Galileo Ferraris (FE, I.32)
Ferraris

Type	Ocean going
Class	Archimede (8)
Laid down	15 Oct 1931	Cantieri Navale Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Launched	11 Aug 1934
Commissioned	31 Jan 1935
End service
Stricken
Loss date	25 Oct 1941
Loss position	37° 27'N, 14° 34'W
History
Fate	Scuttled east of the Azores in position 37°27'N, 14°34'W on 25th October 1941 after being damaged by bombing from a British Catalina aircraft (RAF Sq.202/A) and being unable to dive. Ferraris and British escort destroyer HMS Lamerton then engaged each other with gunfire.

Commands

Commander	Date from	Date to	Command notes
C.C. Livio Piomarta	15 Dec 1939	21 Sep 1941

Ships hit

No ships hit by this submarine.

Patrols and events

	Commander	Date	Time	Port	Arr. date	Arr. time	Arr. port	Miles	Description
1	Piomarta, Livio	10 Jun 1940	1235	Massawa	14 Jun 1940	1412	Massawa	720	Patrolled off Massawa. Orders were to have patrolled off Djibouti, but apparently not implemented.
	Piomarta, Livio	7 Aug 1940	0600	Massawa	7 Aug 1940	1738	Massawa	35	Exercises.
	Piomarta, Livio	9 Aug 1940	0648	Massawa	9 Aug 1940	1630	Massawa	31	Exercises.
2	Piomarta, Livio	14 Aug 1940	1057	Massawa	17 Aug 1940	1600	Massawa	242	Patrolled off Massawa, on an axis 090°-270° of 20 miles, 35 miles northeast of Harmil Island.
		15 Aug 1940	2355	16° 55'N, 40° 40'E (0) 35 miles NE of Harmil Island.	At 2000 hours, the submarine sighted a shape in the dark and closed on one Diesel. This appeared to be a British cruiser of the LEANDER class or a large destroyer. The submarine fire two torpedoes (533mm). Both missed. This may have been HMNZS Leander, which had sailed from Aden the previous day, to join the escort of convoy B.N.3. The submarine was counter attacked, she dived to 85 meters, but suffered no damage. She was later informed that the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign and three destroyers (these were HMS Dainty, HMS Decoy and HMS Defender) had reached Aden on 17th August (they had actually reached it on the 16th).
3	Piomarta, Livio	26 Aug 1940	1312	Massawa	1 Sep 1940	1145	Massawa	650	Patrolled off Massawa [between Tair and Gebel Zucur?].
4	Piomarta, Livio	5 Sep 1940	1615	Massawa	8 Sep 1940	1137	Massawa	390	Patrolled ca. 18°10'N, 40°00'E. Off Dahlak Island?
5	Piomarta, Livio	14 Sep 1940	0950	Massawa	16 Sep 1940	1327	Massawa	445	Patrolled off Massawa, but aborted her patrol when some of her crew were stricken by methylene chloride poisoning. She was the last submarine in Massawa still using this gas for her air conditioning system, and this was to be converted to use Ircon gas in October.
	Piomarta, Livio	10 Oct 1940		Massawa	10 Oct 1940		Massawa	25	Exercises.
6	Piomarta, Livio	12 Oct 1940	1230	Massawa	18 Oct 1940	1215	Massawa	593,4	Patrolled off Massawa.
7	Piomarta, Livio	20 Oct 1940	1335	Massawa	23 Oct 1940	1300	Massawa	480	Patrolled off Massawa.
8	Piomarta, Livio	7 Nov 1940	1235	Massawa	13 Nov 1940	1011	Massawa	561	Patrolled off Massawa.
9	Piomarta, Livio	23 Nov 1940	1300	Massawa	27 Nov 1940	1107	Massawa	478	Patrolled between 18°00' and 18°20'N, 40°00' and 40°30'E. The patrol was curtailed because of defects to the air conditioning system.
		26 Nov 1940	0250 0010Z-0015Z (e)	18° 00'N, 40° 00'E	Three British merchant vessels, escorted by two cruisers and destroyers, were observed proceeding on a SE course and the submarine closed to attack on the surface. This was convoy S.W.3 convoy consisting of Georgic, Monarch of Bermuda, Duchess of York, Orontes, City of Capetown, Brisbane Star and Highland Brigade escorted by the light cruiser HMS Caledon. They had left Suez at 0805 hours on the 23rd. The escort was reinforced by the sloop HMS Flamingo at 1545 hours on the 25th and by the destroyer HMS Kimberley and the sloop HMAS Parramatta at 1705 hours (they had just left escorting convoy BN9 1/2. Ferraris fired three torpedoes from the surface, but the submarine submerged upon firing and only heard three explosions. Piomarta claimed that all three torpedoes hit, two vessels were damaged and one sunk. The torpedoes actually missed and three explosions were heard by HMS Caledon.
10	Piomarta, Livio	4 Dec 1940	1357	Massawa	8 Dec 1940	1010	Massawa	623	Patrolled off Massawa. Off Masamaruh?
11	Piomarta, Livio	23 Dec 1940	0935	Massawa	30 Dec 1940	1606	Massawa	786,6	Patrolled off Massawa. Off Port Sudan?
12	Piomarta, Livio	20 Jan 1941	1243	Massawa	27 Jan 1941	0956	Massawa	634	Patrolled off Massawa [between Tair and Gebel Gebel Zucur?].
13	Piomarta, Livio	20 Feb 1941	1341	Massawa	22 Feb 1941	1554	Massawa	359	Patrolled off Massawa.
14	Piomarta, Livio	3 Mar 1941	1713	Massawa	9 May 1941	2015	Bordeaux	12715	Passage Massawa to Bordeaux with Archimede. She reached the first refuelling point (25°00'S, 20°00'W) at 1200 hours on 9th April 1941, and started cruising on electric motors. She was advised by Guglielmotti on 14th April 1941, that the rendezvous had been changed to 25°00'S, 26°00'W. Refuelled from the German supply ship Nordmark on 17th April 1941, in 25°00'S, 26°00'W. For this passage, spare torpedoes were not carried, their place being taken by food and stores.
		5 Mar 1941	2200	(0) North of Strait of Bab El Mandeb.	An enemy convoy, escorted by warships, was sighted on a northerly course. However, Piomarta had instructions to avoid being seen as he was embarking on his long periple to France and he took his submarine deep.
		6 Mar 1941	0132	(0) Strait of Bab El Mandeb.	A patrol vessel was seen and again, Ferraris took avoiding action and submerged.
		11 Mar 1941	0840	(0) Between Cape Guardafui and the Comores Islands.	A vessel was sighted on opposite course and the submarine dived to avoid detection.
		12 Mar 1941	0345	(0) Between Cape Guardafui and the Comores Islands.	Another vessel was sighted on opposite course and again Ferraris dived.
		13 Mar 1941	1400	(0) Between Cape Guardafui and the Comores Islands.	Another vessel was sighted on opposite course and again Ferraris dived.
		16 Mar 1941	0218	(0) Between Cape Guardafui and the Comores Islands.	Another vessel was sighted on opposite course and again Ferraris dived.
		17 Mar 1941	1205	(0) Mozambique Channel.	Another vessel was sighted on opposite course and again Ferraris dived.
		10 Apr 1941	1947 (e)	(e) 24° 24'S, 18° 46'W	Italian signals had been deciphered giving the position of the refuelling rendezvous with the German supply ship Nordmark. The Royal Navy had sent the Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Alcantara, the sloops HMS Bridgewater and HMS Milford Haven and the submarine HMS Severn to intercept (operation GRAB). The British submarine fired four torpedoes at a PERLA class submarine which was proceeding on a northerly course at 7 knots. This was probably Ferraris and she was missed. The heavy swell prevented a gun action. The attack was not observed from the Italian side.
		17 Apr 1941	1100-1730	25° 00'S, 26° 00'W	The German supply ship Nordmark was initially sighted by Guglielmotti, at 1550 hours on the 14th in 25°00' S, 20°00' W. She had informed the other submarines to change the refuelling point to 25°00' S, 26°00' W, as the first position might be compromised. She had been sighted by a plane (a seaplane from HMS Alcantara). Ferraris had reached the initial rendezvous point at 1200 hours on 9th April, but had not seen the German ship. She now refuelled and took provisions.
		23 Apr 1941	1150	4° 15'S, 26° 52'W	An unknown vessel was sighted on a southwest course and the submarine altered course to avoid her.
		26 Apr 1941	1600	8° 00'N, 26° 00'W	Another unknown vessel was sighted on a southwest course and the submarine again altered course to avoid her.
		2 May 1941	1640	31° 00'N, 24° 00'W	Another unknown vessel was sighted on a southwest course and the submarine again altered course to avoid her.
		3 May 1941	1150	34° 00'N, 24° 00'W	A convoy of about ten ships was sighted on 110° course. The submarine altered course to avoid it and proceeded toward 43°00' N, 20°00' W.
		5 May 1941	0230	37° 00'N, 22° 00'W	An unknown ship was sighted and Ferraris moved away.
		8 May 1941	1813	45° 41'N, 3° 30'W	An unknown ship was sighted and the submarine submerged to avoid being seen.
	Piomarta, Livio	26 Aug 1941		Bordeaux	26 Aug 1941		Le Verdon		Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon (dates to be confirmed and it is not certain if Piomarta had been replaced by Flores at this time).
	Piomarta, Livio	27 Aug 1941	0745?	Le Verdon	27 Aug 1941	1910?	La Pallice		Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice with Archimede escorted by the German patrol boats V-404 and V-411.
15	Piomarta, Livio	2 Sep 1941	Evening	La Pallice?	7 Sep 1941	2300?	Bordeaux	782	Short antisubmarine patrol in Bay of Biscay between Italian grids 2599 and 2540, between 44°00'N and 45°00'N and 08°10'W and 10°00'W.
	Flores, Filippo	10 Oct 1941		Bordeaux	10 Oct 1941	PM	Le Verdon		Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. Departure delayed because of the presence of mines was suspected.
	Flores, Filippo	12 Oct 1941	Date???	Le Verdon	12 Oct 1941	Date???	La Pallice		Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice for trials.
16	Flores, Filippo	14 Oct 1941	Evening	La Pallice	25 Oct 1941	1233	Sunk		Sailed for a patrol between 39°00'N and 40°00'N, and between 22°00'W and 23°00'W. At 1915 hours on 22nd October, she was ordered to an area between 36°00'N and 37°00'N, and between 11°00'W and 12°00'W, this was following news of the departure of a convoy from Gibraltar (this was convoy H.G.75). At 1505 hours on 24th October, she was ordered to patrol a line on the 36°15'N parallel between 13°15'W and 15°05'W. Sunk by the escort destroyer HMS Lamerton and Catalina aircraft (A202), which was covering convoy H.G.75 and sighted the submarine at a distance of 15 miles at 1030 in position 37°00'N, 14°00'W, about 40 miles ahead of the convoy. At 1233 hours, the submarine was scuttled with HMS Lamerton still 6,300 yards away. Five men were drowned (or 6?), fifty-two men were picked up.
		18 Oct 1941	1155	42° 43'N, 15° 16'W	At 1155 hours, Ferraris was requested by BETASOM to give her position and replied accordingly.
		25 Oct 1941	1030 (e)	(e) 37° 07'N, 14° 19'W	The Catalina "A" of 202 Squadron (Squadron Leader N.F. Eagleton) was covering convoy H.G.75, when Ferraris was discovered at a distance of 15 miles. The aircraft swooped down to the attack and dropped two bombs (or four depth-charges?) which fell close, but failed to detonate. The submarine replied with machine gun fire and hit the aircraft which was s lightly damaged, but Eagleton alerted HMS Lamerton who was now rushing to the scene.
		25 Oct 1941	1240A (e)	(e) 37° 27'N, 14° 34'W	Ferraris sighted a vessel mistaken for a corvette and opened fire with her two 100mm guns. This was HMS Lamerton (a HUNT class escort destroyer) who arrived at 24 knots and opened fire at 1220 hours at 9,000 yards. At the same time, the Italian made her last signal indicating her predicament. At 1233 hours, Flores believing the game was up, ordered her to be scuttled although the submarine had not been hit and the destroyer was still 6,300 yards away. HMS Lamerton had only been hit by a single shell fragment and arrived in time to pick up fifty-two survivors, five men were drowned.

39 entries. 23 total patrol entries (16 marked as war patrols) and 20 events.

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