Tricheco (TR)
Tricheco

Type	Ocean going
Class	Squalo (6)
Laid down	10 Nov 1928	Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone
Launched	11 Sep 1930
Commissioned	25 Jun 1931
End service
Stricken
Loss date	18 Mar 1942
Loss position	40° 42'N, 17° 57'E
History
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk in the Adriatic, north of Brindisi, in position 40°42'N, 17°57'E by the British submarine HMS Upholder.

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
C.C. Alberto Avogadro di Cerrione	5 Jan 1940	14 Nov 1940
C.C. Giuseppe Aicardi	14 Nov 1940	28 Dec 1940
S.T.V. Francesco Agostini	31 Dec 1940	21 Mar 1941
T.V. Carlo Gandolfo	21 Mar 1941	15 Nov 1941
T.V. Alberto Campanella	16 Nov 1941	31 Dec 1941
S.T.V. Ermanno Tonti	1 Jan 1942	14 Jan 1942
C.C. Alberto Avogadro di Cerrione	15 Jan 1942	25 Jan 1942
S.T.V. Ermanno Tonti	26 Jan 1942	31 Jan 1942
C.C. Giovanni Cunsolo	1 Feb 1942	18 Mar 1942

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
1	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	9 Jun 1940	1130	Leros	14 Jun 1940	0815	Leros	421	Patrolled within 10 miles from 075° - Punta Castello (Scarpanto) - 18 miles. Uneventful.
2	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	18 Jun 1940	1435	Leros	24 Jun 1940	1415	Leros	464,5	Patrolled off north coast of Crete in 35°40'N, 24°50'E.
3	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	3 Jul 1940	1950	Leros	16 Jul 1940	0630	Leros	1224	Patrolled on Alexandria-Crete route in 32°54'N, 28°28'E on a line with Beilul and Velella.
4	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	5 Aug 1940	2055	Leros	17 Aug 1940	0520	Leros	853	Patrolled in Doro Channel. Sighted only neutral vessels.
5	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	30 Sep 1940	1600	Leros	8 Oct 1940	1530	Leros	959	Patrolled south of Kaso Straits for Operation C.V. (reinforcements for the Dodecanese).
		7 Oct 1940	1800	(0) Kaso Straits	During dinner, there was a fight between two ratings and one was severely injured. C.C. Alberto Avogrado di Cerrione Trotti Bentivoglio decided to abort patrol and return to base.
		8 Oct 1940	0121	35° 30'N, 27° 18'E	An unknown submarine was sighted and Tricheco fired two torpedoes from her bow tubes in quick succession at a distance of just 600 metres. The first missed but the second was a direct hit. Unfortunately the target was the submarine Gemma who was returning from patrol and C.C. Avogrado Di Cerione was unaware of her presence. Of her crew, none survived, five officer and forty ratings perished.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	22 Oct 1940	0805	Leros	22 Oct 1940	1202	Leros	27	Exercises.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	26 Oct 1940	0955	Leros	26 Oct 1940	1210	Leros	6	Exercises.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	27 Oct 1940	0740	Leros	27 Oct 1940	0930	Leros	4,5	Exercises.
6	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	27 Oct 1940	1145	Leros	7 Nov 1940	0748	Leros	1176	Patrolled between 32°20'N and 33°00'N, and between 27°00'E and 28°00'E. Uneventful, heard only distant explosions.
	Aicardi, Giuseppe	16 Nov 1940	0928	Leros	16 Nov 1940	1118	Leros	8	Exercises.
	Aicardi, Giuseppe	18 Nov 1940	2200	Leros	20 Nov 1940	2200	Leros	143	Sailed for Taranto, returned because of defects.
	Aicardi, Giuseppe	22 Nov 1940	1614	Leros	22 Nov 1940	1730	Leros	6	Exercises.
7	Aicardi, Giuseppe	28 Nov 1940	0923	Leros	3 Dec 1940	0830	Naples	885	Passage Leros-Naples for repairs. Uneventful. British Intelligence had been informed that an Italian submarine was to leave the Aegean on 27th November 1940 for Italy via 36°00'N, 21°08'E and another would follow. Then refit in Naples.
	Agostini, Francesco	31 Dec 1940		Naples	21 Mar 1941		Naples		Refit in Naples. Change in command.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	23 Mar 1941	0935	Naples	23 Mar 1941	1745	Naples	29	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	26 Mar 1941	1352	Naples	26 Mar 1941	1747	Naples	32	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	29 Mar 1941	0910	Naples	29 Mar 1941	1945	Naples	70	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	5 Apr 1941	0846	Naples	5 Apr 1941	1545	Naples	69	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	7 Apr 1941	0855	Naples	7 Apr 1941	1700	Naples	41	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	10 Apr 1941	0720	Naples	10 Apr 1941	1800	Naples	62,5	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	12 Apr 1941	0810	Naples	12 Apr 1941	1610	Naples	44	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	14 Apr 1941	0825	Naples	14 Apr 1941	1500	Naples	31,5	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	19 Apr 1941	0820	Naples	19 Apr 1941	1550	Naples	46,5	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	21 Apr 1941	1045	Naples	21 Apr 1941	1720	Naples	40	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	23 Apr 1941	1213	Naples	23 Apr 1941	1848	Naples	45	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	26 Apr 1941	0816	Naples	26 Apr 1941	1240	Naples	35	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	28 Apr 1941	1215	Naples	30 Apr 1941	0848	Taranto	488	Passage Naples-Taranto.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	6 May 1941	0735	Taranto	6 May 1941	1715	Taranto	75	Exercises.
8	Gandolfo, Carlo	7 May 1941	2110	Taranto	8 May 1941	1000	Taranto	93	Defensive patrol (hydrophone watch) in Gulf of Taranto. Uneventful.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	9 May 1941	1032	Taranto	10 May 1941	1450	Augusta	317,5	Passage Augusta-Taranto.
9	Gandolfo, Carlo	13 May 1941	2130	Augusta	29 May 1941	0816	Messina	1576	Patrolled north of Sollum between 31°50'N and 32°20'N, and between 25°20'E and 26°00'E. Uneventful except for H.E.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	22 Jun 1941	0820	Messina	22 Jun 1941	1210	Messina	26	Trials escorted by MAS 524 and Castiglia.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	28 Jun 1941	0820	Messina	28 Jun 1941	1540	Messina	40,5	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	9 Jul 1941	0800	Messina	9 Jul 1941	0900	Messina	6	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	11 Jul 1941	1240	Messina	11 Jul 1941	1750	Messina	38	Exercises
	Gandolfo, Carlo	15 Jul 1941	0805	Messina	15 Jul 1941	1600	Messina	158,5	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	28 Jul 1941	0845	Messina	28 Jul 1941	1235	Messina	18	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	6 Aug 1941	1050	Messina	6 Aug 1941	1723	Messina	43	Exercises escorted by the auxiliary Castiglia.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	7 Aug 1941	0843	Messina	7 Aug 1941	1840	Messina	61	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Castiglia.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	8 Aug 1941	0910	Messina	8 Aug 1941	1638	Messina	44,5	Exercises.
10	Gandolfo, Carlo	13 Aug 1941	1218	Messina	15 Aug 1941	1248	Messina	353,1	Patrolled east of Malta, within 10 miles from 35°46'N, 16°04'E on the meridian. Uneventful.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	19 Aug 1941	0830	Messina	19 Aug 1941	1805	Messina	59	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	20 Aug 1941	0705	Messina	20 Aug 1941	1720	Messina	60	Exercises.
11	Gandolfo, Carlo	23 Aug 1941	0748	Messina	27 Aug 1941	1834	Messina	628,9	Patrolled between Pantelleria and Malta, within 10 miles from 36°46'N, 12°52'E on a SE-NW axis. Uneventful.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	2 Sep 1941	0900	Messina	2 Sep 1941	1100	Messina	18	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	19 Sep 1941	0809	Messina	19 Sep 1941	1545	Messina	55	Exercises escorted by the auxiliary Marzano.
12	Gandolfo, Carlo	22 Sep 1941	2215	Messina	7 Oct 1941	1900	Augusta	1713	Patrolled 60 miles north of Ras Amer. No ship sighted during this patrol.
		7 Oct 1941	0855 0700 (e)	36° 45'N, 15° 34'E	An aircraft identified as a Blenheim bomber (it was actually Maryland B.S.762 of 69 Squadron piloted by Sergeant G.W. Bates) was observed arriving from the northwest. Tricheco put up an accurate antiaircraft fire at a range of 1,500 metres and the aircraft attempted to strafe her without success. At 0936 hours, before an attack could be renewed, the submarine dived.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	22 Oct 1941	0745	Augusta	22 Oct 1941	1106	Augusta	17,3	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	28 Oct 1941	0822	Augusta	28 Oct 1941	1210	Augusta	24,2	Exercises escorted by the auxiliary minesweeper 204.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	7 Nov 1941	0818	Augusta	7 Nov 1941	1210	Augusta	19,2	Exercises.
	Gandolfo, Carlo	18 Nov 1941	0830	Augusta	18 Nov 1941	1115	Augusta	10,1	Exercises.
13	Campanella, Alberto	21 Nov 1941	1455	Augusta	5 Dec 1941	1115	Augusta	1287,6	Patrolled southeast of Malta between 34°20'N and 34°40'N, and between 16°00'E and 16°40'E (or and between 15°40'E and 16°00'E?). On a patrol line with Delfino and Settembrini.
		30 Nov 1941	1147	34° 23'N, 15° 46'E	An enemy squadron was first detected by hydrophones at 1045 hours. They came into view and the submarine fired thee torpedoes (533mm) from her bow tubes at a range of 1,500 metres at a target described as a cruiser of the FROBISHER class, one of four cruisers and two destroyers steering 085° at 18 knots. These were actually Force B (the light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Neptune of the 7th C.S. with the destroyers HMS Kimberley and HMS Kingston) and Force K (the light cruiser HMS Aurora and HMS Penelope with destroyer HMS Lively). One hit was heard after 75 seconds, but this was not confirmed and the attack does not appear to have been observed. The British squadron only reported a CANT float plane sighted to the SW in position 34°24' N, 15°37' E at 1123 hours.
	Campanella, Alberto	28 Dec 1941	0855	Augusta	28 Dec 1941	1220	Augusta	26,3	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary minesweeper Tea.
	Tonti, Ermanno	1 Jan 1942	Date?	Augusta	14 Jan 1942	Date?	Augusta		Change in command during refit at Augusta.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	17 Jan 1942	0930	Augusta	17 Jan 1942	1200	Augusta		Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Trau.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	18 Jan 1942	0910	Augusta	18 Jan 1942	1045	Augusta		Exercises.
	Avogadro di Cerrione, Alberto	23 Jan 1942	0945	Augusta	23 Jan 1942	1630	Messina		Passage Augusta-Messina.
	Tonti, Ermanno	26 Jan 1942	Date?	Augusta	31 Jan 1942	Date?	Augusta		Change in command during refit at Augusta.
	Cunsolo, Giovanni	6 Feb 1942	1440	Messina	6 Feb 1942	1800	Messina		Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marras.
	Cunsolo, Giovanni	7 Feb 1942	0820	Messina	7 Feb 1942	1440	Messina		Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marras.
14	Cunsolo, Giovanni	9 Feb 1942	1700	Messina	25 Feb 1942	1400	Augusta	?	Patrolled north of Cyrenaica, within 8 miles from 34°20'N, 19°50'E on the meridian, with Topazio, Malachite and Perla. On the evening of 13th February, patrol was shifted 20 miles south and then returned to original position. On 15th February, she was ordered to shift her area to 098° - 148 miles.
		23 Feb 1942	0030	35° 33'N, 18° 55'E	A sudden wave shook the submarine, which nearly capsized to port with a roll of 60-70 degrees. The diesel engines were stopped and for a short while the submarine proceeded on her electric motors, but acid from the batteries had spilled over forcing the personnel to don gas masks.
		23 Feb 1942	0620	35° 33'N, 18° 55'E	As the submarine was in difficulty and heavy forward, the four forward tubes were discharged for safety reasons. At 0720 hours on the 24th, Dandolo joined her for assistance and they proceeded in company to Augusta.
	Cunsolo, Giovanni	16 Mar 1942	1910	Augusta	18 Mar 1942	1745	Sunk		On passage Augusta-Brindisi. Sunk by HMS Upholder.
		18 Mar 1942	1745 1726+ (e)	40° 41'N, 17° 59'E (e) 40° 41'N, 17° 57'E (0) 2 miles off entrance of Brindisi Harbour.	As the submarine was about to enter Brindisi, she was struck by two torpedoes from a salvo of four, fired by the submarine HMS Upholder and sank rapidly. One officer and thirty-seven ratings were killed, four officers (including Cunsolo.) and seven ratings survived and were picked up by the freighter Nazario Sauro and the sailing vessel S. Spiridione.

64 entries. 62 total patrol entries (14 marked as war patrols) and 7 events.

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