Gorgo (GG)
Gorgo

Type	Sea going
Class	Tritone (type I) (26)
Laid down	12 May 1941	Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone
Launched	31 Jan 1942
Commissioned	11 Nov 1942
End service
Stricken
Loss date	21 May 1943
Loss position
History	It was suggested that she was sunk on 21st May 1943 off Oran, Algeria by depth charges from the destroyer USS Nields but this is doubtful. The cause of her loss is a mystery to this day.
Fate

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
C.C. Innocenzo Ragusa	11 Nov 1942	2 Jun 1943

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
		31 Jul 1942	0830	Monfalcone	31 Jul 1942	1615	Monfalcone		Exercises.
		18 Aug 1942	0900	Monfalcone	18 Aug 1942	1210	Monfalcone		Exercises.
		31 Aug 1942	0830	Monfalcone	31 Aug 1942	1850	Pola		Passage Monfalcone-Pola.
		1 Sep 1942	0900	Pola	1 Sep 1942	1800	Pola		Exercises.
		3 Sep 1942	0930	Pola	3 Sep 1942	1625	Pola		Exercises.
		4 Sep 1942	0915	Pola	4 Sep 1942	1740	Pola		Exercises.
		14 Sep 1942	0910	Pola	14 Sep 1942	1435	Pola		Exercises.
		15 Sep 1942	0710	Pola	15 Sep 1942	1945	Pola		Exercises.
		16 Sep 1942	1000	Pola	16 Sep 1942	1800	Monfalcone		Passage Pola-Monfalcone.
		4 Nov 1942	0900	Monfalcone	4 Nov 1942	1430	Monfalcone		Exercises.
		9 Nov 1942	0900	Monfalcone	9 Nov 1942	1200	Monfalcone		Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	11 Nov 1942	0930	Monfalcone	11 Nov 1942	1200	Monfalcone		Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	12 Nov 1942	0850	Monfalcone	12 Nov 1942	1350	Monfalcone	28	Trials.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	16 Nov 1942	0830	Monfalcone	16 Nov 1942	1415	Venice	64	Passage Monfalcone-Venice.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	18 Nov 1942	0915	Venice	18 Nov 1942	1250	Venice	11	Trials with electric torpedoes.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	23 Nov 1942	0900	Venice	23 Nov 1942	1545	Pola	77	Passage Venice-Pola.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	27 Nov 1942	0825	Pola	27 Nov 1942	1345	Pola	29	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	29 Nov 1942	0810	Pola	29 Nov 1942	1405	Pola	33	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	30 Nov 1942	0812	Pola	30 Nov 1942	0915	Pola	2	Changed anchorage.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	7 Dec 1942	0800	Pola	7 Dec 1942	1300	Monfalcone	67	Passage Pola-Monfalcone.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	10 Dec 1942	0900	Monfalcone	10 Dec 1942	1650	Pola	76	Passage Monfalcone-Pola.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	11 Dec 1942	0750	Pola	11 Dec 1942	1630	Pola	85	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	12 Dec 1942	0745	Pola	12 Dec 1942	1114	Pola	19	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	14 Dec 1942	0615	Pola	14 Dec 1942	1555	Pola	81	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	15 Dec 1942	0800	Pola	15 Dec 1942	1635	Pola	88	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	16 Dec 1942	1840	Pola	18 Dec 1942	1342	Taranto	560	Passage Pola-Taranto.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	22 Dec 1942	0725	Taranto	22 Dec 1942	1413	Taranto	32	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	24 Dec 1942	1123	Taranto	24 Dec 1942	1548	Taranto	32	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	27 Dec 1942	2040	Taranto	30 Dec 1942	0045	Naples	559	Passage Taranto-Naples. Uneventful.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	3 Jan 1943	0830	Naples	3 Jan 1943	1600	Naples	40	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	5 Jan 1943	0810	Naples	5 Jan 1943	1515	Castellammare di Stabia	23	Exercises and passage Naples-Castellammare di Stabia.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	6 Jan 1943	0815	Castellammare di Stabia	6 Jan 1943	1500	Castellammare di Stabia	19	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	7 Jan 1943	0845	Castellammare di Stabia	7 Jan 1943	1610	Naples	34	Exercises and passage Castellammare di Stabia-Naples.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	9 Jan 1943	0916	Naples	9 Jan 1943	1525	Naples	27	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	10 Jan 1943	1029	Naples	10 Jan 1943	1422	Naples	23	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	12 Jan 1943	1325	Naples	12 Jan 1943	1710	Naples	17	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	14 Jan 1943	1306	Naples	14 Jan 1943	1650	Naples	18	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	15 Jan 1943	0814	Naples	15 Jan 1943	1446	Naples	23	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	17 Jan 1943	0832	Naples	17 Jan 1943	1530	Naples	21	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	18 Jan 1943	0825	Naples	18 Jan 1943	1510	Naples	24	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	19 Jan 1943	1720	Naples	19 Jan 1943	2135	Naples	21	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	21 Jan 1943	0712	Naples	21 Jan 1943	1600	Naples	23	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	23 Jan 1943	1052	Naples	23 Jan 1943	2015	Naples	20	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	30 Jan 1943	1440	Naples	30 Jan 1943	1707	Naples	18	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	2 Feb 1943	1900	Naples	3 Feb 1943	2330	Cagliari	274	Passage Naples-Cagliari.
1	Ragusa, Innocenzo	6 Feb 1943	1335	Cagliari	14 Feb 1943	1310	Cagliari	869,5	Sailed for patrol between 37°20'N and the African coast and between 05°40'E and 06°00'E, off Cape Carbon.
		7 Feb 1943	1725	36° 54'N, 5° 26'E	At 1725 hours, four minesweepers with an MTB were sighted at a distance of 6 miles. Gorgo went deep.
		8 Feb 1943	0222	36° 53'N, 5° 25'E	At 0206 hours, a large shadow was sighted through the periscope at a distance of 6,000 metres. It was identified as a 15,000-ton vessel in convoy. Gorgo surfaced and proceeded on the electric motors to intercept. This was probably the same ship attacked earlier by Platino. At 0222 hours, four torpedoes (533mm, G7e type) were fired from the bow tubes at a distance of 1,000 metres. The electric torpedoes had a speed of 28.5 knots. They left a very visible phosphorescent track and all four had an irregular course. The torpedo from tube 1 veered 9 degrees to the right and missed ahead. The vessel was observed to increase speed and the torpedo from tube 4 veered 9 degrees to the left and missed astern. Torpedo no. 3 veered 3 degrees to the right and narrowly missed the stern. Torpedo no. 2 had an irregular course and missed astern. At 0225 hours, Gorgo turned to port to fire her stern tubes, when an escort vessel dicovered her and began firing with 20mm guns, straddling her near the conning tower. At 0228 hours, the submarine crash-dived and reached a depth of 90 metres. Three depth charges were heard. At 0424 hours, Gorgo surfaced and made an enemy report. At 0935 hours, the submarine proceeded to load the two reserve torpedoes in the forward tubes. This was one of the rare instances, when an Italian submarine in the Mediterranean is known to have been equipped with reserve torpedoes. The reason for this exception is not known but at this time the use of G7e torpedoes was standard and perhaps their production had reached acceptable levels. However, the practice not to carry reserve torpedoes appears to have resumed by the time of the invasion of Sicily.
		13 Feb 1943	0051	37° 01'N, 5° 35'E	At 0051 hours, a convoy of two steamers with a corvette was sighted at a distance of 4,000 metres. Gorgo closed to 3,000 meters, but the corvette turned toward her and she was forced to go deep at 0105 hours. The corvette accurately dropped four depth-charges which damaged the submarine, causing leaks. At 0135 hours, four depth charges caused more damage. The submarine had to abandon her patrol.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	20 Feb 1943	0955	Cagliari	21 Feb 1943	1000	Naples	294	Passage Cagliari-Naples.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	6 Mar 1943	0800	Naples	6 Mar 1943	1618	Naples	38	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	8 Mar 1943	0924	Naples	8 Mar 1943	1150	Naples	14	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	10 Mar 1943	1358	Naples	10 Mar 1943	1635	Naples	14	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	13 Mar 1943	1336	Naples	13 Mar 1943	1522	Naples	5	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	15 Mar 1943	0820	Naples	16 Mar 1943	0655	La Maddalena	254	Passage Naples-La Maddalena.
2	Ragusa, Innocenzo	18 Mar 1943	0105	La Maddalena	4 Apr 1943	0939	La Maddalena	1499	Patrolled between 37°10'N and 37°30'N, and between 04°50'E and 05°20'E.
		26 Mar 1943	1400	37° 20'N, 5° 08'E	At 1400 hours, a convoy of three steamers and three patrol vessels was sighted on a westerly course. Gorgo tried to close for an attack and but gave up at 1445 hours.
		26 Mar 1943	2000	37° 14'N, 4° 57'E	At 2000 hours, information was received from SUPERMARINA of a convoy of thirty ships sighted at midnight on 25th March 14 miles north of Cape Ténès steering 090°. Gorgo altered course to 180° to intercept but sighted nothing.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	5 Apr 1943	1255	La Maddalena	6 Apr 1943	0919	Naples	131	Passage La Maddalena-Naples.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	6 Apr 1943	1105	Naples	6 Apr 1943	1235	Naples	18	Exercises.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	13 Apr 1943	1557	Naples	13 Apr 1943	1921	Pozzuoli	24	Passage Naples-Pozzuoli.
	Ragusa, Innocenzo	1 May 1943	0125	Pozzuoli	2 May 1943	0825	Cagliari	276	Passage Pozzuoli-Cagliari.
3	Ragusa, Innocenzo	14 May 1943	2200	Cagliari	2 Jun 1943		Sunk with all hands		Patrolled east of the Balearic Islands. She had sailed south until 38°30'N, proceeded on an easterly course until 05°20'E and then to patrol between 38°40'N and 39°20'N, and between 05°00'E and 05°40'E, with Nichelio in an adjacent area. On 2nd June 1943, she was ordered to return home through Point Y (41°00'N, 07°00'E) and told to acknowledge as soon as 40°30'N was reached, but made no answer. Reported sunk off Algerian coast by the destroyer USS Nields (DD-616) in 36°01'N, 00°34'W at 1730-1930 hours on 21st May, but this is doubtful. Disappeared without a trace. On 29th May, Nichelio and Gorgo were ordered to leave their patrol at 1400 hours on 30th and return to La Maddalena through Point B (Cape Scorno, Island of Asinara). At 2045 hours on 30th, Gorgo was ordered to turn back and returned to her patrol. At 2025 hours on 31st, she was ordered home. At 1850 hours on 2nd June, the order was repeated and she was asked to acknowledge reception when she had crossed 40°30'N but she failed to answer.

61 entries. 58 total patrol entries (3 marked as war patrols) and 5 events.

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