Smeraldo (SD)
Smeraldo

Type	Coastal / Sea going
Class	Sirena (21)
Laid down	25 May 1931	Cantieri Navale Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Launched	23 Jul 1933
Commissioned	29 Nov 1933
End service
Stricken
Loss date	25 Sep 1941
Loss position	36° 53'N, 11° 16'E
History
Fate	Lost, exact cause unknown but probably mined off Kelibia (Tunisia) ca. 25 September 1941.

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
T.V. Carlo Todaro	6 Feb 1940	7 Oct 1940
T.V. Giuseppe Roselli Lorenzini	8 Oct 1940	17 Nov 1940
C.C. Vincenzo D'Amato	18 Nov 1940	23 Apr 1941
T.V. Bartolomeo La Penna	23 Apr 1941	26 Sep 1941

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
1	Todaro, Carlo	8 Jun 1940	2200	Tobruk	21 Jun 1940	0815	Tobruk	1091,4	Patrolled 60 miles (or 30 miles?) west of Alexandria.
		11 Jun 1940	0100	31° 11'N, 28° 44'E (0) 60 miles west of Alexandria.	At 0050 hours, two shadows were sighted and appeared to be two vessels navigating on opposite course to the submarine. One small vessel leading a larger one. At 0100 hours, a stern torpedo (533mm, W-H type) was fired at a range of 1,000 metres aimed at the larger vessel. It missed. T.V. Carlo Todaro believed that the rough seas (force 4) had disturbed his aim. This was the first attack by an Italian submarine in World War Two. It was apparently unobserved. The target was possibly the tanker British Union (6,987 GRT, built 1927). She had sailed from Alexandria and was proceeding to Monemvasia to refuel H.M. destroyers (but is also reported to have left only on 12th June). Her presence would later be the object of a protest from the Greek government. The freighter African Prince (4,653 GRT, built 1939) was due at Alexandria from Istanbul on 12th June, but is unlikely to have been the target, as this vessel appeared to be leaving from Alexandria.
2	Todaro, Carlo	3 Jul 1940	2200	Tobruk	9 Jul 1940	2240	Tobruk	524	Patrolled in 34°16'N, 23°24'E on a patrol line with Lafolè. Was victim of the worst recorded anti-submarine attack in World War II (by an Italian submarine) with 200 depth charges dropped on 7th and 8th July. She managed to return to Tobruk but could not be repaired there.
		8 Jul 1940	1635-2230 1654 (e)		At 1615 hours, a noise was detected and the submarine went into silence running to get better reception. At 1635 hours, Smeraldo was suddenly shaken by a violent explosion. She escaped by going down to 80 metres. The depth charging lasted until 2230 hours and some 200 depth charges were counted (certainly an exaggeration!). She had been hunted by the destroyers HMS Hasty and HMS Ilex, screening the battleship HMS Malaya.
	Todaro, Carlo	2 Aug 1940	1700	Tobruk	7 Aug 1940	1420	Taranto	679	Passage Tobruk-Taranto for repairs via coastal route till Ras Aamer then direct to Santa Maria di Leuca.
	Todaro, Carlo	11 Aug 1940	2200	Taranto	14 Aug 1940	0930	Pola	495,3	Passage Taranto-Pola for repairs.
	Todaro, Carlo	5 Oct 1940	0730	Pola	5 Oct 1940	1510	Pola	29	Exercises.
	Todaro, Carlo	7 Oct 1940	1430	Pola	7 Oct 1940	1730	Pola	4	Exercises.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	9 Oct 1940	0730	Pola	9 Oct 1940	1550	Pola	15	Exercises.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	13 Oct 1940	0645	Pola	13 Oct 1940	1530	Pola	4,5	Exercises.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	15 Oct 1940	1000	Pola	15 Oct 1940	1820	Pola	44	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giusto and Parenzo.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	19 Oct 1940	0745	Pola	19 Oct 1940	1310	Pola	23	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giusto and Marettimo.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	20 Oct 1940	1200	Pola	22 Oct 1940	1825	Taranto	495	Passage Pola-Taranto.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	24 Oct 1940	0850	Taranto	24 Oct 1940	1400	Taranto	14,5	Exercises.
	Roselli Lorenzini, Giuseppe	4 Nov 1940	0830	Taranto	4 Nov 1940	1730	Taranto	51	Exercises.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	24 Nov 1940	0815	Taranto	24 Nov 1940	1800	Taranto	48	Exercises.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	28 Nov 1940	1035	Taranto	28 Nov 1940	1600	Taranto	41,5	Exercises.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	2 Dec 1940	0700	Taranto	3 Dec 1940	1320	Augusta	316,2	Passage Taranto-Augusta.
3	D'Amato, Vincenzo	15 Dec 1940	1200	Augusta	27 Dec 1940	0845	Augusta	1528	Operated off Cyrenaic and Egyptian coast, between 32°50'N and North African coast, 23°00'E and 23°40'E. Uneventful.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	10 Jan 1941	1430	Augusta	10 Jan 1941	1630	Augusta	7	Exercises.
4	D'Amato, Vincenzo	14 Jan 1941	2104	Augusta	20 Jan 1941	0925	Augusta	416	Patrolled off Malta within 15 miles from 35°20'N, 16°40'E in bad weather, but suffered battery defects and had to turn back on 18th January 1941.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	21 Jan 1941	0750	Augusta	21 Jan 1941	1525	Messina	76	Passage Augusta-Messina.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	17 Feb 1941	0800	Messina	17 Feb 1941	1630	Messina	50	Trials escorted by the auxiliary Castiglia.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	21 Feb 1941	0700	Messina	21 Feb 1941	1810	Messina	61	Trials with the submarine Colonna escorted by the auxiliary Castiglia.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	23 Feb 1941	0800	Messina	23 Feb 1941	1410	Messina	48,5	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Castiglia.
5	D'Amato, Vincenzo	7 Mar 1941	2203	Messina	22 Mar 1941	1757	Leros	1342	Patrolled within 20 miles from 33°20'N, 28°20'E.
		12 Mar 1941	1950	33° 22'N, 22° 13'E	At 1950 hours, a derelict mine was sighted.
		13 Mar 1941	1118	33° 22'N, 22° 13'E (0) Approximately.	At 1103 hours, an explosion was heard near by. At 1105 hours, the hydrophones picked up noises and at 1118 hours, a convoy of seven merchant ships of between 3,000 and 10,000 tons (one was identified as belonging to the Blue Funnel line and two to the P & O Line) escorted by a cruiser and destroyers, was sighted at 10,000 metres, steering 295°. This may have been convoy A.G. 5 escorted by the destroyers HMAS Vampire and HMS Wryneck on their way to Piraeus via the Kythera Channel. Smeraldo could not close to attack and surfaced at 1347/13 and made an enemy report.
		18 Mar 1941	0410	33° 00'N, 28° 00'E	At 0410 hours, a destroyer was suddenly sighted at a range of 2,000 metres on a parallel course at 20-22 knots. Smeraldo was ready to fire a pair of torpedoes from her bow tubes, when the destroyer suddenly turned toward her and she was forced to submerge but was not attacked.
	D'Amato, Vincenzo	2 Apr 1941	1000	Leros	2 Apr 1941	1030	Leros	?	Changed anchorage.
6	D'Amato, Vincenzo	6 Apr 1941	1600	Leros	21 Apr 1941	0815	Leros	1144,5	Patrolled south of Crete within 20 miles from 34°05'N, 25°20'E on a NE-SW axis.
		14 Apr 1941	2155	(0) South of Crete.	At 2155 hours, an enemy destroyer was sighted at 6-7,000 metres, steering 090°, 15 knots. Smeraldo attempted to close to attack but the destroyer disappeared in the distance.
		17 Apr 1941	1745-1839	(0) South of Crete.	At 2045 hours on 16th April, MARICOSOM signalled a large enemy convoy steering 300° in Italian Grid 2263/6. Smeraldo had received it, as she was starting her return trip. She remained in position until 0145 hours on the 17th, but heard or saw nothing. Between 1745 and 1839 many loud explosion were heard at 20-25,000 metres away. It was believed that this convoy was under attack.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	9 May 1941	0930	Augusta	9 May 1941	1200	Augusta	5	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	12 May 1941	0850	Augusta	12 May 1941	1223	Augusta	9,5	Exercises with the submarine Malachite escorted by a tug and MAS 529.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	14 May 1941	0903	Augusta	14 May 1941	1240	Augusta	9,5	Exercises, escorted by the tug Pluto and MAS 528.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	16 May 1941	0912	Augusta	16 May 1941	1204	Augusta	7,5	Exercises with MAS 529 and the tug Pluto.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	19 May 1941	0930	Augusta	19 May 1941	1140	Augusta	4,5	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	25 May 1941	1400	Augusta	25 May 1941	1555	Augusta	5,5	Exercises.
7	La Penna, Bartolomeo	26 May 1941	2100	Augusta	10 Jun 1941	1616	Augusta	1439,5	Patrolled southwest of Cape Krio in 35°10'N, 23°20'E (or 35°15'N, 23°10'E?) or Grids 6088 and 6092 (Crete).
		27 May 1941	0917	36° 08'N, 17° 00'E	At 0917 hours, a derelict mine was sunk by machine gun fire.
		27 May 1941	1712	35° 24'N, 18° 04'E	At 1712 hours, a derelict mine was sunk by machine gun fire.
		5 Jun 1941	2035	(0) SW of Crete.	At 2035 hours, a submarine was sighted at a range of 800 metres. It was believed to be of the FISALIA class and Smeraldo made a recognition signal, but it remained unanswered and the other submarine dived. Smeraldo turned away. This had been the submarine Turchese.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	15 Jun 1941	0855	Augusta	16 Jun 1941	1403	Naples	299	Passage Augusta-Naples for refit.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	7 Aug 1941	0826	Naples	7 Aug 1941	1800	Naples	59,5	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	10 Aug 1941	0829	Naples	10 Aug 1941	1930	Naples	45,5	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	11 Aug 1941	0829	Naples	11 Aug 1941	1930	Baia	15,5	Passage Naples-Baia.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	11 Aug 1941	1620	Baia	11 Aug 1941	1813	Naples	15,5	Passage Baia-Naples.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	14 Aug 1941	0800	Naples	14 Aug 1941	1650	Naples	37	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	16 Aug 1941	0810	Naples	16 Aug 1941	1800	Naples	41	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	17 Aug 1941	0800	Naples	17 Aug 1941	0950	Baia	15,5	Passage Naples-Baia.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	17 Aug 1941	1829	Baia	17 Aug 1941	2025	Naples	15,5	Passage Baia-Naples.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	18 Aug 1941	0816	Naples	18 Aug 1941	1527	Naples	56	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	19 Aug 1941	1527	Naples	20 Aug 1941	0055	Naples	38	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	21 Aug 1941	1333	Naples	21 Aug 1941	1845	Naples	41	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	24 Aug 1941	1702	Naples	24 Aug 1941	1930	Naples	20	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	26 Aug 1941	0800	Naples	26 Aug 1941	1430	Naples	29,5	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	27 Aug 1941	0804	Naples	27 Aug 1941	1810	Naples	63	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	30 Aug 1941	0802	Naples	30 Aug 1941	1630	Naples	30	Exercises.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	1 Sep 1941	0905	Naples	2 Sep 1941	1530	Augusta		Passage Naples-Augusta.
	La Penna, Bartolomeo	8 Sep 1941	0830	Augusta	8 Sep 1941	1210	Augusta		Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary minesweeper Tea.
8	La Penna, Bartolomeo	15 Sep 1941	0625	Augusta	26 Sep 1941	Date???	Sunk (with all hands)		Sailed for patrol in zone K2 (between 36°53'N and 36°57'N, and between 11°12'E and Tunisian coast, off Kelibia, Cape Bon) [next to Alagi in zone K.1] and on 21st September also ordered to K.3. Disappeared without a trace. Was to have left her patrol on 25th September and reach home on the 27th. Probably mined (five officers and forty ratings killed).
		26 Sep 1941	Date approx.	(0) Sicilian Channel?	Smeraldo disappeared without a trace. T.V. Bartolomeo La Penna, four officers and forty ratings perished. She was probably mined, possibly on minefield 5 AN bis, consisting of 216 ELIA mines laid on the night of 8/9th August 1940 by the destroyers of the X^ Squadriglia (Maestrale, Grecale, Libeccio and Scirocco) from 36°53' N, 11°16.4' E to 36°56' N, 11°30.2' E. The eastern edge of Smeraldo's patrol area was only 3.5 miles west of this minefield and she could easily have strayed in it through an error in navigation. The minelayer Scilla, escorted by the torpedo-boats Alcione and Sagittario, laid minefield 5 AN the same night but it was further east.

57 entries. 52 total patrol entries (8 marked as war patrols) and 11 events.

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