The submarine TAZZOLI is the Italian boat that has scored the most successes (total of 18) in the Battle of the Atlantic. With a tonnage total of 96,533 tons, TAZZOLI is second only to da VINCI in Italian submarines. While da VINCI sank more tonnage (120,237) but only 17 ships, TAZZOLI sank more ships. This was one of the CALVI Class boats, and she was built at LaSpezia.

This submarine was named in honor of the Italian patriot Enrico Tazzoli who lived from 1812 until 1852. He was the founder of a committee in the city of Mantua to free Italy from the domination of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Displacement 1,331/1,965 tons
Length 83.3 meters
Beam 7.7 meters
Draft 4.9 meters
Power (diesel) 4,400hp
Power (electric) 1,800hp
Speed (diesel) 17 knots
Speed (electric) 8.75 knots
Bunkers 75 tons
Range (diesel) 11,400 miles @ 4 knots
Range (electric) 120 miles @ 3 knots
Carried total of 16 torpedoes
Deck guns two 120mm
AA Guns Four 13.2mm

This Class used the standard double pressure hull design.

This submarine initially participated in the Spanish war, being one of three Italian submarines that carried out five war patrols. When she returned to Italy, she was assigned to the First Submarine Group, 11a Squadron which was based at LaSpezia. At the end of September 1940, she is transferred to the Italian naval contingent at Bordeaux, which was the 12th U-Bootflottille situated well up the Gironde River. Eventually she was converted for use as a transport submarine for the Far East but was lost on her first transport patrol.

Korvettenkapitän Vittore Raccanelli commanded TAZZOLI and in October 1940, TAZZOLI participated in a wolfpack effort near the Azores where she sank the 5,135 ton Yugoslav steamer ORAO.

15 Dec. 1940, TAZZOLI attacks the steamer SS EVERLIGHT but with no success.

27 December 1940, TAZZOLI sinks the 4,980 ton British steamer RMS ARDANBHAN.

30 December 1940 TAZZOLI herself is damaged by depth charges from a British destroyer but she survives.

4 January 1941, TAZZOLI heads for homeport Bordeaux.

The next Skipper was Korvettenkapitän Fecia di Cossato.

12 April 1941 fired torpedoes at a cruiser and missed.

15 April 1941 sank the 4,733 ton steamer RMS AURILIAC.

7 May 1941 sank the 4,780 ton Norwegian FERLANE.

9 May sank the 8,017 ton Norwegian steamer ALFRED OLSEN.

25 May 1941, arrived homeport Bordeaux.

In August and September of 1941, TAZZOLI patrolled off the Azores along with MARCONI and FINZI. She sank the Norwegian tanker SILDRA and the British RMS ZANGARA which had been abandoned and grounded.

TAZZOLI went into the shipyard at Bordeaux for modifications which included reducing the size of the conning tower, adding AA guns, changing the color scheme, replacing periscopes and resetting the radio spar. She was now in better configuration for the Atlantic.

TAZZOLI after re-work at Bordeaux

December 1941, TAZZOLI was pulled out of combat duty to rush, with three other Italian submarines and several German U-Boats, to the aid of the survivors of the raiders ATLANTIS and PYTHON which were scuttled by their crews in the South Atlantic.

25 December 1941, the three Italian submarines arrive St. Nazaire with their German shipwrecked survivors. The Skipper, Fecia di Cossato is decorated by (then) BdU Karl Dönitz.

March 1942, TAZZOLI departs for her American Patrol, a long mission of 56 days but with success. She attacks six ships – they are SS ASTREA, SS TORSBERGFJORD, SS MONTEVIDEO, SS CYGNEY, RMS DAYTOIAN and SS ATHELQUEEN for a total of 29,189 tons. In the last attack, against SS ATHELQUEEN, the submarine maneuvers so wildly to evade destroyers that she rams the wreck of SS ATHELQUEEN, which is sinking. There is serious damage to the bows of TAZZOLI and she returns to base.

July 1942 finds TAZZOLI in the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean, where she spends 71 days – but this is not a pleasure cruise by any means. She is constantly attacked by American ASW planes, so she changes her area of operation and heads east of the island of Trinidad.

During this 71 day patrol, she has two sinkings.
2 August, the 1,830 ton Dutch steamer SS CASTOR; and
6 August, the 6,161 ton Norwegian tanker SS HAVESTEN.

TAZZOLI heads home for Bordeaux.

At the end of 1942, TAZZOLI departs for the American waters for a 74 day patrol in the area of the old Spanish Main off Dutch Guyana and British Guyana, where she sinks four ships. They are:

RMS EMPIRE HAWK (Brit) of 5,032 tons;
RMS QUEEN CITY (Brit) of 4,814 tons;
SS OMBILIN (Dutch) of 5,638 tons; and
SS DONA AURORA (American) of 5,011 tons

On her return to Bordeaux, TAZZOLI meets with AMMIRAGLIO CAGNI and is ordered to transfer over her unused torpedoes. Rough sea conditions prevent this transfer. TAZZOLI continued into her homeport for which will be her last time.

Despite her outstanding war record, TAZZOLI is converted to a cargo carrying submarine to resupply the German forces. In return, the Kriegsmarine is to give the Italian Navy a Type VII-C. The Skipper of TAZZOLI returns to Italy to take command of the destroyer ALISEO.

15 May 1943, command of TAZZOLI is given to Korvettenkapitän Giuseppe Gaito, and the boat is loaded with cargo bound for Singapore. She is to meet with the submarine GIULIANI off Angola (St. Helena) before going into the Indian Ocean. GIULIANI waits for two days in the rendezvous area before moving on with her patrol. TAZZOLI will never make the meeting. She was sunk by aircraft in the Atlantic.

Thanks VINCENT – another great article.