Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Giuseppe Caito

Born  2 Jan 1906Trapani
Died  Jun 1943(37)Killed in action

Ranks

  T.V.Tenente di Vascello
  C.C.Capitano di Corvetta

Decorations

3 Oct 1941 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
2 Dec 1941 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
22 Sep 1944 Croce di guerra al valore militare (posthumous)
22 Sep 1944 Croce di guerra al valore militare (posthumous)
29 Jan 1948 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare (posthumous)
23 Jan 1952 Medaglia d'argento al valore militare (posthumous)
23 Jan 1952 Medaglia d'argento al valore militare (posthumous)

Career information

ALPINO ATTILIO BAGNOLINI (T.V. First Officer): from 22.12.1939 to ?
NARVALO (T.V. C.O.): from 15.05.1941 to 09.04.1942.
Promoted to C.C. in April 1942.
MARCANTONIO BRAGADINO (C.C. C.O.): from 10.04.1942 to 24.05.1942.
OTARIA (C.C. C.O.): from 30.10.1942 to 16.11.1942.
ENRICO TAZZOLI (C.C. C.O.): from 01.03.1943 to June 1943? (sunk, Caito was killed).

Commands listed for Giuseppe Caito


Submarine Type Rank From To
Narvalo (NR)Ocean goingT.V.15 May 19419 Apr 1942
Marcantonio Bragadino (BG)MinelayingC.C.10 Apr 194224 May 1942
Otaria (OA, I.25)Ocean goingC.C.30 Oct 194216 Nov 1942
Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3)Ocean goingC.C.1 Mar 1943Jun 1943

Ships hit by Giuseppe Caito

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Giuseppe Caito

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Narvalo (NR)20 May 19410922Pola20 May 19411740Pola39Exercises with the submarine Speri.

Narvalo (NR)24 May 19410808Pola24 May 19411705Pola123,8Exercises with the submarines Bausan, Pisani, Speri and Toti, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio, Jadera and Morrhua.

Narvalo (NR)30 May 19410743Pola30 May 19411632Pola17,8Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)3 Jun 19410735Pola3 Jun 19411818Pola58Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)7 Jun 19410748Pola7 Jun 19411810Pola50Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)9 Jun 19410750Pola9 Jun 19411806Pola72,7Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)10 Jun 19411345Pola11 Jun 19410230PolaExercises with the submarine Bausan, escorted by the torpedo boat Cantore.

Narvalo (NR)12 Jun 19410755Pola12 Jun 19411705Pola58,3Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)13 Jun 19410725Pola13 Jun 19411730Pola72Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)14 Jun 19411858Pola15 Jun 19410225Pola52Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)17 Jun 19410714Pola17 Jun 19411727Pola65,5Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)18 Jun 19410716Pola18 Jun 19411525Pola55,7Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)19 Jun 19411905Pola20 Jun 19410245Pola46Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera.

Narvalo (NR)24 Jun 19410404Pola26 Jun 19411010Taranto530Passage Pola-Taranto. Sighted only Italian ships.

1.Narvalo (NR)30 Jun 19411435Taranto4 Jul 19411455Taranto578Sailed for patrol off Ras Azzaz, via point K (34°20'N, 23°00'E) and point Z (33°00'N, 27°10'E) then to area between 31°54'N and the Egyptian coast and between 27°00'E and 27°20'E but returned due to defects, despite repeated efforts to fix them. Repairs until September 1941.

Narvalo (NR)17 Jul 19410830Taranto17 Jul 19411330Taranto6,7Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)18 Jul 19410830Taranto18 Jul 19412000Taranto72Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)19 Jul 19411625Taranto19 Jul 19412041Taranto25Exercises, escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara.

Narvalo (NR)21 Jul 19410410Taranto21 Jul 19411454Taranto58,7Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)24 Jul 19410735Taranto24 Jul 19411508Taranto65,6Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)28 Jul 19410605Taranto28 Jul 19411708Taranto68,7Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)1 Aug 19411101Taranto1 Aug 19411830Taranto47,3Exercises escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara.

Narvalo (NR)3 Aug 19410830Taranto3 Aug 19411610Taranto51,6Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)6 Aug 19410826Taranto6 Aug 19411725Taranto72Trials escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara.

Narvalo (NR)8 Aug 19411215Taranto8 Aug 19411927Taranto53,2Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)1 Sep 19410816Taranto1 Sep 19411920Taranto120,9Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)3 Sep 19411039Taranto3 Sep 19411730Taranto48Exercises.

Narvalo (NR)12 Sep 19411022Taranto12 Sep 19412210Crotone127,5Passage Taranto-Messina but diverted to Crotone due to defects.

Narvalo (NR)13 Sep 19410650Crotone13 Sep 19412000Messina138,3Passage Crotone-Messina.

Narvalo (NR)15 Sep 19411447Messina16 Sep 19410800Trapani171,7Passage Messina-Trapani.

Narvalo (NR)22 Sep 19410804Trapani22 Sep 19411130Trapani55,6Exercises with the auxiliary Petsamo.

2.Narvalo (NR)24 Sep 19411316Trapani5 Oct 19410900Trapani827,2Sailed for a patrol off Cape Bon in zone K.2 (between 36°53'N and 36°57'N, and between 11°00'E and 11°05'E) but very soon was diverted to zone K.1 (between 37°12'N and Tunisian coast, and between 11°00'E and 11°05'E) which she occupied from 25 September to 4 October,
  27 Sep 19410305
(0) Off Cape Bon (Italian Grid 5075).
A 10 to 12,000-ton steamer steering 160° was sighted at 0300 hours at 2,500 meters, possibly a vessel of Operation HALBERD, perhaps Melbourne Star (11,076 GRT, built 1936) which sailed from Malta for Gibraltar at 1130 hours on the 26th September. The submarine closed to about 1,200 metres and fired a single torpedo from a stern tube. It missed.
  27 Sep 19410306
(0) Off C Bon.
A second torpedo was fired from a stern tube from a distance of 1,500 metres and again missed.
  28 Sep 19412330
(0) 4 miles south of Ras Mustapha (Tunisia)
Two destroyers were sighted at a distance of 7 to 8,000 metres. The submarine dropped to the bottom at 68 metres and stopped her engines.

Narvalo (NR)7 Oct 1941Trapani7 Oct 1941TrapaniAt Trapani. Squalo discharged her gun accidentally.
  7 Oct 19410840+
(0) At Trapani.
Following the accidental discharge of Squalo's deck gun, a rating was killed and two were wounded on Narvalo (in addition one rating was wounded on Squalo and another on Bandiera).

3.Narvalo (NR)17 Oct 19412250Trapani21 Oct 19411200Trapani443Patrolled off Ras Mustafa in zone K.2 (between 36°53'N and 36°57'N, and between 11°12'E and the Tunisian coast) with Squalo in zone K.1. Uneventful except for several aircraft sightings.
  18 Oct 1941080537° 03'N, 13° 07'EAn unidentified aircraft was sighted at 6,000 metres and the submarine dived.
  18 Oct 1941110537° 00'N, 13° 05'EA derelict mine was seen and the submarine fired three magazines of 13.2mm before the machine-gun jammed. The mine appeared to have been hit but did not sink.
  18 Oct 1941115336° 49'N, 13° 01'ETwo aircraft were sighted at 8,000 metres and the submarine submerged.
  18 Oct 1941141436° 48'N, 12° 51'EAn aircraft was sighted at 7,000 metres and the submarine submerged.
  18 Oct 1941145036° 47'N, 12° 47'EAn aircraft was sighted and the submarine submerged.
  18 Oct 19411635+36° 46'N, 12° 44'EAn aircraft was sighted at 5-6000 metres, this time the submarine remained on the surface and was not attacked.

Narvalo (NR)27 Oct 19410901Trapani27 Oct 19411140Trapani25,2Exercises escorted by the auxiliary Petsamo.

4.Narvalo (NR)8 Nov 19412337Trapani19 Nov 19411500Trapani886,1Patrolled in Sicilian Channel, east of Linosa, between 35°40'N and 36°20'N, and between 13°00'E and 13°20'E. Uneventful.
  19 Nov 1941091536° 31'N, 12° 52'EA derelict mine was sighted, but it took 90 rounds of 13.2mm and 70 rounds of 6.5mm to sink it.

Narvalo (NR)3 Dec 19410835Trapani3 Dec 19411104Trapani21,7Exercises escorted by the auxiliary Egusa.

5.Narvalo (NR)7 Dec 19412303Trapani16 Dec 19410105Trapani751,6Patrolled east of Malta, between 35°20'N and 36°00'N, and between 16°00'E and 16°40'E, on a patrol line with Santarosa. Damaged at 0900-0930 hours on 14th December by A/S units and forced to return home.
  8 Dec 1941140036° 39'N, 14° 15'E
(0) Approximately.
Caito believed his submarine was attacked by an aircraft and ordered his machine gun crew to their stations. This was an error: the submarine Santarosa had actually just detonated a derelict mine.
  14 Dec 19410928-0940
(0) East of Malta.
Two enemy warships were detected by hydrophones and depth-charged the submarine. Narvalo suffered damage and had to abort her mission.

Narvalo (NR)2 Jan 19420823Trapani2 Jan 19421240Trapani19,6Trials escorted by the minesweeper R.D.40.

Narvalo (NR)4 Jan 19420920Trapani4 Jan 19421406Trapani35,4Trials escorted by the minesweeper R.D.12.

6.Narvalo (NR)15 Jan 19422004Trapani27 Jan 19420925Trapani859,7Within 8 miles from 35°02'N, 13°20'E, on a line east of Lampedusa with Squalo and Santarosa. On the night of 17 January was ordered to shift patrol 10 miles to the east (35°02'N, 13°32'E) and on the night of 18 January to the east as far as 15°05'E. On 20 January, she was moved to 34°35'N, 14°20'E.
  16 Jan 1942141535° 28'N, 13° 09'EA derelict mine was seen, but no action was taken.
  18 Jan 19421950The submarines were ordered by signal (1954/18) to form a patrol line to intercept the convoy from Alexandria reported in the afternoon: Santarosa in Italian Grid 0132 (34°30' N, 15°30' E), Squalo in Grid 8332 (probably 35°20' N, 15°30' E) and Narvalo in Grid 2732 (probably 35°02' N, 15°30' E). Narvalo proceeded to the new position but sighted nothing.

7.Narvalo (NR)10 Feb 19421725Trapani14 Feb 19421042Trapani329,9Patrolled off Cape Blanc (Tunisia), between 37°46'N and 38°00'N, and between 09°40'E and 10°00'E, on a patrol line with Santarosa and Delfino.
  11 Feb 19420130The submarine was informed of an enemy force sighted at 2100 hours on the 10th in 37°50' N, 07°30' E on an easterly course. The submarine listened on her hydrophones until 1000 hours, but nothing had been heard so she surfaced and resumed her course to her patrol position.

8.Narvalo (NR)14 Feb 19421430Trapani25 Feb 19421730Trapani1031,5Patrolled south of Malta, between 34°30'N and 34°50'N, and between 14°20'E and 14°40'E, on a line with Santarosa. Uneventful. Heard only distant explosions and H.E.

Narvalo (NR)9 Mar 19420830Trapani9 Mar 19421257Trapani15,6Trials escorted by MAS 544 and MAS 548.

Narvalo (NR)10 Mar 19420853Trapani10 Mar 19421210Trapani6,9Trials escorted by the auxiliary Terracina.

9.Narvalo (NR)28 Mar 19421920Trapani1 Apr 19421110Trapani372,3Patrolled off Cape Blanc in zone K.1 (between 37°12'N and Tunisian coast, and between 11°00'E and 11°05'E).
  30 Mar 19420557
(0) 030° - Ras Addar - 1.5 mile.
A light cruiser and a destroyer, on course 290, were sighted briefly at a distance of 800-1,000 metres in a rain squall and poor visibility. They disappeared before any action could be taken.

Narvalo (NR)4 Apr 19420755Trapani4 Apr 19420945TrapaniExercises escorted by MAS 548.

Narvalo (NR)7 Apr 19422005Trapani8 Apr 19421540Naples204,6Sailed for Naples escorted until point A.2 from Trapani by the steamer Mazzara at 2200 hours on the 7th. Stayed in company with the submarine Santarosa until 0010 hours on the 8th then proceeded alone to Naples. Refit in Naples until June 1942.

Marcantonio Bragadino (BG)11 Apr 19421335Brindisi11 Apr 19421630Brindisi18,2Exercises with the submarine Corridoni, escorted by the torpedo boat Orsa and minesweeper R.D.32.

Marcantonio Bragadino (BG)4 May 19420835Brindisi4 May 19421318Brindisi18Trials.

Marcantonio Bragadino (BG)9 May 19421300Brindisi9 May 19421710Brindisi3Trials.

Marcantonio Bragadino (BG)13 May 19420750Brindisi13 May 19421140Brindisi21Exercises.

Otaria (OA, I.25)2 Nov 19420857Naples2 Nov 19421900Naples82,43Trials.

Otaria (OA, I.25)4 Nov 19420818Naples4 Nov 19421649Naples27Gyrocompass test.

Otaria (OA, I.25)6 Nov 19421516Naples8 Nov 19421555Taranto480Passage Naples-Taranto.
  7 Nov 19421247
1241 (e)

(e) 37° 52'N, 15° 46'E
(0) 145° - Cape Dell\'Armi - 7 miles.
  7 Nov 19421247
1241 (e)

(e) 37° 52'N, 15° 46'E
(0) 145° - Cape Dell\'Armi - 7 miles.
A torpedo wake was sighted and the submarine took evading action. The torpedo passed either under her stern or very close to it. Four explosions were heard which were probably of torpedoes at the end of their run. The attack had been carried out by HMS Utmost (Lt. J.W.D. Coombe, RN). The British submarine had fired four torpedoes from a range of only 400 yards.

Otaria (OA, I.25)16 Nov 19421231Taranto16 Nov 19421610Taranto78,5Exercises.

10.Enrico Tazzoli (TZ, I.3)16 May 19431200La Pallice17 Jun 1943Sunk with all handsPassage Bordeaux-Singapore with 165 tons of stores with passenger Japanese Colonel Kihara and German Lt. Chiari and nine others via: (1) 45°30'N, 11°00'W (2) 35°00'N, 21°00'W (3) 17°00'N, 28°00'W [was to have met Giuliani in 09°30'S, 06°30'W on 17 June] (4) 15°00'S, 01°00'W (5) 36°30'S, 16°00'E (6) 37°40'S, 18°00'E (37°40'S, 26°00'E then Sunda Straits. From German sources kindly provided by Dr Axel Niestlé, Tazzoli and Giuliani left La Pallice at 1200 under escort of M 83, M 84 and Sperrbrecher 21 via Points P1 and point Pilz. Point Pilz (BF 6848 or 45°57' N, 02°15' W) was reached at 1632 and both boats then proceeded independently. (Originally, departure planned for 15.05.43, but delayed). Believed lost between 17th and 24th May 1943, six officers, forty-six ratings, and five civilians killed. The destroyer USS Mackenzie (DD-614) attacked a submarine on 16th May in 38°53'N, 20°33'W and another on 22nd May. It is impossible that it was the first attack. She was to rendezvous with another unit [Giuliani] in 09°30'S, 06°30'W on 17th June, but never showed up.
  16 May 1943
2003 (e)

(e) 45° 57'N, 11° 40'W
At 2003 hours, Halifax 'R' (HR774) of 58 Squadron (piloted by Pilot Officer A.J.W. Birch) attacked a submarine with depth-charges. It was claimed that Enrico Tazzoli was sunk in this attack but it is unlikely, as she could never have reached this position in time.
  20 May 1943
1000 (e)

(e) 45° 50'N, 9° 27'W
At 1000 hours, Liberator 'A' (Flying Officer J.R. Weeds) of 224 Squadron sighted a submarine on course of 270 degrees at 8 knots. The bomber attacked from port quarter and a stick of six depth charges was released from 100 feet, 45 seconds after the U-boat had disappeared. The rear gunner witnessed the explosions, estimating four on the submarine's track about 400 feet ahead of the swirl. Baiting tactics were carried out but nothing further was observed. It is possible that Enrico Tazzoli was sunk in this attack.
  21 May 1943
0925 (e)

(e) 45° 54'N, 15° 29'W
At 0925 hours, an aircraft of 19 Group reported to be over a submarine. Details of this attack are unknown but it remains a possibility that this was Enrico Tazzoli.
  23 May 1943
1718Z (e)

(e) 34° 30'N, 13° 13'W
At 1718Z hours, an American PBY (from VP-92?) sighted two U-boats and attacked one of them. Another aircraft sighted one corpse and debris in a large oil slick in the vicinity. It is possible that this was Enrico Tazzoli. The submarine disappeared without a trace. Believed lost between 17th and 24th May 1943, six officers, forty-six ratings and five civilians killed.

70 entries. 57 total patrol entries (10 marked as war patrols) and 23 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines