Italian submarines in World War Two


Antonio Sciesa (SC)
Sciesa

TypeOcean going 
ClassBalilla (1) 
Laid down 20 Oct 1925 Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano
Launched18 Aug 1928
Commissioned12 Apr 1929
End service
Stricken
Loss date12 Nov 1942
Loss position32° 04'N, 23° 59'E
History Scuttled at Tobruk on 12th November 1942 after being heavily damaged by enemy air attack while landing stores on 6th November 1942.
Fate

Commands


CommanderDate fromDate toCommand notes
C.C. Mario Resio12 Feb 194016 Jan 1941
C.C. Gaetano Foldi20 Sep 194120 Mar 1942
C.C. Giuseppe Vocaturo21 Mar 19423 May 1942
T.V. Raul Galletti4 May 194212 Nov 1942

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

 CommanderDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
1Resio, Mario9 Jun 19401555Brindisi16 Jun 19400750Brindisi667,4Patrolled in position S.A.17, entrance to the Bay of Cattaro. Uneventful.

Resio, Mario4 Jul 19400053Brindisi4 Jul 19401545CrotonePassage Brindisi-Crotone.

Resio, Mario5 Jul 19400000Crotone5 Jul 19401730Augusta333Passage Crotone-Augusta [mileage is from 4th July].

2Resio, Mario8 Jul 19402145Augusta12 Jul 19401255Augusta426Patrolled within 10 miles from 36°30'N, 17°20'E, on a barrage line with Settimo, Settembrini, Pisani and Brin.

3Resio, Mario14 Aug 19400843Augusta18 Aug 19402045Brindisi521Sailed for patrol off African coast as far as meridian of Alexandria, but diverted to Brindisi due to defects.

Resio, Mario24 Oct 19401448Brindisi24 Oct 19401805Brindisi10Trials.

Resio, Mario26 Oct 19400854Brindisi26 Oct 19401348Brindisi37Trials.

Resio, Mario14 Nov 19401327Brindisi14 Nov 19401848Brindisi25Exercises.

Resio, Mario15 Nov 19400845Brindisi15 Nov 19401600Brindisi95Exercises.

Resio, Mario18 Nov 19401205Brindisi18 Nov 19401734Brindisi40Exercises.

Resio, Mario19 Nov 19400911Brindisi19 Nov 19401550Brindisi3Exercises.

Resio, Mario4 Dec 19400945Brindisi4 Dec 19401350Brindisi17Exercises.

Resio, Mario5 Dec 19401016Brindisi5 Dec 19401130Brindisi1Docked or exercises?

Resio, Mario7 Dec 19400900Brindisi7 Dec 19401231Brindisi17Exercises.

4Resio, Mario12 Dec 19400953Brindisi21 Dec 19401330Brindisi822,5Patrolled south of Otranto Straits, within 10 miles from 39°40'N, 19°10'E. Heard H.E. but sighted nothing.

Resio, Mario23 Dec 19400900Brindisi23 Dec 19401348Brindisi15Exercises. Probably sailed from Brindisi for Taranto in January 1941. Disarmed from March 1941 to May 1942.

Resio, Mario31 Mar 1941Taranto31 Mar 1941TarantoProvided electricity to assist in the raising of the battleship Cavour.

Foldi, Gaetano20 Sep 1941Taranto20 Mar 1942TarantoDisarmed in Taranto.

Vocaturo, Giuseppe24 Apr 1942Taranto3 May 1942TarantoRefit in Taranto.

Galletti, Raul4 Jun 19420820Taranto4 Jun 19421450Taranto47,2Trials.

Galletti, Raul6 Jun 19420830Taranto6 Jun 19421322Taranto28Trials.

Galletti, Raul11 Jun 19420845Taranto11 Jun 19421637Taranto36,2Trials.

Galletti, Raul23 Jun 19420735Taranto23 Jun 19421835Taranto72,7Trials.

5Galletti, Raul29 Jun 19421120Taranto3 Jul 19420415Ras Hilal634,3Supply mission to Derna (68 tons: 64 tons of German petrol and 4 tons of foodstuff). As she arrived off this port, was ordered to Ras Hilal . Arrived with a defective air compressor and was assisted by Bragadino to recharge her compressors.
  30 Jun 1942051537° 29'N, 18° 49'ESix unknown aircraft were observed at a distance of 5,000 metres and the submarine dived. Five minutes later three explosions were heard but the submarine escaped unscathed.
  2 Jul 19420330
(0) 5 miles from Derna.
The submarine had bottomed in 47 meters, while attempts were made to carry out repairs of a compressor, when a short-circuit caused a fire. It was quickly extinguished thanks to the prompt intervention of the engineer Francesco Lamotta.

5bGalletti, Raul4 Jul 19421615Ras Hilal4 Jul 19421745Ras HilalAt Ras Hilal. Surprise visit by the Duce.
  4 Jul 19421615-1745
(0) Ras el Hilal.
The Duce made an impromptu visit of the submarine and was met with enthusiasm. He thanked the submariners for their sacrifice.

5cGalletti, Raul6 Jul 19422015Ras Hilal9 Jul 19421530Taranto1097Return trip from supply mission to Ras Hilal. Uneventful.

Galletti, Raul22 Jul 19420830Taranto22 Jul 19421430Taranto36,7Exercises.

6Galletti, Raul24 Jul 19421425Taranto28 Jul 19420915Tobruk606,6Supply mission to Tobruk (71.6 tons: 64.6 tons of petrol for MAS and 7 tons of foodstuff). Uneventful. Only partly unloaded at Tobruk and was ordered to sail in the evening and return the next morning.
  26 Jul 1942
2100C (e)

(e) 34° 10'N, 22° 20'E
The submarine had just surfaced when a RAF aircraft sighted her and reported her position as 34°17' N, 22°20' E, course 150°, 12 knots. Sciesa did not notice the aircraft. The submarine HMS Thorn was informed by Senior Officer 1st Submarine Flotilla's signal of 2125C/26 but did not manage to intercept her.

6bGalletti, Raul28 Jul 19421800Tobruk29 Jul 19420955TobrukSortie to submerge outside the harbour.

6cGalletti, Raul29 Jul 19421857Tobruk3 Aug 19421445Taranto1421Return trip from supply mission to Tobruk. Uneventful [mileage is for round trip].

Galletti, Raul16 Aug 19421340Taranto16 Aug 19421743Taranto13Trials.

7Galletti, Raul19 Aug 19421445Taranto22 Aug 19420945BenghaziSupply mission to Benghazi (73 tons: 63 tons of German ammunition and 10 tons of foodstuff).
  21 Aug 1942192034° 20'N, 19° 18'E
(0) NW of Benghazi.
An enemy submarine was sighted and Antonio Sciesa made a signal reporting the encounter. However, no British submarine operated in the area.

7bGalletti, Raul22 Aug 19421905Benghazi26 Aug 19421315Taranto955Return trip from supply mission to Benghazi. Uneventful. Heard only H.E [mileage is for round trip].

Galletti, Raul28 Sep 19420852Taranto28 Sep 19421710Taranto44Exercises.

8Galletti, Raul1 Oct 19421330Taranto5 Oct 19420810BenghaziSupply mission to Benghazi (71.9 tons: 51.5 tons of Italian ammunition, 11.6 tons of foodstuff, 8.6 tons of valuables).
  3 Oct 1942183934° 57'N, 17° 38'EA periscope was observed at a distance of 400-500 metres and the Italian submarine turned away immediately. No British submarine operated in the vicinity.

8bGalletti, Raul5 Oct 19421730Benghazi8 Oct 19421500Taranto1072Return trip from supply mission to Benghazi [mileage is for round trip].
  6 Oct 19422118
2212 (e)
34° 41'N, 19° 21'E
(e) 34° 58'N, 19° 21'E
(0) 328° - Tolmeita - 146 miles.
An enemy submarine was initially sighted at 2109 hours at a distance of 4,200-4,500 metres. This was HMS Rorqual (Lt. Cdr. Lennox William Napier, RN), who made a challenge at 2114 hours. Lennox hesitated to attack as the submarine might have been HMS Parthian. At 2118 hours, Antonio Sciesa fired a single torpedo (533mm, W.260 type) at about 800 metres, an explosion was heard giving a running range of 1,200 metres and the enemy submarine was claimed sunk. In fact, HMS Rorqual was unscathed but had also heard the explosion at 2124 hours, turned away and dived.

9Galletti, Raul30 Oct 19421845Taranto31 Oct 19420500Taranto94,5Supply mission to Benghazi with 84 tons of stores (ammunition and surgical material) but aborted due to defects to the port diesel engine, which forced her to return.

9bGalletti, Raul3 Nov 19421100Taranto6 Nov 19420800Tobruk667,5Supply mission to Tobruk (85.8 tons: 84.8 tons of ammunition and one ton of surgical material). Damaged at 1521/6 November 1942, by USAAF bombers (three bomb hits). Twenty-three killed, thirty-three survivors (including fourteen wounded).
  4 Nov 19420900Three unknown aircraft were observed at a distance of 5,000 metres and the submarine dived.
  5 Nov 19421430
(0) About 80 miles north of Ras Hilal.
Three unknown aircraft were observed at a distance of 3,000 metres and the submarine dived.
  6 Nov 19421521
(0) Tobruk harbour.
The submarine was anchored in Tobruk harbour when the USAAF raided the town. She was hit by three bombs and had twenty-three killed and fourteen wounded. The submarine had not yet unloaded her full cargo and about 100 cases of ammunition remained on board. Galletti was on land at the time of the attack; he was slightly wounded and rendered temporarily deaf by a bomb, which fell only three metres from him.

9cGalletti, Raul12 Nov 1942Tobruk12 Nov 1942ScuttledScuttled off Tobruk in 32°04.6'N, 23°59.2'E to avoid capture as she was unable to sail.
  12 Nov 194232° 04'N, 23° 59'E
(0) Tobruk harbour.
Antonio Sciesa was unable to sail due to the bombing damage. The submarine had to be scuttled to avoid falling into enemy hands, as the Axis forces were withdrawing through Cyrenaica after the battle of El Alamein. Her wreck was found by British forces on 13th November.

42 entries. 39 total patrol entries (9 marked as war patrols) and 11 events.

All Italian submarines