Launchings and losses of Italian submarines.

June 29, 1935 the Giuseppe Finzi was launched at OTO in Muggiano, Italy. She was captured Sept. 8, 1943 and later sunk as a target.

June 29, 1938 the Emo was launched at CRDA in Monfalcone, Italy. This boat was sunk Nov. 10, 1942.

June 29, 1940 in the Mediterranean was a bad day for the Italian submarine force as three boats were lost. The Rubino was located by an RAF Sunderland bomber in the Ionian Sea, 49 miles SSE of Cape Santa Maria di Leuca, Italy and sunk. Thirty nine of her crew were sunk with her, there were four survivors.

276 miles south southeast of this location two more Italian submarines were found and sunk. The Argonauta was depth charged by HMS Ilex D-61, HMS Defender H-07, HMS Decoy H-75, HMS Dainty H-53 and HMAS Voyager D-31. None of the 48 men onboard survived. Not long after this the Uebi Scabeli was caught on the surface by the same destroyer squadron and depth charged but the boat seemed to have escaped. Within an hour and a half she was seen again and attacked by Ilex and Dainty, this time the boat surfaced and surrendered. The crew and several important documents were removed and the submarine was sunk by HMS Dainty.

These very successful destroyers had sunk the Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi only the day before and Ilex was involved in sinking the Italian submarine Nereide in July 1943 however they too would suffer losses. Ilex and Decoy were the only two to survive the war, HMAS Voyager was damaged by Japanese aircraft and scuttled on Sept. 25, 1942, HMS Dainty was sunk by German aircraft on Feb. 24, 1941 and HMS Defender damaged July 11, 1941 by Italian aircraft and scuttled by HMAS Vendetta.

© 2007 Michael W. Pocock
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