Warship forum
A forum for the Allied Warships section.
Re: HMS Turbulent
Posted by:
Platon Alexiades
()
Date: October 07, 2008 02:22AM
Tubby,
ARDITO'S patrol report has survived, relevant extracts can be found in "La Lotta Antisommergibile" (Ufficio Storico). At 0745/6 March ARDITO reported sighting a Ju 88 bomber dropping a depth-charge in position 264° - Punta Licosa (Salerno) - 34 miles. This was 3,000 meters ahead of her position and the Italian torpedo-boat rushed to the attack while the convoy altered course to port. Asdic contact was obtained at 1300 meters (the torpedo-boat was equipped with S-Gerät) and dropped a pattern of depth-charges (the actual number is not listed), the torpedo-boat lost contact at 0935. The attack is not well documented and the Ufficio Storico has indicated that it doubted the sinking was achieved but one must add that at the time they were very much convinced that TURBULENT had carried out the attack on PRINCIPESSA MAFALDA so the ARDITO's version was not given much credence.
One must add that the next day,at 1557, another aircraft escorting the LAMPO convoy also reported a submarine 240° - Punta Carena (Capri) - 15 miles. This sighting was not confirmed. It was not rare that a genuine sighting was followed by many bogus ones. But if this sighting was real then TURBULENT may have survived the attack of the previous day and so the loss by mine would be the most likely explanation. We can only hope that the wreck of this famous submarine will be found one of these days and her fate will be known.
Platon
ARDITO'S patrol report has survived, relevant extracts can be found in "La Lotta Antisommergibile" (Ufficio Storico). At 0745/6 March ARDITO reported sighting a Ju 88 bomber dropping a depth-charge in position 264° - Punta Licosa (Salerno) - 34 miles. This was 3,000 meters ahead of her position and the Italian torpedo-boat rushed to the attack while the convoy altered course to port. Asdic contact was obtained at 1300 meters (the torpedo-boat was equipped with S-Gerät) and dropped a pattern of depth-charges (the actual number is not listed), the torpedo-boat lost contact at 0935. The attack is not well documented and the Ufficio Storico has indicated that it doubted the sinking was achieved but one must add that at the time they were very much convinced that TURBULENT had carried out the attack on PRINCIPESSA MAFALDA so the ARDITO's version was not given much credence.
One must add that the next day,at 1557, another aircraft escorting the LAMPO convoy also reported a submarine 240° - Punta Carena (Capri) - 15 miles. This sighting was not confirmed. It was not rare that a genuine sighting was followed by many bogus ones. But if this sighting was real then TURBULENT may have survived the attack of the previous day and so the loss by mine would be the most likely explanation. We can only hope that the wreck of this famous submarine will be found one of these days and her fate will be known.
Platon
