Continued from KTB #155. When we left this feature, VIC was writing about the preparations for the U-boats to choke off the Royal Navy. --HC

The Italian submarine base was at the French Atlantic port of Bordeaux. The first group of submarines consisting of BARACCA, EMO, FAA di BRUNO, GIULIANI, TARANTINI and TORELLI are able to operate in the areas between Portugal, the Azores and Madeira.

BARACCA at her commissioning, summer 1940

The second group consisting of BAGNOLINI and MARCONI are to operate off northwest Spain.

EMO, commanded by CDR. Liannazza sinks one ship of 5,199 tons. BARACCA, commanded by CDR. Bertarelli sinks one ship of 3,687 tons. MARCONI, commanded by CDR. Chialamberto sinks a 330 ton trawler. BAGNOLINI, commanded by CDR. Tosoni-Pittoni sinks a 3,302 ton vessel. FAA di BRONO makes three unsuccessful attacks.

In the meantime, He 111 torpedo bombers from K. Fl. Gr. (Küstenfliegergruppe or coastal air wing) from Stavanger attack the British Convoy OA.203 in the Moray Firth, Scotland and sink the freighters LLANISHEN and MAKALLA, and badly damage the motor vessel BEACON GRANGE.

Aircraft from 9th Fl (Fliegerkorps or German Air Group) drop air mines off Dundee, Newcastle, Middleborough, Dover, Hartlepool, Portland, Poole, in Scapa, the Thames estuary, the Downs and in the sea around the Isle of Wight. This was all part of Operation SEELÖWE, the intended invasion of England. All these areas are vital to the Royal Navy as either repair facilities or naval bases.

On 25th of August, the Vichy French submarine SIDI-FERRUCH, commanded by CDR. Dr Kehror, which had been in the harbour of Duala, Cameroons since the 10th August, proceeds to Libreville to stabilize the situation there for the Vichy Government and arrives there on the 30th. On the same day, the Vichy French Government is forced to allow Japan to undertake the military occupation of harbours, airfields and railways in northern Indo-China. Also on the 30th, the OKM (Oberkommando der Marine or German Naval High Command) informs Hitler that the Navy’s preparation for Operation SEELÖWE cannot be completed by the 15th of September and the earliest possible date would be the 20th. While back in England, the results of the Battle of Britain are announced on the radio.

As of 31st August 4,779 German aircraft have been employed and they have dropped 4,447 tons of high explosive bombs and 191 tons of incendiary bombs, and have lost 252 fighters and 215 bombers, whilst the British have lost 359 aircraft. This newscast lifted up the morale of the British people.

VICTOR HAWKINS (1364-+-1990) had been writing hard on this project and every few weeks, he would send us another few dozen pages to be added to this work. It was to be an ongoing project, covering the entire war from the British perspective. Then his beloved wife, Captain PATTI ROBINSON (1497-+-1990), a US Army MASH Nurse, contracted cancer and died shortly after. VIC was devastated at her loss. He did his best to continue with this project and with his life itself, but he missed PATTI too much and in a year or so after her passing, VIC learned that he too, had cancer. Within the next year, he too was gone.

And so we have left the above space blank for the history VIC did not have time to write - for the years he and PATTI were not able to experience together here on earth.

Over these pages, VIC HAWKINS has brought this history from prior to the outbreak of World War II up through September 1940. We had naturally hoped to be able to bring the entire wartime history of the Royal Navy submarines to our Members through VIC, but it was not to be. Here is where the writings of VIC will end. We know he and his PATTI are together and while I suspect that SHARKHUNTERS is not foremost in their minds, they were part of this family and we hope they think of us once in a while.--HC