Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Alpinolo Cinti
| Born | 26 Oct 1907 | Ripa Transone (Ascoli Piceno) | |
| Died | 21 Feb 1977 | (69) | ? |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
LUIGI SETTEMBRINI (T.V. First Officer): from 02.05.1940 to ?MALACHITE (T.V. C.O.): from 20.05.1942 to 04.09.1942.
DESSIÉ (T.V. C.O.): from 16.08.1942 to 19.08.1942.
ARADAM (T.V. C.O.): from 05.09.1942 to 21.10.1942.
MALACHITE (T.V. C.O.): from 05.10.1942 to 09.02.1943 (sunk, Cinti survived).
CIRO MENOTTI (T.V. C.O.): from 07.04.1943 to 25.05.1943.
BRAGADINO (T.V. C.O.): from 26.05.1943 to 17.09.1943?
In 1944: Assistant to Head of COMANDO GRUPPO TARANTO.
Commands listed for Alpinolo Cinti
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dessiè (DE) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 16 Aug 1942 | 19 Aug 1942 |
| Malachite (MH) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 20 May 1942 | 4 Sep 1942 |
| Aradam (AR) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 5 Sep 1942 | 21 Oct 1942 |
| Malachite (MH) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 5 Oct 1942 | 9 Feb 1943 |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | Ocean going | T.V. | 7 Apr 1943 | 25 May 1943 |
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | Minelaying | T.V. | 26 May 1943 | 17 Sep 1943 |
Ships hit by Alpinolo Cinti
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Alpinolo Cinti
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Malachite (MH) | 30 May 1942 | 1800 | Cagliari | 11 Jun 1942 | 1115 | Cagliari | 1251 | Patrolled in western Mediterranean, in area between 37°50'N and 38°10'N, and between 03°00'E and 03°40'E. Reached the area on the morning of 1 June. In the same afternoon she was ordered to move 60 miles west. | |
| 1 Jun 1942 | 0800 | 38° 02'N, 3° 25'E | At 0800 hours, a 4-5,000-ton motorship was sighted at a distance of 6,000 metres, steering 358° at 14-15 knots. Malachite tried to close to identify her, but the vessel proved too fast and disappeared. | |||||||
| 1 Jun 1942 | 0920 | 38° 02'N, 3° 25'E | At 0920 hours, an aircraft was seen at 10,000 metres and Malachite dived. At 1456 hours, the submarine was ordered to move her patrol 60 miles to the west. | |||||||
| 2 Jun 1942 | 0145 | 38° 02'N, 2° 01'E | At 0145 hours, a destroyer was sighted at a distance of 12-13,000 metres, steering 160°, 25-30 knots. Malachite closed to attack and had three bow torpedo tubes (533 mm) ready for firing, but a sudden change in course of the destroyer prevented it from being carried out. | |||||||
| 9 Jun 1942 | 1220 1226 (e) | 37° 56'N, 2° 15'E | At 1220 hours, a Blenheim bomber was sighted at a distance of 6-,000 metres and it attacked the submarine. Malachite crash-dived and, at 1222 hours, as she reached a depth of 30-35 metres, four bombs exploded. The attack was made by Catalina 'D' (VA 726) of 240 Squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Godber. The U-boat had been sighted at a range of 6 miles, steering 136° at 10 knots. The aircraft actually released eight depth charges from a height of 50 feet and no result was observed. | |||||||
| 9 Jun 1942 | 1539 | 37° 56'N, 2° 15'E (0) Approximately. | At 1539 hours, an aircraft was sighted at 7-8,000 metres flying at an altitude of 1,000 metres. Malachite dived. This was possibly a Sunderland which sighted a submarine at 1645 hours in 37°46' N, 00°36' E steering 305°, 8 knots. The submarine dived before an attack could be made [at the time, Malachite was steering 180°, but the aircraft may have made an error in direction]. | |||||||
| 2. | Malachite (MH) | 14 Jun 1942 | 1800 | Cagliari | 20 Jun 1942 | 0650 | Cagliari | 908 | Sailed to intercept an enemy cruiser reported to be damaged and being towed at 1600/14 June in 37°58'N, 07°18'E, course 270°. She was ordered to the area between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 02°20'E and 02°40'E. | |
| 16 Jun 1942 | 1125 | 37° 33'N, 1° 33'E | At 1125 hours, an enemy cruiser with two destroyers were sighted at 20-22,000 metres. Malachite attempted to attack but could not get to closer than 10,000-12,000 meters at 1140 hours. | |||||||
| 16 Jun 1942 | 1517 | 37° 26'N, 1° 10'E | At 1517 hours, a ship believed to be French was sighted at a distance of 20,000 metres steering 180°. | |||||||
| 18 Jun 1942 | 0355 | 37° 16'N, 2° 47'E | At 0355 hours, a submarine was sighted at a distance of 500 metres, steering 270°. It was similar to Bronzo or a German U-boat. Malachite turned away, the other submarine did the same. | |||||||
| 3. | Malachite (MH) | 23 Jun 1942 | 0600 | Cagliari | 25 Jun 1942 | 0935 | Cagliari | 270 | Sailed to form a patrol line with Velella, Uarsciek and Giada off Cape Carbonara between 37°20'N and 37°50'N, and between 09°40'E and 10°00'E but recalled at 2150/24. | |
| Malachite (MH) | 10 Jul 1942 | 0800 | Cagliari | 10 Jul 1942 | 1815 | Cagliari | 5 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
| 4. | Malachite (MH) | 16 Jul 1942 | 0340 | Cagliari | 17 Jul 1942 | 2000 | Cagliari | 283 | Patrolled off Cagliari, between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 09°40'E and 10°00'E. On a patrol line with Bronzo, Velella and Dagabur. Interrupted by leaks which caused chlorine fumes in the battery. | |
| Malachite (MH) | 21 Jul 1942 | 0500 | Cagliari | 22 Jul 1942 | 1000 | Naples | 268 | Passage Cagliari-Naples. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 24 Jul 1942 | 0905 | Naples | 24 Jul 1942 | 1220 | Naples | 26 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 25 Jul 1942 | 1400 | Naples | 25 Jul 1942 | 1645 | Naples | 13 | Trials, then long refit. | ||
| Dessiè (DE) | 18 Aug 1942 | 1400 | Trapani | 19 Aug 1942 | 1620 | Messina | 260 | Passage Trapani-Messina. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 5 Sep 1942 | 0840 | Naples | 5 Sep 1942 | 1436 | Naples | Exercises. | |||
| Aradam (AR) | 5 Sep 1942 | 1925 | Naples | 7 Sep 1942 | 0710 | La Spezia | 340 | Passage Naples-La Spezia to embark G7e electric torpedoes. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 10 Sep 1942 | 1200 | La Spezia | 10 Sep 1942 | 1720 | La Spezia | 35 | Exercises. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 11 Sep 1942 | 0819 | La Spezia | 11 Sep 1942 | 1707 | La Spezia | 53 | Exercises. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 13 Sep 1942 | 0810 | La Spezia | 13 Sep 1942 | 1322 | La Spezia | 4 | Gyrocompass tests. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 14 Sep 1942 | 1038 | La Spezia | 14 Sep 1942 | 1152 | La Spezia | 2 | Trials. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 15 Sep 1942 | 1235 | La Spezia | 17 Sep 1942 | 0915 | Trapani | 407,5 | Passage La Spezia-Trapani. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 22 Sep 1942 | 1325 | Trapani | 22 Sep 1942 | 1820 | Trapani | 12 | Trials. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 23 Sep 1942 | 1400 | Trapani | 23 Sep 1942 | 1630 | Trapani | 17 | Trials. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 24 Sep 1942 | 1330 | Trapani | 24 Sep 1942 | 1725 | Trapani | 22 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 11 Oct 1942 | 1030 | Naples | 11 Oct 1942 | 1530 | Naples | 23,8 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 15 Oct 1942 | 0815 | Naples | 15 Oct 1942 | 1845 | Naples | 59 | Trials. | ||
| Aradam (AR) | 15 Oct 1942 | 0820 | Trapani | 15 Oct 1942 | 1320 | Trapani | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 20 Oct 1942 | 0920 | Naples | 20 Oct 1942 | 1240 | Naples | 34,5 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 23 Oct 1942 | 0910 | Naples | 23 Oct 1942 | 1515 | Naples | 1,6 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 24 Oct 1942 | 1430 | Naples | 24 Oct 1942 | 1830 | Naples | 17,5 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 25 Oct 1942 | 1200 | Naples | 25 Oct 1942 | 1900 | Naples | 29,2 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 27 Oct 1942 | 1200 | Naples | 27 Oct 1942 | 1845 | Naples | 39,7 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 4 Nov 1942 | 1421 | Naples | 4 Nov 1942 | 1748 | Naples | 32 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 5 Nov 1942 | 0834 | Naples | 5 Nov 1942 | 1141 | Naples | 29 | Exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 5 Nov 1942 | 1853 | Naples | 7 Nov 1942 | 0815 | La Spezia | 333 | Passage Naples-La Spezia. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 9 Nov 1942 | 1512 | La Spezia | 9 Nov 1942 | 1652 | La Spezia | 5 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 13 Nov 1942 | 0900 | La Spezia | 13 Nov 1942 | 1514 | La Spezia | 3 | Trials. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 15 Nov 1942 | 0810 | La Spezia | 15 Nov 1942 | 1533 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 16 Nov 1942 | 0900 | La Spezia | 16 Nov 1942 | 1545 | La Spezia | 36 | Exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 17 Nov 1942 | 0807 | La Spezia | 17 Nov 1942 | 1209 | La Spezia | 22 | Exercises. | ||
| 5. | Malachite (MH) | 18 Nov 1942 | 0600 | La Spezia | 25 Nov 1942 | 1323 | Cagliari | 1103 | Patrolled in western Mediterranean, in area between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 07°40' and 08°00'E, off Cape de Fer and Bay of Philippeville. | |
| 23 Nov 1942 | 2310 | 37° 09'N, 7° 07'E | At 2310 hours, an MTB was sighted at a distance of 4-5,000 metres. Malachite dived. | |||||||
| 24 Nov 1942 | 0411 | 37° 11'N, 7° 05'E (0) Italian Grid 8418,/4. | ||||||||
| Malachite (MH) | 26 Nov 1942 | 1029 | Cagliari | 27 Nov 1942 | 2020 | Naples | 292 | Passage Cagliari-Naples. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 9 Dec 1942 | 0812 | Naples | 9 Dec 1942 | 1330 | Naples | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| Malachite (MH) | 11 Dec 1942 | 1944 | Naples | 13 Dec 1942 | 0028 | Cagliari | 274,5 | Passage Naples-Cagliari. | ||
| 6. | Malachite (MH) | 15 Dec 1942 | 1900 | Cagliari | 25 Dec 1942 | 1000 | Cagliari | 1023,5 | Patrolled in western Mediterranean, between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 08°20'E and 08°40'E. | |
| 18 Dec 1942 | 2243 | At 2243 hours, an aircraft was seen at a distance of 3,000 metres circling around the submarine. Malachite dived. | ||||||||
| 19 Dec 1942 | 2015 | At 2015 hours, Information was received that, at 1828 hours, two unknown warships had been sighted by German air reconnaissance in Italian Grid 5678/2 (030° - Bone - 50 miles) steering 150°. Malachite altered course to intercept but failed to see anything. | ||||||||
| 22 Dec 1942 | 2125 | At 2125 hours, Information was received that, at 1756 hours, five steamers had been sighted by German air reconnaissance in Italian Grid 4793/2 steering 090°. Malachite altered course to intercept, only hearing distant noises, but failed to see anything. | ||||||||
| 23 Dec 1942 | 2323 | 37° 33'N, 8° 29'E | At 2323 hours, in poor visibility, a submarine similar to the ARGO class, was sighted at a distance of 3-4,000 metres, steering 300°. Malachite turned away and dived to avoid a case of mistaken identity. | |||||||
| 7. | Malachite (MH) | 4 Jan 1943 | 0415 | Cagliari | 6 Jan 1943 | 0745 | Cagliari | 295 | Patrolled in area between 37°40'N and 38°00'N, and between 08°40'E and 09°00'E, on a patrol line with Dandolo, Argento, Avorio and Mocenigo. Uneventful. | |
| Malachite (MH) | 15 Jan 1943 | 1300 | Cagliari | 16 Jan 1943 | 1600 | La Maddalena | Passage Cagliari-La Maddalena. | |||
| Malachite (MH) | 19 Jan 1943 | 1816 | La Maddalena | 20 Jan 1943 | 0010 | La Maddalena | Exercises. | |||
| 8. | Malachite (MH) | 20 Jan 1943 | 0210 | La Maddalena | 23 Jan 1943 | 1440 | Cagliari | 558 | Patrolled off Cape Bougaroni, in area between 37°40'N, the North African coast, and between 06°20'E and 06°40'E. | |
| 22 Jan 1943 | 0518.40 | 37° 13'N, 6° 24'E (0) Italian Grid 8850/3. | During the evening of 21st, January, Malachite had been informed of the passage of an important convoy steering eastward. At 0415 hours on the 22nd, Malachite was proceeding at a depth of 35 metres, when she was violently shaken by bomb explosions, seemingly directly above her. A minute later, the hydrophones picked up numerous noises, presumably for the expected convoy. At 0455 hours, the convoy came into view at a distance of 10,000 metres. It appeared to consist of ten 5-10,000-ton merchants, including tankers, escorted by three destroyers, steering 120°, 8 knots. One destroyer briefly appeared to alter course toward the submarine, before returning to the convoy, then came back again. T.V. Alpino Cinti, believing he had been discovered, elected to attack the destroyer instead. The target was now steering 015° at 16 knots. At 0518.40 hours, four torpedoes (533mm, G7e type) were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 1,100 metres. Malachite immediately went deep. She had barely reached a depth of 3 or 4 metres when a double explosion was heard. No depth charging followed and the submarine moved away from the area. At 1134 hours, she was at a depth of 30 metres when explosions were heard close by and it was believed that she may have been spotted by an aircraft. She was undamaged and resumed her patrol. | |||||||
| 23 Jan 1943 | 0800-0830 | 38° 36'N, 8° 23'E | At 0830 hours, a derelict mine was sighted at a distance of 1,000 metres. Malachite closed to 500 metres, expending 120 machine gun rounds but did not succeed to sink it. | |||||||
| Malachite (MH) | 31 Jan 1943 | 1950 | Cagliari | 1 Feb 1943 | 0124 | Cagliari | Exercises. | |||
| 9. | Malachite (MH) | 2 Feb 1943 | 1930 | Cagliari | 9 Feb 1943 | 1100 | Sunk | 690 | Sailed for special mission off Algeria. Sunk in 38°42'N, 08°54'E (near Cagliari) by Dutch submarine HrMs Dolfijn, T.V. Alpino Cinti, three officers, nine ratings were picked up by the Italian minesweeper Arcioni and the fishing vessel Dori. One officer and thirty-four ratings were lost. A reconstructed patrol report was made. | |
| 6 Feb 1943 | 0345 | 36° 57'N, 3° 26'E | At 0345 hours, two destroyers were sighted at a distance of 4,000 metres, steering 270°, 20-25 knots. Malachite could not gain a good attack position. | |||||||
| 6 Feb 1943 | 2110 | 36° 46'N, 3° 26'E (0) 105° - Cape Matifou (Algeria) - 9.5 miles. | At 2110 hours, ten saboteurs of Italian Special Forces (1st battalion of the 10th Arditi Regiment) were landed on the Algerian coast in three boats. Their objective was a railway bridge about 30 km east of Algiers. The landing was successful. Malachite returned at 0558 hours on the 7th to pick them up but they failed to show up. The ten men had been captured. | |||||||
| 9 Feb 1943 | 1103 1059.5 (e) | (e) 38° 42'N, 8° 54'E | At 1103 hours, Malachite had just entered the searched channel leading to Cagliari, when the lookout, 2° Nocchiere (2nd Helmsman) Sisto Fosci, spotted torpedo tracks coming from the port side. The helm was immediately put hard to starboard. The first torpedo missed 50 metres ahead, the second 5-10 metres and the third only about one metre from the bow, but the fourth hit the submarine aft. The explosion was not very great and looked more like a large shell hit but the submarine sank stern first in about 50 seconds. About 20 minutes later, the auxiliary minesweeper Arcione and the fishing vessel Dori arrived on the scene and picked up the survivors. T.V. Alpino Cinti, three officers, nine ratings were the only ones found. One officer and thirty-four ratings were lost. The attack had been made by the Dutch submarine HrMs Dolfijn (Lieutenant Commander H.M.L.F.E. van Oostrom Soede). At 1048 hours, she had sighted a submarine described as of the GEMMA class at a distance of 2 miles. At 1059.5 hours, she had fired a salvo of four torpedoes from a range of 2,200 yards at 8.5-second firing intervals. One explosion was heard and when the periscope was raised, the target was observed to sink by the stern. | |||||||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 12 Apr 1943 | 0800 | Augusta | 12 Apr 1943 | 1225 | Augusta | 30,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 14 Apr 1943 | 1230 | Augusta | 14 Apr 1943 | 1400 | Augusta | 5 | Exercises. | ||
| 10. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 20 Apr 1943 | 1800 | Augusta | 24 Apr 1943 | 2115 | Lampedusa | Supply mission to Lampedusa (54 tons of ammunition, weapons and foodstuff). | ||
| 21 Apr 1943 | 2245 | 35° 08'N, 15° 25'E | A destroyer on 090° course, 20 knots, was observed at 5,000 metres but the submarine was not in a position to intercept. | |||||||
| 22 Apr 1943 | 2038 | Two aircraft flying low toward the submarine were observed at a distance of 5-6,000 metres and Ciro Menotti dived immediately. | ||||||||
| 11. | Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 25 Apr 1943 | 2030 | Lampedusa | 28 Apr 1943 | 0455 | Augusta | 735,6 | Return trip from supply mission to Lampedusa. Uneventful[mileage is for round trip]. | |
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 3 May 1943 | 1800 | Augusta | 3 May 1943 | 2045 | Augusta | 20,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Ciro Menotti (ME, N.66) | 4 May 1943 | 1830 | Augusta | 7 May 1943 | 0720 | Brindisi | 398,5 | Passage Augusta-Brindisi. Uneventful. Then long refit. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 17 Jun 1943 | 0814 | Taranto | 17 Jun 1943 | 1810 | Taranto | 66 | Trials and sonar exercises with the torpedo boat Lince and the auxiliary Claretta. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 22 Jul 1943 | 0356 | Taranto | 22 Jul 1943 | 1115 | Taranto | 24 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 22 Jul 1943 | 1245 | Taranto | 22 Jul 1943 | 2032 | Taranto | 26,4 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 28 Jul 1943 | 0510 | Taranto | 28 Jul 1943 | 1010 | Taranto | 28,5 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 5 Aug 1943 | 1630 | Taranto | 5 Aug 1943 | 2015 | Taranto | 30 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 15 Aug 1943 | 0435 | Taranto | 15 Aug 1943 | 1053 | Taranto | 16 | Trials and exercises with the torpedo boat Sirtori and the corvette Driade. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 16 Aug 1943 | 0831 | Taranto | 16 Aug 1943 | 1053 | Taranto | 15 | Trials and exercises with the torpedo boat Sirtori and the corvette Driade in 40°26.5'N, 17°02'E. | ||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 2 Sep 1943 | 0505 | Taranto | 2 Sep 1943 | 1107 | Taranto | 25 | Exercises with the torpedo boats Sirio and Clio. | ||
| 12. | Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 7 Sep 1943 | 1404 | Taranto | 11 Sep 1943 | 0945 | Augusta | 376,5 | Sailed for patrol off Punta Alice (Calabria, ca. 39°24'N, 17°09'E), but then diverted to Augusta to surrender. At 2234 hours on the 8th, she received the order to submerge to 80 meters until 0800 hours on the 9th then surface and fly the black flag of surrender. | |
| 9 Sep 1943 | 1121 | At 1121 hours, the submarine Squalo was encountered and exchanged recognition signals. | ||||||||
| 9 Sep 1943 | 1145 | At 1145 hours, three British corvettes were sighted. Bragadino closed and was ordered to Augusta. | ||||||||
| 9 Sep 1943 | 1500 | At 1500 hours, the submarine Bandiera was sighted and closed within voice range to confer. At 1530 hours, Squalo also joined to exchange information. | ||||||||
| 9 Sep 1943 | 2205 | 39° 09'N, 17° 55'E | At 2205 hours, a few warships were sighted. Bragadino turned away. | |||||||
| 10 Sep 1943 | 1610 | At 1610 hours, a German aircraft was sighted at a distance of 2,000 metres. Bragadino dived immediately. | ||||||||
| Marcantonio Bragadino (BG) | 17 Sep 1943 | 0613 | Augusta | 17 Sep 1943 | 1838 | Malta | 98 | Passage Augusta-Malta with submarines Onice, Settembrini, Vortice, Squalo and Zoea. | ||
80 entries. 62 total patrol entries (12 marked as war patrols) and 26 events.