Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines

HMS Cleopatra on completion in 1941

Type	Light cruiser
Country	British
Built	1941	Tons	5,700

Date of attack	16 Jul 1943	Time	0613 0615 (e)
Fate	Damaged by submarine Alagi (T.V. Sergio Puccini)
Position of attack	37° 02'N, 15° 55'E
Complement	(23 dead, no survivors)
Convoy
Notes	At 0600 hours, three destroyers were observed through the periscope. They were believed to be the same as those sighted earlier. At 0613 hours, three torpedoes (533mm, G7e type) were fired from the bow tubes (a fourth misfired) at a range of 700-1,200 metres. After 105 seconds a loud explosion was heard giving a running range of 1,500 metres. Alagi went deep to 70-90 metres and, at 0635 hours, heard two escort vessels followed by two patterns of depth charges, but escaped damage. The target was actually the light cruiser HMS Cleopatra, proceeding in company with the light cruiser HMS Euryalus, escorted by the destroyers HMS Quilliam and HMS Quail. Cleopatra was damaged by one torpedo hit (twenty-three killed), her speed was reduced to 4.5 knots. However, she soon managed to increase speed to 10 knots and was joined by HMS Euryalus who was within sight. At 0938 hour, she was joined by HMS Eggesford, HMS Seaham, HMS Poole, HMS Oriana and a Baltimore aircraft and escorted to Malta.