Re: Italian sub at Portland Maine ???
Posted by:
JR
()
Date: March 14, 2006 05:22PM
Simon--I can add a bit more to the story of an Italian submarine in Casco Bay. I'll offer a condensed version,and we can correspond by e-mail if you would like more details.
There were actually seven Italian subs that came over to the U.S. after Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943. They rotated among East Coast naval bases, serving as "bogies" to train ASW ship and aircraft crews in sonar operation and (mock) destruction of U-boats.
They were all crewed by their original Italian crews.
The sub that came first to Portland and remained there the longest was the VORTICE. 10 of her crew met and married Portland women during their stay here, and remained here after the war.
VORTICE was 970 tons,had a complement of 50, and was armed with six torpedo tubes forward, four aft, and a five inch deck gun. She was built in Monvacoln (near Venice)and launched in june 1943. Her name means "whirlpool" in English.
There were actually seven Italian subs that came over to the U.S. after Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943. They rotated among East Coast naval bases, serving as "bogies" to train ASW ship and aircraft crews in sonar operation and (mock) destruction of U-boats.
They were all crewed by their original Italian crews.
The sub that came first to Portland and remained there the longest was the VORTICE. 10 of her crew met and married Portland women during their stay here, and remained here after the war.
VORTICE was 970 tons,had a complement of 50, and was armed with six torpedo tubes forward, four aft, and a five inch deck gun. She was built in Monvacoln (near Venice)and launched in june 1943. Her name means "whirlpool" in English.
