Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Emilio Berengan
| Born | 18 Oct 1904 | Venice | |
| Died | 4 Feb 1960 | (55) | Ancona |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
TOPAZIO (T.V. C.O.): from 02.05.1940 to 29.11.1941.Promoted to C.C. in June 1940).
SALPA (C.C. C.O.): from 14.12.1940 to 03.01.1941.
OTARIA (C.C. C.O.): from 29.11.1941 to 09.06.1942.
From 19.06.1942, served as Second Officer of the battleship ROMA.
From 01.07.1942, served as Third Officer of the battleship VITTORIO VENETO.
In 1944-1945: Head of COMANDO GRUPPO OCEANO ATLANTICO OCCIDENTALE.
Commands listed for Emilio Berengan
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salpa (SP) | Coastal / Sea going | C.C. | 14 Dec 1940 | 3 Jan 1941 |
| Topazio (TP) | Coastal / Sea going | T.V. | 2 May 1940 | 29 Nov 1941 |
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | Ocean going | C.C. | 29 Nov 1941 | 9 Jun 1942 |
Ships hit by Emilio Berengan
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 Sep 1941 | Topazio | Murefte | Cargo ship | 691 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Emilio Berengan
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Topazio (TP) | 9 Jun 1940 | 1500 | Tobruk | 14 Jun 1940 | 1410 | Tobruk | 262,3 | Patrolled off Sollum (Egypt), 30° - Ras Azzaz - 70 miles [or 60 miles?] (on a line with Lafolè, Diamante and Nereide, 20 miles apart). | |
| 2. | Topazio (TP) | 28 Jun 1940 | 2000 | Tobruk | 14 Jul 1940 | 0742 | Taranto | 1202,4 | Patrolled off Sollum (area S 15) between (1) 32°00'N, 25°18'E (2) 32°10'N, 25°02'E (3) 32°34'N, 25°24'E (4) 32°24'N, 25°38'E until 9 July, then went to Taranto for refit. On 10th July she picked up six survivors of the destroyer Espero which had sunk twelve days earlier 120 miles southwest of Matapan (a total of thirty-five survived). | |
| 10 Jul 1940 | 1847 | (0) 000° - Ras El Hilal - 46 miles. | At 1847 hours, Topazio was returning home when a lifeboat was sighted. It had six survivors from the destroyer Espero. Twelve days before, the Italian destroyer had been sunk after a desperate fight against five British cruisers. She had sacrificed herself to enable her two sister-ships Ostro and Zeffiro to escape and had succumbed after an action that had lasted over two hours. Her captain, C.V. Enrico Baroni, had gone down with his ship. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Medaglia d'Oro. Forty-seven survivors were picked up by the British ships. Thirty-six men had drifted in a lifeboat and raft but after twelve days at sea, only six were alive when found by Topazio. | |||||||
| Topazio (TP) | 21 Aug 1940 | 0923 | Taranto | 21 Aug 1940 | 1724 | Taranto | 27,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 23 Aug 1940 | 0725 | Taranto | 23 Aug 1940 | 1430 | Taranto | 36,6 | Exercises. | ||
| 3. | Topazio (TP) | 4 Sep 1940 | 2120 | Taranto | 5 Sep 1940 | 1015 | Taranto | 69,5 | Hydrophone watch in Gulf of Taranto. | |
| Topazio (TP) | 18 Sep 1940 | 0610 | Taranto | 18 Sep 1940 | 1256 | Taranto | 40 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 23 Sep 1940 | 2118 | Taranto | 24 Sep 1940 | 0308 | Taranto | 5 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 7 Oct 1940 | 0800 | Taranto | 7 Oct 1940 | 1500 | Taranto | 36 | Exercises. | ||
| 4. | Topazio (TP) | 11 Oct 1940 | 1510 | Taranto | 28 Oct 1940 | 0900 | Augusta | 1848,2 | Patrolled northeast of Mersa Matruh, between 32°30'N and 14 miles from the coast, 27°10'N and 28°20'E. | |
| 16 Oct 1940 | 2124 2129 (e) | (0) 034° - Ras El Tin - 53 miles | At 2124 hours, a submarine was sighted. Aware that Ascianghi was also in the area, C.C. Berengan was reluctant in taking action. Topazio turned away and presented her stern, torpedo tubes ready just in case then Berengan thought he had recognised the shape of a 600-ton Italian submarine. He disengaged. The submarine was actually HMS Pandora. At 2130 hours, she had sighted two U-boats in line ahead 1,500 yards apart. She had fired two torpedoes at the leading submarine (Topazio, the other was Ascianghi) from a distance of 2,500 yards. They missed. Berengan does not seem to be aware that he had been the object of an attack and that Ascianghi was behind him. | |||||||
| 5. | Topazio (TP) | 8 Nov 1940 | 1830 | Augusta | 13 Nov 1940 | 1000 | Augusta | 507,5 | Patrolled southeast of Malta within 20 miles from 34°40'N, 16°00'E, on a line with Bandiera, Santarosa and Capponi on a NE-SW axis. She returned early because of engine defects. | |
| 9 Nov 1940 | 0635 | 35° 23'N, 15° 54'E | At 0635 hours, an enemy destroyer was sighted at a range of 2,000 metres, steering on an opposite course. The submarine was about to attack when she was illuminated by a star shell and had to crash dive. | |||||||
| 9 Nov 1940 | 2110 | 34° 57'N, 15° 50'E | At 2110 hours, a squadron of four light cruisers in single file with two destroyers on one flank, was sighted at a range of 4,000 metres, steering 045°. This was very probably the Mediterranean Fleet. Either (1) the 3rd cruiser Squadron, (2) the 7th cruiser Squadron or (3) the main battlefleet, consisting of battleships HMS Warspite and HMS Valiant with the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, escorted by the destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Defender. Topazio was unable to gain a suitable attacking position. | |||||||
| 11 Nov 1940 | 0133 0135 (e) | 34° 32'N, 16° 17'E | At 0105 hours, a convoy of four 6-8,000-ton merchant ships, screened by two light cruisers of the LEANDER class and four destroyers, was sighted steering 090° at 8 knots. At 0133 hours, two torpedoes (533mm) were fired from bow tubes at a distance less than 3,000 metres. Topazio heard two explosions after two minutes and 50 seconds and claimed to have hit two vessels. This was battleship HMS Ramillies with convoy ME.3, the transports Memnon, Lanarkshire, Clan Macaulay and Clan Ferguson also escorted by the antiaircraft cruiser HMS Coventry and the destroyers HMS Decoy, HMS Defender, HMS Voyager, HMAS Vampire and HMS Waterhen on a trip from Malta to Alexandria. Ramillies heard three loud explosions. | |||||||
| Topazio (TP) | 19 Nov 1940 | 1430 | Augusta | 20 Nov 1940 | 1710 | Taranto | 280 | Passage on the surface Augusta-Taranto. Uneventful. | ||
| Salpa (SP) | 20 Dec 1940 | 0851 | Brindisi | 20 Dec 1940 | 1253 | Brindisi | 20,5 | Exercises. | ||
| 6. | Salpa (SP) | 21 Dec 1940 | 0945 | Brindisi | 30 Dec 1940 | 2315 | Augusta | 918 | Patrolled in Straits of Otranto in 39°40'N, 19°10'E. Uneventful. Heard only distant H.E. and explosions. | |
| Salpa (SP) | 31 Dec 1940 | Time? | Augusta (outside) | 31 Dec 1940 | 0815 | Augusta | Moved from anchorage to harbour. | |||
| Topazio (TP) | 24 Jan 1941 | 0845 | Taranto | 24 Jan 1941 | 1530 | Taranto | 26 | Exercises, escorted by the minesweeper R.D.2. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 27 Jan 1941 | 0800 | Taranto | 27 Jan 1941 | 1330 | Taranto | 32 | Exercises. | ||
| 7. | Topazio (TP) | 28 Jan 1941 | 2100 | Taranto | 29 Jan 1941 | 0930 | Taranto | 69,5 | Hydrophone watch. | |
| 8. | Topazio (TP) | 10 Feb 1941 | 0925 | Taranto | 21 Feb 1941 | 1630 | Taranto | 717,6 | Patrolled south of Otranto Straits within 10 miles from 39°10'N, 19°20'E. Uneventful except for H.E. | |
| 9. | Topazio (TP) | 4 Mar 1941 | 1430 | Taranto | 15 Mar 1941 | 1600 | Taranto | 742,4 | Patrolled south of Otranto Straits within 10 miles from 39°10'N, 19°20'E. Uneventful except for H.E. | |
| Topazio (TP) | 27 Mar 1941 | 1300 | Taranto | 27 Mar 1941 | 1600 | Taranto | 21 | Trials. | ||
| 10. | Topazio (TP) | 10 Apr 1941 | 0850 | Taranto | 26 Apr 1941 | 1250 | Leros | 1590,3 | Passage Taranto-Leros and patrolled within 20 miles from 33°00'N, 26°40'E on a NE/SW axis. | |
| 16 Apr 1941 | 2000 | 33° 21'N, 26° 57'E | At 2000 hours, Topazio was informed of a convoy by MARICOSOM but it was too far to intercept. | |||||||
| 17 Apr 1941 | 2100 | 32° 48'N, 26° 45'E | At 2100 hours, information was received of a new position for the convoy of the previous day. Topazio was now 150 miles away and proceeded at full speed to intercept off Gaudo Island on 25° E meridian, but the convoy passed some 40 miles further south than anticipated. | |||||||
| 20 Apr 1941 | 1410 | 32° 56'N, 27° 00'E | At 1410 hours, propeller noises were heard from a vessel on an A/S hunt. At 1615 hours, they intensified and two explosions were heard. At 1626 hours, Topazio went down to 80 meters and escaped detection. | |||||||
| 11. | Topazio (TP) | 15 May 1941 | 0830 | Leros | 1 Jun 1941 | 1220 | Taranto | 1526 | Passage Leros-Taranto and patrol in Cerigotto Channel and Bay of Messara, between 35°20'N and 35°40'N, 23°00'E and 23°30'E. | |
| 20 May 1941 | 0035 | (0) Near Cerigotto Channel. | At 2315 hours on 19th May, a vessel was detected with hydrophones. At 0035 hours, Topazio was attacked by the vessel with three depth-charges. At 0047 hours, the enemy warship dropped another seven depth-charges and at 0247 hours another thirteen depth-charges but the submarine escaped damage. | |||||||
| Topazio (TP) | 28 Jul 1941 | 0600 | Taranto | 28 Jul 1941 | 1302 | Taranto | 23 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 1 Aug 1941 | 0830 | Taranto | 1 Aug 1941 | 1605 | Taranto | 32 | Exercises, escorted by the pilot vessel Limbara. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 5 Aug 1941 | 1400 | Taranto | 5 Aug 1941 | 1738 | Taranto | 21,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 15 Aug 1941 | 1100 | Taranto | 15 Aug 1941 | 1655 | Taranto | 28 | Exercises with the destroyer Sella. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 16 Aug 1941 | 1900 | Taranto | 17 Aug 1941 | 0010 | Taranto | 26 | Exercises with the submarine Topazio and the torpedo boat Altair. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 19 Aug 1941 | 1230 | Taranto | 20 Aug 1941 | 1715 | Augusta | 292,2 | Passage Taranto-Augusta. | ||
| 12. | Topazio (TP) | 23 Aug 1941 | 1210 | Augusta | 27 Aug 1941 | 1400 | Augusta | 492,3 | Patrolled between Malta and Pantelleria, within 10 miles from 36°31'N, 12°52'E on a E-W axis. | |
| 26 Aug 1941 | 1955 | 36° 27'N, 12° 59'E | At 1955 hours, a 3,000-ton steamer was sighted at a range of 10,000 metres, steering 340°. Later it appeared to be a patrol vessel. Topazio tried to close but lost the target in the darkness. | |||||||
| 13. | Topazio (TP) | 2 Sep 1941 | 1950 | Augusta | 17 Sep 1941 | 0700 | Rhodes | 1635,5 | Patrolled between Cyprus and the Levant coast and off Beirut, between 32°20'N and 34°40'N, and between 34°00'N and the Syrian coast. | |
| 5 Sep 1941 | 0930-0938 1040 (e) | 34° 06'N, 25° 10'E | At 0930 hours, a twin-engined bomber of the Blackburn type attacked Topazio from an altitude of 600 meters and dropped five bombs. The submarine put up antiaircraft fire with her machine guns. The bombs missed her by about 60 metres. This was Blenheim 'Y' (Z.6445) of 203 Squadron piloted by Flying Officer Duke-Woolley. It sighted a large Italian submarine steering 020° at 10 knots and first attacked with a shallow dive from 1,500 feet, but the bombs failed to release. On the second run, four bombs were dropped and claimed to have missed the submarine by 10-20 yards. The submarine was described as having two guns (Topazio had only one). Two other Blenheims were in the area but failed to locate the submarine. After the second bombing run, C.C. Benrengan took the opportunity to crash-dive. The report does not directly register any damage, but later stated that four hydrophone receivers were damaged and a cylinder head of the port diesel engine was cracked (and was replaced by a spare) since this is attributed to “water concussions”, these could only have come during this attack. | |||||||
| 10 Sep 1941 | 2129-2142 2220 (e) | 33° 27'N, 34° 54'E | At 2055 hours, a steamer was sighted at 7,000 metres, steering 090°, 9 knots, toward Beirut. The lights of the city could be seen in the distance. At 2127 hours, the range had closed to 2,000 metres. The vessel must have noticed the submarine as she made an SOS, but giving her position 33°54 N instead of 34°54' N. Topazio fired a burst of machine gun as a warning shot. The vessel replied weakly with a light machine gun. This was the Turkish steamer Murefte (691 GRT, built 1941) on a trip from Port Said to Mersin, carrying two 6" guns and three 4" guns and ammunition (from the UK). At 2129 hours, the submarine opened fire with her deck gun, scoring a direct hit aft. Firing was joined with the machine guns and the crew began to abandon ship. At 2140 hours, two torpedoes were fired from bow tubes at a distance of 500 metres. They both missed. At 2142 hours, fire was resumed with the 100mm guns with 15 rounds, all of which hit but the vessel was still afloat. At 2148 hours, Topazio fired a stern shot. This time the torpedo hit and the vessel sank. One was killed. The seventeen survivors (including one wounded) were rescued by the Egyptian steamer Talodi (1,585 GRT, built 1928). Four Blenheims from 55 Squadron (Palestine) and six destroyers searched for the submarine without success. | |||||||
| 14. | Topazio (TP) | 18 Sep 1941 | 2000 | Rhodes | 19 Sep 1941 | 0650 | Leros | 99,5 | Passage Rhodes-Leros. | |
| Topazio (TP) | 5 Oct 1941 | 1610 | Leros | 5 Oct 1941 | 1710 | Leros | 7 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 6 Oct 1941 | 0835 | Leros | 6 Oct 1941 | 1315 | Leros | 25 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 9 Oct 1941 | 0820 | Leros | 9 Oct 1941 | 1223 | Leros | 20 | Exercises. | ||
| 15. | Topazio (TP) | 11 Oct 1941 | 0730 | Leros | 27 Oct 1941 | 1030 | Augusta | 1964 | Patrolled between 35°00'N and 35°40'N, between Cyprus (Famagusta) and the Syrian coast, which was uneventful, then passage to Augusta. | |
| 27 Oct 1941 | 0643 (e) | At 0633 hours, HMS HMS Unbeaten (Lieutenant Commander E.A. Woodward, RN) sighted a GEMMA class submarine at a distance of 6,000 yards, steering 340°, 12 knots. At 0643 hours, she fired four torpedoes at a range of 3,500 yards, they missed. This was Topazio returning to Augusta. She did not observe the attack. | ||||||||
| Topazio (TP) | 24 Nov 1941 | 1430? | Augusta | 24 Nov 1941 | 1645 | Augusta | 11,5 | Exercises. | ||
| Topazio (TP) | 26 Nov 1941 | 0845 | Augusta | 26 Nov 1941 | 1720 | Messina | 74,5 | Passage Augusta-Messina. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 1 Dec 1941 | 1005 | Naples | 1 Dec 1941 | 1505 | Naples | 20 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 5 Dec 1941 | 1000 | Naples | 5 Dec 1941 | 1038 | Naples | 1,2 | Trials. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 6 Dec 1941 | 1000 | Naples | 6 Dec 1941 | 1530 | Naples | 22,3 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 9 Dec 1941 | 0913 | Naples | 9 Dec 1941 | 1320 | Naples | 24,7 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Dec 1941 | 0900 | Naples | 11 Dec 1941 | 1228 | Naples | 19,7 | Exercises. | ||
| 16. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 14 Dec 1941 | 1407 | Naples | 19 Dec 1941 | 1830 | Bardia | Supply mission to Bardia (11.3 tons of food supplies) by coastal route via Cape Peloro (at 0945 hours on the 15th later corrected to 0730 hours) and Messina (0800 hours on the 15th) and Point S.1 (Capo Dell'Armi) then course 120°. | ||
| 16 Dec 1941 | 1025 | An enemy aircraft was seen and the submarine dived immediately. | ||||||||
| 19 Dec 1941 | 0140 | (0) 60 miles from Ras Azzaz. | An unknown vessel was sighted on opposite course. It was believed to be the submarine Dandolo but C.C. Berengan took no chance and took his submarine down. | |||||||
| 17. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 19 Dec 1941 | 2120 | Bardia | 24 Dec 1941 | 1512 | Taranto | 1873,8 | Return trip from supply mission to Bardia with fifteen PoWs and eight Italian soldiers. | |
| 19 Dec 1941 | 0140 | (0) 60 miles from Ras Azzaz. | An unknown vessel was sighted on opposite course. It was believed to be the submarine Dandolo but C.C. Berengan took no chance and took his submarine down. | |||||||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 4 Jan 1942 | 0840 | Taranto | 4 Jan 1942 | 1325 | Taranto | 20 | Trials. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 6 Jan 1942 | 0855 | Taranto | 6 Jan 1942 | 1236 | Taranto | 1,2 | Trials. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 7 Jan 1942 | 0950 | Taranto | 9 Jan 1942 | 1105 | Pola | 519 | Passage Taranto-Pola. | ||
| 7 Jan 1942 | 1325 | (0) 126° - Cape San Vito - 13 miles. | A derelict mine was observed but could not be destroyed because of the heavy seas. | |||||||
| 7 Jan 1942 | 1410 | An Italian convoy escorted by the torpedo boat Carini , was encountered. Actually, these were the freighter Ariosto, the tanker Nettuno screened by the torpedo boats Aretusa and Carini on passage from Brindisi to Taranto. | ||||||||
| 7 Jan 1942 | 1740 | The submarine Rismondi was encountered. | ||||||||
| 8 Jan 1942 | 1100 | An Italian steamer (this was the freighter Cesco) escorted by the torpedo-boat Missori were sighted. | ||||||||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 13 Jan 1942 | 1612 | Pola | 13 Jan 1942 | 2400 | Pola | 63 | Exercises with the submarine Ondina, escorted by San Giorgio and Jadera. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 15 Jan 1942 | 0825 | Pola | 15 Jan 1942 | 1710 | Pola | 54,5 | Exercises with the submarine Toti, escorted by the auxiliary Trau. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 16 Jan 1942 | 0815 | Pola | 16 Jan 1942 | 1830 | Pola | 64 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 22 Jan 1942 | 1408 | Pola | 23 Jan 1942 | 1227 | Pola | 115 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 27 Jan 1942 | 0832 | Pola | 27 Jan 1942 | 1656 | Pola | 54,5 | Exercises with the submarine Toti, escorted by the auxiliary Grado. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 28 Jan 1942 | 0832 | Pola | 28 Jan 1942 | 1708 | Pola | 59 | Exercises with the submarine Toti, escorted by the torpedo boat Insidioso and the auxiliary Grado. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 30 Jan 1942 | 0840 | Pola | 30 Jan 1942 | 1612 | Pola | 56,5 | Exercises escorted by auxiliary Trau. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 30 Jan 1942 | 1739 | Pola | 2 Feb 1942 | 2200 | Pola | 27,5 | Sailed to bring equipment to rescue men trapped in the submarine Medusa which had just been sunk by HMS Thorn. No survivors could be recovered. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 11 Feb 1942 | 0840 | Pola | 11 Feb 1942 | 1430 | Pola | 24,3 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 13 Feb 1942 | 0840 | Pola | 13 Feb 1942 | 1440 | Pola | 23,9 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 15 Feb 1942 | 0827 | Pola | 15 Feb 1942 | 1405 | Pola | 24,8 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 17 Feb 1942 | 0840 | Pola | 17 Feb 1942 | 1335 | Pola | 24 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 19 Feb 1942 | 1215 | Pola | 19 Feb 1942 | 1800 | Pola | 25,2 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 21 Feb 1942 | 1320 | Pola | 21 Feb 1942 | 1835 | Pola | 24,2 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 26 Mar 1942 | 1510 | Pola | 26 Mar 1942 | 1845 | Pola | 30 | Trials. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 1 Apr 1942 | 0815 | Pola | 1 Apr 1942 | 1440 | Pola | 28 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 2 Apr 1942 | 0705 | Pola | 2 Apr 1942 | 1628 | Pola | 102 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 9 Apr 1942 | 0815 | Pola | 9 Apr 1942 | 1415 | Pola | 29 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 10 Apr 1942 | 0907 | Pola | 10 Apr 1942 | 1723 | Pola | 8 | Exercises. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 16 Apr 1942 | 1956 | Pola | 20 Apr 1942 | 1550 | Messina | 867 | Passage to Pola-Messina, escorted first by the auxiliary Rovigno, then, in the last leg, by torpedo boat Abba. Exercised her 100/47 gun at 1013 hours on the 17th. Uneventful. | ||
| Otaria (OA, I.25) | 24 Apr 1942 | 2150 | Messina | 26 Apr 1942 | 0800 | Cagliari | 357 | Passage Messina-Cagliari. Uneventful. | ||
| 18. | Otaria (OA, I.25) | 2 May 1942 | 2100 | Cagliari | 22 May 1942 | 0920 | Cagliari | 2180 | Patrolled off Algerian coast, south of Formentore and northwest of Cape Tenes, between 37°00'N and 37°40'N, and between 02°40'E and 03°00'E. On 17th May, was ordered to the SW and by 19th May was in 37°24'N, 01°19'E. Uneventful. | |
78 entries. 69 total patrol entries (18 marked as war patrols) and 20 events.