Italian Submarine "TARANTINI"
This submarine (currently called “TARANTINI”) was one of the 4 “LIUZZI” class boats, all built by TOSI Yards in Taranto, between 1938 and 1940.
Smg. TARANTINI was laid down on April 5, 1939; launched on January 7, 1940;
commissioned on March 16, 1940.
Her technical characteristics were:
- displacement: 1,166 t (surface) - 1,484 t (dive)
- max. depth : 100 m - safety factor : 3
- dimensions: 77.05 m (length) - 6.98 m (width) - 4.56 m
(draft)
- engine power: 3,420 HP (surface) - 1,250 HP (dive)
- max. speed: 17.8 knt (surface) - 8.6 knt (dive)
- endurance: surface: 1,617 ml (at 17.8 knt) in normal fuelling
- 3,401 ml ( at 17.8 knt ) in extra fuelling - 6,409 ml (at 8 knt) in normal
fuelling 13,204 ml (at 8 knt ) in extra fuelling - dive: 111 ml (at 4 knt)
- 9 ml (at 8.6 knt)
- weaponry: 8 torpedo tubes 533 mm (4 ahead - 4 astern) -
1 gun 100 mm/47 cal. - 2 antiaircraft twin machineguns 13.2 mm
- crew: 57 hands, including 7 officers.
On June 10, 1940, when Italy enters the WW2, Smg. Tarantini (C.O. Lcdr.
Alfredo IASCHI) is already on patrol off Gaudo (Crete).
On June 11 she launches a torpedo against a big tanker (about 7,000 t), but
the attack fails because torpedo faulty functioning.
Her second mission (from June 27 to July 12) is the patrolling of Haifa waters.
During the navigation towards that area, first (June 28), in Ionian Sea, she
is attacked by airplanes, without damages; the day after, around 5.00 a.m.,
underway in surface SW off Matapan Cape, she sights and attacks a destroyer,
probably the HMS DAINTY which, however, evades the torpedo and, in her turn,
counterattacks, luckily without success.
Close of the mission end, around 11.00 p.m. on July 11, Smg. TARANTINI launches
against a ship coming out from Haifa, but the target is failed. Then, she
attacks it by the gun, immobilizes it and, after the crew has abandoned the
ship, she sinks it by a second torpedo. It was the cargo ship BENE (3,040
t), flying the Panamese flag but under British control.
After another couple of missions in Mediterranean Sea, Smg. TARANTINI is assigned
to BETASOM, to operate in Atlantic Ocean. So, on August 31, 1940, she leaves
Trapani (Sicily) bound for Bordeaux. On September 10 she crosses the Straits
of Gibraltar, partly on surface and partly on dive, and then goes to patrol
the waters North off Azores, where she remains, unfruitfully, till September
29. Then she steers for Bordeaux, where she arrives on October 5.
On November 11, Smg. TARANTINI leaves Bordeaux for her first Atlantic mission:
on patrol, from November 18 to December 8, NW off Ireland.
In the winter, the ocean is a second enemy and it claims its victims: as soon
as the boat reaches the open sea, an exceptional stroke of sea causes the
heavy wounding of the Exec. Officer; some days later, on December 5, an anomalous
wave rips away from the bridge a petty officer, 1st cl. Sergio CIOTTI who,
notwithstanding long searches, disappears in the sea.
On December 2, while manoeuvring to take position for launching against a
big convoy, she is sighted by the escort ships and attacked for about 24 hours:
106 depth charges are recorded, luckily without serious troubles. Three days
later, she escapes another 12 hours attack.
On December 9 the boat begins the return navigation. On December 15, she is
already in sight of Gironde estuary and escorted by German units when, at
10.17 a.m., she is torpedoed by the British submarine THUNDERBOLT and sinks
very soon.
Only survivors are the Exec. Officer, Lt. Attilio FRATTURA, and 4 members
of the crew.
