Italian naval units in World War II

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list of Italian naval units in World War II is not complete, but it is gradually being improved.

Flag of the Regia Marina with the coat of arms of the former royal house of Savoy
Naval war flag of the cruiser Duca degli Abruzzi , kept in Vittoriano in Rome .

organization

In 1940 the “Royal Italian Navy” ( Regia Marina ) was divided into three large “ High Sea Squadrons ” ( Squadra navale , sometimes referred to as fleets ), which were further divided into divisions and squadrons . In addition, there were coastal and regional commands in La Spezia , Naples , Taranto , Venice , Libya , the Dodecanese and East Africa.

glossary

The names of the individual warships and submarines are used here without the prefixes RN ( Regia Nave - "Royal Ship") or R.Smg, which were used at the Regia Marina until 1946 . ( Regio Sommergibile - "Royal U-Boat"), as no official regulation is known about the use of this. These prefixes are also rarely used in the Italian specialist literature.

Smaller units and vessels are usually not taken into account or only given numbers (see also the list of ship classes of the Italian Navy ).

The following "fleet commands" stand for the following Italian designations:

  • "Taranto Fleet Command": 1ª Squadra Navale
  • "Fleet Command La Spezia": 2ª Squadra Navale
  • “La Spezia Submarine Command”: Squadra Navale Sommergibili

Naval battles

The following associations fought, among others, the following naval battles and battles during the Second World War :

Taranto Fleet Command

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Inigo Campioni in 1940 . The flagship was the Giulio Cesare .

5th Battleship Division

The 5th battleship division with its assigned escort units was subordinate to Admiral Bruno Brivonesi in 1940.

  • Giulio Cesare (flagship, Admiral Campioni) (Punta Stilo, Teulada, Syrte)
  • Conte di Cavour (flagship 5th Division, Admiral Brivonesi) (Punta Stilo; badly damaged on November 11, 1940 in Taranto, sunk by British aerial bombs on February 17, 1945 in Trieste)
  • Andrea Doria (Syrte, convoys)
  • Caio Duilio (badly damaged in Taranto on November 11, 1940)
  • 7th destroyer squadron
    • Freccia (command ship of the squadron) (sunk on August 8, 1943 in Genoa by Allied aerial bombs)
    • Dardo ( destroyed by aerial bombs on October 25, 1944 as German TA 31 in Genoa)
    • Saetta (sunk by mine near Bizerta on February 3, 1943)
    • Strale (sunk on June 13, 1940 submarine HMS Odin off Taranto; aground on June 21, 1942 near Ras el Ahmar after an accident, total loss)
  • 8th Destroyer Squadron ( Folgore-class ships )
    • Folgore (lead ship) (sunk by Force Q on December 2, 1942 off Sicily)
    • Fulmine (sunk on November 9, 1941 with an Africa convoy)
    • Baleno (sunk by 4 British destroyers in an Africa convoy on April 16, 1941)
    • Lampo (badly damaged on April 16, 1941; sunk by Allied aircraft on April 30, 1943 near Cap Bon)

9th Battleship Division

The 9th Battleship Division with its assigned units was under Admiral Carlo Bergamini in 1940 .

  • Littorio (Flagship 9th Division) (Syrte 1941 and 1942, Operations Vigorous and Harpoon)
  • Vittorio Veneto (Teulada, Matapan)
  • 14th Destroyer Squadron ( Navigatori-class ships )
    • Ugolino Vivaldi (lead ship) (rams and sunk submarine HMS Oswald near Messina on August 1, 1940 ; sunk by German forces on September 9, 1943 in Bonifacio Street)
    • Antonio Da Noli (sets mine block at Cap Bon, British lose 2 destroyers; sunk at Bonifacio on September 9, 1943)
    • Leone Pancaldo (partially sunk by torpedo pilots on July 10, 1940 in Augusta, sunk by aircraft on April 30, 1943 near Cap Bon)
  • 15th Destroyer Squadron ( Navigatori-class ships )
    • Antonio Pigafetta (lead ship) (sunk on 4th May 1941 British submarine HMS Usk west of Sicily; destroyed on 17th February 1945 in Trieste by British aerial bombs)
    • Nicolò Zeno (sunk on May 4, 1941 British submarine HMS Usk west of Sicily)
    • Alvise Cadamosto (sunk by 2 cruisers and 1 destroyer off Tripoli on December 1, 1941)
    • Giovanni da Verrazzano ( sunk at Pantelleria on October 19, 1942 by the British submarine HMS Unbending )
    • Lancerotto Malocello (sunk by mine on March 24, 1943)

1st cruiser division

The 1st cruiser division , consisting of ships of the Zara class and a destroyer squadron, was under Admiral Pellegrino Matteucci in 1940.

  • Heavy cruiser Zara (flagship 1st Division) (Punta Stilo; sunk on March 28, 1941 near Cape Matapan)
  • Heavy cruiser Gorizia (Punta Stilo, Teulada, Syrte; badly damaged by US bombers on April 10, 1943 in La Maddalena, sunk by combat swimmers in La Spezia on June 22, 1944)
  • Heavy cruiser Fiume (Punta Stilo, Teulada; sunk near Cape Matapan)
  • 9th destroyer squadron
    • Vittorio Alfieri (lead ship) (sunk on March 28, 1941 near Cape Matapan)
    • Alfredo Oriani (1941 damaged near Matapan, 1942 against Vigorous and Harpoon escorts, 1943 with radar)
    • Giosuè Carducci (sunk on March 28, 1941 near Cape Matapan)
    • Vincenzo Gioberti (sunk by submarine HMS Simoom (P225) off La Spezia on August 9, 1943)

4th Cruiser Division

The 4th Cruiser Division was subordinate to Admiral Alberto Marenco di Moriondo in 1940. In addition to her cruisers, she only had one assigned destroyer.

  • Light cruiser Alberico da Barbiano of the Alberto di Giussano class (flagship 4th Division) (sunk at Cap Bon on December 13, 1941)
  • Light cruiser Alberto di Giussano of the Alberto di Giussano class (sunk at Cap Bon on December 13, 1941)
  • Light cruiser Luigi Cadorna the Cadorna class (only escort, 1951 decommissioned)
  • Cadorna class light cruiser Armando Diaz (sunk by submarine HMS Upright off Tunisia on February 25, 1941 )
    • Destroyer launches of the Soldati-class (assigned to the 12th destroyer squadron)

8th Cruiser Division

The 8th cruiser division, consisting of two cruisers of the Duca degli Abruzzi class and an escort, was under Admiral Antonio Legnani in 1940.

  • Light cruiser Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi (flagship 8th Division)
  • Light cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi (Punta Stilo, Matapan; after 43 in the Atlantic)
  • 16th destroyer squadron consisting of the following ships of the Navigatori class :
    • Nicoloso Da Recco (lead ship) (Punta Stilo, Matapan, badly damaged on December 1, 1942 during escort, several British aircraft shot down; decommissioned in 1954)
    • Antionotto Usodimare (accidentally sunk by the Italian submarine Alagi on June 8, 1942 near Cap Bon )
    • Luca Tarigo (sunk in an Africa convoy on April 16, 1941; sank the British destroyer HMS Mohawk )
    • Emanuele Pessagno (sunk on May 29, 1942 off Benghazi by the submarine HMS Turbulent )

Other units

  • Seaplane carrier Giuseppe Miraglia (used to transport personnel and material, finally barracks and workshop ship)
  • Supply ship Isonzo (sunk by U-Boat Safari near Cagliari on April 10, 1943 )
  • Supply ship Garda
  • Hospital ship Po (sunk by British aircraft off Vlore, Albania on March 14, 1941)
  • Deep sea tug Atlante (decommissioned 1968)
  • Deep sea tug Lipari (in service from 1917 to 1971)

Fleet Command La Spezia

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Riccardo Paladini in 1940. The flagship was the cruiser Pola .

  • Heavy Cruiser Pola of Zara class (not allocated to any Division) (sunk off Cape Matapan on March 28, 1941)
  • 12th destroyer squadron (directly subordinate to the fleet command) consisting of four ships of the Soldati class :
    • Carabiniere (lead ship) (40: Punta Stilo, 41: Albania, Matapan, Syrte; badly damaged by torpedo on February 16, 1942)
    • Corazziere (1941 grenades badly damaged by collision with Italian destroyer , again in 1943 in an air raid in Naples, self-sunk on September 9, 1943)
    • Ascari (sunk by mine on March 24, 1943)
    • Launch (sunk in Syrte in a heavy storm on March 23, 1942)

2nd cruiser division

The 2nd cruiser division, consisting of two ships from the Alberto di Giussano class and an assigned destroyer squadron, was under Admiral Ferdinando Casardi in 1940.

  • Light cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (flagship 2nd Division) (sunk by submarine HMS Urge north of Sicily on April 1, 1942 )
  • Light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni (sunk near Crete on July 19, 1940)
  • 10th destroyer squadron consisting of ships of the Maestrale class
    • Maestrale (lead ship) (damaged by mine on January 9, 1943, sunk in Genoa on September 9, 1943)
    • Libeccio (sunk on November 9, 1941 while rescuing castaways from Upholder submarine)
    • Grecale (damaged on November 9, 1941; support of a sabotage operation against La Spezia on June 21, 1944, against Genoa on April 19, 1945, [aircraft carrier Aquila sunk])
    • Scirocco (sunk in Syrte in a heavy storm on March 23, 1942)

3rd Cruiser Division

The 3rd cruiser division, consisting of three Trento-class ships and a destroyer squadron, was subordinate to Admiral Carlo Cattaneo in 1940.

  • Heavy cruiser Trento (flagship 3rd Division) (damaged on June 12, 1942, sunk by submarine HMS Umbra on the 15th )
  • Heavy cruiser Trieste (sunk by US bombers on April 10, 1943 in La Maddalena)
  • Heavy cruiser Bolzano ( badly damaged by submarine HMS Unbroken on August 10, 1942 , sunk by combat swimmers on June 22, 1944 in La Spezia)
  • 11th destroyer squadron consisting of four Soldati-class ships
    • Artigliere (sunk on October 12, 1940 by the British cruiser HMS York southeast of Sicily) (lead ship)
    • Camicia Nera (October 12, 1940: night battle at Cape Passero)
    • Aviere (October 12, 1940: night battle at Cape Passero, sunk by the submarine HMS Splendid on December 17, 1942 )
    • Geniere (October 12, 1940: Night battle at Cape Passero)

7th Cruiser Division

The 7th Cruiser Division was led by Admiral Luigi Sansonetti in 1940. In the course of the war, she carried out numerous mine-laying operations.

From the Duca d'Aosta class :

  • Light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia (flagship 7th Division) (1940 Punta Stilo, 1942 against Harpoon and Pedestal convoys)
  • Light cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta (1940 Punta Stilo, 1941 Syrte, 1942 against vigorous convoy, escort, mine layers)

From the Montecuccoli class :

  • Light cruiser Muzio Attendolo ( badly damaged by submarine HMS Unbroken on August 10, 1942 , sunk in Naples on December 4, 1942)
  • Light cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli (1940 Punta Stilo, 1941 Syrte, 1942 against convoys of Vigorous, Harpoon and Pedestal; 1949 to 1964 training ship)
  • 13th destroyer squadron, consisting of four Soldati-class ships
    • Grenatiere (lead ship) (badly damaged in an air raid in Palermo in 1943)
    • Fuciliere (equipped with Italian radar EC 3 / ter Gufo in 1943, rescues Roma survivors on September 9, 1943 )
    • Bersagliere (40: Punta Stilo, 41: Matapan, Syrte; sunk by aerial bombs in Palermo on January 7, 1943)
    • Alpino (sunk by RAF aircraft in the port of La Spezia on March 19, 1943)

Other units

  • Bombardiere (sunk on January 17th, 1943 by British submarine HMS United west of Sicily)
  • Workshop ship Quarnaro (sunk in Gaeta on September 20, 1943)
  • Supply ship Volturno
  • Supply ship Istria
  • Supply ship Flegtone
  • Supply ship Mincio
  • Tanker Cocito
  • Tugboat Ercole
  • Tugboat Portoferraio

Submarine command

In 1940, the submarine forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Mario Falangola. The headquarters were in La Spezia . From June 1940 to September 1943 172 boats were used, 128 of which were lost. The older, larger Italian submarines proved to be difficult to maneuver and in many cases had too bulky or extensive superstructures. T. were only used as reconnaissance or transport boats. Later boat types and improvements in older boats led to better results from 1941 onwards. During the Second World War, Italian submarines sank 132 merchant ships (665,317 GRT) and 18 warships (28,950 ts). Up to 32 boats also operated from Bordeaux in the Atlantic ( BETASOM ).

1st group, La Spezia

  • 11th Squadron
    • Calvi from the Calvi class (Atlantic, 6 merchant ships sunk [34,193 GRT]; sunk by HMS Lulworth near the Azores on July 14, 1942 )
    • Finzi from the Calvi class (Atlantic, 5 merchant ships sunk [30,760 GRT]; 43-44 Le Verdon)
    • Tazzoli (Atlantic, 18 merchant ships sunk [96,650 GRT]; sunk in the Bay of Biscay on May 18, 1943)
    • Fieramosca (Atlantic, Italy; unusable due to accident)
    • Malaspina from the Marconi class (Atlantic, 3 merchant ships sunk [16,383 GRT]; sunk by Sunderland flying boat in the Bay of Biscay on September 10, 1941)
  • 12th Squadron
    • Cappellini from the Marcello class (Atlantic, 5 merchant ships sunk [31,648 GRT]; transport boat, Japan)
    • Faà di Bruno from the Marcello class (Atlantic; sunk by HMS Havelock off Scotland on November 8, 1940 )
    • Mocenigo from the Marcello class (2 merchant ships sunk [2,771 GRT], torpedoed on December 14, 1942, British cruiser HMS Argonaut ; sunk by US aircraft on May 13, 1943 in Cagliari)
    • Veniero from the Marcello class (Atlantic, 2 merchant ships sunk [4,993 GRT]; sunk near Sardinia on June 7, 1942)
    • Glauco (Atlantic, damaged near Gibraltar on June 27, 1941, decommissioned)
    • Otaria (Atlantic, sunk on May 20, 1941 merchant ship Starcross [4,662 GRT])
  • 13th Squadron
    • Berillo ( sunk north of Sidi Barrani on October 2, 1940 by the British destroyers HMS Havock and HMS Hasty )
    • Onice (decommissioned in 1947)
    • Gemma (sunk on October 8, 1940 near Crete by the Italian submarine Tricheco )
  • 14th Squadron
    • Iride ( sunk by Swordfish on HMS Eagle on August 22, 1940 )
    • Argo (Atlantic; 3 merchant ships sunk, HMCS Saguenay badly damaged [20,927 GRT]; sunk in Monfalcone on September 10, 1943)
    • Velella (sunk by British submarine HMS Shakespeare off Salerno on September 7, 1943 )
  • 15th Squadron
    • Gondar from Adua class (special operations; September 30, 1940 by HMAS Stuart sunk at Alexandria)
    • Neghelli from the Adua class (torpedoed on December 13, 1940, British cruiser HMS Coventry ; torpedoed on January 19, 1941, British merchant ship; sunk by HMS Greyhound near Piraeus on January 19, 1941 )
    • Ascianghi from the Adua class (sunk on September 21, 1941 Polish Antar off Palestine [389 GRT]; 1943: HMS Newfoundland damaged; sunk by HMS Laforey and HMS Eclipse )
    • Scirè (Mediterranean, 2 merchant ships sunk [3,502 GRT]; special operations, sunk off Haifa on August 10, 1942)
  • 16th Squadron
    • Micca (minelayer; sunk by submarine HMS Trooper off Apulia on July 29, 1943 )
    • Foca (sunk on October 15, 1940 during a mine-laying operation off Haifa)
  • 17th Squadron
    • H1, H2, H4, H6, H8 (H8 sunk by RAF in La Spezia on July 5, 1943) (boats of older types, mainly used for reconnaissance purposes)

2nd group, Naples

  • 21st squadron with four Marcello-class submarines
    • Marcello (Atlantic; sunk on January 20, 1941 Belgian merchant ship Portugal [1,550 GRT]; sunk by HMS Montgomery in the North Atlantic on February 22, 1941 )
    • Nani (Atlantic, 2 merchant ships sunk [1,939 GRT]; sunk by HMS Anemone on January 7, 1941 near Iceland during the attack on convoy HX.99 )
    • Dandolo (attacked the French unit on June 13, 1940, missed Jean de Vienne , sunk 3 merchant ships, 2 damaged [13,154 GRT]; torpedoed and damaged on July 16, 1943 off Sicily, British cruiser HMS Cleopatra heavy)
    • Provana (attacked French Kovoi IR.2F near Oran on June 17, 1940, rammed and sunk by Aviso La Curieuse )
  • 22nd Squadron with the following Marcello-class submarines
    • Barbarigo (Atlantic, 7 merchant ships sunk, 2 damaged [39,299 GRT]; transport boat, sunk on June 19, 1943 in the Bay of Biscay)
    • Emo (Atlantic, 2 merchant ships sunk [10,958 GRT]; sunk in the Mediterranean on November 10, 1942)
    • Morosini (Atlantic, 6 merchant ships sunk [40,927 GRT]; sunk in the Bay of Biscay on August 11, 1942)

such as

3rd group, Messina

  • 31st Squadron
    • Pisani (used for training purposes only, decommissioned 1947)
    • Colonna (decommissioned June 1, 1942)
    • Bausan (decommissioned May 18, 1942)
    • Des Geneys (decommissioned May 28, 1943)
  • 33rd Squadron (training, test and transport missions)
    • Fratelli Bandiera (used for educational purposes, decommissioned in 1948)
    • Manara (from 1942 training boat, decommissioned 1948)
    • Menotti (reconnaissance, transport and training boat, decommissioned in 1948)
    • Santarosa (ran aground near Tripoli on January 20, 1943)
  • 34th Squadron
    • Mameli (sunk a merchant ship on August 1, 1940 near Crete)
    • Capponi (sunk on June 22, 1940 Swedish freighter "Elgö" [1,888 GRT] north of Sfax)
    • Speri (used for educational purposes)
    • Because Procida (used for training and testing purposes)
  • 35th Squadron with three Adua-class submarines
    • Durbo ( sunk near Gibraltar on October 18, 1940 by British destroyers HMS Firedrake and HMS Wrestler )
    • Tembien (sunk by British cruiser HMS Hermione near Tunis on August 2, 1941 )
    • Beilul (sunk in the port of Monfalcone on May 25, 1944)
  • 37th Squadron
    • X2, X3 (older type of minelayer)

4th group, Taranto

  • 40th Squadron with four Balilla-class submarines
    • Balilla (decommissioned April 28, 1941 and used as a tank)
    • Sciesa (sunk by US bombers in Tobruk on November 6, 1942)
    • Toti (sunk on October 15, 1940 off the Calabria submarine HMS Triad , later a transporter, decommissioned on April 2, 1943)
    • Millelire (used as a fuel depot)
  • 41st Squadron
    • Liuzzi (sunk on June 27, 1940 by HMS Dainty , HMS Defender and HMS Ilex south of Crete)
    • Bagnolini (sunk 1940 cruiser HMS Calypso ; Atlantic, sunk 2 merchant ships; sunk off Cape Town in 1943)
    • Giuliani (Atlantic, 3 merchant ships sunk [16,103 GRT]; sunk as German UIT 23 on February 14, 1944 by British submarine HMS Tally-Ho off Penang, Malaysia)
    • Tarantini (sunk on November 7, 1940 off Haifa merchant ship Beme [3,039 GRT]; sunk on December 15, 1940 in the Bay of Biscay by British submarine HMS Thunderbolt )
  • 42nd Squadron
  • 43rd Squadron
    • Settimo (damaged in an air raid on July 12, 1940, training boat in 1943)
    • Settembrini (collided with destroyer USS Frament in the mid-Atlantic on November 25, 1944 and sank )
  • 44th Squadron
  • 45th Squadron
    • Salpa (sunk on June 27, 1941 near Sollum by the submarine HMS Triumph )
    • Serpente (from 1942 training boat, sunk on September 12, 1943 off Ancona)
  • 46th Squadron with four Adua-class submarines
    • Dessiè (Mediterranean Sea, damaged on August 12, 1942, merchant ship Brisbane Star , erroneously attributed to sinking of merchant ship Deucalion [7,516 GRT])
    • Dagabur ( rammed and sunk by HMS Wolverine after the attack on HMS Furious on August 12, 1942 )
    • Uarsciek (sunk by HMS Petard and great destroyer Vasilissa Olga on December 15, 1942 )
    • Uebi Scebeli (sunk on June 29, 1940 by HMS Dainty and HMS Ilex south of Crete)
  • 47th Squadron
    • Malachite (sunk south of Sardinia by Dutch submarine Dolfijn on February 9, 1943 )
    • Rubino (sunk by RAF flying boats off Taranto on June 29, 1940)
    • Ambra (Mediterranean Sea, sunk on March 31, 1941, British cruiser HMS Bonaventure southeast of Crete, sunk on December 12, 1942, merchant ship Berto )
  • 48th Squadron
    • Ondina (Mediterranean Sea, sunk on June 20, 1941, merchant ship Refah [3,805 GRT]; sunk by British destroyers near Cyprus on July 11, 1942)
  • 49th Squadron
    • Atropo ( minelayer , then transport boat )
    • Zoea (shoots down British Bristol Blenheim in August 1941 )
    • Corridoni (transport boat )

7th group, Cagliari

  • 71st Squadron consisting of four Adua-class submarines
    • Alagi (sunk by mistake on June 8, 1942 near Cape Bon, Italian destroyer Usodimare from the Navigatori class , sunk 2 merchant ships [13,013 GRT], damaged cruiser HMS Kenya , on July 16, 1943 also HMS Cleopatra )
    • Adua (sunk on September 30, 1941 near Cartagena by the destroyers HMS Legion and HMS Gurkha )
    • Axum (sunk on August 12, 1942, cruiser HMS Cairo ; lost in an accident off Greece on December 27, 1943)
    • Aradam (destroyed on April 6, 1942 near Kelibia, British destroyer HMS Havock , which was stranded; sunk by aerial bombs in Genoa on September 5, 1944)
  • 72nd Squadron
    • Diaspro (collided with submarine Alagi on November 8, 1942 )
    • Corallo (sunk on April 28, 1942, 2 motor sailers off Tunis, another on June 7, 1942; sunk on December 13, 1942 off Algeria by Sloop HMS Enchantress )
    • Turchese (badly damaged by German aircraft on September 11, 1943)
    • Medusa (sunk by British submarine HMS Thorn on January 30, 1942 off Pula )

Other boats

The following boats were generally put into service after 1940.

  • Torelli from the Marconi class (Atlantic; 7 merchant ships sunk [42,871 GRT], inter alia on January 28, 1941 British merchant ship Urla [5,198 GRT])
  • Bianchi from the Marconi class (Atlantic; 4 merchant ships sunk [27,626 GRT], including on February 24, 1941 British freighter Huntingdon [10,646 GRT]; sunk by British submarine HMS Tigris west of Bordeaux on July 5, 1941 )
  • Platino (sunk January 30, 1943 Corvette HMS Samphire )
  • Bronzo (sunk on December 8, 1942, merchant ship Empire Hope [12,688 GRT]; seized off Syracuse on July 12, 1943)
  • Baracca (Atlantic, 2 merchant ships sunk [8,553 GRT];rammed and sunkin the Atlantic by the British destroyer HMS Croome on September 8, 1941)
  • Cagni (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, sunk 2 merchant ships [5,840 GRT], damaged on July 25, 1943 auxiliary cruiser HMS Asturias )
  • Millo (sunk by British submarine HMS Ultimatum south of Calabria on March 14, 1942 ).
  • Remo ( sunk off Taranto on July 15, 1943 by British submarine HMS United )
  • Acciaio (sunk north of Messina by British submarine HMS Unruly on July 13, 1943 )
  • Saint-Bon ( sunk north of Sicily by the British submarine HMS Upholder on January 5, 1942 )

Coastal associations

Coast section command La Spezia

In 1940 the naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Aimone di Savoia-Aosta .

  • 10th torpedo boat squadron with four Spica class boats
    • Vega (sunk by HMS Bonaventure and HMS Hereward near Sicily on January 10, 1941 )
    • Sagittario (on May 22, 1941 brilliant action against Force C near Crete, sunk on April 28, 1943 near Tunis, British Schnellboot (MGB) MTB 639 ; decommissioned in 1964)
    • Perseo ( sunk at Cape Bon on May 4, 1943 in action against British destroyers HMS Nubian , HMS Petard and HMS Paladin )
    • Sirio (decommissioned in 1959)
  • 16. Torpedo boat squadron with four boats of the Curtatone class
    • Monzambano (decommissioned 1951)
    • Curtatone (sunk by mine near Crete on May 20, 1941)
    • Castelfidardo (from 1943 German TA 16 , sunk)
    • Calatafimi (on June 14, 1940 alone attacks the French fleet, which then bombarded Genoa; sunk in the Aegean Sea on August 9, 1944 as a German TA 19 by the British submarine HMS Veldt )
  • Other units
    • 1. Schnellbootflotille ( MAS ) with squadrons 1, 5, 12, 13 and 14 with a total of 21 boats; 1941 renamed the 10th MAS Flotilla , special unit (battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth , cruiser HMS York , destroyer HMS Jervis and HMS Eridge and 20 merchant ships damaged or sunk)
    • 3rd landing craft flotilla (ML) with squadrons 1 and 2 with a total of 9 boats (end of 1942 landing on Corsica)
    • Mine layers Orlando, Gasperi , Crotone, Fasana
    • Freighter Matteucci
    • Guard boat Rimini
    • Tanker Dalmazia

Coastal Section Command Naples

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Vladimiro Pini in 1940.

  • 3. Torpedo boat squadron with two Cantore class boats
    • Marcello Prestinari (sunk by mine on January 31, 1943)
    • Antonio Cantore (sunk by mine near Ras el Tin on August 22, 1942)

and two La Masa class boats

    • Giacinto Carini (decommissioned 1958)
    • Antonio La Masa (self-scuttled in Naples on September 11, 1943)
  • 4. Torpedo boat squadron with four Orsa-class boats
    • Procione (damaged off Sicily on December 2, 1942; self-sunk in La Spezia on September 9, 1943)
    • Orione (decommissioned 1964)
    • Orsa (British submarine HMS Triumph sunk in the Aegean Sea on December 31, 1941 )
    • Pegaso (British submarine HMS Upholder sunk on April 14, 1942 off Tripoli ; British submarine HMS Urge sunk on April 29, 1942 near Ras Hilal, British submarine HMS Thorn sunk off Crete on August 7, 1942 ; September 1943 self-sunk off the Balearic Islands)
  • Other units (mine layers, supply ships)

Coastal Section Command Sardinia

In 1940 the naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Ettore Sportiello. The headquarters were in La Maddalena .

  • 2. Torpedo boat squadron with four Cantore class boats
    • Achille Papa (rammed and sunk British submarine HMS Cachalot near Benghazi on July 29, 1941 ; sunk in Genoa on January 12, 1944)
    • Carlo Montanari (self-scuttled in La Spezia on September 9, 1943)
    • Antonio Cascino (self- scuttled in La Spezia on September 9, 1943)
    • Antonio Chinotto (sunk by mine west of Sicily on March 28, 1941)
  • 9. Torpedo boat squadron with two Spica class boats
    • Cassiopea (damaged on April 16, 1943 southeast of the Marettimo British destroyer HMS Pakenham , which then sinks; decommissioned in 1959)
  • Canopo (sunk in Tripoli by British aircraft on May 3, 1941)
as well as two ships of the Pilo class
  • Fratelli Cairoli (sunk by mine off Libya on December 23, 1940)
  • Antonio Mosto (sunk near Sicily on December 3, 1942)
  • Other units
    • 4. Schnellbootgeschwader (MAS) with 4 boats
    • Mine layers

Coastal command of Sicily

In 1940 the naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Barone. The headquarters were in Messina .

  • 1. Torpedo boat squadron with four Spica class boats
    • Airone (sunk on October 12, 1940 southeast of Sicily by cruiser HMS Ajax )
    • Ariel (sunk southeast of Sicily by cruiser HMS Ajax on October 12, 1940 )
    • Aretusa (decommissioned 1958)
    • Alcione (on October 12, 1940, night battle at Cape Passero, HMS Ajax with radar; sunk by the British submarine HMS Truant off Crete on November 11, 1941 )
    • and the Albatros (sunk on September 27, 1941 near Messina by the British submarine HMS Upright )
  • 5. Torpedo boat squadron with three boats of the pilo class
    • Simone Schiaffino (sunk by mine at Cap Bon on April 24, 1941)
    • Giuseppe Dezza (on August 17, 1944 as German TA 35 in the Fasana Canal, badly damaged by mine)
    • Giuseppe Abba (decommissioned 1958)
    • and Giuseppe La Farina of the La Masa class (sunk at Sfax on May 4, 1941)
  • 12th torpedo boat squadron with three Spica class boats
    • Antares (rams and sunk Greek submarine HMS Proteus on December 29, 1940 ; sunk in Livorno by US aircraft on May 28, 1943)
    • Aldebaran (damaged on January 30, 1941 submarine HMS Upholder ; sunk by mine near Piraeus on October 20, 1941)
    • Andromeda (sunk on March 17, 1941)
    • and Altair (sunk by mine near Athens on October 20, 1941)
  • 13th torpedo boat squadron (lays M.4 and M.4A mine barriers at Malta on May 26/27, 1941) with four Spica-class boats
    • Circe (sunk on July 20, 1941, British submarine HMS Union , sunk on February 13, 1942, British submarine HMS Tempest near Taranto, sunk on February 22, 1942, British submarine HMS P38 ; by accident on November 27, 1942 lost)
    • Clio (British submarine HMS Triton sunk in the Adriatic Sea on December 18, 1940 , damaged British submarine HMS Rover off Tobruk on January 9, 1941 ; decommissioned in 1959)
    • Calliope (sunk on June 16, 1940 with Polluce, British submarine HMS Grampus , shot down three British fighter jets; decommissioned in 1958)
    • Calipso (sunk on December 5, 1940 by mine off Misurata, Libya)
  • 14. Torpedo boat squadron with four Spica class boats
    • Partenope (attacks British submarine HMS Torbay on August 12, 1941 off Benghazi , sunk British submarine HMS P33 on August 23, 1941 , sunk British submarine HMS P311 near La Maddalena on December 31, 1942 ; September 1943 self-sunk)
    • Polluce (sunk on June 16, 1940 with Calliope British submarine HMS Grampus ; sunk by torpedoes on September 4, 1942)
    • Pleiadi (British submarine HMS Undaunted sunk off Tripoli on May 13, 1941 ; accidentally bombed by Italian aircraft near Tobruk on May 31, 1941, aground; sunk in Tripoli by air raid on October 14, 1941)
    • Pallade (sunk in the port of Naples by US aircraft on August 5, 1943)
  • Other units
    • 2. Schnellbootflotille (MAS) with squadrons 2, 9, 10 and 15 with a total of 16 boats
    • Mine layers
    • Supplier

Taranto coastal section command

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Antonio Pasetti in 1940.

  • Light cruiser Bari (sunk by US planes in the port of Livorno on June 28, 1943)
  • Light cruiser Taranto (self-sunk in La Spezia on September 9, 1943, then completely destroyed by air raids)
  • 2nd destroyer squadron
    • Espero (sunk by HMAS Sydney off Tobruk on June 28, 1940 )
    • Borea (sunk off Tobruk on September 17, 1940)
    • Zeffiro (enables Espero convoy and security to travel to Tobruk on June 28, 1940; sunk in Tobruk on July 5)
    • Ostro (on June 28, 1940 with Espero and Zeffiro against a superior British cruiser formation; sunk near Tobruk on July 20, 1940)
  • 6. Torpedo boat squadron with two boats of the pilo class
    • Rosolino Pilo (decommissioned 1954)
    • Giuseppe Missori ( badly damaged on June 25, 1944 as a German TA 22 near Trieste)
two Sirtori class boats
  • Francesco Stocco (sunk by German aircraft near Corfu on September 29, 1943)
  • Giuseppe Sirtori (rescues heavily damaged freighters on September 3, 1942; sunk himself near Corfu on September 25, 1943)
as well as two Mirabello-class boats
  • Augusto Riboty (older flotilla leader)
  • Carlo Mirabello (sunk by mine west of Greece on May 21, 1941)
  • 7th Torpedo Boat Squadron ( Brindisi ) with four boats of the La Masa class
    • Angelo Bassini (sunk in Livorno by US planes on May 28, 1943)
    • Enrico Cosenz (battle with British submarine HMS Pandora in September 1940 off Libya )
    • Giacomo Medici (sunk by US bombers in Catania on March 16, 1943)
    • Nicola Fabrizi (heavy battle in Adria on November 11 and 12, 1940; decommissioned in 1957)
  • Other torpedo boats
    • Ardente (British submarine HMS P48 sunk off Tunis on December 25, 1942 )
    • Ardito ( taken over by the German Navy as TA 26 in 1943 ; sunk off Rapallo on July 6, 1944)
    • Audace ( taken over by the German Navy as TA 20 in 1943 ; sunk off Zadar on November 2, 1944)
    • Baleno (British submarine HMS Odin sunk off Taranto on June 13, 1940 )
    • Fortunale (sunk on December 12, 1942, British submarine HMS P222 off Naples)
    • Groppo (British submarine HMS Utmost sunk north of Sicily on November 25, 1942 )
    • Corvette Cigogna from the Gabbiano Class (sunk on March 14, 1943 British submarine HMS Thunderbolt before San Vito Lo Capo)
  • Other units
    • 3rd Schnellbootgeschwader (MAS) (Brindisi)
    • Minelayer Barletta, Viestre, Otranto, Gallipoli
    • Supply ships Cherso , Lussino
    • Landing ships Sesia and Tirso see Sesia class , Garigliano , Adige
    • Gunboat Cirene

Coast section command Venice

In 1940 the naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Ferdinando di Savoia.

  • 15th Torpedo Boat Squadron
    • Confienza (lost in an accident on November 20, 1940)
    • Solferino ( taken over by the German Navy as TA 18 in 1943 ; sunk on October 19, 1944)
    • San Martino ( taken over by the German Navy as TA 17 in 1943 ; sunk on October 12, 1944)
    • Palestro (sunk by submarine HMS Osiris near Otranto on September 22, 1940 )
    • Ernesto Giovannini (used in Dalmatia for coast guard duties)
  • Other units
    • 6. Schnellbootgeschwader (MAS) with 4 boats
    • Mine sweepers / miners Albiona, Rovigno, Lurana, Azio, San Giorgio, San Giusto
    • Tanker Lete, Scrivia, Verbano
    • School ships Amerigo Vespucci and Cristoforo Colombo

Other associations

Naval Command Albania

In 1940, this command was under Admiral Vittorio Tur.

  • Tanker Pagano
  • Minesweepers Vigilante, Vedetta

Aegean Naval Command

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Luigi Bianchieri in 1940. The headquarters were on Rhodes .

  • 4. Destroyer Squadron
    • Crispi (March 25, 1941: attack on Suda Bay, Crete; [cruiser HMS York sunk])
    • Sella (March 25, 1941: attack on Suda Bay, Crete; [cruiser HMS York sunk])
  • 8th torpedo boat squadron with four Spica class boats
    • Lupo (badly damaged on January 31, 1941, British tanker Desmoulea , on May 21, 1941, used against a superior British cruiser formation near Crete; sunk on December 2, 1942 by destroyers HMS Jervis , HMS Javelin , HMS Janus and HMS Kelvin on the way to Tripoli )
    • Lince (with Lupo and 2 destroyers forces the British landing force near Rhodes to retreat; sunk by British submarine HMS Ultor on August 28, 1943 off Calabria )
    • Lira ( destroyed by aerial bombs on November 4, 1944 as the German TA 49 in La Spezia)
    • Libra (decommissioned 1964)
  • 5. Submarine Group
    • 51st Squadron
      • Narvalo (sunk by air raid near Malta on January 14, 1943)
      • Squalo (operated unsuccessfully from Leros in the eastern Mediterranean)
      • Tricheco (sunk on June 10, 1940, Italian submarine Gemma near Crete; sunk on March 18, 1942 near Bari by British submarine HMS Upholder )
      • Delfino (sunk on August 15, 1940 -illegal- Greek cruiser Elli in the port of Tinos, shooting on August 4, 1941 Marsa Martruh British flying boat type Short Sunderland from; falls on March 23, 1943, after a collision in front of Taranto)
    • 52nd Squadron
      • Jalea (used from 1941 for educational purposes)
      • Iantina (sunk by British submarine HMS Torbay near Mykonos on July 5, 1941 )
      • Ametista (test boat, self-sunk on September 12, 1943 off Ancona)
      • Zaffiro (sunk by Catalina flying boat near Ibiza on June 9, 1942)
  • Other units
    • 3. Schnellbootflotille (MAS) with squadrons 7, 16 and 22 with a total of 15 boats
    • Minelayer Lero and Legnano
    • Gunboats Sonzini, Caboto, Cerere

Naval Command Libya

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Bruno Brivonesi in 1940. The headquarters were in Benghazi .

  • Heavy cruiser San Giorgio ( Tobruk ) (old anti-aircraft cruiser , shot down Italo Balbo in August 1940, scuttled in January 1941)
  • 1st Destroyer Squadron ( Tobruk ) (shot at Sollum on June 16, 1940)
    • Turbine (sunk on June 19, 1940 British submarine HMS Orpheus near Tobruk)
    • Aquilone (sunk by mine off Tobruk on September 17, 1940)
    • Euros (sunk by the German Air Force in Leros on October 1, 1943)
    • Nembo (sunk on July 20, 1940 together with destroyer Ostro by HMS Eagle's Fairey Swordfish aircraft )
  • 11th Torpedo Boat Squadron ( Tripoli ) with four Spica class boats
    • Cigno (sunk on April 16, 1943 southeast of Marettimo by; but damaged HMS Pakenham , which sunk itself)
    • Castore (sunk on June 2, 1943 near Pantelleria by HMS Jervis and Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga )
    • Climene (attacked Sfax submarine HMS Ursula on May 6, 1941 ; sunk off Sicily by British submarine HMS Unshaken on April 28, 1943 )
    • Centauro (sunk by aerial bombs in Benghazi on November 4, 1942)
  • 6th submarine group (Tobruk)
    • 61st Squadron
      • Sirena (badly damaged by depth charges off Tobruk on June 21, 1940)
      • Argonauta (sunk on June 29, 1940 by destroyers HMS Dainty and HMS Ilex near Crete)
      • Fisalia ( sunk by Corvette HMS Hyacinth near Haifa on September 28, 1941 )
      • Smeraldo (on September 15, 1941 near Sicily on mine)
      • Nereide (damaged Norwegian tanker Orkanger on June 12, 1940 ; sunk near Augusta on July 13, 1943 by British destroyers HMS Echo and HMS Ilex )
    • 62nd Squadron
      • Diamante (sunk on June 20, 1940 by the British submarine HMS Parthian off Tobruk)
      • Topazio (British transport ship Murefte [691 GRT] sunk on September 10, 1941 off Syria ; sunk off Cape Carbonara, Sardinia on September 12, 1943)
      • Naiade (sunk on June 12, 1940 Norwegian tanker Orkanger [8029 BRT]; sunk on December 14, 1940 off Bardia by destroyers HMS Hereward and HMS Hyperion )
      • Galatea (sunk on March 16, 1942, British merchant ship off Palestine)
      • Lafole from Adua class (on 20 October 1940 by British destroyers HMS Gallant , HMS Griffin and HMS Hotspur east sunk by Gibraltar)
  • Other units
    • Mine-layer Monte Gargano
    • Gunboats Alula, Palmaiola, De Lutti, Grazioli Lante, Giovanni Berta, Valoroso
    • Tanker Lima Campanella, Ticino, Polifemo

Naval Command East Africa

The naval forces of this command were subordinate to Admiral Carlo Balsamo di Specchia Normandia in 1940. The headquarters were in Massaua .

  • Patrol ship / colonial cruiser Eritrea
  • 3. Destroyer squadron with four Sauro-class ships
    • Francesco Nullo (sunk by British aircraft on October 22, 1940)
    • Nazario Sauro (sunk on April 2, 1941 in the attack on Port Sudan)
    • Cesare Battisti (damaged in the attack on Port Sudan on April 2, 1941 and sunk himself)
    • Daniele Manin (sunk on April 2, 1941 in the attack on Port Sudan)
  • 5th destroyer squadron with three Leone-class ships
    • Pantera (sunk on April 2, 1941 after the attack on Port Sudan)
    • Tigre (sunk on April 2, 1941 after an attack on Port Sudan)
    • Leone (badly damaged in the attack on Port Sudan on March 31, 1941 and sunk himself)
  • Torpedo boat unit with two Sirtori class boats
    • Giovanni Acerbi (sunk in Massaua by British aerial bombs on April 4, 1941)
    • Vincenzo Orsini (sunk himself in Maussaua on April 8, 1941)
  • 8. Submarine Group
    • 81st Squadron
      • Guglielmotti from the Brin class (sunk on September 7, 1940 large tanker Atlas [4,008 GRT], relocated in 1940 from the Red Sea - via South Africa - to Bordeaux; sunk on March 17, 1942 in the Mediterranean by British submarine HMS Unbeaten )
      • Ferraris (relocated to the Atlantic, sunk on October 25, 1941 east of the Azores by British destroyer HMS Lamerton )
      • Galilei (sunk on June 16, 1940 Norwegian tanker James Stove [8,215 GRT]; captured on June 19, 1940 by the British anti -submarine trawler HMS Moonstone after an artillery battle; in British service as P.711 )
      • Luigi Galvani of the Brin class (sunk on June 23, 1940 in the Gulf of Oman HMIS Pathan , sunk by HMS Falmouth on June 24, 1940 )
    • 82nd Squadron
      • Perla (moved to Bordeaux in 1940; seized by HMS Hyacinth on July 9, 1942 off Beirut )
      • Macallè from the Adua class (ran onto a reef in the Red Sea on June 15, 1940 and was lost)
      • Archimede from the Brin class (moved to Bordeaux in 1940; missed destroyer USS Moffett on May 23, 1942 , sunk on June 15, 1942 merchant ship Cardina [5,586 GRT], on October 9, 1942 British troop transporter Oronsay [20,043 GRT], damaged on October 10, 1942 merchant ship Nea Hellas ; sunk by US aircraft on April 16, 1943 off Brazil)
      • Torricelli from the Brin class (sunk on June 23, 1940 in the Red Sea by British destroyer HMS Khartoum , then scuttled )
  • Other units
    • 21st Schnellbootgeschwader (sunk on April 8, 1941 in Massaua itself) with 5 boats: MAS 204, MAS 206, MAS 210, MAS 213 (torpedoed the light cruiser HMS Capetown off Massaua on April 6, 1941 ) and MAS 216
  • Gunboats Porto Corsini and Biglieri
  • Mine- layer Ostia
  • Tankers Niobe, Sile, Sebeto, Bacchiglione

Naval Command Far East

This command was in Tianjin, China . It led the Italian East Asia Squadron until the late 1930s. In 1940 only the mine- layer Lepanto and the gunboat Carlotto remained there .

Forza Navale Speciale (FNS)

The FNS was set up and stationed in Taranto on October 25, 1940 as Italy was preparing to attack Greece . She was under the command of Ammiraglio di Squadra Vittorio Tur and was supposed to carry out the planned landing on Corfu . The association consisted of the following ships:

Auxiliary cruiser

The following auxiliary cruisers were drafted by various shipping companies and equipped with cannons, depth charges or mines. They served to protect escorts, as mine layers and also for transport purposes. The ships displaced roughly between 500 and 5000 tons. Several ships were marked with the letter D and a number.

  • Adriatico (1976t) (sunk on December 1, 1941 by cruiser HMS Aurora and destroyer HMS Lively )
  • Arborea ( D.5 ) (4959 t) (sunk on January 12, 1944)
  • Baccich ( D.17 ) (884 t) (sunk on September 8, 1943)
  • Barletta ( D.16 ) (1975 t) (sunk on December 2, 1943)
  • Brindisi ( D.15 ) (1976 t) (sunk on August 6, 1943)
  • Brioni ( D.13 ) (1987 t) (sunk on November 2, 1942)
  • Capitano Cecchi (2321 t) (sunk on May 8, 1941)
  • Caralis ( D.8 ) (3510 t) (sunk on May 28, 1943)
  • Cattaro ( D.36 ) (1275 t) (sunk on September 9, 1943 and March 22, 1944, scrapped in 1947)
  • Città di Bari (3339 t) (sunk on May 3, 1941)
  • Città di Catania (3260 t) (torpedoed and sunk on September 3, 1943)
  • Città di Genova ( D.4 ) (5413 t) (sunk on May 3, 1941)
  • Città di Napoli ( D.1 ) (5418 t) (sunk on November 28, 1942)
  • Città di Palermo ( D.3 ) (5413 t) (sunk on January 5, 1942)
  • Città di Tunisi (5413 t, later hospital ship)
  • Deffenu (3510 t) (sunk on November 25, 1941)
  • Egeo (3311 t) ( sunk off Tripoli on April 24, 1941 by destroyers HMS Jervis, HMS Janus, HMS Jaguar and HMS Juno )
  • Egitto ( D.11 ) (3329 t) (sunk on March 1, 1942)
  • Foscari ( D.10 ) (3423 t) (sunk on September 9, 1943)
  • Grimani ( D.9 ) (3431 t) (sunk on May 28, 1944)
  • Lago Tana ( D.22 ) (783 t) (sunk on November 20, 1942)
  • Lago Zuai ( D.23 ) (783 t) (sunk on April 23, 1945)
  • Loredan ( D.19 ) (1357 t) (sunk on April 10, 1943)
  • Lubiana ( D.27 ) (985 t)
  • Marcello ( D.20 ) (1413 t) (sunk on June 19, 1943)
  • Mazara ( F.45 ) (984 t) (sunk on August 12, 1944)
  • Mocenigo (1403 t)
  • Morosini ( D.12 ) (2423 t) (sunk on October 30, 1944)
  • Narenta ( D.18 ) (984 t) (sunk on April 11, 1943)
  • Olbia ( D.7 ) (3514 t) (sunk on October 30, 1944)
  • Pola (451 t) (sunk on October 31, 1943)
  • RAMB I (3667 t) (operated in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean; sank on February 27, 1941 after fighting with cruiser HMNZS Leander near the Maldives)
  • RAMB II (3685 t) (operated in the Red Sea, then in Japan as Calitea ; sunk by air raid on January 12, 1945)
  • RAMB III ( D.6 ) (3666 t) (taken over as Kiebitz by the German Navy and then as Galeb by the Yugoslav Navy)
  • Rovigno ( D.29 ) (451 t) (sunk on September 22, 1943)
  • Zara ( D.14 ) (1976 t) (sunk on November 2, 1942)

Auxiliary ships

annotation

In view of the Italian losses, it should be noted that, in contrast to the British Royal Navy , Italian naval units only had radar at their disposal late and were therefore almost blind for a long time in bad weather and at night (compare the sea ​​battle at Cape Matapan ). In addition, thanks to its Ultra Secret , the British leadership was in control of major Italian operations, naval and z. T. ship movements largely informed in advance. From 1942/43 the Italian battle fleet hardly ran out due to a lack of fuel. On September 9, 1943, the Italian naval units left Italy according to orders, as the Allied armistice conditions prohibited the surrender of the fleet to Germany. A self-immersion did not take place. On the way from La Spezia to Malta , the Italian battle fleet was attacked by German fighter planes (initially thought to be Allied planes), which sank the new battleship Roma northwest of Sardinia .

See also

literature

  • James J. Sadkovich: The Italian Navy in World War II . Greenwood Press, Westport (CT, USA), 1994. ISBN 0-313-28797-X .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ These ships were officially classified as water tankers for reasons of confidentiality.