Taranto (Italy), September 19 ,1939 : "Smg. LIUZZI" launch
Submarine images and a short cronology
of the main events of the conflict.
9.1.1939
Germany attacks Poland
9.3.1939
Great Britain and France declare war upon Germany. THE WAR BEGINS.
Torpedo Room of a WWII Italian Submarine
6.10.1940
Italy declares war on France and Great Britain.
6.12.1940
Smg. "Bagnolini" attacks and sinks the english cruiser "HMS Calypso" (first
italian success in the conflict).
9.1.1940
Bordeaux (FR): BETASOM (Command of the atlantic italian submarines) is established.
LCdr Carlo Fecia Di Cossato
Commanding Officer of "Smg. TAZZOLI"
10.28.1940
Italy attacks Greece.
4.6.1941
Italy and Germany attack Yugoslavia.
LT Gianfranco GAZZANA PRIAROGGIA, Commanding Officier of
"Smg. DA VINCI" in 1942
6.22.1941
Italy and Germany declare war on the Soviet Union.
12.19.1941
Smg. " Scire' " brings to the port of Alexandria (Egypt), the assault team
who heavily damage "HMS Valiant" and "HMS Queen Elizabeth" (heroic action of
Adm. Luigi Durand de La Penne).
March 1942
Italian Submarines sink several U.S. merchant ships (68.000 tonn.) off the coast of the United States.
June 1942 : "Smg. Barbarigo" back from an atlantic patrol.
11.4.1942
Following the battele of "EL ALAMEIN", the withdrawal of the Italian-German forces from Egypt begins.
April 1943
"Smg. Da Vinci" and " Smg. Finzi", for the first time, conduct missions in the
Indian Ocean.
7.10.1943
Allied forces land in Sicily (Italy)
August 1942 : the conning tower of the "Smg. Bronzo"
(... with binoculars, Commandinig officer LT Buldrini)
7.25.1943
The fall of the Fascist Regime.
9.8.1943
The armistice between Italy and the Allied forces.
6.4.1944
Allied forces in Rome.
4.29.1945
German forces in Italy surrender.
LT Roberto Rigoli officer of "Smg. Barbarigo" in 1943
5.7.1945
Berlin: Germany surrenders.
9.2.1945
Japan surrenders. THE WAR ENDS.
Cmdr. Primo Longobardo, Commanding officer of the "Smg. Torelli",
back to BETASOM after an atlantic mission, in 1941.
Italian Submarines WWII Statistics
Active Submarines
172
Missions done
1750
Miles done
2.500.000
Days at sea
24.000
Attacks executed
173
Torpedoes launched
427
Betasom, february 1942:
The Commanding Officers (from left to right)
LT.Cmdr Carlo FECIA DI COSSATO (Smg. Tazzoli), LT.Cmdr Emilio OLIVIERI (Smg.
Calvi),
LT.Cmdr Antonio DE GIACOMO (Smg. Torelli), LT.Cmdr Ugo GIUDICE (Smg. Finzi)
recieve the GERMAN IRON CROSS
Ships sunk by Italian submarines
Merchant Ships
Military Ships
132 (665.317 tonn.)
18 (28.950 tonn.)
June 9, 1942 : "Smg. Zaffiro" under the attak of an english
"Catalina" plane;
.... in few minutes the boat sunk with all the crew.
Italian Submarines lost
Mediterrean Sea
Other Sectors
88
40
Adm. Luigi LONGANESI CATTANI, decorated with german IRON CROSS,
Commanding Officer of "Smg. Brin" in 1941, and of "Smg Da Vinci" in 1942.
