Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Virgilio Spigai
| Born | 24 Sep 1907 | La Spezia | |
| Died | 30 Jul 1976 | (68) | Rome |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
AMETISTA (T.V. C.O.): from 24.04.1940 to 28.05.1942.Promoted to C.C. in January 1941.
Authored an interesting study of Italian submarines in the Mediterranean.
FRANCESCO RISMONDO (C.C. C.O.): from 28.05.1942 to 08.09.1942.
ANTONIO BAJAMONTI (C.C. C.O.): from 29.11.1942 to 30.11.1942.
From 19.01.1943, Head of 5° GRUPSOM (Leros).
Commands listed for Virgilio Spigai
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ametista (AA) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 24 Apr 1940 | 28 May 1942 |
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | C.C. | 28 May 1942 | 8 Sep 1942 | |
| Antonio Bajamonti (ex-N.2, ex-Smeli) (BM) | C.C. | 29 Nov 1942 | 30 Nov 1942 |
Ships hit by Virgilio Spigai
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Virgilio Spigai
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ametista (AA) | 9 Jun 1940 | 0545 | Leros | 15 Jun 1940 | 0800 | Leros | 290 | Patrolled in Doro Channel between Attika and Bosphorus. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 25 Jun 1940 | 0800 | Leros | 25 Jun 1940 | 0939 | Leros | 2,5 | Exercises. | ||
| 2. | Ametista (AA) | 29 Jun 1940 | 1545 | Leros | 9 Jul 1940 | 0915 | Leros | 485 | Patrolled northeast of Rhodes in 36°30'N, 28°30'E. Uneventful. | |
| 3. | Ametista (AA) | 24 Jul 1940 | 1820 | Leros | 6 Aug 1940 | 0700 | Leros | 540 | Patrolled north of Doro Channel, Samos and limits Greek-Turkish coast in northern Aegean. Sighted vessels but refrained from attack. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 8 Aug 1940 | 1500 | Leros | 8 Aug 1940 | 1615 | Leros | ? | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 26 Aug 1940 | 1035 | Leros | 26 Aug 1940 | 1145 | Leros | ? | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 30 Aug 1940 | 0845 | Leros | 30 Aug 1940 | 1120 | Leros | ? | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 31 Aug 1940 | 0859 | Leros | 31 Aug 1940 | 1201 | Leros | ? | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 24 Sep 1940 | 0845 | Portolago (Leros) | 24 Sep 1940 | 1025 | Portolago (Leros) | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| 4. | Ametista (AA) | 30 Sep 1940 | 1550 | Portolago (Leros) | 10 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Portolago (Leros) | 511,5 | Patrolled north of Kaso Strait, in a point centered 10 miles NE of Cape Sidero for Operation C.V. (reinforcements for the Dodecanese). Following her return to Leros, two of her ratings were killed and two were wounded during an air raid on 13th October. | |
| 8 Oct 1940 | 0125 | (0) Off Scarpanto. | At 0125 hours, an explosion was sighted at far distance. This was the submarine Gemma who had just been torpedoed in error by Tricheco. | |||||||
| Ametista (AA) | 21 Nov 1940 | 0748 | Portolago (Leros) | 21 Nov 1940 | 1220 | Portolago (Leros) | 30 | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 28 Nov 1940 | 0920 | Portolago (Leros) | 28 Nov 1940 | 1211 | Portolago (Leros) | 18 | Trials. | ||
| 5. | Ametista (AA) | 1 Dec 1940 | 1640 | Portolago (Leros) | 9 Dec 1940 | 0940 | Portolago (Leros) | 484 | Patrolled off Cape Drepano (Sithonia), Jura and Aghios Efstratios Islands in Northern Aegean. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 24 Dec 1940 | 1640 | Portolago (Leros) | 24 Dec 1940 | 0940 | Parteni | 8,5 | Passage Portolago-Parteni. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 26 Dec 1940 | 1310 | Parteni | 26 Dec 1940 | 1430 | Portolago (Leros) | 2 | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 27 Dec 1940 | 0920 | Portolago (Leros) | 27 Dec 1940 | 1030 | Portolago (Leros) | 8 | Passage Parteni-Portolago. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 29 Dec 1940 | 2000 | Portolago (Leros) | 4 Jan 1941 | 1040 | Messina | 627 | Passage Portolago-Messina. Uneventful. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 8 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Messina | 10 Jan 1941 | 1150 | La Spezia | 490 | Passage Messina-La Spezia. Uneventful. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 21 Feb 1941 | 0850 | La Spezia | 21 Feb 1941 | 1530 | La Spezia | 40 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 28 Feb 1941 | 0910 | La Spezia | 28 Feb 1941 | 1115 | La Spezia | 10 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 4 Apr 1941 | 0915 | La Spezia | 4 Apr 1941 | 1350 | La Spezia | 37 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 7 Apr 1941 | 0835 | La Spezia | 7 Apr 1941 | 1220 | La Spezia | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 8 Apr 1941 | 1515 | La Spezia | 8 Apr 1941 | 1726 | La Spezia | 8 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 10 Apr 1941 | 1458 | La Spezia | 10 Apr 1941 | 1840 | La Spezia | 13,4 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 19 Apr 1941 | 0850 | La Spezia | 19 Apr 1941 | 1400 | La Spezia | 19 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 21 Apr 1941 | 1430 | La Spezia | 21 Apr 1941 | 1631 | La Spezia | 7 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 23 Apr 1941 | 1413 | La Spezia | 23 Apr 1941 | 1709 | La Spezia | 7 | Exercises. | ||
| 6. | Ametista (AA) | 26 Apr 1941 | 1830 | La Spezia | 29 Apr 1941 | 1650 | La Spezia | 211,5 | Sailed for a patrol in Gulf of Genoa, on a line starting with the submarine Colonna in 44°05'N, 08°40'E and with Da Procida and Ametista respectively 12 and 24 miles east from this point. On hydrophone watch in anticipation of an important naval force from Gibraltar. Uneventful. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 8 May 1941 | 1245 | La Spezia | 8 May 1941 | 1625 | La Spezia | 19 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 17 May 1941 | 1402 | La Spezia | 17 May 1941 | 1750 | La Spezia | 18 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 11 Jun 1941 | 0820 | La Spezia | 11 Jun 1941 | 1645 | La Spezia | 23,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 14 Jun 1941 | 1020 | La Spezia | 14 Jun 1941 | 1435 | La Spezia | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 21 Jun 1941 | 0505 | La Spezia | 23 Jun 1941 | 1415 | Augusta | 588,3 | Passage La Spezia-Augusta. | ||
| 22 Jun 1941 | 1229 (e) | 40° 25'N, 14° 24'E (0) 126° - Carena Point - 11.5 miles. | At 1206 hours, the submarine HMS Regent (Lieutenant Commander A.N.G. Campbell, RN) was lurking near Capri, when a submarine was sighted apparently steering 150° at 9 knots towards Messina. At 1229 hours, two torpedoes were fired from 900 yards. They missed. This was Ametista transferring from La Spezia to Augusta. The attack was not observed. | |||||||
| Ametista (AA) | 26 Jun 1941 | 0752 | Augusta | 26 Jun 1941 | 0955 | Augusta | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| 7. | Ametista (AA) | 29 Jun 1941 | 2030 | Augusta | 17 Jul 1941 | 0955 | Augusta | 1685,5 | Patrolled off Ras Azzaz, between 32°15'N and 32°30'N, and between 25°00'E and 25°20'E. | |
| 3 Jul 1941 | 2010 | (0) Near Ras Azzaz. | At 2010 hours, two explosions were heard. This was actually Malachite's attack on HMS Defender. At 0200 hours on 4th July, Ametista was informed of an enemy vessel distant of 35 miles, but with no indication of speed and course. The submarine altered to intercept but sighted nothing. | |||||||
| Ametista (AA) | 3 Aug 1941 | 0715 | Augusta | 3 Aug 1941 | 1430 | Augusta | 30,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 8 Aug 1941 | 0805 | Augusta | 8 Aug 1941 | 1345 | Augusta | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 12 Aug 1941 | 0730 | Augusta | 12 Aug 1941 | 1130 | Augusta | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 17 Aug 1941 | 0737 | Augusta | 17 Aug 1941 | 1422 | Augusta | 33,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 28 Aug 1941 | 0715 | Augusta | 28 Aug 1941 | 1205 | Augusta | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 29 Aug 1941 | 0830 | Augusta | 29 Aug 1941 | 1605 | Messina | 73,8 | Passage Augusta-Messina. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 12 Sep 1941 | 0630 | Messina | 12 Sep 1941 | 1340 | Messina | 50,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 16 Sep 1941 | 0712 | Messina | 16 Sep 1941 | 1455 | Messina | 53,4 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 18 Sep 1941 | 0712 | Messina | 18 Sep 1941 | 1450 | Messina | 61 | Exercises with the submarine Zaffiro, escorted by the auxiliary Marzano (A.S.67). | ||
| 8. | Ametista (AA) | 21 Sep 1941 | 1300 | Messina | 22 Sep 1941 | 1235 | Messina | 136,5 | Anti-submarine patrol with the auxiliary Castiglia, in Messina Strait off Capo Dell'Armi. At 1535 hours on the 21st, received verbal communication from Castiglia, that an enemy submarine might be 5 miles southwest of Porto Melito di Salvo, but nothing was sighted or heard. | |
| 9. | Ametista (AA) | 26 Sep 1941 | 0530 | Messina | 27 Sep 1941 | 0053 | Messina | 86,5 | Anti-submarine patrol in 38°26'N, 15°26'40'E, 38°55'N, 15°33'E and 38°28'20'N, 15°15'E in Messina Straits. Uneventful. | |
| 10. | Ametista (AA) | 28 Sep 1941 | 1815 | Messina | 29 Sep 1941 | 0955 | Messina | 77,5 | Antisubmarine patrol with MAS 557 in Messina Straits, in area between 38°25 N parallel and the meridian 15°20'E and the coast of Calabria. | |
| 11. | Ametista (AA) | 3 Oct 1941 | 2045 | Messina | 5 Oct 1941 | 1235 | Messina | 425,5 | Sailed for patrol 23 miles north of Ras Zebib on a line 5 miles west from this point (on a barrage line with Ambra 13 miles north, and Corallo 33 miles north of the Cape) via the north coast of Sicily, but then recalled. Uneventful. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 14 Oct 1941 | 2355 | Messina | 15 Oct 1941 | 1235 | Palermo | 128,5 | Passage Messina-Palermo. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 27 Oct 1941 | 2033 | Palermo | 28 Oct 1941 | 0935 | Messina | 130 | Passage Palermo-Messina. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 6 Nov 1941 | 0920 | Messina | 6 Nov 1941 | 1151 | Messina | 12,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marras. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 12 Nov 1941 | 1448 | Messina | 12 Nov 1941 | 1740 | Messina | 11,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 13 Nov 1941 | 0840 | Messina | 13 Nov 1941 | 1150 | Messina | 14 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 14 Nov 1941 | 0840 | Messina | 14 Nov 1941 | 1140 | Messina | 13,9 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marras. | ||
| 12. | Ametista (AA) | 26 Nov 1941 | 1612 | Messina | 7 Dec 1941 | 2255 | Portolago (Leros) | 1033,7 | Patrolled southeast of Gaudo. First ordered to relieve Zaffiro between 33°40'N and 34°20'N, and between 22°40'E and 23°20'E. At 1225 hours on the 29th, MARICOSOM ordered her to patrol between 34°00'N and 34°40'N, and between 24°00'N and 24°40'E. Uneventful. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 29 Dec 1941 | 0930 | Portolago (Leros) | 29 Dec 1941 | 1120 | Portolago (Leros) | 11,2 | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 7 Jan 1942 | 0750 | Portolago (Leros) | 7 Jan 1942 | 1140 | Portolago (Leros) | 16 | Exercises. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 17 Jan 1942 | 0855 | Portolago (Leros) | 17 Jan 1942 | 1120 | Portolago (Leros) | 16 | Exercises. | ||
| 13. | Ametista (AA) | 18 Jan 1942 | 0907 | Portolago (Leros) | 25 Jan 1942 | 2210 | Portolago (Leros) | 911 | Patrolled between 33°00'N and 33°40'N, between 22°20'E and 22°40'E, in Grids 9128 and 1528. Uneventful. Early return due to defects. An ULTRA intercept indicates that she was to pass through 34°40'N, 26°40'E and 34°14'N, 26°32'E thence to her area. Returned via 34°28'N, 26°30'E. | |
| Ametista (AA) | 6 Feb 1942 | 0800 | Leros | 6 Feb 1942 | 1322 | Leros | 21 | Exercises with the submarine Beilul. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 13 Feb 1942 | 0850 | Leros | 13 Feb 1942 | 1140 | Leros | 4 | Trials. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 16 Feb 1942 | 0850 | Leros | 16 Feb 1942 | 1449 | Leros | 32 | Trials. | ||
| 14. | Ametista (AA) | 4 Mar 1942 | 1421 | Leros | 24 Mar 1942 | 0630 | Leros | 1445 | Patrolled south of Cyprus, off Haifa and Beirut, between 33°10'N and 34°20'N, and between 33°00'E and 34°00'E. | |
| 6 Mar 1942 | 0420 | 35° 02'N, 29° 46'E | At 0420 hours, a Sunderland aircraft coming from Cyprus and flying low (100 meters) passed about 500 meters north of Ametista. The submarine dived. | |||||||
| 7 Mar 1942 | 0420 | 34° 40'N, 30° 06'E | At 0420 hours, a Sunderland was seen and the submarine dived. | |||||||
| 12 Mar 1942 | 0400 | 33° 35'N, 33° 29'E | At 0400, a Sunderland aircraft was seen coming from Haifa steering 300°, flying at an altitude of 300 meters. The submarine dived immediately. | |||||||
| 13 Mar 1942 | 1235 | 35° 05'N, 34° 23'E | At 1225 hours, the Swedish Relief ship Radmanso (4,182 GRT, built 1914) was sighted. She had sailed from Haifa for Piraeus via Castellorizo and was carrying wheat. She had been given a safe conduct and Ametista was aware of her passage. | |||||||
| 15 Mar 1942 | 2145 | (0) 28 miles east of Cape Andreas. | At 2145 hours, a submarine chaser was sighted at 600 metres and Ametista dived. | |||||||
| 16 Mar 1942 | 0200 | (0) 46° - Cape Andreas - 30 miles. | At 0200 hours, a submarine chaser was sighted at 250 metres and Ametista dived. | |||||||
| Ametista (AA) | 8 Apr 1942 | 1855 | Leros | 14 Apr 1942 | 0745 | Messina | Passage Leros-Messina on her way to Naples. Sailed via (1) Kaso Straits (2) 35°00'N, 26°40'E (3) 34°20'N, 26°10'E (4) 34°20'N, 23°00'E (5) Point S1 (Messina). Sighted many aircraft and only Italian vessels. | |||
| Ametista (AA) | 16 Apr 1942 | 1855 | Messina | 17 Apr 1942 | 1540 | Naples | 957 | Passage Messina-Naples. | ||
| Ametista (AA) | 21 Apr 1942 | 0930 | Naples | 21 Apr 1942 | 1055 | Naples | 50 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 29 May 1942 | 0740 | La Spezia | 29 May 1942 | 1440 | La Spezia | 23,3 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 3 Jun 1942 | 1051 | La Spezia | 3 Jun 1942 | 1630 | La Spezia | 25,2 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 6 Jun 1942 | 1313 | La Spezia | 6 Jun 1942 | 1735 | La Spezia | 17,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 11 Jun 1942 | 0805 | La Spezia | 11 Jun 1942 | 1855 | La Spezia | 30,5 | Exercises, escorted by the sloop Diana [Diana was sunk by HMS Thrasher eighteen days later]. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 24 Jun 1942 | 1024 | La Spezia | 24 Jun 1942 | 1537 | La Spezia | 3 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 25 Jun 1942 | 0708 | La Spezia | 25 Jun 1942 | 1720 | La Spezia | 37 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 28 Jun 1942 | 0910 | La Spezia | 28 Jun 1942 | 1224 | La Spezia | 10,6 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 1 Jul 1942 | 0740 | La Spezia | 1 Jul 1942 | 1725 | La Spezia | 21 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 3 Jul 1942 | 1340 | La Spezia | 3 Jul 1942 | 1748 | La Spezia | 15 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 31 Jul 1942 | 0700 | La Spezia | 31 Jul 1942 | 1750 | La Spezia | 60,3 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 4 Aug 1942 | 0830 | La Spezia | 4 Aug 1942 | 1840 | La Spezia | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 6 Aug 1942 | 1326 | La Spezia | 6 Aug 1942 | 1849 | La Spezia | 28 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 8 Aug 1942 | 0603 | La Spezia | 8 Aug 1942 | 1646 | La Spezia | 43 | Exercises. | ||
| 15. | Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 12 Aug 1942 | 1021 | La Spezia | 14 Aug 1942 | 2101 | La Spezia | 322 | Offensive (actually defensive) patrol against an enemy force coming from the West, on a patrol line with H 1, H 4, H 6 and Bajamonti. Uneventful. | |
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 22 Aug 1942 | 0959 | La Spezia | 22 Aug 1942 | 1600 | La Spezia | 30 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 23 Aug 1942 | 0824 | La Spezia | 23 Aug 1942 | 1233 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 27 Aug 1942 | 0709 | La Spezia | 27 Aug 1942 | 1632 | La Spezia | 41,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 30 Aug 1942 | 1048 | La Spezia | 31 Aug 1942 | 0845 | La Spezia | 36 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 30 Aug 1942 | 1048 | La Spezia | 31 Aug 1942 | 0845 | La Spezia | 36 | Exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 2 Sep 1942 | 0715 | La Spezia | 2 Sep 1942 | 1225 | La Spezia | 22 | A/S exercises. | ||
| Francesco Rismondo (ex-N.1, ex-Osvetnik) (RI) | 8 Sep 1942 | 0715 | La Spezia | 8 Sep 1942 | 1442 | La Spezia | 42,5 | Sonar trials. | ||
| Antonio Bajamonti (ex-N.2, ex-Smeli) (BM) | 29 Nov 1942 | 1535 | La Maddalena | 30 Nov 1942 | 1200 | La Spezia | 219 | Passage La Maddalena-La Spezia. | ||
93 entries. 88 total patrol entries (15 marked as war patrols) and 9 events.