Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Carlo Todaro
| Born | 26 Oct 1907 | Leghorn | |
| Died | 4 Jun 1987 | (79) | Rome |
| Ranks
Decorations
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Career information
Brother of Salvatore Todaro.SMERALDO (T.V. C.O.): from 06.02.1940 to 07.10.1940.
ADUA (T.V. C.O.): from 09.10.1940 to 16.01.1941.
From 22.08.1941 to 10.05.1942, on sick leave.
From 11.05.1942, served at MARISTAT.
Commands listed for Carlo Todaro
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smeraldo (SD) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 6 Feb 1940 | 7 Oct 1940 |
| Adua (AD) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 9 Oct 1940 | 16 Jan 1941 |
Ships hit by Carlo Todaro
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Carlo Todaro
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Smeraldo (SD) | 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. | Smeraldo (SD) | 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. | ||||||||
| Smeraldo (SD) | 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. | ||
| Smeraldo (SD) | 11 Aug 1940 | 2200 | Taranto | 14 Aug 1940 | 0930 | Pola | 495,3 | Passage Taranto-Pola for repairs. | ||
| Smeraldo (SD) | 5 Oct 1940 | 0730 | Pola | 5 Oct 1940 | 1510 | Pola | 29 | Exercises. | ||
| Smeraldo (SD) | 7 Oct 1940 | 1430 | Pola | 7 Oct 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 4 | Exercises. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 9 Oct 1940 | 0750 | Pola | 9 Oct 1940 | 1440 | Fiume | 64,5 | Passage Pola-Fiume. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 12 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Fiume | 12 Oct 1940 | 1352 | Fiume | 20,2 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Nettuno. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 14 Oct 1940 | 0805 | Fiume | 14 Oct 1940 | 1440 | Pola | 62,5 | Passage Fiume-Pola. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 23 Oct 1940 | 0806 | Pola | 23 Oct 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 63,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 25 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 25 Oct 1940 | 1618 | Pola | 10 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 31 Oct 1940 | 0754 | Pola | 31 Oct 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 64,7 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 4 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 4 Nov 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 17,2 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 6 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 6 Nov 1940 | 1715 | Pola | 41,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 8 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 8 Nov 1940 | 1237 | Pola | 42,5 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 11 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 11 Nov 1940 | 1730 | Pola | 43,3 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Morrhua. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 13 Nov 1940 | 0735 | Pola | 13 Nov 1940 | 1732 | Pola | 17 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 15 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 15 Nov 1940 | 1732 | Pola | 16,5 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 20 Nov 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 20 Nov 1940 | 1742 | Pola | 42,7 | Exercises with the tug Tenace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 21 Nov 1940 | 0806 | Pola | 21 Nov 1940 | 1723 | Pola | 48,7 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Marittimo. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 23 Nov 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 23 Nov 1940 | 1748 | Pola | 42,5 | Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 25 Nov 1940 | 0756 | Pola | 25 Nov 1940 | 1700 | Pola | 41,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 27 Nov 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 27 Nov 1940 | 1712 | Pola | 41 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 28 Nov 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 28 Nov 1940 | 1712 | Pola | 49,8 | Sailed with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliaries San Giorgio and Tenace for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 4 Dec 1940 | 0807 | Pola | 4 Dec 1940 | 1747 | Pola | 46,5 | Torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the tug Tenace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 9 Dec 1940 | 0808 | Pola | 9 Dec 1940 | 1800 | Pola | 51,6 | Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the tug Tenace for simulated attacks on the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 13 Dec 1940 | 0803 | Pola | 13 Dec 1940 | 1803 | Pola | 47,2 | Exercises with the submarine Galatea, escorted by the sloop Diana. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 15 Dec 1940 | 0810 | Pola | 15 Dec 1940 | 1703 | Pola | 46,8 | Exercises, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 16 Dec 1940 | 0830 | Pola | 16 Dec 1940 | 1645 | Pola | 44,5 | Attack exercises with the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 20 Dec 1940 | 0807 | Pola | 20 Dec 1940 | 1810 | Pola | 43,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the auxiliary Gigliola for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 24 Dec 1940 | 0817 | Pola | 24 Dec 1940 | 1505 | Pola | 41 | Exercises with the submarine Fisalia, escorted by the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 26 Dec 1940 | 0800 | Pola | 26 Dec 1940 | 1830 | Pola | 49 | Attack exercises with the submarines Bragadino and Des Deneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio and the submarine chaser Laurana. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 28 Dec 1940 | 1600 | Pola | 29 Dec 1940 | 0220 | Pola | 70,5 | Sailed with the submarine Des Geneys for night torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 30 Dec 1940 | 0805 | Pola | 30 Dec 1940 | 1810 | Pola | 48,5 | Sailed with the submarine Bragadino, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for torpedo firing exercises with the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 2 Jan 1941 | 0823 | Pola | 2 Jan 1941 | 1715 | Pola | 59,5 | Sailed with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Jadera, for attack exercises on the torpedo boat Audace. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 4 Jan 1941 | 0818 | Pola | 4 Jan 1941 | 1630 | Pola | 56,8 | Exercises with the submarine Pisani, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 6 Jan 1941 | 0807 | Pola | 6 Jan 1941 | 1715 | Pola | 54,8 | Exercises with the submarine Des Geneys, escorted by the submarine chaser Laurana. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 7 Jan 1941 | 0804 | Pola | 7 Jan 1941 | 1413 | Pola | 27,5 | Gunfire exercises with the submarines Bragadino, Des Geneys and Fisalia, escorted by the auxiliary Laurana. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 11 Jan 1941 | 0804 | Pola | 12 Jan 1941 | 0045 | Pola | 58,5 | Attack exercises with the submarine Des Geneys on the torpedo boat Audace, escorted by the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 13 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Pola | 13 Jan 1941 | 1642 | Leme Channel | 32,5 | Passage Pola-Leme Channel and exercises with the submarines Fieramosca, Fisalia and Pisani. Escorted by torpedo boat Audace and the auxiliary San Giorgio. | ||
| Adua (AD) | 14 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Leme Channel (Rovigno) | 15 Jan 1941 | 0840 | Pola | 51 | Passage Leme Channel-Pola, and exercises with the torpedo boat Audace and the submarines Pisani, Fieramosca and Fisalia. | ||
41 entries. 41 total patrol entries (2 marked as war patrols) and 2 events.