Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Libero Sauro
| Born | 14 May 1905 | Capodistria (Istria) |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
ANTONIO SCIESA (T.V. First Officer): from 27.06.1939 to ?.ATROPO (T.V. C.O.): from 04.08.1941 to 30.11.1941.
FRATELLI BANDIERA (T.V. C.O.): from 03.02.1942 to 15.03.1942.
LUCIANO MANARA (T.V. C.O.): from 04.02.1942 to 13.02.1942.
From 16.03.1942 to April 1942+, head of COMANDO STAZIONE SOMMERGIBILI.
Promoted C.C. ca. April 1942.
AMETISTA (C.C. C.O.): from 28.05.1942 to 06.06.1942.
VETTOR PISANI (C.C. C.O.: from 18.08.1942 to 19.08.1942.
Commands listed for Libero Sauro
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | Minelaying | T.V. | 4 Aug 1941 | 30 Nov 1941 |
| Luciana Manara (MR) | Ocean going | T.V. | 4 Feb 1942 | 13 Feb 1942 |
| Fratelli Bandiera (BA) | Ocean going | T.V. | 3 Feb 1942 | 15 Mar 1942 |
| Ametista (AA) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 28 May 1942 | 6 Jun 1942 |
| Vettor Pisani (PN) | Ocean going | C.C. | 18 Aug 1942 | 19 Aug 1942 |
Ships hit by Libero Sauro
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Libero Sauro
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 5 Aug 1941 | 0732 | Taranto | 5 Aug 1941 | 1530 | Taranto | 30 | Exercises. | ||
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 6 Aug 1941 | 0805 | Taranto | 6 Aug 1941 | 1434 | Taranto | 25,5 | Trials, escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara. | ||
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 7 Aug 1941 | 1248 | Taranto | 7 Aug 1941 | 1720 | Taranto | 18 | Exercises. | ||
| 1. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 12 Aug 1941 | 1230 | Taranto | 16 Aug 1941 | 2155 | Bardia | 1266,5 | Supply mission to Bardia with 44 tons of petrol. Uneventful. The German war correspondent, Wilhelm Brink, was a passenger. On 14th August, the diesels emitted smoke and, with the wind in their back, greatly impeded the forward visibility. The submarine arrived off Bardia during an air raid. Through ULTRA, it was known that an Italian submarine was expected in Bardia on the evening of 15th August. Consequently, five Albacore of 826 Squadron armed with torpedoes had been flown to Ma'aten Bagush, to stand by to attack it when this was confirmed. They took off the same evening with two Blenheim bombers of 113 Squadron and attacked Bardia, but Atropo arrived only the following evening. During the night of 15/16th, a Wellington of 38 Squadron bombed a supposed submarine in Bardia harbour. | |
| 2. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 17 Aug 1941 | 0240 | Bardia | 20 Aug 1941 | 1521 | Taranto | 1539 | Return trip from supply mission to Bardia (with a German passenger, the soldier Heinz Bollig on furlough). Uneventful. | |
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 9 Oct 1941 | 0825 | Taranto | 9 Oct 1941 | 1420 | Taranto | 35 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Sparviero. | ||
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 14 Oct 1941 | 0830 | Taranto | 14 Oct 1941 | 1800 | Taranto | 53,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 15 Oct 1941 | 0900 | Taranto | 15 Oct 1941 | 1715 | Taranto | 65 | Exercises. | ||
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 16 Oct 1941 | 1700 | Taranto | 16 Oct 1941 | 1850 | Taranto | 11 | Exercises. | ||
| 3. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 17 Oct 1941 | 1237 | Taranto | 22 Oct 1941 | 0230 | Bardia | Supply mission to Bardia with 57 tons of petrol (2987 x 20-litre cans). | ||
| 19 Oct 1941 | 0910 0904 (e) | 34° 29'N, 22° 30'E | At 0910 hours, an aircraft was sighted on an opposite course at a distance of 3-4,000 metres. It was recognised as a Bristol Blenheim bomber and it flew over the submarine at a height of 50 metres and dropped two bombs, which fell under the submarine but failed to explode. Atropo replied with her machine guns. The aircraft made a second run, remaining at a distance of 1,000 metres just using its machine guns but its fire was short by 50 metres. The aircraft then flew toward Malta and when it was 5-6,000 metres distant, the submarine dived. This was actually a Beaufort of 39 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer Bone. Sighting the submarine steering 170° at 5 knots, it had immediately attacked and claimed a near miss by 2 yards. The aircraft fired at the submarine with its rear gun and was replied with machine guns and even the deck gun. At 1005 hours, Atropo returned to periscope depth. No aircraft were sighted so she surfaced and resumed her course. | |||||||
| 19 Oct 1941 | 1148 | 34° 15'N, 22° 50'E (0) Approximately. | At 1148 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 6-7,000 metres and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 4. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 23 Oct 1941 | 0715 | Bardia | 26 Oct 1941 | 1310 | Taranto | 1527 | Return trip from supply mission to Bardia. Uneventful (mileage total). | |
| Atropo (AT, N.51) | 6 Nov 1941 | 0941 | Taranto | 6 Nov 1941 | 1145 | Taranto | 15 | Exercises. | ||
| 5. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 13 Nov 1941 | 1040 | Taranto | 17 Nov 1941 | 1730 | Navarino (originally to Bardia but diverted to Navarino) | Supply mission to Bardia (60 tons of petrol), but an accidental explosion of the battery forced the submarine to go to Navarino, escorted from 1700 hours on 17th by the destroyer Da Verazzano. An ULTRA intercept dated 15th November reported her going to Bardia. | ||
| 16 Nov 1941 | 0400 | (0) Off Morea. | At 0400 hours, while Atropo was proceeding on the surface, there was an accidental battery explosion. Two ratings were killed and three wounded. The submarine was instructed by MARICOSOM to proceed to Navarino for repairs. SUPERMARINA ordered the destroyers Pigafetta and Da Verrazano to her assistance. | |||||||
| 6. | Atropo (AT, N.51) | 19 Nov 1941 | 0600 | Navarino | 20 Nov 1941 | 1433 | Taranto | 1254 | Return trip for repairs (mileage total). | |
| Luciana Manara (MR) | 13 Feb 1942 | 0925 | Naples | 13 Feb 1942 | 1152 | Naples | 10 | Trials. | ||
| Fratelli Bandiera (BA) | 5 Mar 1942 | 0920 | Naples | 5 Mar 1942 | 1310 | Naples | 28 | Exercises. | ||
| Fratelli Bandiera (BA) | 10 Mar 1942 | 0813 | Naples | 10 Mar 1942 | 1726 | Naples | 30,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Fratelli Bandiera (BA) | 11 Mar 1942 | 0813 | Naples | 11 Mar 1942 | 1726 | Naples | 30,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 28 May 1942 | Naples | 6 Jun 1942 | Naples | Refit in Naples. | |||||
| 7. | Vettor Pisani (PN) | 18 Aug 1942 | 1918 | Pola | 19 Aug 1942 | 1930 | Pola | 152 | Anti-submarine patrol and ASDIC exercises with the destroyer Bombardiere in northern Adriatic in 40°31.5'N, 18°54'E. Report signed by C.C. Libero Sauro (who may have been in temporary command of the submarine as Fraternale was absent). | |
21 entries. 20 total patrol entries (7 marked as war patrols) and 3 events.