Italian submarines in World War Two

Italian Commanders


Gustavo Lovatelli

Born  15 Sep 1908Venice
Died  31 Jul 1989(80)Grosseto

Ranks

  T.V.Tenente di Vascello
  C.C.Capitano di Corvetta

Decorations

  Croce al merito di guerra
  Croce al merito di guerra
  Cavaliere ufficiale dell'ordine della Corona d'Italia
2 Dec 1941 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
24 Jul 1942 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
11 Apr 1946 Croce di guerra al valore militare
12 Apr 1946 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare
12 Apr 1946 Medaglia di bronzo al valore militare

Career information

T.V. Gustavo Lovatelli
ONICE: From 20.03.1939 to 14.06.1940.
SQUALO: From 14.07.1940 to 08.08.1940 (replaced C.C. Migeca who was indisposed).
ONICE: From 14.08.1940 to 10.08.1941. Promoted C.C. in January 1941.
GIOVANNI DA PROCIDA: From 11.08.1941 to 21.01.1942.
FRANCESCO RISMONDO: From 28.01.1942 to 29.03.1942.
SQUALO: From 17.06.1943 to 25.07.1943.

Commands listed for Gustavo Lovatelli


Submarine Type Rank From To
Squalo (SQ)Ocean goingT.V.14 Jul 19408 Aug 1940
Onice (OC)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.20 Mar 193910 Aug 1941
Onice (OC)Coastal / Sea goingT.V.14 Aug 194010 Aug 1941
Giovanni da Procida (DP)Ocean goingC.C.11 Aug 194121 Jan 1942
Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)C.C.28 Jan 194229 Mar 1942
Squalo (SQ)Ocean goingC.C.17 Jun 194325 Jul 1943

Ships hit by Gustavo Lovatelli

No ships hit by this Commander.

War patrols listed for Gustavo Lovatelli

 SubmarineDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Onice (OC)3 Jun 19401955La Spezia6 Jun 19401538Taranto670Passage La Spezia-Taranto.

Onice (OC)8 Jun 19401230Taranto11 Jun 19401250Pola610Passage Taranto-Pola.

Onice (OC)13 Jun 19400645Pola13 Jun 19401200Fiume60Passage Pola-Fiume and refit.

1.Squalo (SQ)24 Jul 19402200Leros6 Aug 19400818Leros846Patrolled north of Crete, 5 miles south of Castello Point (Scarpanto) and from 10 miles south of Cape Prassonis to 10 miles east of Kupho Island. Uneventful.

Onice (OC)20 Sep 19400830Fiume20 Sep 19401758Fiume53Trials.

Onice (OC)26 Sep 19401050Fiume26 Sep 19401735Fiume10Trials.

Onice (OC)4 Oct 19401245Fiume4 Oct 19401830Fiume31Exercises.

Onice (OC)7 Oct 19400710Fiume7 Oct 19401315Pola62Passage Fiume-Pola.

Onice (OC)8 Oct 19400635Pola8 Oct 19401800Pola60Exercises.

Onice (OC)11 Oct 19400600Pola12 Oct 19401730Brindisi365Passage Pola-Brindisi.

Onice (OC)16 Oct 19400915Brindisi16 Oct 19401250Brindisi18Exercises.

Onice (OC)22 Oct 19400952Brindisi27 Oct 19400730Leros626Passage Brindisi-Leros.

2.Onice (OC)17 Nov 19401540Leros26 Nov 19401034Leros1036Patrolled west of Alexandria on a line from 32°20'N, 28°20'E to 33°00'N, 27°40'E.
  20 Nov 19402000
(0) South of Crete?
At 2000 hours, an illuminated convoy was sighted and identified as French.
  23 Nov 19401605-2130
(0) About 90 miles NW of Alexandria.
At 1605 hours, an aircraft carrier, four cruisers and three destroyers were sighted at a distance of 20,000 metres, steering 330°. These were probably HMS Eagle, the battleships HMS Malaya and HMS Ramillies with cruisers and destroyers. They had sailed from Alexandria to cover the convoy M.W.4, destined for Malta (operation MB.9).

Onice remained submerged, going deep to use her hydrophones, occasionally coming to periscope depth with the result that no attack was possible and contact was finally lost at 2130 hours. T.V. Lovatelli was criticised by Admiral Falangola (Head of MARICOSOM) for his cautiousness.

3.Onice (OC)19 Dec 19402000Leros31 Dec 19400719Leros1312Patrolled in Aegean between 35°20'N and 35°40'N, and between 24°00'E and 26°20'E. Uneventful.

Onice (OC)27 Jan 19411340Leros27 Jan 19411430Leros1,3Trials.

Onice (OC)7 Feb 19410130Leros7 Feb 19410630Leros0Running her engines at anchorage.

Onice (OC)20 Feb 19410855Leros20 Feb 19411030Leros0,8Trials.

Onice (OC)24 Feb 19411519Leros24 Feb 19411810Leros14,5Exercises.

Onice (OC)25 Feb 19411620Leros25 Feb 19411920Leros9Defensive patrol (not counted as one).

4.Onice (OC)4 Mar 19411526Leros4 Mar 19411940Maltezana Bay (Stampalia)32,7Passage Leros-Maltezana Bay (Stampalia).

5.Onice (OC)6 Mar 19411730Maltezana Bay (Stampalia)9 Mar 19410826Portolago (Leros)366,5Patrolled north of Crete in 35°40'N, 25°50'E.
  8 Mar 19410200+35° 36'N, 25° 47'EAt 0200 hours, a shadow was sighted which was believed to be an enemy cruiser. Shortly after, two torpedoes were fired at a range of 2,000 metres. They missed.

This was most probably one of the three cruisers of 7th Squadron (HMS Orion, HMS Ajax and HMAS Perth) on passage from Alexandria to Piraeus where they arrived at noon on the same day. The attack was unobserved.

Onice (OC)18 Mar 19411340Portolago (Leros)18 Mar 19411402Portolago (Leros)0Engine tests.

6.Onice (OC)2 Apr 19412350Portolago (Leros)17 Apr 19410815Portolago (Leros)1470Patrolled on northwest of Alexandria. Within 20 miles from 32°40'N, 28°00'E on a NE-SW axis (north of Mersa Matruh).
  6 Apr 1941010032° 40'N, 28° 00'E
(0) Approximate position.
At 0100 hours, as the submarine was diving, it was realised that torpedo tube no. 6 cap was not properly closed and was leaking. Onice surfaced and rating Michele Piscopo volunteered to dive overboard and after 15 minutes managed to correct the problem and the patrol resumed.
  10 Apr 19412005At 2005 hours, by bright moonlight, a naval formation was sighted. It consisted of two large and two small ships. Onice proceeded at full speed on the surface but appeared to have been spotted by a destroyer. She crash-dived and had reached a depth of 40 metres, when nine depth charges exploded but caused no damage.

This was convoy A.S.F.24: the transport Breconshire escorted by the destroyers HMS Hotspur and HMS Havock proceeding from Piraeus to Alexandria. It was HMS Hotspur who sighted the submarine and briefly hunted it for 20 minutes before rejoining the convoy.
  13 Apr 19411910At 1910 hours, two merchant ships were sighted at 10,000 metres. Onice submerged to intercept but could not close the range to attack.

7.Onice (OC)16 May 19411340Portolago (Leros)31 May 19411728Portolago (Leros)1332,5Patrolling in Aegean in 35°08'N, 26°47'E. On 27 May, shifted to 240° - 50 miles in 34°40'N, 25°53'E.
  17 May 19412018
(0) Near Scarpanto.
At 2018 hours, information was received of a naval formation sighted at 1455 hours about 60 miles away. As the amplifier of the hydrophones had broken down between 1330 and 1600 hours, nothing was heard. A further signal was received at 2355 hours of a large enemy formation, but this was outside Onice's patrol area.
  19 May 19412247
(0) Near Kaso.
At 2247 hours, Onice received a signal from Galatea, reporting a naval formation proceeding toward Kaso Straits about 18 miles from her. C.C. Lovatelli gave up the chase as he believed that this formation was one hour ahead of him and the prospect of catching up were slim.
  21 May 19410115
0218 (e)
35° 18'N, 25° 03'EAt 1915 hours on 20th May, noises were heard of a vessel proceeding slowly toward the submarine. As Onice was going up to periscope depth, at a depth of 15 metres a pattern of depth charges exploded very close. More followed at variable distances. At 2200 hours, the submarine surfaced and proceeded toward Skarpanto.

At 0112 hours on 21st May, three shadows of destroyers were sighted.

At 0115 hours, three torpedoes were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 2,000 metres. Two hits were claimed. Actually, all torpedoes had missed.

The targets were the destroyers HMS Jervis (D.14), HMAS Nizam and HMS Ilex (Force E) sent to bombard the Scarpanto aerodrome. HMAS Nizam reported being missed by a torpedo and explosions were heard at 0221, 0224 and 0227 hours which were most likely caused by torpedoes at the end of their run.

The rest of Onice's patrol were punctuated by many H.E. and distant explosions.

Onice (OC)23 Jun 19411130Portolago (Leros)24 Jun 19410915CorinthPassage Leros-Corinth.

Onice (OC)24 Jun 19411530Corinth25 Jun 19411026PatrasPassage Corinth-Patras.

Onice (OC)25 Jun 19411230Patras26 Jun 19411945Messina610Passage Patras-Messina.

Onice (OC)27 Jun 19411700Messina29 Jun 19411150La Spezia480Passage Messina-La Spezia.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)5 Sep 19410610La Spezia5 Sep 19411128La Spezia19Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)12 Sep 19410610La Spezia12 Sep 19411345La Spezia49Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)17 Sep 19410620La Spezia17 Sep 19411635La Spezia59Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)19 Sep 19410800La Spezia19 Sep 19411132La Spezia11Exercises with the submarines H.1 and H.6, escorted by the auxiliaries S. Antioco, Capodistria, Crotone and Rimini.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)20 Sep 19410800La Spezia20 Sep 19411320La Spezia32Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)21 Sep 19410800La Spezia21 Sep 19411248La Spezia28Exercises.

8.Giovanni da Procida (DP)26 Sep 19411630La Spezia29 Sep 19411125S. Margherita474Defensive patrol southwest of Gulf of Genoa, in 43°54'N, 08°27'E on SE-NW axis, on a patrol line with Beilul, H.6, H.1 and H.4. Uneventful.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)30 Sep 19410700S. Margherita30 Sep 19411125La Spezia47Passage S. Margherita-La Spezia.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)6 Oct 19411452La Spezia6 Oct 19411600La Spezia3Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)7 Oct 19410800La Spezia7 Oct 19411440La Spezia20Exercises, escorted by the tug Santantioco and escorted back by the tug Rimini.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)8 Oct 19410800La Spezia8 Oct 19411440La Spezia21Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)10 Oct 19410758La Spezia10 Oct 19411420La Spezia19,5Exercises.

9.Giovanni da Procida (DP)18 Oct 19411146La Spezia18 Oct 19411540La Spezia36Sailed for patrol but then ordered back.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)25 Oct 19410710La Spezia25 Oct 19411550La Spezia62Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)30 Oct 19410759La Spezia30 Oct 19410950La Spezia18Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)6 Nov 19410835La Spezia6 Nov 19411235La Spezia28,5Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)13 Nov 19411117La Spezia13 Nov 19411700La Spezia32Exercises with submarine Platino, escorted by the auxiliary Torre Annunziata.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)20 Nov 19410826La Spezia20 Nov 19411445La Spezia57,5Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)21 Nov 19410800La Spezia21 Nov 19411800La Spezia60Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)28 Nov 19410800La Spezia28 Nov 19411230La Spezia25Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)19 Dec 19410827La Spezia19 Dec 19411320La Spezia32Exercises with the submarines Malachite and H.1, escorted by MAS 507, MAS 510 and the auxiliaries Porto Sdobba, Crotone and Capodistria.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)29 Dec 19411317La Spezia29 Dec 19411737La Spezia28,8Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)3 Jan 19420830La Spezia3 Jan 19421310La Spezia19Exercises.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)10 Jan 19420830La Spezia10 Jan 19421645La Spezia40,9Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries Lero, Crotone and Capodistria.

Giovanni da Procida (DP)15 Jan 19421242La Spezia18 Jan 19421005Taranto803Passage La Spezia-Taranto. Sighted Italian vessels and the German steamer Wachtfels.
  17 Jan 19421257
(0) Off Cape Rizzuto.
The Italian submarine Emo proceeding northward was encountered.
  17 Jan 19422230
(0) Off Cape Colonne.
The German transport Wachtfels (8467 GRT, built 1928) escorted by the Italian destroyer Antonio Da Noli proceeding to Messina were observed.

Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)6 Feb 19420830La Spezia6 Feb 19421710La Spezia49Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Crotone.

Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)16 Feb 19421015La Spezia16 Feb 19421700La Spezia45Exercises.

Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)17 Feb 19420830La Spezia17 Feb 19421300La Spezia39Exercises.

Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)19 Feb 19420830La Spezia19 Feb 19421730La Spezia44Exercises escorted by the auxiliaries Crotone and Porto Sdobba.

Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)24 Feb 19420835La Spezia24 Feb 19421815La Spezia40,5Exercises, escorted by the auxiliaries Zagabria and Crotone.

10.Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI)28 Feb 19422200La Spezia2 Mar 19421126La Spezia159,1Defensive patrol in Gulf of Genoa, in 44°11'N, 09°10'E, on a patrol line with H.4 and H.6.

Squalo (SQ)17 Jun 19430920Pola17 Jun 19431220Pola20Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)23 Jun 19430750Pola23 Jun 19431300Pola20Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)23 Jun 19431518Pola23 Jun 19431845Pola12Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)24 Jun 19430820Pola24 Jun 19431300Pola26Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)25 Jun 19430805Pola25 Jun 19431110Pola15Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)1 Jul 19430750Pola1 Jul 19431130Pola20Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)2 Jul 19430815Pola2 Jul 19431855Pola29Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)3 Jul 19430803Pola3 Jul 19431845Pola49Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)5 Jul 19430745Pola5 Jul 19431850Pola52Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)6 Jul 19430800Pola6 Jul 19431850Pola50Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)10 Jul 19430800Pola10 Jul 19431020Pola15Exercises.

Squalo (SQ)16 Jul 19432340Pola18 Jul 19431425Brindisi385Passage Pola-Brindisi.

Squalo (SQ)19 Jul 19431602Brindisi19 Jul 19431910Brindisi11,5Exercises.

78 entries. 72 total patrol entries (10 marked as war patrols) and 11 events.

Italian Commanders

Italian Submarines