The vessel BARBARIGO is one of the Italian submarines with the greatest number of victories in the Atlantic - seven ships sunk with 39,300 tons and three damaged ships with 13,500 tons.

Barbarigo in her first configuration, 1940-1941

In addition to these official victories, BARBARIGO was involved in two attacks on American warships in 1942 with unconfirmed results.

EDITOR NOTE - This would be the 20 May 1942 attack when BARBARIGO (under CC Enzo Grossi) came upon an American task force In a very dark night and fired at what they initially thought was a 31,500 ton battleship of the MARYLAND Class. They claimed it sunk, but in reality, it was the cruiser USS MILWAUKEE they fired at and missed the cruiser and also one of the escorting destroyers, USS MOFFET.

SPECIFICATIONS

Class: MARCELLO
Built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone
Built over: 1937-1938
Dedicated to: Agostino Barbarigo (1486-1501), the Doge of Venice who fought against the Turks and conquered Cyprus
Displacement: 941/1,300 tons
Length. 73 meters
Width: 7.2 meters
Power (diesel) 3,000 hp
Power (electric) 1,300 hp
Draft: 4.7 meters
Bunkers: 59 tons
Speed (diesel) 17 knots
Speed (electric) 8.5 knots
Range (diesel) 7.500 miles @ 9 knots
Range (electric) 100 miles @ 3 knots
Torpedoes: carried 8 to 15 torpedoes

BARBARIGO was one of the MARCELLO Class along with DANDOLO, MOCENIGO, VENIERO, PROVANA, NANI, MOROSINI, EMO and MARCEI.L0. She was built in the yard at Monfalcone over 1937-1938 and with the beginning of the war, she was assigned to the 2nd Submarine Group, based in Naples and she operated in the Mediterranean. On 13 August 1940, she was dispartched to Bordeaux, where she was attached to the German 12th U-bootflotille on the Gironde River and from there, she operated in the Atlantic. The 12th U-bootflottille was a combined flotilla made up mainly of the larger German U-boats such as the Type IX-D2 and X-B boats, along with Italian boats.

While en route to Bordeaux, she encountered two British ships near the island of Madeira and on 19 August 1940, attacked the 3,255 ton steamer AGUILA with her deck gun. The five hits from the four-inch gun damaged this ship -- but exactly one year later on 19 August 1941, the repaired AGUILA was sunk by U-201 (Schnee).

8 September 1940, BARBARIGO docks in Bordeaux.

In October and December 1940, BARBARIGO was assigned the operational zone in the west of the Irish western island. Her duty, the same as that of other Italian submarines, was fundamentally that of looking for convoys. The German command allowed the Italian submarines to attack lone isolated enemy ships, but if a convoy was sighted, they had to signal U-boat HQ (BdU) so the wolf packs could be formed of the German U-boats off the English coast.

10 November 1940 - BARBARIGO (under command of Chiglieri) launches a surface torpedo attack on an enemy destroyer, no hits.

18 February - 20 March 1941, BARBARIGO was assigned to the operational zone 53 degrees N to 59 degrees N and 15 degrees W to 25 degrees W together with the Italian submarines BIANCHI, OTARIO, MARCELLO and TORELLI. The U-boats took station at 10 degrees W.

15 May 1941, off the Scottish coast BARBARIGO fires two torpedoes at the 5,464 ton British steamer MANCHESTER PORT and damaged her.

25 May 1941, BARBARIGO receives the order to steam quickly to assist the battleship BISMARCK, then time under attack from many English ships. BARBARIGO does not arrive in time -- the battleship is gone.

30 May 1941, BARBARIGO returned to Bordeaux where command is turned over to CC Francesco Murzi.

25 July 1941, BARBARIGO attacks the 5,135 ton British steamer MACON and sinks her with one torpedo. On the next day, she sinks the 8,272 ton British motor tanker HORN SHELL.

BARBARIGO configuration 1942-1943

BARRARIGO went into the shipyard for major refit and when she came out, she had noticeable changes (photo) - and a new Skipper. CC Enzo Grossi is told on 25 October 1941 that a convoy is departing Gibraltar and he is to intercept. This was Convoy HG.75 with 27 merchant ships guarded by 12 escorts. Grossi heads to his station SW of Ireland to intercept the convoy.

27 October, the hydrophones on BARBARIGO pick up the sounds of ships approaching -- it is the convoy he is waiting for. Moving toward the convoy on the surface, BARBARIGO is spotted by a destroyer and has to take evasive action. By the time it is safe for her to surface again, the convoy is gone.

30 October 1941, Admiral Karl Donitz orders the U-boats to stop attacks against this convoy, which is now under the cover of the Royal Air Force. BARBARIGO remains at sea, patrolling north of the Azores. Two Italian submarines, FERRARIS and MARCONI were sunk by destroyers from Convoy HG.75.

BARBARIGO patrols this area until mid-February 1942, and on 23 January, she attacked and sank the 5,473 ton Spanish steamer NA VEMAR, which was returning to Spain with no cargo.

April 1942, with the American entry into the war, BARBARIGO is sent into the American Operational Zone. During the night of 19 May 1942, she attacks and damages the 5,052 ton Brazilian steamer COMANDANTE LYRA. This ship was hit with one torpedo and 16 rounds from the 100mm deck guns but was later repaired.

On 20 May 1942, BARBARIGO attacks an American task force off Cape St. Rocco (Brazil) and claimed sinking a battleship of the MARYLAND Class.

October 1942, BARBARIGO is patrolling off the Freetown area on the coast of Africa. On 6 October, Grossi attacked what be thought was a MISSISSIPPI Class battleship and watched it sink in flames. This action brought the Italian Gold Medal for Bravery. It also resulted in one of the extremely rare German Knights Crosses awarded to foreign combatants. Grossi is promoted to CV and is given command of the Italian Atlantic Base at Bordeaux.

However, it was later learned that this victim was not a 33,000 ton battleship but in reality, the Royal Navy corvette HMS PETUNIA which was not even sunk. Grossi assumed the explosions were sounds of the battleship breaking up, but they were depth charges from PETUNIA. After the war, his Gold Medal was cancelled.

Command of BARBARIGO passes to CC Roberto Rigoli in early 1943 and she is dispatched to the Brazilian coast.

24 February 1942, she sinks the 3,453 ton Spanish steamer MONTE IGUELDO. 2 March 1943 she sinks the 3,540 ton Brazilian steamer ALFONSO PENA. 3 March 1943 sinks the 8,591 ton American motorship STAG HOUND, a ship built in 1942 and filled with 5,800 tons of dynamite and gasoline. She was a fast ship, traveling alone at 16 knots when attacked. Two torpedoes hit the # 5 hold then the # 3 hold, fatally damaging the ship as well as taking down the antenna and destroying the steering gear. When the 'abandon ship' order was given, all ten officers, forty nine men and twenty five Armed Guards left the ship in two lifeboats and one raft. After the survivors were clear, BARBARIGO sent one more torpedo into the ship, sending her down quickly. About a day later, SS COLORADO picked up all hands and landed them safely at Rio de Janeiro on 8 March.

BARBARIGO was getting old, so when she returned to Bordeaux, she was converted from a fighting submarine to a cargohauler. Deck guns were removed, as were torpedo tubes, leaving more space for cargo. She departed Bordeaux with a cargo of 130 tons of precision machinery etc. bound for Singapore.

She disappeared without a trace in the Bay of Biscay.

VINCENT - this is outstanding. Many thanks.