Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines

Type	Tanker
Country	Norwegian
Built	1927	GRT	7,313

Date of attack	19 Aug 1941	Time	2400
Fate	Sunk by submarine Enrico Tazzoli (C.C. Carlo Fecia di Cossato)
Position of attack	5° 20'N, 13° 07'W
Complement	40 (no casualties, 40 survivors)
Convoy
Notes	At 2259 hours, a large tanker was sighted on a 90° course at a distance of 4,000 metres. At 2318 hours, Fecia Di Cossato ordered the firing of no.1 and no.4 tubes but due to a mistake in drill, tube no.3 was also fired. After 24 and 27 seconds two hits were observed to hit forward and aft but the target was still afloat. This was the Norwegian tanker *Sildra* (7,313 GRT, built 1927) in ballast on a trip from Freetown to Curaçao. At 2337 hours, Enrico Tazzoli turned for a stern shot. Tube no.6 was fired and a hit was observed after 26 seconds, but the target failed to sink. At 2354 hours, no.8 tube was fired but the wake was not observed and the torpedo missed. At 2400 hours, Enrico Tazzoli fired no.7 tube. A hit was observed after 41 seconds and the tanker finally sank. Because of the heavy seas, the submarine had been unable to make use of her guns. There were no casualties. The forty survivors took to three lifeboats, two of which reached Manna Point (Sierra Leone) on 21st August and the third reached the coast south of Cape St. Ann the following afternoon.