During the first six months of 1943, Italian submarines performed 129 no-chance missions, with discipline, against a much better equipped and numerically superior enemy. Eighteen submarines were utilized – eleven were lost.

10 April 1943, American B-24 bombers sank the cruiser TRIESTE;

16 April 1943, Italian torpedo boats CIGNO and CASSIOPEA engaged two British destroyers with the loss of the Italian CIGNO and the British PACKENHAM.

The British counter attacked at El Alamein & began the reconquest of Northern Africa, which ended in May of 1943. San Marco Marines lowered the last Italian Flag in Africa on 9 May 1943.

Changing Partners

10 June 1943, the Allies invaded Sicily. The last Italian ship sunk by the Allies was the destroyer GIOBERTI on 9 August 1943. The Italians decided to preserve the remaining fleet because a total lack of fuel prevented any chance of a final, huge and hopeless battle against the oncoming Allied forces. They decided to save at least their honor before being defeated. But the armistice arrived on 8 September 1943 and the Allies were no more enemies – the foe was the German.

A total confusion was among the Italian military. In certain cases, it was attempted to save equipment from the Germans and carry it to the Allies. In other cases, some did not accept the surrender and continued to fight against the Allies.

Admiral Bergamini disciplinely tried to save his division from la Spezia by sailing to reach the Allies. With him were his Flagship the battleship ROMA and other battleships VITTORIO VENETO and ITALIA (the former LITTORIO); the cruisers AVOIA, D’ACOSTA, GARIBALDI, REGOLO and MONTECUCCOLI; a destroyer escort and many other minor ships. The group was attacked by the Luftwaffe, and a terrible luck was awaiting Bergamini. One radio guided bomb fell just into the stack of ROMA and the battleship exploded, killing everyone aboard. The Italians erroneously thought that the approaching aircraft were British, so there was no air cover at all.

The remainder of the convoy finally arrived in Malta.

The Italian will to continue to fight was realized on 23 September 1943 with an agreement of cooperation with the Allies (except for the battleships) signed by Admirals Cunningham and deCourten. Italian seamen who continued to fight, gained the admiration of the Allies and gave a significant contribution to the liberation of Sicily starting 19 October 1943. The San Marco Marines were the first Allied troops to enter Venice.

Picking the Italian Bones

After the end of the war, the Italian Navy had to face a sad fate. The winner nations claimed the best of the remaining Italian ships, and the treaty imposed very hard restrictions on the Italians on possessing and building ships.

During the tragedy of the Second World War, some 33,000 Italian seamen lost their lives and 270,000 tons of warships. Some 412,000 tons of enemy ships were sunk, including the ones sunk by Air Force and German U-Boats. The Italian merchant navy lost 2,513 ships totaling 522,120 tons.

Thanks VINCENT. There will be more stories of the Italian Navy from VINCENT in KTB #165 next month.