying supplies could only move at night, and they had to ensure that they were outside the Luftwaffe’s range by dawn. Unable to use merchant ships, everything had to be transported by destroyers, caiques, smaller vessels, but these can only carry limited quantities of supplies. Several units fall victim to German air strikes. Not even an airlift was conceivable, as few transport aircraft were available. In view of the situation, submarines therefore seem to be the most appropriate means of transporting supplies to Leros in conditions of reasonable safety. In addition to the Italian boats, the British submarines H.M.S. Severn and H.M.S. Rorqual were also used to supply Leros. The use of the six submarines to supply Leros was authorized during a meeting of the Commanders-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Middle East, in the presence of the First Sea Lord and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. The request to the Command of the Regia Marina to make submarines available for transport missions was made by the Allies on October 13th, the day of the Italian declaration of war on Germany.
Regarding the use of submarines to supply Leros, the official history of the USMM writes: “It was then decided by the Allies to use submarines using two British submarines and some Italians who would establish their base in Haifa. (…) An English Commander (E. H. B. Baker), who had the functions of the higher rank and who resided at Leros in the position of S. N. O. (Senior Naval Officer), made the arrangements and gave the preparations for the docking of the units in locations that were from time to time and often suddenly changed, according to the precautions that were taken according to the light conditions, and the need to evade possible informants. The landing operations had to be carried out as quickly as possible, in a very short time, and it was the task of our naval base to have the necessary organization ready on the spot. (…) The actual contribution of submarine delivered supplies were of course not of great importance, given their natural poor carrying capacity. They brought ammunition, gasoline, various materials, and even Bofors guns on deck. On the other hand, the moral contribution that the nocturnal visits of the submarines gave the defenders of Leros satisfaction and prestige for the Italian military activity. In fact, it was carried out without any particular British control (except for a representative of the Allies for the communications service), despite the fact that the submarines were in full war asset and ready to fight during the crossing, which was, for the most part, carried out with covert navigation.” Unloading operations had to be carried out at night, because it was only in the dark that the Luftwaffe suspended its continuous air attacks.
October 21st, 1943
Corridoni arrived in Haifa at 10:10 AM, after traveling 1,084 miles. The Italian Higher Naval Command of the Levant (Maricosulev Haifa) was established in the Palestinian base, with a Submarine Group of the Levant (Grupsom Levante), under the command of Commander Carlo Liannazza; the Group’s submarines are under the command of the Royal Navy’s 1st Submarine Flotilla. Their operations are coordinated with the Senior Submarine Officer Levant Area, Haifa, which issues the operation orders for individual missions. Beginning October 26, the four Italian submarines would depart Haifa at regular intervals, carrying 45 tons of supplies on each trip. All trips ended happily.
October 26th, 1943
Still under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, Corridoni sailed from Haifa at 00.30 Am to transport supplies to Leros.
October 28th, 1943
A crash dive was ordered following the sighting, at 11.25 PM (in the Kasos Channel), of a small escort ship with a 140° course and a speed of 10 knots.
October 30th, 1943
The boat arrived in Portolago (Leros) at 01:00 AM and left at 6:30 AM, after disembarking the materials and embarking five men of the Royal Air Force bound for Haifa.
November 1st, 1943
At 07:18 AM, three British destroyers were sighted, with which recognition signals were exchanged.
November 2nd, 1943
Corridoni arrived in Haifa at 10:20 PM, having traveled 1,229.5 miles.
November 30th, 1943
After the fall of Leros, at 03.30 PM Corridoni, still under the command of Lieutenant Giandaniele Asquini, left Haifa to begin the return journey to Italy, to be carried out in several stages, together with the Bragadin and the support ship Lazzaro Mocenigo, with the escort of the destroyers Grecale and Nicoloso Da Recco (another source speaks of the Grecale alone).
December 2nd, 1943
Corridoni arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, the first intermediate stopover, at 03.30 pm, after having covered 357 miles.
December 6th, 1943
The boat left Alessandria at 09:00 AM (according to another source, however, at 4.30 PM), together with the Bragadin, now in tow of the Mocenigo due to serious breakdowns (according to another source it was in tow since the departure from Haifa, for the same reason), and with the escort of Grecale and Da Recco.
December 8th, 1943
Following the breakage of the tow cable and a failure of the Bragadin’s rudder, which occurred off the coast of Tobruk, the formation was diverted to that port, where it arrived at 11.40 AM (according to another source, at 03.30 PM).
December 9th, 1943
The boat left Tobruk at 11.02 AM to finally return to Italy.
December 14th, 1943
The boat arrived in Taranto at 11.40 AM, after having covered a total of 1,161.5 miles from the departure from Alessandria. This was followed by a period of work in Taranto.
February 9th, 1944
Once the work was completed, Corridoni set sail from Taranto at 08.06 AM for sea trials, carried out once again under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, returning to port at 02:02 PM, after covering 27 miles.
February 13th, 1944
The Corridoni was damaged as it exited drydock, which forced it to re-enter it for the necessary repairs.
February 17th and 19th, 1944
The boat departed from Taranto for sea trials.
March 29th, 1944
The boat left Taranto at 02.45 PM to move to Augusta, under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, sailing with the submarine Giada (Lieutenant Mario Barazzuoli).
March 31st, 1944
The boat arrived in Augusta at eleven o’clock, after having covered 255 miles.
April 1st, 1944
The boat left Augusta at 05:46 AM, bound for Suez, under the command of Lieutenant Asquini. It sailed together with the submarine Giada and the British convoy KMS 45. Corridoni moved to the Red Sea where it was employed in anti-submarine exercises with units of the Royal Navy, receiving the temporary identification number N 55 from the British.
April 6th, 1944
Corridoni arrived in Suez at 06:45 PM, after having travelled 1,137 miles.
April 8th, 1944
The boat left Suez at 04.20 PM bound for Massawa.
April 13th, 1944
The boat arrived in Massawa at 06:08 PM, having covered 984.5 miles.
April 24th, 1944
The boat left Massawa at o9:10 AM bound for Aden, where it arrived at0 2:10 PM, after having travelled 444.5 miles.
May 7th through October 28th, 1944
Corridoni completed many short training sorties from Aden, under the command of Lieutenant Asquini.
November 15th, 1944
Still under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, Corridoni left Aden at 09.24 AM to move to Massawa. Until 05.35 AM on the 17th, he was escorted by the gunboat H.M.S. Biglieri, formerly Italian Giuseppe Biglieri, which had been scuttled at Massawa after the fall of that port into British hands, three and a half years earlier and was subsequently recovered and put back into service by the British.
November 17th, 1944
Corridoni arrived in Massawa at 05:20 PM, having covered 429.5 miles.
January 8th, 1945
The boat departed Massawa for sea trials, from 09:00 AM to 12.55PM travelling 24 miles.
January 14th, 1945
The boat left Massawa at 08.05 AM, under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, to move to Aden.
January 16th, 1945
The boat arrived in Aden at0 5:46 PM, having covered 427 miles.
January 25th through February 1st, 1945
Corridoni left Aden several times for exercise, under the command of Lieutenant Asquini.
May 7st, 1945
With the war in Europe ending, Corridoni, still under the command of Lieutenant Asquini, left Aden at 05.45 PM to begin its return journey to Italy.
May 14th, 1945
Corridoni arrived in Suez at 06:10 PM, having traveled 1,330.2 miles.
May 15th, 1945
The boat left Suez at 06:25 AM for Port Said, where it arrived at 06:05 PM after traveling 86 miles.
May 16th, 1945
Corridoni left Port Said at 03.15 PM bound for Taranto.
May 22nd, 1945
The boat arrived in Taranto at 09.15 AM, after having covered 1,002 miles. Corridoni’s war was over, and in fact so was its operational life; it remained inactive in Taranto until it was decommissioned.
Corridoni in Taranto in 1947 awaiting demolition
February 1s, 1948
The boat was removed from the roster of the navy in accordance with the provisions of the peace treaty. And later demolished.
Original Italian text by Lorenzo Colombo adapted and translated by Cristiano D’Adamo
Operational Records
| Type | Patrols (Med.) | Patrols (Other) | NM Surface | NM Sub. | Days at Sea | NM/Day | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submarine – Minelaying | 30 | 20960 | 2172 | 154 | 150.21 | 6.26 |