Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Giuseppe Vocaturo
| Born | 17 Feb 1904 | Turin |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
OTARIA (C.C. C.O.): from 16.01.1939 to 07.09.1941.BRONZO (C.C. C.O.): from 02.01.1942 to 24.04.1942.
WOLFRAMIO (C.C. C.O.): from 15.02.1942 to 19.05.1942? (refit and trials at Taranto).
ANTONIO SCIESA (C.C. resp.): from 21.03.1942 to 03.05.1942 (refit at Taranto).
ARGENTO (C.C. C.O.): from 16.05.1942 to 31.07.1942.
Commands listed for Giuseppe Vocaturo
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | Ocean going | C.C. | 16 Jan 1939 | 7 Sep 1941 |
| Bronzo (BZ) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 2 Jan 1942 | 24 Apr 1942 |
| Antonio Sciesa (SC) | Ocean going | C.C. | 21 Mar 1942 | 3 May 1942 |
| Wolframio (Volframio) (VO) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 15 Feb 1942 | 19 May 1942 |
| Argento (AG) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 16 May 1942 | 31 Jul 1942 |
Ships hit by Giuseppe Vocaturo
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 20 May 1941 | Otaria | Starcross | Cargo ship | 4,662 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Giuseppe Vocaturo
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 10 Jun 1940 | Pola | 10 Jun 1940 | Pola | Refit at Pola. | |||||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 30 Jun 1940 | 0605 | Pola | 30 Jun 1940 | 1710 | Pola | 72 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 9 Jul 1940 | 0610 | Pola | 9 Jul 1940 | 1500 | Pola | 5,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Jul 1940 | 0603 | Pola | 11 Jul 1940 | 1416 | Pola | 21,1 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 12 Jul 1940 | 0610 | Pola | 12 Jul 1940 | 1312 | Pola | 12,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 15 Jul 1940 | 0551 | Pola | 15 Jul 1940 | 0945 | Pola | 20,4 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 17 Jul 1940 | 0822 | Pola | 17 Jul 1940 | 1323 | Fiume | 69,5 | Passage Pola-Fiume. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 19 Jul 1940 | 0822 | Fiume | 19 Jul 1940 | 1323 | Pola | 69,5 | Passage Fiume-Pola. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 21 Jul 1940 | 0702 | Pola | 21 Jul 1940 | 1515 | Pola | 59,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 23 Jul 1940 | 1305 | Pola | 23 Jul 1940 | 1802 | Pola | 23,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 25 Jul 1940 | 1313 | Pola | 25 Jul 1940 | 1615 | Pola | 20,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 30 Jul 1940 | 1551 | Pola | 30 Jul 1940 | 1830 | Pola | 11,2 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 31 Jul 1940 | 0013 | Pola | 1 Aug 1940 | 1258 | Brindisi | 378,3 | Passage Pola-Brindisi. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 9 Aug 1940 | 1235 | Brindisi | 10 Aug 1940 | 1940 | Pola | 375 | Passage Brindisi-Pola. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Aug 1940 | 1338 | Pola | 11 Aug 1940 | 1902 | Monfalcone | 76 | Passage Pola-Monfalcone. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 24 Aug 1940 | 0556 | Monfalcone | 24 Aug 1940 | 1205 | Pola | 77 | Passage Monfalcone-Pola. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 25 Aug 1940 | 1045 | Pola | 25 Aug 1940 | 1502 | Pola | 13,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 26 Aug 1940 | 0356 | Pola | 30 Aug 1940 | 1505 | La Spezia | 1225,4 | Passage Pola-La Spezia. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 5 Sep 1940 | 1340 | La Spezia | 5 Sep 1940 | 1748 | La Spezia | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 18 Sep 1940 | 0718 | La Spezia | 18 Sep 1940 | 1212 | La Spezia | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 18 Sep 1940 | 1353 | La Spezia | 18 Sep 1940 | 1753 | La Spezia | 20,1 | Exercises. | ||
| 1. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 23 Sep 1940 | 0734 | La Spezia | 4 Oct 1940 | 1620 | Royan | Passage La Spezia-Bordeaux and patrolled on the 24°25'W meridian. Passed Gibraltar on 28th September 1940 and was met at 1400 hours on 4th October by two German minesweepers and escorted to Royan. Uneventful. | ||
| 2. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 5 Oct 1940 | 0734 | Royan | 5 Oct 1940 | 1620 | Pauillac | Passage Royan-Pauillac. | ||
| 3. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 6 Oct 1940 | 0636 | Pauillac | 6 Oct 1940 | 1045 | Bordeaux | 2186 | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | |
| 4. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 14 Oct 1940 | 0713 | Bordeaux | 14 Oct 1940 | 1400 | Le Verdon | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 5. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 14 Oct 1940 | 1900 | Le Verdon | 15 Nov 1940 | 1800 | Bordeaux | 3699,9 | Sailed with Barbarigo for patrol in the Atlantic between 55°20'N, 24°04 W, 55°20'N, 20°04'W and 53°00'N, 24°04'W. Then refit in Bordeaux. | |
| 17 Oct 1940 | 1005 0950 (e) | 47° 55'N, 11° 32'W (e) 47° 37'N, 10° 52'W | An aircraft, identified as a Sunderland flying boat, was sighted from a distance of 2-3,000 metres on opposite course. This was indeed Sunderland 'D' (N.9050) of 10 Squadron (RAAF), piloted by Squadron Leader C.W. Pearce. At 0926 hours, it had sighted a submarine on the surface 10 miles away in position JBGQ 3706 (later information placed the attack at 47°37' N 10°52' W). Otaria made no attempt to submerge as the aircraft closed. On account of this strange behaviour, it was challenged and it replied with a rocket that emitted a large number of blue stars (and the blue signal was the correct reply for the period). The submarine still made no attempt to submerge although the aircraft was circling 1 mile away. The pilot was still doubtful as to whether he should attack it as even the guns' crews on the submarine were not closed up. Again submarine was challenged and this time the reply was in the nature of a signal emitting numerous yellow stars. (This was the correct colour for the next period). Again being challenged, the reply was the same (yellow stars). Pearce decided to inspect it at closer quarters. As the aircraft flew over the submarine, it was met with a burst of machine gun fire from the conning tower. The Sunderland turned away before returning to attack the submarine. As the aircraft dived to the attack, Otaria submerged. At 0950 hours, a stick of four bombs was dropped 150 yards ahead of swirl of submarine. All that was seen as a result of the attack was that a minute later, a large florescence patch, 120 feet in diameter, came to the surface 100 yards to starboard of last observed track of submarine and bomb burst. The Sunderland remained in vicinity until 1016 hours when it flew away. | |||||||
| 30 Oct 1940 | 0802 | A vessel was sighted at 25,000 meters and when the submarine closed to 10,000 meters, it was identified as a tanker but contact was lost in heavy seas (Force 5-6). | ||||||||
| 30 Oct 1940 | 1720 1730 GMT or 1830 (e) | (e) 54° 30'N, 23° 26'W | A vessel was sighted at a distance of 10,000 metres. When the submarine closed and to 6-7,000 meters, the vessel opened fire on the submarine with a small gun and made an enemy report. This was the British Baltrover (3,966 GRT, built 1913) on passage Liverpool to St. Johns (NFLD), she fired three rounds at the submarine. Otaria maneuvered to intercept after dark, but had difficulty in keeping contact in heavy weather. As water penetrated in the conning tower, the chase was abandoned. | |||||||
| 2 Nov 1940 | 0830 | A vessel was sighted at a distance of 11,000 metres. The submarine dived and went on an intercept course, but could not get closer than 4,000 metres, so the chase had to be abandoned. | ||||||||
| 3 Nov 1940 | 1018 | (0) Near Italian Grid 5506/25. | A vessel was sighted at a distance of 11,000 metres. and The submarine went on an intercept course and dived at 1207 hours, when range was down to 7,000 meters. Due to heavy seas, the vessel could not be seen though the periscope and the submarine surfaced again but contact was lost. | |||||||
| 3 Nov 1940 | 1900 | (0) Italian Grid 5506/25. | A convoy of six or seven vessels, apparently unescorted, was observed steering 090°, 10 knots. This information comes solely from a signal from Otaria and is not mentioned by her patrol report. After surfacing, the submarine lost contact. | |||||||
| 5 Nov 1940 | 0028 | 53° 55'N, 23° 27'W | A 15-2000-ton steamer was sighted at 0020 hours from a distance of 4,000 metres. The submarine closed to about 500-700 metres and at 0028 hours turned to fire two stern shots (533mm, W G type), but missed. | |||||||
| 9 Nov 1940 | 1730 | 53° 05'N, 17° 55'W (0) Italian Grid 0315/16. | The submarine sighted an aircraft carrier escorted by three destroyers, at a distance of 20,000 metres, proceeding on a 360° course at 13 knots. Otaria could not close to attack but made an enemy report. Barbarigo and Marconi attempted to intercept. | |||||||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 18 Jan 1941 | 0940 | Bordeaux | 18 Jan 1941 | 1520 | Le Verdon | 48,5 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon and trials off Le Verdon, delayed because of defects. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 20 Jan 1941 | 0720 | Le Verdon | 20 Jan 1941 | 1250 | Le Verdon | 52 | Sailed for patrol, escorted by M-9 and M-6, but turned back because of battery defects and leaks. Her sailing had already been delayed by defects and bad weather (her escort could not sail). | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 21 Jan 1941 | 1507 | Le Verdon | 21 Jan 1941 | 1830 | Le Verdon | 34 | Sailed for patrol escorted by M-6 and UJ-D but returned because the overload of fuel has affected her stability. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 22 Jan 1941 | 0850 | Le Verdon | 22 Jan 1941 | 1042 | Pauillac | 25 | Passage Le Verdon-Pauillac. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 23 Jan 1941 | 1115 | Pauillac | 23 Jan 1941 | 1403 | Le Verdon | 25 | Passage Pauillac-Le Verdon. | ||
| 6. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 24 Jan 1941 | 1455 | Le Verdon | 1 Feb 1941 | 1314 | Pauillac | 1161 | Sailed, escorted by M-6 and M-12 for patrol between 56°00'N and 57°00'N and between 17°00'W and 21°00'W. Patrol cut short because of defects. Escorted on her return by M-6 and M-21. | |
| 7. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 2 Feb 1941 | 0937 | Pauillac | 2 Feb 1941 | 1150 | Bordeaux | 18,5 | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | |
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 6 Feb 1941 | 1300 | Bordeaux | 6 Feb 1941 | 1702 | Le Verdon | 48,5 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| 8. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 6 Feb 1941 | 1725 | Le Verdon | 2 Mar 1941 | 1155 | Pauillac | 3489,9 | Sailed with Marcello, escorted by M-9, M-21 and Sperrbrecher 16, for Atlantic patrol between 53°00'N and 54°00'N and 14°00'W and 17°00'W. Met on her return by M-10, M-13, M-25 and Sperrbrecher 34. | |
| 19 Feb 1941 | The submarine was ordered (with Marcello, Barbarigo and Bianchi) to intercept a convoy reported in about 59° or 60° N, 11° W on a 270° course. Otaria was short of fuel and could not comply. | |||||||||
| 19 Feb 1941 | 2311 | Otaria was ordered to intercept a damaged freighter in 53°55' N, 16°45' W. The submarine arrived in the area at 0320 hours on the 20th and searched until 1100 hours, without sighting anything. | ||||||||
| 9. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 3 Mar 1941 | 0810 | Pauillac | 3 Mar 1941 | 0956 | Bordeaux | 23,5 | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | |
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 4 May 1941 | 1230 | Bordeaux | 4 May 1941 | 1941 | Le Verdon | 62 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 5 May 1941 | 0730 | Le Verdon | 5 May 1941 | 1550 | La Pallice | 60 | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice. | ||
| 10. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 8 May 1941 | 1858 | La Pallice | 24 May 1941 | 1835 | Bordeaux | 3284 | Atlantic patrol between 58°00'N and 59°00'N, and between 25°00'W and 33°00'W. | |
| 13 May 1941 | 0200 | 49° 00'N, 17° 15'W | An Italian submarine was sighted but not identified. | |||||||
| 14 May 1941 | 1430 | 53° 30'N, 24° 45'W | A Motorship zigzagging on 120° course, 16 knots was sighted at a distance of 15,000 metres. The submarine very quickly lost sight of the vessel. | |||||||
| 15 May 1941 | 0900 | 53° 12'N, 20° 25'W | An unidentified aircraft was seen forcing the submarine to dive. | |||||||
| 17 May 1941 | 1353 | The Italian submarine Morosini was encountered and they exchanged recognition signals. | ||||||||
| 19 May 1941 | 0830 | 51° 37'N, 22° 28'W | Otaria sighted a convoy of about twenty-four merchant ships in three columns (two large ships but the remainder of about 2-3,000 tons), escorted by three destroyers and three corvettes, steering 060°, 8 knots at a distance of 18,000 metres. The submarine trailed it with the intention of attacking during the night. This would occur at 0420 hours on the 20th. | |||||||
| 19 May 1941 | 2210 | 50° 12'N, 22° 53'W | The submarine sighted a biplane (Swordfish?) flying toward her. Otaria dived and heard three distant explosions. | |||||||
| 20 May 1941 | 0420 0438 (e) | 51° 36'N, 20° 50'W (e) 51° 45'N, 20° 45'W (0) Italian Grid 6820/14. | A 12,000-ton steamer of NORFOLK class in convoy course 070° at 8 knots. This was British Starcross (4,662 GRT, built 1936) in convoy SL. 73, on a voyage from Lagos and Freetown to Hull. The convoy had first been sighted at 0830 hours on the 19th and Otaria had trailed it since, waiting for darkness to attack. At 0420 hours, two torpedoes (533mm) were fired from bow tubes at a range of 450 metres and claimed that both hit. In fact, the freighter had observed the first torpedo to miss but shortly after, the second torpedo struck the ship and she sank. The crew of forty was rescued by the destroyer HMCS St.Francis. The submarine had been seen to move on the opposite course of the convoy at 0415 hours by a lookout from the 12-pdr gun of HMCS St Francis. The submarine was observed to turn to the attack when she had reached a position at the rear of the convoy. The lookout tried to alert the bridge, by telephone, but the rating at the other end had just arrived for the change of the watch and had not yet put his earphones on. Thus the personnel on the bridge of St Francis were not informed before the torpedo hit. | |||||||
| 23 May 1941 | 1520 | 45° 30'N, 7° 05'W | Two men in a lifeboat were seen and were rescued. These were survivors from the French Notre Dame Du Châtelet, sunk by U-43 (KL Wolfgang Lüth, the second highest ranking U-boat ace) on 15 May 1941. | |||||||
| 11. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Jul 1941 | 0908 | Bordeaux | 11 Jul 1941 | 1105 | Bordeaux | 20 | Sailed from Bordeaux, but returned because of defects. | |
| 12. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Jul 1941 | 1852 | Bordeaux | 11 Jul 1941 | 2127 | Bordeaux | 23,5 | Carried out a test to verify that the defect had been eliminated. | |
| 13. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 12 Jul 1941 | 1003 | Bordeaux | 12 Jul 1941 | 1541 | Le Verdon | 48,5 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | |
| 14. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 13 Jul 1941 | 2115 | Le Verdon | 19 Jul 1941 | 0945 | Le Verdon | 898,5 | Sailed for patrol northwest of Madeira within 15 miles of 34°22'N, 20°20'W, but turned back because of defects when off Cape Finisterre. | |
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 19 Jul 1941 | 0945 | Le Verdon | 19 Jul 1941 | 1620 | Bordeaux | Passage Le Verdon-Bordeaux. | |||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 16 Aug 1941 | 1400 | Bordeaux | 16 Aug 1941 | 1930 | Le Verdon | 63 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon and trials off Le Verdon. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 17 Aug 1941 | 0720 | Le Verdon | 17 Aug 1941 | 1510 | La Pallice | 59,5 | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice and exercises at Le Pertuis d'Antioche. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 20 Aug 1941 | 1444 | La Pallice | 20 Aug 1941 | 1930 | La Pallice | 4 | Trials. | ||
| 15. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 21 Aug 1941 | 1835 | La Pallice | 27 Aug 1941 | 1303 | Bordeaux | 1242,5 | Sailed for Atlantic patrol near 45°00'N, 11°00'W. The patrol was cut short because C.V. Vocaturo was sick. The submarine turned back when off Cape Finisterre. | |
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 27 Aug 1941 | 1905 | Bordeaux | 27 Aug 1941 | 2005 | Bordeaux | 0,5 | Changed moorings? | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 18 Jan 1942 | 0815 | Taranto | 18 Jan 1942 | 1140 | Taranto | 6 | Tests. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 5 Feb 1942 | 0810 | Taranto | 5 Feb 1942 | 1452 | Taranto | 15,7 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 12 Feb 1942 | 1000 | Taranto | 12 Feb 1942 | 1910 | Taranto | 13,1 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 20 Feb 1942 | 1210 | Taranto | 20 Feb 1942 | 1839 | Taranto | 6,8 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 21 Feb 1942 | 1404 | Taranto | 21 Feb 1942 | 1843 | Taranto | 4,6 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 24 Feb 1942 | 0833 | Taranto | 24 Feb 1942 | 1351 | Taranto | 0,7 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 25 Feb 1942 | 0825 | Taranto | 25 Feb 1942 | 1705 | Taranto | 4,7 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 26 Feb 1942 | 0800 | Taranto | 26 Feb 1942 | 1230 | Taranto | 4,2 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 5 Mar 1942 | 1520 | Taranto | 5 Mar 1942 | 1630 | Taranto | 0,5 | Trials bubbleless torpedoes. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 7 Mar 1942 | 0840 | Taranto | 7 Mar 1942 | 1220 | Taranto | 1 | Trials with trackless torpedoes. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 17 Mar 1942 | 0715 | Taranto | 17 Mar 1942 | 1212 | Taranto | 7 | Trials. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 18 Apr 1942 | 1355 | Taranto | 18 Apr 1942 | 1547 | Taranto | 5 | Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.13. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 19 Apr 1942 | 0737 | Taranto | 19 Apr 1942 | 1308 | Taranto | 30 | Exercises with Atropo in 40°28'N, 17°00'30'E. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 22 Apr 1942 | 1146 | Taranto | 22 Apr 1942 | 1934 | Taranto | 37 | Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.6. | ||
| Bronzo (BZ) | 23 Apr 1942 | 0823 | Taranto | 23 Apr 1942 | 1934 | Taranto | 42,5 | Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.6. | ||
| Antonio Sciesa (SC) | 24 Apr 1942 | Taranto | 3 May 1942 | Taranto | Refit in Taranto. | |||||
| Wolframio (Volframio) (VO) | 3 May 1942 | 0800 | Taranto | 3 May 1942 | 1830 | Taranto | 27 | Exercises. | ||
| Wolframio (Volframio) (VO) | 5 May 1942 | 0620 | Taranto | 5 May 1942 | 1820 | Taranto | 29 | Exercises, escorted by minesweeper R.D.13. | ||
| Wolframio (Volframio) (VO) | 7 May 1942 | 0900 | Taranto | 7 May 1942 | 1805 | Taranto | 29 | Exercises. | ||
| Argento (AG) | 5 Jul 1942 | 0710 | Taranto | 5 Jul 1942 | 1628 | Taranto | Exercises. | |||
| Argento (AG) | 7 Jul 1942 | 1200 | Taranto | 7 Jul 1942 | 1818 | Taranto | Exercises. | |||
85 entries. 70 total patrol entries (15 marked as war patrols) and 18 events.