Italian submarines in World War Two


Dagabur (DA)
Dagabur

TypeCoastal / Sea going 
ClassAdua (23) 
Laid down 16 Apr 1936 Cantieri Navale Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Launched22 Nov 1936
Commissioned9 Apr 1937
End service
Stricken
Loss date12 Aug 1942
Loss position37° 18'N, 1° 55'E
History
Fate Sunk on 12th August 1942 west-north-west of Algiers, in position 37°18.5'N, 01°55.5'E after being rammed by the destroyer HMS Wolverine.

Commands


CommanderDate fromDate toCommand notes
T.V. Luigi Longanesi Cattani4 Jun 194019 Jun 1940
C.C. Fausto Sestini20 Jun 194025 Jul 1940
T.V. Eugenio Gatti26 Jul 19407 Feb 1941
T.V. Domenico Romano3 Feb 194125 Aug 1941
C.C. Alberto Torri26 Aug 194112 Jun 1942
T.V. Renato Pecori13 Jun 194212 Aug 1942

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

 CommanderDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Longanesi Cattani, Luigi4 Jun 1940Taranto16 Jun 1940TarantoRefitting at Taranto.

Sestini, Fausto20 Jun 1940Taranto25 Jul 1940TarantoRefitting at Taranto.

Gatti, Eugenio26 Jul 19400750Taranto26 Jul 19401800Taranto43Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio27 Jul 19400925Taranto27 Jul 19401045Taranto1,2Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio29 Jul 19400940Taranto29 Jul 19401000Taranto0,5Changed moorings or docked?

Gatti, Eugenio29 Jul 19401915Taranto29 Jul 19401955Taranto0,5Changed moorings or undocked?

Gatti, Eugenio30 Jul 19401210Taranto30 Jul 19401945Taranto31Exercises.

Gatti, Eugenio1 Aug 19400930Taranto1 Aug 19401830Taranto37Exercises.

Gatti, Eugenio2 Aug 19400950Taranto2 Aug 19401310Taranto20Exercises. Dagabur was ordered to sail as soon as ready for a patrol in a zone between 35°20'N and 36°20'N, and between 21°30'E and 22°30'E, but defects prevented the sortie.

Gatti, Eugenio4 Aug 19400815Taranto4 Aug 19401230Taranto20Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio5 Aug 19400740Taranto5 Aug 19401200Taranto25Exercises.

1Gatti, Eugenio5 Aug 19402200Taranto6 Aug 19401100Taranto88Defensive patrol.

Gatti, Eugenio8 Aug 19400515Taranto9 Aug 19401350Augusta362,35Passage Taranto-Augusta.

Gatti, Eugenio11 Aug 19400835Augusta11 Aug 19401040Augusta8Hydrophone trials.

2Gatti, Eugenio14 Aug 19401200Augusta7 Sep 19400820Augusta2470Patrolled between Jaffa and Cyprus. Went as far as 14 miles west of Jaffa, followed coast northward to 33°50'N, then to a point 90 miles south of Cape Greco (Cyprus) to 33°30'N, 21°45'E. Average speed of advance 100 miles per day. Uneventful.

Gatti, Eugenio7 Oct 19400700Augusta8 Oct 19401030Taranto272Passage Augusta-Taranto.

Gatti, Eugenio9 Oct 19401830Taranto10 Nov 19401230TarantoAt Taranto. The crew of the submarine was taken on board the destroyer Freccia and brought to Benghazi to take charge of the submarine Uarsciek whose crew had been incapacitated by mercury poisoning.

Gatti, Eugenio16 Nov 19400900Taranto16 Nov 19401340Taranto25Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio4 Dec 19400900Taranto4 Dec 19401450Taranto24Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio10 Dec 19400827Taranto10 Dec 19401140Taranto14,5Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio13 Dec 19400830Taranto13 Dec 19401315Taranto1Trials.

Gatti, Eugenio20 Dec 19400845Taranto21 Dec 19402230Augusta272Passage Taranto-Augusta.

Gatti, Eugenio24 Dec 19400858Augusta24 Dec 19401120Augusta4Changed anchorage.

3Gatti, Eugenio27 Dec 19400100Augusta9 Jan 19411050Augusta1430Patrolled off Cyrenaica (off Gulf of Sollum and Bardia) and Egyptian coast. Uneventful. Then at Augusta for refit.

Gatti, Eugenio31 Jan 19410835Augusta31 Jan 19411130Augusta8Trials.

Romano, Domenico5 Feb 19411405Augusta5 Feb 19411535Augusta5Trials.

Romano, Domenico6 Feb 19410910Augusta6 Feb 19411135Augusta9Trials.

4Romano, Domenico12 Feb 19411830Augusta24 Feb 19411015Augusta870Patrolled west of Malta, within 15 miles from 35°30'N, 16°10'E. Uneventful. Heard only H.E.

Romano, Domenico13 Mar 19410815Augusta13 Mar 19411115Augusta12Trials and exercises.

5Romano, Domenico24 Mar 19411725Augusta9 Apr 19410820Augusta1656Patrolled between Alexandria and Cape Krio, within 20 miles from 33°30'N, 25°20'E on a 035°-215° axis.
  28 Mar 1941
1210 (e)		At 1210 hours, a British bomber reported an enemy submarine. This may have been Dagabur, who reported close and distant explosions during the day.
  28 Mar 19410804
(0) West of Malta.		At 0804 hours, Dagabur heard H.E. followed by explosions in the vicinity and believed she was the subject of a systematic A/S hunt. The submarine escaped without damage.
  30 Mar 1941203733° 47'N, 25° 24'EAt 2100 hours on 29th March, two signals were received, one reporting a convoy and the other a naval force located about 30 miles away. Dagabur altered course to intercept.

At 1835 hours on 30th March, a cruiser of the LIVERPOOL class was sighted at a distance of 7,000 metres. The submarine disengaged.

At 2027 hours, another cruiser of the LIVERPOOL class was sighted at distance of 8,000 metres.

At 2037 hours, the range had closed to 3,000 metres and two torpedoes were fired, aimed at the cruiser. Two hits were heard after 170 seconds.

It is possible that this was the light cruiser HMS Bonaventure who was sunk by Ambra at 0244 hours on the 31st. Some sources have mentioned that Dagabur damaged Bonaventure before she was finished by Ambra. There is no evidence to support this theory. If Bonaventure was Dagabur's target, there is little doubt that she was missed.
  31 Mar 19410515
(0) West of Malta.		At 0515 hours, hydrophone effects were heard, followed by explosions in the vicinity. Dagabur escaped without damage.
  3 Apr 19411430-2000
(0) West of Malta.		Between 1430 and 2000 hours, H.E. were heard followed by depth-charges at 15 minutes interval in the vicinity of Dagabur who was later believed to be the target of a systematic A/S hunt. The submarine escaped without damage.

Romano, Domenico15 Apr 19410845Augusta16 Apr 19411430Naples285Passage Augusta-Naples for refit.

Romano, Domenico29 May 19410845Naples29 May 19411745Naples27Trials.

Romano, Domenico1 Jun 19410720Naples1 Jun 19411755Naples41Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico2 Jun 19412015Naples3 Jun 19410145Naples22Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico6 Jun 19410700Naples6 Jun 19411810Naples67Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico7 Jun 19411320Naples7 Jun 19411810Naples23Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico9 Jun 19410805Naples9 Jun 19411640Naples41Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico10 Jun 19410710Naples10 Jun 19411147Naples31Trials and exercises.

Romano, Domenico13 Jun 19411130Naples14 Jun 19411307Augusta254Passage Naples-Augusta.

6Romano, Domenico16 Jun 19411135Augusta19 Jun 19410935Augusta472Sailed for patrol between 32°13 N and 32°27 N, and between 25°00'E and 25°20'E. then was to proceed to Leros. Turned back due to defects. C.F. Luigi Caneschi (commander of 10° Gruppo) criticized the decision to abandon the patrol, as the defects could have been repaired at sea.

Romano, Domenico2 Jul 19411005Augusta2 Jul 19411215Augusta14Exercises.

Romano, Domenico3 Jul 19411417Augusta3 Jul 19411612Augusta14Exercises.

7Romano, Domenico4 Jul 19412019Augusta22 Jul 19410745Augusta2001,5Patrol north of Mersa Matruh, via Point Z (33°00'N, 27°10'E) and in area between 31°54'N and the Egyptian coast and between 27°00'E and 27°20'E. Uneventful. Heard only H.E.

Romano, Domenico26 Jul 1941Time?Cagliari26 Jul 19411120CagliariExercises.

Romano, Domenico9 Aug 19410820Augusta9 Aug 19411055Augusta16Exercises.

8Romano, Domenico13 Aug 19411200Augusta15 Aug 19411113Augusta300Patrolled southeast of Malta, within 10 miles from 35°10'N, 15°42'E on the meridian.
  14 Aug 19410140
0245 (e)		35° 52'N, 15° 32'EAt 0140 hours, an enemy submarine was sighted at a distance of 700 metres, steering 290° at 7 knots. Dagabur disengaged "according to the instructions received". This was HMS Osiris (Lieutenant Commander T.T. Euman, RN) on a storing trip to Malta. The British submarine also sighted the Italian submarine and dived immediately.

Torri, Alberto27 Aug 19410801Augusta27 Aug 19411120Augusta18Exercises.

Torri, Alberto30 Aug 19410802Augusta30 Aug 19411140Augusta15Exercises.

Torri, Alberto2 Sep 19410806Augusta2 Sep 19411150Augusta18Exercises.

9Torri, Alberto4 Sep 19410530Augusta14 Sep 19410615Leros1427Sailed for Leros through Cerigotto Channel through 36°04'N, 24°12'E and 36°06'N, 26°00'E and Stampalia, patrolled off Tobruk, Alexandria and Port Said.
  6 Sep 1941092033° 50'N, 24° 18'EAt 0920 hours, a three-engined bomber (Italian?) was sighted. It dived and dropped a bomb on Dagabur. The bomb fell 30 metres on the starboard side. After 20 minutes, the aircraft left.
  7 Sep 19411328
1332 (e)		32° 47'N, 28° 59'EAt 1328 hours, an enemy submarine was sighted surfacing at a distance of 800 metres. This was HMS Torbay (Lieutenant Commander A.C.C. Miers, DSO, RN) who tried to open fire on the Dagabur from a distance of 1,500 yards, but the first round misfired and by the time the shell was removed, the Italian submarine had dived. When Dagabur returned to periscope depth the enemy submarine could not be seen or heard.

A search for this submarine was started on the 8th. The destroyers HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Lt. G.R.G. Watkins, DSC, RN), HMS Hotspur (Lt. T.D. Herrick, DSC, RN) and HMS Kingston (Lt.Cdr. P. Somerville, DSO, DSC, RN) were sent from Alexandria. HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. C.J. Stephenson, RAN) was sent from Port Said. HMS Griffin (Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, DSO, RN) and HMS Hasty (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, DSC, RN) were sent from Haifa.

The hunt was abandoned on the 10th. HMS Hasty, HMS Havock, HMS Hotspur, HMS Kingston proceeded to Alexandria, HMAS Vendetta proceeded to Port Said and HMS Griffin and HMS Hero proceeded to Haifa.

  9 Sep 1941013531° 59'N, 30° 11'EAt 0135 hours, two warships of about 600 tons were sighted at a distance of 3,000 metres. Dagabur moved away.
  9 Sep 1941164032° 11'N, 31° 21'EAt 1640 hours, a destroyer of the SKATE class was sighted proceeding at 8-10 knots. Dagabur dived to 80 metres but was not attacked.

Torri, Alberto7 Oct 19411005Leros7 Oct 19411200Leros7Exercises.

10Torri, Alberto10 Oct 19410730Leros26 Oct 19410625Leros1700,5Patrolled off Alexandretta between 36°00'N and 36°20'N, and between 34°20'E and Syrian coast (also reported as from 34°16'N, 33°00'E to 34°40'N, 34°40'E). ULTRA revealed the patrol without identifying the submarine.
  16 Oct 1941115536° 08'N, 35° 22'EAt 1155 hours, a fishing vessel was sighted at a distance of 6,500 metres. It was not attacked.

11Torri, Alberto21 Nov 19410750Leros6 Dec 19410945Leros1711,1Patrolled off Derna, between 22°00' and 23°00'E, and within 20 miles from the Libyan coast, with Zaffiro in the adjacent area to the west. At 1910 hours on the 25th, MARICOSOM ordered her to switch to the area between 33°00'N and 33°40'N, and between 22°20'E and 23°00'E. The order was again modified at 1810 hours on the 27th, to patrol between 33°20'N and 34°00'N, and between 23°40'N and 24°20'E which was reconfirmed at 1225 hours on the 29th.
  25 Nov 1941194533° 00'N, 24° 00'EAt 1945 hours, signal from MARICOSOM (1740/25) was received mentioning a convoy of five steamers, escorted by two cruisers and four destroyers, sighted at 1155 hours, in 32°50' N, 25°30' E, steering 285° at 14 knots. Dagabur altered course to 360° at full speed to intercept.

At 2215 hours, the submarine was within a few miles of the interception point, when H.E. were heard, but they grew faint and at 2320 hours the chase was abandoned. Dagabur returned to her patrol area.
  28 Nov 1941192233° 50'N, 24° 20'EAt 1922 hours, a vessel was sighted at the limit of visibility, steering 075°, 18 knots. Dagabur gave chase but lost contact after an hour.

12Torri, Alberto10 Dec 19410150Leros20 Dec 19411207Leros1335Patrolled between Gaudo and Alexandria within 20 miles from 34°00'N, 25°45'E (Grids 3664 and 6664).
  14 Dec 19411955
1956.5 (e)		34° 01'N, 26° 02'EAt 1950 hours, the starboard lookout reported a vessel that could not be identified. The submarine immediately steered towards it. At a distance of 3,000 metres it was thought to be a cruiser as Dagabur was moving to the attack at 12.4 knots.

At 1955 hours, a single torpedo was fired from a bow tube (type not specified, but probably 450mm) at a range of 2,100 metres and 20 seconds later a second torpedo (533mm) was fired. Dagabur immediately submerged. Two explosions were heard after 105 seconds.

The "cruiser" was actually the submarine HMS Talisman (Lieutenant Commander M. Willmott, RN). She had also sighted the Italian submarine (mistaken for German) at a range of 800 yards and had time to fire two 4" rounds from a distance of 100 yards before her opponent submerged. The first round missed, but the second was claimed to have hit the conning tower about 3 feet above the casing. It was believed that the enemy submarine may have dived with her hatches open and sank.

Dagabur was indeed hit by a 4" round, but it only caused minor damages to the wireless antenna and it was quickly repaired.

Some sources have claimed that the light cruiser HMS Galatea was damaged in this attack. HMS Galatea was sunk four hours later some 250 miles away.

13Torri, Alberto11 Feb 19421755Leros23 Feb 19421155Leros1398,5Patrolled between 31°40'N and 32°50'N, and between 33°00'E and 34°00'E, off Port Said and the Palestinian coast. On 13 February, No. 3 torpedo tube was accidentally flooded and the submarine continued on her patrol with only three effective forward tubes. Uneventful.

Torri, Alberto7 Mar 19420800Leros14 Mar 19421005Naples1061Passage Leros-Naples for major refit. Uneventful.

Torri, Alberto9 Jun 19421050Naples9 Jun 19421500Naples24,3Trials.

Pecori, Renato13 Jun 19420920Naples13 Jun 19421500Naples42Trials.

Pecori, Renato14 Jun 19420645Naples14 Jun 19421245Naples36Gyrocompass tests.

Pecori, Renato17 Jun 19420925Naples17 Jun 19421515Naples31,2Trials.

Pecori, Renato18 Jun 19421330Naples18 Jun 19421645Naples17,2Trials.

Pecori, Renato21 Jun 19420900Naples22 Jun 19422045La Spezia331,5Passage Naples-La Spezia to embark G7e torpedoes,

Pecori, Renato24 Jun 19421530La Spezia24 Jun 19421830La Spezia20,2Trials.

Pecori, Renato26 Jun 19421030La Spezia26 Jun 19421210La Spezia15,7Trials.

Pecori, Renato29 Jun 19420930La Spezia29 Jun 19421050La Spezia10,2Trials.

Pecori, Renato30 Jun 19421400La Spezia30 Jun 19421615La Spezia12,9Trials.

Pecori, Renato4 Jul 19420855La Spezia4 Jul 19421055La SpeziaExercises.

Pecori, Renato7 Jul 19420600La Spezia8 Jul 19421900Cagliari345Passage La Spezia-Cagliari.

Pecori, Renato13 Jul 19421350Cagliari13 Jul 19421300? error?CagliariExercises.

14Pecori, Renato16 Jul 19420325Cagliari20 Jul 19421630Cagliari512,5Patrolled east of La Galite, between 37°20'N 37°40'N, and between 10°00'E and 10°20'E. No ship sighted.
  17 Jul 1942211337° 41'N, 10° 22'EAt 2113 hours, a Blenheim bomber was seen but Dagabur remained on the surface as the aircraft flew away without noticing her.

15Pecori, Renato4 Aug 19420100Cagliari12 Aug 19420100Sunk with all handsSailed for patrol between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 04°20'E and 04°40'E (initially to Grid 5786). At 1520 hours on the 4th, ordered to Grid 9786, between 37°20'N and 37°40'N, and between 01°50'E nd 02°10'E, off Cape Caxine.

On 12th August, she was sunk off Algiers by the British destroyer HMS Wolverine in 37°18.5'N, 01°58'E. Five officers and forty ratings perished, there were no survivors.

At 1838 hours on the 12th, she was ordered to Grid 9627.

On 13th August, she was ordered to move to Grid 1404.

On 16th August, she was told to return to base via 38°22'N, 07°32'E at 2100 hours on the 17th, but failed to respond.
  12 Aug 1942
0100B (e)
(e) 37° 18'N, 1° 55'E
(0) 37.18N, 01.46E		At 0100B hours, the destroyer HMS Wolverine was escorting the aircraft carrier HMS Furious with the destroyers HMS Keppel and HMS Malcolm, when she detected a submarine by radar. She raced at 26 knots and rammed the submarine. The damage forced the destroyer to return to Gibraltar.

There is little doubt that her victim was Dagabur. There were no survivors, T.V. Renato Pecori, four officers and forty ratings perished.

79 entries. 71 total patrol entries (15 marked as war patrols) and 16 events.

All Italian submarines