Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders

Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Born	5 Sep 1914		Milan
Died	1985	(70)	Salerno

Ranks

		S.T.V.	Sottotenente di Vascello
		T.V.	Tenente di Vascello

Decorations

14 Dec 1940		Croce di guerra al valore militare
16 Nov 1942		Medaglia d'argento al valore militare

Career information

COMANDANTE ALFREDO CAPPELLINI (S.T.V. officer): from 10.05.1940 to November 1940+.
C.B.1 (T.V. C.O. and Capo Squadriglia C.B. or Head Midget Submarine Squadron): from 10.05.1941 to 31.12.1941?
H.2 (T.V. C.O.): from 01.01.1942 to 11.02.1942.
H.1 (T.V. resp.): from 02.02.1942 to 05.03.1942 (refit at Genoa).
C.B.1 (T.V. C.O. and Capo Squadriglia C.B. (Mar Nero) or Head Midget Submarine Squadron Black Sea): from February 1942? to August 1942?

Commands listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Submarine	Type	Rank	From	To
CB 1 ()		T.V.	10 May 1941	31 Dec 1941
H 2 (H2)	Coastal	T.V.	1 Jan 1942	11 Feb 1942
H 1 (H1, P.56)	Coastal	T.V.	2 Feb 1942	5 Mar 1942

Ships hit by Enrico Lesen d'Aston

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston

	Submarine	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
	CB 1 ()	12 May 1941	0725	La Spezia	12 May 1941	0945	La Spezia	7	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	16 May 1941	0800	La Spezia	16 May 1941	1600	La Spezia	40	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	27 May 1941	1330	La Spezia	27 May 1941	1900	La Spezia	28	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	28 May 1941	1330	La Spezia	28 May 1941	1800	La Spezia	22	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	29 May 1941	1330	La Spezia	29 May 1941	1900	La Spezia	24	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	30 May 1941	1400	La Spezia	30 May 1941	1900	La Spezia	23	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	4 Jun 1941	0900	La Spezia	4 Jun 1941	1200	La Spezia	15	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	4 Jun 1941	1400	La Spezia	4 Jun 1941	1700	La Spezia	10	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	20 Jun 1941	1500	La Spezia	20 Jun 1941	1700	La Spezia	9	Exercises.

1.	CB 1 ()	25 Jun 1941	0600	La Spezia	27 Jun 1941	0831	La Spezia	153	Patrol to test the possibilities of the CB-boats. Uneventful. Sighted only Italian vessels.

	CB 1 ()	15 Jul 1941	1535	La Spezia	15 Jul 1941	1815	La Spezia	9,8	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	19 Jul 1941	0820	La Spezia	19 Jul 1941	1215	La Spezia	19	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	22 Jul 1941	1430	La Spezia	22 Jul 1941	1800	La Spezia	19,3	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	26 Jul 1941	2045	La Spezia	27 Jul 1941	0230	La Spezia	23	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	28 Jul 1941	1600	La Spezia	28 Jul 1941	1830	La Spezia	3	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	29 Jul 1941	0900	La Spezia	29 Jul 1941	1130	La Spezia	5	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	4 Aug 1941	0930	La Spezia	4 Aug 1941	1150	La Spezia	14	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	7 Aug 1941	0925	La Spezia	7 Aug 1941	1110	La Spezia	9	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	9 Aug 1941	2135	La Spezia	10 Aug 1941	0145	La Spezia	14	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	11 Aug 1941	0912	La Spezia	11 Aug 1941	1350	La Spezia	13	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	12 Aug 1941	2025	La Spezia	12 Aug 1941	2400	La Spezia	14	Exercises, escorted by the tug Porto Sdoba.

	CB 1 ()	2 Sep 1941	1020	La Spezia	2 Sep 1941	1210	La Spezia	3	Exercises or changed anchorage.

2.	CB 1 ()	9 Sep 1941	0525	Naples	9 Sep 1941	1300	Salerno	40	Antisubmarine patrol.

3.	CB 1 ()	20 Sep 1941	1600	Salerno	21 Sep 1941	1545	Salerno	106	Antisubmarine patrol. Sighted only Italian fishing vessels.

4.	CB 1 ()	14 Oct 1941	1710	Salerno	15 Oct 1941	1200	Salerno	77,5	Antisubmarine patrol with CB 5 Uneventful.
		14 Oct 1941	2006	(0) Off Salerno.	At 2006 hours, the midget submarine CB 5 was sighted at a distance of 300-400 metres.

5.	CB 1 ()	22 Oct 1941	1800	Salerno	23 Oct 1941	0700	Salerno	57,5	Antisubmarine surface patrol. Uneventful.

6.	CB 1 ()	26 Oct 1941	1800	Salerno	27 Oct 1941	0841	Salerno	66	Antisubmarine patrol on the surface with CB 5. Uneventful.

	CB 1 ()	17 Nov 1941	0915	Salerno	17 Nov 1941	1518	Salerno	20	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	18 Nov 1941	0830	Salerno	18 Nov 1941	1535	Salerno	25	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	19 Nov 1941	0900	La Spezia	19 Nov 1941	1255	La Spezia	?	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	23 Dec 1941	1030	Salerno	23 Dec 1941	1200	Salerno	?	Exercises.

	H 2 (H2)	31 Dec 1941	0800	Taranto	31 Dec 1941	1145	Taranto	21	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	4 Jan 1942	0825	Salernoa	4 Jan 1942	1440	Naples	40	Passage Salerno-Naples on the surface at 6 knots, then to La Spezia by train (the date of the transfer by train is not known).

	H 2 (H2)	9 Jan 1942	0800	Taranto	9 Jan 1942	1617	Taranto	30	Exercises.

	H 2 (H2)	14 Jan 1942	1241	Taranto	14 Jan 1942	1732	Taranto	32,5	Exercises.

	H 2 (H2)	18 Jan 1942	1230	Taranto	18 Jan 1942	1430	Taranto	11	Exercises.

	H 1 (H1, P.56)	2 Feb 1942		Genoa	5 Mar 1942		Genoa		Refit in Genoa.

	CB 1 ()	24 Feb 1942	1300	La Spezia	24 Feb 1942	1705	La Spezia	20	Exercises, escorted by the torpedo boat Carini.

	CB 1 ()	26 Feb 1942	0955	La Spezia	26 Feb 1942	1415	La Spezia	15	Exercises with the submarine H 4, escorted by MAS 505 and MAS 525.

	CB 1 ()	16 Mar 1942	0920	La Spezia	16 Mar 1942	1420	La Spezia	18	Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	21 Mar 1942	1430	La Spezia	21 Mar 1942	1900	La Spezia	15	Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries San Marco and Santantioco. In April 1942, moved by train from La Spezia to Costanza.

	CB 1 ()	22 May 1942	0945	Costanza	22 May 1942	1400	Costanza		Exercises.

	CB 1 ()	2 Jun 1942	2330	Costanza	5 Jun 1942	1055	Yalta	280	Passage Costanza-Yalta with CB 2 and CB 3.
		3 Jun 1942	0558		At 0558 hours, a German aircraft was sighted and exchanged recognition signals.
		5 Jun 1942	0310	(0) 191° - Cape Sarytch - 25 miles.	At 0310 hours, a Soviet destroyer was sighted at a distance of 7,000 metres, steering 140° at 18 knots. The midget submarine CB 2 was within voice range and was informed, but neither submarine was in a position to intercept.

7.	CB 1 ()	7 Jun 1942	1900	Yalta	8 Jun 1942	0710	Yalta	68	Patrolled south of Sevastopol between 44°10'N and 43°50'N, and between 33°10'E and 33°24'E. Uneventful.

8.	CB 1 ()	12 Jun 1942	1400	Yalta	14 Jun 1942	0920	Yalta	111	Patrolled south of Sevastopol, on the meridian of Cape Sarych, 25 miles from the cape, then at dawn of the 13th 173° - Cape Chersonese - 23 miles. Uneventful.
		13 Jun 1942	0640	(0) Off Yalta.	At 0640 hours, the midget submarine CB 3 was sighted returning to Yalta.

9.	CB 1 ()	16 Jun 1942	1800	Yalta	18 Jun 1942	1110	Yalta	191	Patrolled south of Cape Sarych and south of Sevastopol. According to sailing orders, was to have patrolled in 43°44'N, 33°33'E and 44°15'N, 33°33'E (probably patrolled only latter position as she sailed one day later than ordered).
		17 Jun 1942	1020	(0) South of Sevastopol.	At 1020 hours, the midget submarine CB 2. was sighted.
		17 Jun 1942	1505	(0) South of Sevastopol.	At 1505 hours, a Soviet submarine was seen emerging from the fog at a distance of 5,000 metres. CB 1 attempted to attack, but closed only to 4,000 meters before the enemy submarine turned away and disappeared into the fog.
		17 Jun 1942	1843	(0) About 12 miles east of Cape Chersonese.	At 1843 hours, two Soviet bombers were sighted at a distance of 2,000 metres. CB 1 dived.
		17 Jun 1942	2025	(0) South of Cape Chersonese.	At 2025 hours, three Soviet MTBs exchanging signals were sighted at distances of 400, 800 and 2,000 metres. CB 1 dived.
		17 Jun 1942	2105	(0) South of Cape Chersonese.	At 2105 hours, a small Soviet torpedo boat was sighted at a distance of 1,000 metres. CB 1 could not attack as its two torpedoes were set for a depth of three meters.
		17 Jun 1942	2231-0100/18	(0) South of Cape Chersonese.	From 2231 hours on 17th June to 0100 hours on the 18th, CB 1 was subject to a depth charge attack, apparently by two MTBs. The submarine could not dive below 30 meters because of a leak and counted 17 depth-charges, but was not damaged. The submarine surfaced at 0120 hours on the 18th and sighted nothing but, at 0335 hours, the two MTBS were seen again at a distance of 3,000 meters.

10.	CB 1 ()	24 Jun 1942	1800	Yalta	26 Jun 1942	1000	Yalta	120	Patrolled south of Cape Sarych and south of Sevastopol in 44°05'N, 34°00'E.
		24 Jun 1942	2210	(0) Near Yalta.	At 2210 hours, two Soviet MTBs exchanging signals, were sighted at a distance of 3,000 metres.
		25 Jun 1942	0822		At 0822 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 2,000 metres and CB 1dived. At 1943 hours, information was received of an enemy destroyer 14 miles to the south of midget position. Because of the heavy seas, CB 1 was unable to intercept.

11.	CB 1 ()	29 Jun 1942	1800	Yalta	1 Jul 1942	1123	Yalta	93	Patrolled south of Cape Sarych or 30 miles south of Yalta.
		29 Jun 1942	2105	(0) Near Yalta.	At 2105, a Soviet MTB was sighted.
		30 Jun 1942	0755		At 0755 hours, a Soviet submarine was sighted at a distance of 4 miles and dived shortly after. CB 1 attempted to close using her hydrophones, but lost contact at 1105 hours.

	CB 1 ()	7 Jul 1942	1400	Yalta	9 Jul 1942	2000	Costanza	289	Passage Yalta-Costanza with CB 4. Marred by defects.

	CB 1 ()	20 Aug 1942	Time?	Costanza	20 Aug 1942	Time?	Costanza	10	Exercises?.

58 entries. 50 total patrol entries (11 marked as war patrols) and 14 events.

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Italian submarines

Commander file

Events on this day

Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders

Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Ranks

Decorations

Career information

Commands listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Ships hit by Enrico Lesen d'Aston

War patrols listed for Enrico Lesen d'Aston

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines