Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Guido Guidi
| Born | 5 Mar 1913 | Chiavari (Genoa) | |
| Died | 13 Dec 1942 | (29) | Killed in action |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
ARCHIMEDE (T.V. First Officer): from 15.02.1940 to ?ARCHIMEDE (T.V. resp.): from 01.12.1940 to 04.01.1941 (refit at Massawa).
CORALLO: from 14.08.1942 to 13.12.1942 (sunk, Guidi was killed).
Commands listed for Guido Guidi
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archimede (AH, I.31) | Ocean going | T.V. | 1 Dec 1940 | 4 Jan 1941 |
| Corallo (CO) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 14 Aug 1942 | 13 Dec 1942 |
Ships hit by Guido Guidi
No ships hit by this Commander.War patrols listed for Guido Guidi
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archimede (AH, I.31) | 1 Dec 1940 | Massawa | 4 Jan 1941 | Massawa | Refit at Massawa. | |||||
| Corallo (CO) | 27 Aug 1942 | 0930 | Naples | 27 Aug 1942 | 1800? | Naples | 31 | Trials. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 28 Aug 1942 | 1500 | Naples | 28 Aug 1942 | 1930 | Naples | 9 | Trials. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 31 Aug 1942 | 1400 | Naples | 31 Aug 1942 | 2330 | Naples | 32 | Trials. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 1 Sep 1942 | 0835 | Naples | 1 Sep 1942 | 1730 | Naples | 32 | Trials and exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 3 Sep 1942 | 2240 | Naples | 5 Sep 1942 | 1135 | La Spezia | 333 | Passage Naples-La Spezia. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 9 Sep 1942 | 0840 | La Spezia | 9 Sep 1942 | 2110 | La Spezia | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 10 Sep 1942 | 0806 | La Spezia | 10 Sep 1942 | 1713 | La Spezia | 55 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 12 Sep 1942 | 0825 | La Spezia | 12 Sep 1942 | 1410 | La Spezia | 31 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 15 Sep 1942 | 1230 | La Spezia | 17 Sep 1942 | 0915 | Trapani | 402 | Passage La Spezia-Trapani. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 19 Sep 1942 | 0815 | Trapani | 19 Sep 1942 | 1400 | Trapani | 28 | Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.40. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 23 Sep 1942 | 0815 | Trapani | 23 Sep 1942 | 1300 | Trapani | 19 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 3 Oct 1942 | 1410 | Trapani | 3 Oct 1942 | 1845 | Trapani | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 14 Oct 1942 | 1425 | Trapani | 14 Oct 1942 | 1950 | Trapani | 26,5 | Exercises. | ||
| 1. | Corallo (CO) | 19 Oct 1942 | 1325 | Trapani | 2 Nov 1942 | 0050 | Trapani | 1996 | Sailed with the submarine Turchese and patrolled in the western Mediterranean, east of Gibraltar, between 38°10' N and 38°40' N, and between 02°20' E and 02°40' E. On 25th October 1942, she was ordered to an area between 38°40' N and 39°00' N, and between 00°20' E and 00°40' E. Sighted several neutral ships. | |
| 19 Oct 1942 | 1555 | (0) 325° - Cape Grosso di Levanzo - 1 mile. | At 1555 hours, a derelict mine was sighted at 400 metres and destroyed by machine gun fire. | |||||||
| 21 Oct 1942 | 0140 | At 0040 hours, a shadow was sighted under the moonlight path. It was sighted again at 0140 hours and believed to be the submarine Turchese steering 270°. She was sighted again at 0250 hours. | ||||||||
| 21 Oct 1942 | 1050 | 37° 33'N, 5° 04'E | At 1000 hours, a vessel was sighted steering south. At 1050 hours, it was identified as the French Djebel Aurès (2,835 GRT, built 1929) steering 175°. | |||||||
| 22 Oct 1942 | 1255 | At 1245 hours, the hydrophones picked up the noises of a vessel. At 1255 hours, the vessel was sighted at a distance of 10,000 metres and at 1350 hours, she was recognised as an Italian hospital ship of the SATURNIA class. | ||||||||
| 23 Oct 1942 | 0415-0442 | At 0415 hours, an illuminated vessel was sighted and, at 0442 hours, a second similar vessel was sighted. It was believed to be the Italian liners Giulio Cesare (21,900 GRT, built 1921) and Duilio (23,635 GRT, built 1934). They had been given a safe conduct to go to Gibraltar for the repatriation of Italians colonists from East Africa. | ||||||||
| 2. | Corallo (CO) | 7 Nov 1942 | 0125 | Trapani | 14 Nov 1942 | 1845 | Trapani | 851 | Sailed for a patrol in western Mediterranean between 37°20' N and 37°40' N, and between 06°40' E and 09°55' E. At 1615 hours on the 8th, she was ordered to proceed to an area between 37°00' N and 37°20' N, and between 08°00' E and 08°20' E. At 2215 hours on the 8th, she received new orders to proceed to area between 37°00' N and 37°20' N, and between 06°20' E and 06°40' E, then to position 38°06' N, 07°40' E. On 10th November, she carried out a reconnaissance of Philippeville. | |
| 8 Nov 1942 | 1615 | At 1615 hours, the submarine was ordered to proceed to an area between 37°00' N and 37°20' N, and between 08°00' E and 08°20' E. At 1645 hours, Corallo proceeded to the new area. | ||||||||
| 8 Nov 1942 | 1930 | At 1930 hours, two aircraft were sighted at a distance of 2,000 metres. | ||||||||
| 8 Nov 1942 | 2215 | At 2215 hours, the submarine received new orders to go to an area between 37°00 and 37°20 N and 06°20 E and 06°40 E. Corallo altered course to the new area. | ||||||||
| 9 Nov 1942 | 0703 | At 0703 hours, a ship, believed to be French, was sighted at a distance too far to be identified. | ||||||||
| 10 Nov 1942 | 0120 | 37° 17'N, 7° 07'E | At 0120 hours, a submarine was sighted that appeared of the MARCELLO class. Corallo turned away to avoid a being the target of a torpedo attack and manned her machine guns (the deck gun could not be manned on account of the heavy seas) then dived. At 0408 hours, the submarine explored the port of Philippeville but sighted nothing. At 1945 hours, the submarine was informed that French traffic on the North African coast had been suspended. | |||||||
| 12 Nov 1942 | 1305 | At 1305 hours, an aircraft was seen and the submarine dived. | ||||||||
| 12 Nov 1942 | 1420 | At 1420 hours, an aircraft was seen from periscope depth and the submarine went deep. | ||||||||
| 13 Nov 1942 | 0735 | At 0735 hours. Corallo was returning to Trapani when the submarine Avorio was encountered and recognition signals exchanged. | ||||||||
| 13 Nov 1942 | 1951 | 38° 10'N, 10° 30'E | Corallo had been asked by MARICOSOM (1715/13) to report her position and replied she was in 38°10' N, 10°30' E. At 2010 hours, she received a signal (1855/13) that an enemy submarine had been sighted in 38°00' N/38°06' N and 11°50' E/12°00' E [this was HMS Parthian who had carried out an unsuccessful attack on the steamer Sivigliano]. At 2204 hours, a signal from MARICOSM (2025/13) was received, informing her of a possible encounter with the submarine Diaspro. At 2207 hours, a signal from MARICOSM (2020/13) was received, ordering her to stay west of 10°40' E and north of 38°00' N. | |||||||
| 14 Nov 1942 | 0700 | At 0700 hours, the submarine Diaspro was encountered and recognition signals were exchanged. | ||||||||
| 14 Nov 1942 | 1138 | At 0833 hours, information was received that the transport Brindisi and four destroyers could be encountered. At 1138 hours, the four destroyers were seen. Corallo altered course to avoid being seen. | ||||||||
| Corallo (CO) | 15 Nov 1942 | 1802 | Trapani | 16 Nov 1942 | 2032 | Naples | 216 | Passage Trapani-Naples. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 24 Nov 1942 | 0802 | Naples | 24 Nov 1942 | 1345 | Naples | 38 | Exercises. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 25 Nov 1942 | 1507 | Naples | 27 Nov 1942 | 0947 | La Maddalena | 229 | Passage Naples-La Maddalena. | ||
| Corallo (CO) | 30 Nov 1942 | 1415 | La Maddalena | 30 Nov 1942 | 1621 | La Maddalena | 10,5 | Trials. | ||
| 3. | Corallo (CO) | 2 Dec 1942 | 0428 | La Maddalena | 4 Dec 1942 | 0330 | La Maddalena | 279 | Defensive patrol off Ajaccio (41°40' N, 08°20' E and 49°55' N (sic, 41°55 N?) and Corsican coast. Uneventful. | |
| Corallo (CO) | 6 Dec 1942 | 1810 | La Maddalena | 7 Dec 1942 | 1510 | Cagliari | 150 | Passage La Maddalena-Cagliari. | ||
| 4. | Corallo (CO) | 10 Dec 1942 | 1735 | Cagliari | 13 Dec 1942 | Night 12/13 | Sunk with all hands | 720 | Sailed with submarine Argento for patrol between 37°00' N and 37°20' N, and between 08°00' E and 08°20' E. She was to explore the Bay of Bougie on 13th December and return to her original area (ca. 14th December). On 18th December, ordered to Italian Grid 7983, off Cape du Fer (zone A and B). Was ordered back on 23rd December, but failed to answer. Depth-charged then rammed by HMS Enchantress, in 36°58' N, 05°07' E (off Bougie). No survivors (six officers and forty-five ratings lost). | |
| 11 Dec 1942 | 0220 | 38° 10'N, 8° 45'E (0) 345° - La Galite - 39 miles or Italian Grid 4782/3. | At 0220 hours, a cruiser and two destroyers were sighted steering 240°, 25 knots. Corallo was unable to attack them. | |||||||
| 13 Dec 1942 | 0500 (e) | At 0500A hours, the sloop HMS Enchantress, sighted three torpedoes on the port bow and she turned to port to comb the tracks. She had been escorting convoy E.T.5.P. with the Canadian corvette HMCS Baddeck. The torpedoes missed astern, the nearest by only 6 feet! The attack had been made by Corallo. At the same time, HMS Enchantress was turning, a radar contact was made at 1,000 yards. It was from a U-boat surfacing. Corallo was moving away at 10 knots and fired two stern torpedoes. They also missed by less than 10 feet. At 0504 hours, HMS Enchantress had increased speed and rammed the submarine. She also dropped a depth charge set at depth of 50 feet. Corallo appeared to have gone deep. At 0506 hours, a second run was made with six depth charges set at depths of 350 and 550 feet. At 0525 hours, this was followed by another pattern of 7 depth charges at the same depths and a final one at 0538 hours with 3 depth charges at 550 feet. An unexplained explosion had been heard and felt at 0529 hours. It is believed that Corallo was lost in this attack, as she disappeared with all hands. T.V. Guido Guidi, five officers and forty-five ratings perished. | ||||||||
38 entries. 23 total patrol entries (4 marked as war patrols) and 18 events.