Italian submarines in World War Two


CB 4
CB 4

TypeMidget 
ClassCB (42) 
Laid down Caproni-Taliedo, Milan
Launched
Commissioned10 May 1941
End service
Stricken
Loss date
Loss position
History Transferred to the Black Sea. Transferred to Romania after the armistice. Scuttled by the Romanians in August 1944. Raised by the Soviets and commissioned as TM-7. Scrapped in 1945.
Fate

Commands


CommanderDate fromDate toCommand notes
S.T.V. Ennio Suriano10 May 19412 Dec 1942
G.M. Armando SibilleAug 1943Sep 1943

Ships hit


DateCommanderShip hitTypeGRTNat.Loss type
1.26 Aug 1943G.M. Armando SibilleSC-203Submarine577SovietSunk

Patrols and events

 CommanderDateTimePortArr. dateArr. timeArr. portMilesDescription
Suriano, Ennio16 Apr 19411000La Spezia16 Apr 19411420La SpeziaExercises with CB 3, escorted by the auxiliary Rimini.

Suriano, Ennio30 May 1941La Spezia30 May 1941La SpeziaExercises.

Suriano, Ennio15 Jun 1941La Spezia15 Jun 1941La SpeziaJoined MARICOSOM.

Suriano, Ennio23 Jun 19410900La Spezia23 Jun 19411300La Spezia14Exercises.

1Suriano, Ennio25 Jun 19411600La Spezia27 Jun 19410830La Spezia143A/S patrol.

Suriano, Ennio11 Jul 19410830La Spezia11 Jul 19411800La Spezia28Exercises or patrol.

Suriano, Ennio15 Jul 19411115La Spezia15 Jul 19411300La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio18 Jul 19410905La Spezia18 Jul 19411220La Spezia14,5Exercises or patrol.

Suriano, Ennio22 Jul 19411040La Spezia22 Jul 19411315La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio23 Jul 19411412La Spezia23 Jul 19411545La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio24 Jul 19410845La Spezia24 Jul 19411015La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio26 Jul 19412045La Spezia27 Jul 19410240La Spezia23Exercises or patrol.

Suriano, Ennio29 Jul 19410830La Spezia29 Jul 19411200La Spezia18Exercises or patrol.

Suriano, Ennio23 Aug 19411000La Spezia23 Aug 19411215La Spezia3Exercises or changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio24 Aug 19410845La Spezia24 Aug 19411550La Spezia6Exercises. Then to Naples by train.

Suriano, Ennio31 Aug 19411500Naples31 Aug 19411515Naples1,5Changed anchorage?

Suriano, Ennio3 Sep 19410545Naples3 Sep 19411200Salerno46Passage Naples-Salerno.

2Suriano, Ennio8 Sep 19411645Salerno10 Sep 19411015Salerno140Antisubmarine patrol off Punta Licosa. Uneventful.

3Suriano, Ennio20 Sep 19411600Salerno21 Sep 19411545Salerno92Antisubmarine patrol with CB 1.

4Suriano, Ennio5 Oct 19411600Salerno7 Oct 19411245Salerno?Antisubmarine patrol.

5Suriano, Ennio16 Oct 19411500Salerno17 Oct 19411300Salerno82Antisubmarine patrol. Uneventful.

Suriano, Ennio25 Oct 19410300Salerno25 Oct 19411100Naples42Passage Salerno-Naples.

Suriano, Ennio26 Oct 19410800Naples26 Oct 19411440Salerno42Passage Naples-Salerno.

6Suriano, Ennio27 Oct 19411800Salerno28 Oct 19410730Salerno52,5Antisubmarine patrol with CB 3. Uneventful.

Russo, Attilio Mario12 Nov 19410420Salerno12 Nov 19411420Naples55,7Passage Salerno-Naples with CB 5.

Suriano, Ennio23 Nov 19410900Naples23 Nov 19411230IschiaPassage Naples-Ischia.

7Suriano, Ennio23 Nov 19411800Ischia25 Nov 19410815Ischia168Antisubmarine patrol. Uneventful.

8Suriano, Ennio29 Nov 19411600Ischia30 Nov 19411300Ischia94Antisubmarine patrol. Uneventful.

9Suriano, Ennio6 Dec 19411600Ischia7 Dec 19410910Ischia88Antisubmarine patrol. Uneventful.

Suriano, Ennio12 Dec 19410700Ischia12 Dec 19411630Salerno57Passage Ischia-Salerno.

Suriano, Ennio19 Dec 1941Salerno19 Dec 19411110Naples40Passage Salerno-Naples. Returned to Salerno?

Suriano, Ennio14 Jan 19420945Naples14 Jan 19421500NaplesExercises.

Suriano, Ennio9 Mar 1942La Spezia9 Mar 1942La SpeziaArrived at La Spezia by train.

Suriano, Ennio26 Mar 19421155La Spezia26 Mar 19421530La SpeziaExercises.

Suriano, Ennio28 Mar 19420930La Spezia28 Mar 19421530La SpeziaExercises.

Suriano, Ennio11 Apr 1942Date?La Spezia5 May 1942GalatzPassage La Spezia-Galatz by train.

Suriano, Ennio6 May 1942Date?Galatz7 May 19421945CostanzaPassage Galatz-Costanza.

Suriano, Ennio25 May 1942Costanza25 May 19421945CostanzaExercises.

Suriano, Ennio29 May 19420730Costanza29 May 19421200CostanzaExercises.

10Suriano, Ennio9 Jun 19420000Costanza11 Jun 19421015Yalta298Passage Costanza-Yalta with CB 5 and CB 6. Patrolled north of 43°36'N, between 33°25'E and 34°40'E [does not appear to have reached the 34° meridian].
  11 Jun 19420145At 0145 hours, a Soviet MTB was sighted steering 270° at 30 knots. Possibly one of three MO-cutters escorting the steamer Belostok (2,034 GRT, built 1933) to Sevastopol.

11Suriano, Ennio14 Jun 19421200Yalta16 Jun 19421230Yalta99,5Patrolled south of Sevastopol in 43°50'N, 34°00'E.
  14 Jun 19421750
(0) About 25 miles from Yalta.
At 1750 hours, a Soviet MTB was sighted.
  15 Jun 19421100At 1100 hours, a submarine was sighted at a distance of 4 miles, steering 280°, 12 knots.
  16 Jun 19420530
(0) Ca. 20 miles from Yalta.
At 0530 hours, a Soviet submarine was sighted at a distance of 6 miles, steering 090°, 12 knots.

12Suriano, Ennio20 Jun 19421600Yalta22 Jun 19421810Yalta128Patrolled south of Sevastopol. Proceeded to 43°50'N, 34°00'E then, from dawn on 15th June, moved westward for 10 miles until the meridian of Cape Sarych was reached. Encountered heavy weather, force 7-8 and the submarine experienced 30-40° rolls.
  21 Jun 19421410
(0) 5 miles south of Cape Sarych or south of Sevastopol.
At 1400 hours, a shadow was sighted coming out of the mist. It was identified as a small Soviet torpedo-boat heading straight for the midget submarine. CB 4 crash-dived and was hunted by the vessel who dropped five depth charges.

13Suriano, Ennio26 Jun 19422020Yalta28 Jun 19421040Yalta83Patrolled south of Cape Sarych.
  27 Jun 19420250
(0) South of Cape Sarytch
At 0250 hours, a large Soviet destroyer was sighted at a distance of 8,000 metres, steering 110° at high speed.

This was the large destroyer Tashkent (2,893 tons, built 1939). CB 4 could not close to attack and made an enemy report. The destroyer was bombed by stukas the next day and reached Novorosiisk only to be sunk there by an air attack on 2nd July.
  27 Jun 19420345
(0) South of Cape Sarytch
At 0345 hours, a Soviet destroyer bearing 247° was sighted at a distance of 7,000 metres.

CB 4 dived to attack at periscope depth, steering 200°, but lost sight at 0350 hours.

T.V. Suriano intended to surface to regain contact, but sighted a Soviet MTB at less than 100 meters closing rapidly. Attack was aborted as the submarine went deep, the first depth-charges exploding as she had reached 20 meters, CB 4 went deeper successively to 50 and then to 62 meters. She was hunted by two MTBs and the destroyer joined them,from 0354 to 0632 hours. In all they dropped 58 depth-charges set at depths between 30 and 70 meters. CB 4 was damaged, her periscope flooded and leaking fuel with a starboard list that could not be corrected and the patrol was aborted.

Suriano, Ennio7 Jul 19421400Yalta9 Jul 19422000Costanza289Passage Yalta-Costanza with CB 1. Uneventful.

Suriano, Ennio21 Aug 1942Costanza21 Aug 1942Costanza12Exercises.

Suriano, Ennio13 Sep 19421830Costanza14 Sep 19421300SulinaPassage Costanza-Sulina with CB 1 and CB 6.

14Suriano, Ennio16 Sep 19421900Sulina18 Sep 19420800SulinaEscorted a northbound convoy of German F-lighters with CB 1 and CB 6, but the bad weather forced them back at 0100 hours on the 17th.
  16 Sep 19422130
(0) Near Gura Kilia Light.
At 2130 hours, a passenger was observed to scream for help after falling overboard from one of the F-lighters. CB 4 helped search for the man but in the obscurity he could not be found and the search was abandoned after 45 minutes. He was a German NCO.

15Suriano, Ennio19 Sep 19421730Sulina20 Sep 19421620OstchakovPassage Sulina-Ostchakov with CB 1 and CB 6, escorting German F-lighters to Bugaz (they were left at the entrance of this port at 0530 hours on the 20th). Uneventful.

16Suriano, Ennio25 Sep 19421200Ostchakov26 Sep 19421730Ak MetschetPassage Ostchakov-Ak Metschet with CB 1 and CB 6, escorting German F-lighters, one of which towed CB 4 part of the way.

Suriano, Ennio28 Sep 19421000Ak Metschet28 Sep 19421800SkadowskPassage Ak Metschet-Skadowsk with CB 1 and CB 6. Uneventful.

Suriano, Ennio15 Oct 19420900Skadowsk15 Oct 19421700Ak MetschetPassage Skadowsk-Sevastopol with CB 1 and CB 6, but diverted to Ak Metschet due to defects to CB 1.

Suriano, Ennio15 Oct 19422000Ak Metschet16 Oct 19421520SevastopolPassage Ak Metschet-Sevastopol with CB 1 and CB 6.

Suriano, Ennio24 Oct 19420700Sevastopol24 Oct 19421630Costanza648Passage Sevastopol-Costanza with CB 1 and CB 6 [mileage from 19th September].

17Suriano, Ennio27 Oct 19421500Yalta29 Oct 19420930Yalta64Antisubmarine patrol off Yalta with CB 1, between meridian of Cape Kikineis and Cape Sarytch and 44°08 N and the coast. C.C. Luigi Longanesi Cattani [Capo Squadriglia] was an observer. Uneventful. Sighted only a German reconnaissance aircraft at 1630 hours on the 28th.

18Suriano, Ennio30 Oct 19421500Yalta31 Oct 19421230Sevastopol74Passage Yalta-Sevastopol and antisubmarine patrol with CB 1. Uneventful.

19Suriano, Ennio2 Nov 19421200Sevastopol3 Nov 19420810Yalta90Passage Sevastopol-Yalta and antisubmarine patrol south of Cape Sarych with CB 2. Uneventful.

20Suriano, Ennio6 Nov 19421600Yalta7 Nov 19420700Yalta16Antisubmarine patrol south of Yalta with CB 2.

21Suriano, Ennio13 Nov 19421500Yalta14 Nov 19420810YaltaAntisubmarine patrol south of Yalta with CB 2. Because of bad weather, the patrol was shifted on the leeward of Cape Aj-Todor. Uneventful.

22Suriano, Ennio16 Nov 19421100Yalta17 Nov 19421500Sevastopol74Passage Yalta-Sevastopol in very bad weather and antisubmarine patrol south of Cape Sarych with CB 2. Uneventful [mileage from 13th November].

Suriano, Ennio22 Nov 19420630Sevastopol23 Nov 19421400C. TendraPassage Sevastopol-Costanza with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6, but took refuge near Cape Tendra on account of the bad weather.

23Suriano, Ennio24 Nov 19420600C. Tendra24 Nov 19421630OstchakovPassage Cape Tendra-Ostchakov with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6 with a German convoy.

23bSuriano, Ennio26 Nov 19420600Ostchakov26 Nov 19421200OstchakovSailed escorting a German convoy with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6, but they all turned back on account of the weather.

23cSuriano, Ennio27 Nov 19420600Ostchakov27 Nov 19421400OdessaPassage Ostchakov-Odessa, escorting a German convoy with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6 towed by a German tug.

Suriano, Ennio28 Nov 19420600Odessa28 Nov 19421500BugazPassage Odessa-Bugaz with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6.

Suriano, Ennio30 Nov 19420600Bugaz30 Nov 19422000SulinaPassage Bugaz-Sulina with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6.

Suriano, Ennio1 Dec 19421100Sulina2 Dec 19420600Costanza440Passage Sulina-Costanza with CB 1, CB 2 and CB 6. British Intelligence reported that CB 4 was exercising on 16-17th June 1943 (location unknown, but probably off Costanza) [mileage from November 1942].

15 Jun 19430700Costanza15 Jun 19431200CostanzaExercises.

16 Jun 19430700Costanza16 Jun 19431200CostanzaExercises.

17 Jun 19430730Costanza17 Jun 19431200CostanzaExercises.

243 Jul 19430900Costanza5 Jul 19431200Costanza?Sailed with CB 1 and patrolled 20 miles west of Kaliakra. Uneventful.

2510 Jul 19430800 (s.o.)Costanza12 Jul 19431430CostanzaSailed with CB 1 for exercises and A/S patrol eastward of Kaliakra.

2625 Jul 19430830Costanza or Sulina?1 Aug 19431300?SevastopolSailed with CB 3, the German tug Stralsund and the submarine chasers UJ-2301 and UJ-2302. They arrived at Sevastopol with the lighters F-301, F-304 and MR-7 and RS-4.

27Sibille, Armando5 Aug 19430500Sevastopol7 Aug 19431800SevastopolPatrol?

28Sibille, Armando17 Aug 1943Sevastopol18 Aug 1943SevastopolA/S patrol South of Cape Tarkhankutsi to Evpatoria Bay.

29Sibille, Armando19 Aug 19430840?Sevastopol22 Aug 1943SevastopolPatrolled between (a) 44°15'N, 34°15'E (b) 44°00'N, 34°15'E (c) 44°30'N, 34°45'E (d) 44°15'N, 34°45'E.

30Sibille, Armando25 Aug 19430500 (s.o.)Sevastopol26 Aug 1943SevastopolPatrolled off Cape Tarkhankut, between 45°00'N and 45°30'N, and between 32°30'E and 33°30'E.
  26 Aug 19430114
0115 (e)

(0) 18 miles west of Eupatoria.
At 0114 hours, a Soviet submarine was sighted and attacked with two torpedoes (450mm) fired at a range of 400 metres. One hit under the conning tower and the submarine sank.

This was the Soviet submarine SC-203 (Captain 3rd rank Vladimir Innokentyevich Nemchinov). There were no survivors and forty-five victims.

Her wreck was found in 1949. She was probably the submarine which attacked CB 1 on 23 August 1943, as tubes 1 and 4 were found empty.

31Sibille, Armando27 Aug 1943Sevastopol29 Aug 1943SevastopolCarried out a patrol?

Sibille, Armando9 Sep 1943Yalta9 Sep 1943YaltaSeized at Yalta.

3 Dec 19433 Dec 1943According to an ULTRA signal, she flew the Rumanian flag on 3rd December 1943.

20 Jun 1944Costanza20 Jun 1944CostanzaIn port.
  20 Jun 1944
(0) At Costanza.
During the day, the midget submarines were anchored at Costanza, when they came under air attack from Soviet A-20 and Pe-2 bombers. CB 4 and CB 6 suffered some damage.
  20 Jun 1944
(0) At Costanza.
During the day, the midget submarines were anchored at Costanza when they came under air attack from Soviet A-20 and Pe-2 bombers. CB 4 and CB 6 suffered some damage.

84 entries. 80 total patrol entries (31 marked as war patrols) and 11 events.

All Italian submarines