Neghelli (NG)
Neghelli

Type	Coastal / Sea going
Class	Adua (23)
Laid down	25 Feb 1937	Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano
Launched	7 Nov 1937
Commissioned	28 Feb 1938
End service
Stricken
Loss date	19 Jan 1941
Loss position	37° 15'N, 24° 04'E
History
Fate	Possibly sunk on 19th January 1941 in the Aegean in position 37°15'N, 24°04'E by depth charges from the destroyer HMS Greyhound. However, the results of the attack were inconclusive and there is no absolute certainty of her fate.

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
C.C. Carlo Ferracuti	28 Aug 1938	19 Jan 1941

Ships hit

	Date	Commander	Ship hit	Type	GRT	Nat.	Loss type
1.	13 Dec 1940	C.C. Carlo Ferracuti	HMS Coventry	Anti-arcraft cruiser	4,190		Damaged
2.	19 Jan 1941	C.C. Carlo Ferracuti	Clan Cumming	Cargo ship	7,264		Damaged

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
1	Ferracuti, Carlo	9 Jun 1940	0705	La Spezia	21 Jun 1940	0845	La Spezia	759	Patrolled south of Cape Antibes. Area of patrol between 42°54'N, and between 43°24'N and 07°00'E and 07°40'E.
		13 Jun 1940	0340	43° 10'N, 7° 20'E	At 0240 hours, a 6,000-ton steamer was sighted proceeding with lights according to regulations. Neghelli closed to investigate but as the flag could not be made out and she was steering 240° toward Marseilles (or Toulon), an attack was prepared. At 0340 hours, a single torpedo was fired from a bow tube (450mm, W.200 type) at a range of 1,800 metres. It missed as her speed was apparently 2-3 knots slower than initially estimated. C.C. Carlo Ferracuti decided not to pursue the action with the gun in order not to reveal his position. He was hoping to have more worthwhile targets.
		13 Jun 1940	1445 1340 GMT (e)	43° 10'N, 7° 20'E (0) Approximately.	At 1445 hours, Neghelli was on a listening watch at a depth of 27 metres, when she was suddenly depth charged. She had not detected her aggressors. These were the French destroyers La Bayonnaise and Baliste escorting the 15th Submarine Division (or 15e DSM: Vénus, Pallas, Iris and Archimède to take positions for the Vado operation. Both attacked the submarine with depth-charges.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	26 Jun 1940	2200	La Spezia	27 Jun 1940	2040	La Maddalena	213	Passage La Spezia-La Maddalena with Argo and Scirè.
2	Ferracuti, Carlo	3 Jul 1940	1410	La Maddalena	7 Jul 1940	0755	La Maddalena	723	Patrolled within 5 miles from 37°12'N, 07°30'E on a 290°-110° axis, on a patrol line with Scirè and Diaspro off Algerian coast.
		6 Jul 1940	2200	(0) Off Sardinia.	At 2200 hours, the Italian steamer Derna (1,769 GRT, built 1912) was sighted at a distance of 2,500 metres, on a southerly course toward Cagliari. Neghelli was not aware of the presence of Derna, fortunately the vessel promptly identified herself and the attack was aborted.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	22 Jul 1940	1340	La Maddalena	22 Jul 1940	1945	La Maddalena	32	Exercises.
3	Ferracuti, Carlo	31 Jul 1940	2225	La Maddalena	1 Aug 1940	1523	Cagliari		Sailed with Scirè and Argo and brief stop at Cagliari to pick up her sailing orders before proceeding for patrol.
3b	Ferracuti, Carlo	1 Aug 1940	1546	Cagliari	11 Aug 1940	1100	La Maddalena	1369	Patrolled south of the Balearic Islands on a line from 38°20'N 6°20'E to 06°00'E, on a patrol line with Argo and Scirè. The compressor of her starboard diesel engine broke down but was repaired during the mission [mileage is from 31st July].
		5 Aug 1940	1830	(0) 70 miles SW of Asinara.	At 1830 hours, two torpedo tracks were observed. They missed the submarine at one minute interval, the first 250 metres ahead and the second 50 metres ahead. These were probably porpoises as no other submarine carried out an attack in this vicinity on that day.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	14 Aug 1940	0045	La Maddalena	14 Aug 1940	1954	La Spezia	205	Passage La Maddalena-La Spezia.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	19 Sep 1940	0810	La Spezia	19 Sep 1940	1831	La Spezia	54	Exercises with the submarine Fieramosca.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	20 Sep 1940	0800	La Spezia	20 Sep 1940	1857	La Spezia	27,5	Exercises with the submarines Cappellini, H 1 and H 4.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	21 Sep 1940	0900	La Spezia	21 Sep 1940	1526	La Spezia	61	Exercises with the submarines Scirè, Viniero and the auxiliaries Porto Sdobba and Rimini.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	27 Sep 1940	1350	La Spezia	27 Sep 1940	1802	La Spezia	22	Exercises with the submarine Tazzolli.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	2 Oct 1940	0820	La Spezia	2 Oct 1940	1220	La Spezia	21	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	4 Oct 1940	0845	La Spezia	4 Oct 1940	1250	La Spezia	22	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	12 Oct 1940	0917	La Spezia	12 Oct 1940	1250	La Spezia	20	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	14 Oct 1940	1335	La Spezia	14 Oct 1940	1750	La Spezia	26	Exercises with the submarines H 1, H 8 and the torpedo boat Curtatone.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	16 Oct 1940	0907	La Spezia	16 Oct 1940	1134	La Spezia	21	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	17 Oct 1940	0906	La Spezia	17 Oct 1940	1230	La Spezia	24	Exercises with the torpedo boat Curtatone.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	18 Oct 1940	1400	La Spezia	18 Oct 1940	1800	La Spezia	25	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	21 Oct 1940	0906	La Spezia	21 Oct 1940	1215	La Spezia	19	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	22 Oct 1940	1345	La Spezia	22 Oct 1940	1750	La Spezia	23	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	29 Oct 1940	0855	La Spezia	29 Oct 1940	1237	La Spezia	23	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	31 Oct 1940	0850	La Spezia	31 Oct 1940	1120	La Spezia	17	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	9 Nov 1940	0855	La Spezia	9 Nov 1940	1250	La Spezia	22	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	10 Nov 1940	1500	La Spezia	10 Nov 1940	1736	La Spezia	21	Exercises.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	15 Nov 1940	1240	La Spezia	17 Nov 1940	1645	Messina	490	Passage La Spezia-Messina.
		16 Nov 1940	0530		At 0530 hours, an Italian cruiser escorted by two destroyers was sighted on a northerly course. Neghelli made the recognition signal but was not answered.
	Ferracuti, Carlo	21 Nov 1940	1400	Messina	25 Nov 1940	1305	Leros	645	Passage Messina-Leros. Uneventful.
4	Ferracuti, Carlo	11 Dec 1940	0600	Leros	22 Dec 1940	1415	Leros	1336	Sailed for a patrol off Mersa Matruh between 31°40'N and 32°40'N. and between 26°40'E and 27°40'E.
		13 Dec 1940	2036 2042 (e)	(0) 340° - Mersa Matruh - 70 miles.	At 2022 hours, a shadow was sighted at a distance of 6,000 metres and was identified as a SOUTHAMPTON class cruiser. At 2036 hours, range had closed to 1,900 metres when three torpedoes (533mm) were fired from the bow tubes at 12 seconds then 40 seconds intervals. One hit was heard 95 seconds after the first torpedo was fired and it hit the cruiser forward. At 2038 hours, a fourth torpedo (450mm) was fired from a bow tube at a range of 1,600 metres. It missed. Neghelli was about to turn to fire stern torpedoes when the cruiser turned straight toward her, forcing her to submerge and the attack was foiled. The target was the 4,190-ton antiaircraft cruiser HMS Coventry. She was on her way to join convoy A.N. 10 and was hit, losing part of her stern. There were no casualties. She could still make 13 knots and was joined by the destroyers of the 2nd Flotilla HMS Hyperion (D.2), HMS Mohawk and HMS Diamond at 0015 hours on the 14th. The escort was reinforced by the destroyers from the 14th Flotilla HMS Jervis (D.14), HMS Janus and HMS Hereward. The stricken cruiser and her escort arrived at Alexandria at noon on the 14th.
5	Ferracuti, Carlo	14 Jan 1941	0040	Leros	19 Jan 1941	1125	Sunk with all hands		Sailed for patrol off Cerigo (Kythera) and east of Morea [orders mention that she sailed for area GIORGIO (?) and was allowed to go to area MARIO (?) and ARNALDO (?) and sub area LUIGI OVEST ?)]. Reported sunk by HMS Greyhound in 37°15'N, 24°04'E. No survivors, five officers and forty-one ratings lost.
		18 Jan 1941	1430 (e)	(0) Near Cape Sunion.	At 1430 hours, a Greek coast watcher reported sighting a submarine. The sighting may have been bogus, but there is a possibility it was Neghelli, who was lost the following day.
		19 Jan 1941	1125 (e)		On the morning of 19th January, Convoy A.S. 10 was proceeding from Piareus to Port Said. It consisted of the British transports Clan Cumming (7,264 GRT, built 1938), with Clan Macdonald (9,653 GRT, built 1939) and Empire Song (9,298 GRT, built 1940), the three vessels were ex-EXCESS convoy, escorted by the light cruiser HMS Calcutta and the destroyers HMS Greyhound, HMS Janus and HMS Defender. At 1117C hours, HMS Defender obtained an ASDIC echo in 37°16,5' N, 24°03' E but it was then classified as "Non-Sub". At 1125C hours, Clan Cumming was on the port wing of the convoy when she was hit forward by a torpedo. Despite being hit, she managed to make 10 knots and, escorted by Janus, she turned back and reached Piraeus at 1900 hours. There is little doubt that her attacker was the submarine Neghelli. HMS Greyhound obtained an ASDIC contact at 2,000 yards and carried out three attacks with a total of eighteen depth-charges (5 at 1130, 6 at 1139 and 7 at 1146 hours) set at 100, 150, 250 and 500 feet. No result could be observed. HMS Mohawk and HMS Hereward joined the escort of the two remaining ships at 1645 hours, relieving Greyhound and Defender. A submarine was sighted off the Gulf of Petali at 2100 hours. This was about 40 miles from the area where Clan Cumming was torpedoed and thus well within the range of Neghelli had she survived the depth charge attack and retired to the northeast. If this sighting was genuine, this would mean that the submarine survived the depth-charging by Greyhound and may have been lost through other means, perhaps the victim of a Greek mine. Clan Cumming did not survive her long, she was mined and sunk on 15th April 1941. Neghelli did not return from her patrol and was lost lost with all hands. C.C. Carlo Ferracuti, four officers and forty-one ratings perished.

30 entries. 28 total patrol entries (5 marked as war patrols) and 8 events.

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