Italian submarines in World War Two
Italian Commanders
Giuseppe Caridi
| Born | 4 Mar 1905 | Turin | |
| Died | 19 Jun 1978 | (73) | Voghera (Pavia) |
| Ranks
Decorations
|
Career information
PIETRO CALVI (C.C. C.O.): From 20.08.1939 to 13.05.1941?From 10.10.1941 to ca. March 1943, Chief of Naval Staff (Capo di Stato Maggiore) at BETASOM.
Commands listed for Giuseppe Caridi
| Submarine | Type | Rank | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | Ocean going | C.C. | 20 Aug 1939 | 13 May 1941 |
Ships hit by Giuseppe Caridi
| Date | Submarine | Ship hit | Type | GRT | Nat. | Loss type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 20 Dec 1940 | Pietro Calvi | Carlton | Cargo ship | 5,162 |  | Sunk |
War patrols listed for Giuseppe Caridi
| Submarine | Date | Time | Port | Arr. date | Arr. time | Arr. port | Miles | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 10 Jun 1940 | La Spezia | 10 Jun 1940 | La Spezia | Refitting at La Spezia. | |||||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 1 Jul 1940 | 0735 | La Spezia | 1 Jul 1940 | 1900 | La Spezia | Trials. | |||
| 1. | Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 3 Jul 1940 | 1825 | La Spezia | 6 Aug 1940 | 0830 | La Spezia | 4907 | Patrolled in Atlantic NW of Madeira and off Funchal (Portugal). Returned passage across Gibraltar on the surface. At the issue of this patrol, C.C. Caridi made the observation that his SAFAR hydrophones were not satisfactory and ought to be replaced by the GELOSO type. He also noted that the 120/45 guns required a gun crew of nine each and whereas the 100/47 guns could be manned by just four. | |
| 2. | Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 1 Oct 1940 | 0000 | La Spezia | 23 Oct 1940 | 1230 | Bordeaux | 3781 | Passage La Spezia to Bordeaux. Passed Gibraltar on 6th October 1940. On 8th October she was ordered to patrol within 30 miles of 45°05'N, 13°35'W to intercept a convoy reported by Glauco and reached the area at 1900 hours on the 10th. With Tazzoli escorted in by the German minesweepers M-6, M-9 and M-10. | |
| 8 Oct 1940 | 0950 | (0) Off Portuguese coast? | The Spanish sailing vessel Angel De La Guardia, carrying 120 tons of salt on passage from Cadiz to Villanueve de Arosa (Galicia), was stopped but released after examination. | |||||||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 1 Dec 1940 | 0840 | Bordeaux | 1 Dec 1940 | 1255 | Le Verdon | 50 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 1 Dec 1940 | 1730 | Le Verdon | 1 Dec 1940 | 1910 | Le Verdon | 20 | Trials. | ||
| 3. | Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 3 Dec 1940 | 1715 | Le Verdon | 31 Dec 1940 | 1810 | Le Verdon | 4097 | Patrolled off Ireland between 54°20'N and 55°20'N, and between 17°00'W and 20°00'W. | |
| 6 Dec 1940 | 1000 | The submarine was informed by BETASOM of a damaged British vessel in Italian Grid 9624 (49°30' N, 13°30' E). This was 86 miles away and she altered course to intercept. The bad weather slowed down the submarine causing some superficial damage and she only reached the position at 0800 hours on the 7th but low visibility preventer her from locating the vessel. | ||||||||
| 12 Dec 1940 | 1110 | 55° 16'N, 19° 34'W | An unknown 5,000-ton steamer was sighted at a distance of 7-8,000 metres, zigzagging at 8 or 9 knots steering 240° (armed with one gun forward and one aft). Pietro Calvi submerged but could not close to less than 4,000 meters and aborted the attack. Caridi decided to surface to intercept. The submarine trailed the vessel for most of the day steering 240°, but she suffered a breakdown of the starboard engine at 2300 hours and at dawn the next day abandoned the chase. | |||||||
| 17 Dec 1940 | 1355 | 54° 29'N, 20° 04'W | An unknown tanker was sighted from a distance of 10 miles steering 240-260°. The submarine gave chase, but again suffered the breakdown of one of her diesel engines and abandoned the attempt. | |||||||
| 17 Dec 1940 | 1820 | 54° 29'N, 20° 04'W (0) Approximately. | Through radiogoniometry, the submarine detected a strong radio transmission on 600 m at a range estimated at 30 miles and gave chase. Having sighted nothing, the submarine gave up at 2100 hours. | |||||||
| 18 Dec 1940 | 0557 | 54° 14'N, 19° 43'W | At 0535 hours, a dark shape was observed at a distance of 3,000 metres. Having closed the range to 1,000 metres at 0557 hour, one torpedo (533mm) was fired from a bow tube. It was set at a depth of only 2 metres (an experimental setting) but it had an erratic course and missed. The target was the armed merchant cruiser HMS Worcestershire (11,432 GRT, built 1931). | |||||||
| 18 Dec 1940 | 0558.5 | 54° 14'N, 19° 43'W | A second torpedo (533mm) was fired at the armed merchant cruiser from a bow tube from the same distance, but again it had an erratic course and missed. | |||||||
| 18 Dec 1940 | 0925-0938 | 54° 14'N, 19° 43'W | The submarine now opened fire at the armed merchant cruiser with her deck gun at a distance of 4-5,000 metres but the rough seas made the fall of shots difficult to see. HMS Worcestershire replied at 0950 hours, apparently using two guns. After the submarine had fired ten rounds without securing a hit, Caridi decided to break off the action and Pietro Calvi submerged. | |||||||
| 18 Dec 1940 | 1325 | 54° 09'N, 19° 36'W | A small vessel steering 240-260° was observed from a distance of 9-10 miles. The submarine lost contact at 1500 hours in a rain squall. At 1540 hours, she sighted another smoke on the horizon but the vessel (estimated at less than 2,000 GRT) went straight for the submarine, forcing her to submerge. When it came to periscope depth, the range was already 2,000 meters and the vessel was showing her stern. The heavy seas precluded the submarine from making use of her guns. | |||||||
| 20 Dec 1940 | 1013 0840 (e) | 55° 00'N, 17° 46'W (e) 55° 33'N, 18° 10'W | At 1000 hours, Pietro Calvi observed a dark vessel at a distance of 2,000 metres. At 1013 hours, the distance had closed to 600 metres when C.C. Caridi ordered tube no.2 to be fired. Due to a malfunction of the interphone, both torpedoes that had been readied (one 533mm and one 450mm) were fired. They both missed, but were observed by the target who opened fire with a machine gun and sent an SOS. This was the British Carlton (5,162 GRT, built 1924) from convoy OB.260d. | |||||||
| 20 Dec 1940 | 1448 1359 (e) | 55° 00'N, 17° 46'W (e) 55° 18'N, 18° 49'W | The submarine turned for a stern shot (450mm) at the same target from a distance of 1,000 metres but the torpedo missed ahead. | |||||||
| 20 Dec 1940 | 1455 | 55° 00'N, 17° 46'W | A second stern shot (533mm) was fired from a distance of 1,300 metres. It squarely hit the target after 62 seconds, and Carlton (5162 GRT, built 1924) sank in six minutes. The submarine found 30 survivors in two boats and asked them if they needed anything (the captain asked for cigarettes). Thirty-one were lost, and four rescued. According to C.C. Caridi the vessel's SOS gave a position 30 miles to the north of the actual position. | |||||||
| 21 Dec 1940 | 1800 | 54° 43'N, 19° 02'W | An enemy destroyer was sighted steering 090°, but the submarine was not in a favourable attack position and made no attempt to intercept. | |||||||
| 26 Dec 1940 | 2115 | 54° 49'N, 20° 00'W | A single bow shot (533mm) was fired at a 10,000-ton vessel from a range that was difficult to ascertain due to the poor visibility. A hit was claimed and the target sunk. No vessel was reported sunk at this time. | |||||||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 1 Jan 1941 | 1740 | Bordeaux | 1 Jan 1941 | 2140 | Pauillac | 25 | Passage Bordeaux-Pauillac. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 4 Jan 1941 | 0930 | Pauillac | 4 Jan 1941 | 1300 | Bordeaux | 25 | Passage Pauillac-Bordeaux. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 21 Mar 1941 | 1345 | Bordeaux | 21 Mar 1941 | 1955 | Le Verdon | 55 | Passage Bordeaux-Le Verdon escorted by Sperrbrecher 34. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 22 Mar 1941 | 1700 | Le Verdon | 22 Mar 1941 | 1810 | Le Verdon | 8 | Trials perhaps escorted by Sperrbrecher III and the minesweeper M-21. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 23 Mar 1941 | 1610 | Le Verdon | 23 Mar 1941 | 2040 | Le Verdon | 25 | Trials. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 24 Mar 1941 | 0805 | Le Verdon | 24 Mar 1941 | 1420 | La Pallice | 70 | Passage Le Verdon-La Pallice. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 25 Mar 1941 | 1155 | La Pallice | 25 Mar 1941 | 1820 | La Pallice | 22 | Trials. | ||
| Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 28 Mar 1941 | 0800 | La Pallice | 28 Mar 1941 | 1630 | La Pallice | 26 | Trials. | ||
| 4. | Pietro Calvi (CV, I.1) | 31 Mar 1941 | 1930 | La Pallice | 13 May 1941 | 2125 | Bordeaux | 8202 | Patrolled between Canary and Azores Islands in approximately (1) 40°00'N, 15°00'W (2) 00°00'N, 21°00'W (3) 15°00'N, 20°00' W. The submarine was escorted back by the German minesweepers M-30 and M-32 from point 36. | |
| 2 Apr 1941 | 0445 | 43° 21'N, 14° 00'W | A neutral passenger ship proceeding toward northern Spain was observed but left to proceed undisturbed. | |||||||
| 5 Apr 1941 | 1600 | 45° 29'N, 4° 29'W | The submarine was informed of the presence of two convoys and altered course to 150° to intercept. The first convoy was reported by Finzi at 1800 hours on the 2nd in 26°15' N, 17°55' W, course 000°, 8 knots. The second convoy was reported by BETASOM at 1900 hours on the 4th in 35°55' N, 05°35' W, steering 270°, 8 knots. Caridi decided to intercept the first convoy between meridians 17°50' W and 18°00' W and reached the area at 1115 hours on the 6th, but by 1730 hours they still sighted nothing, and then took a course of 045°. At 2130 hours, the gyrocompass failed and she was unable to determine her position with accuracy. | |||||||
| 7 Apr 1941 | 0915 | 40° 44'N, 15° 14'W | A 500-ton Portuguese fishing vessel was observed and left undisturbed. At 1200 hours on the 7th, the submarine reached 15°W and having sighted nothing, resumed her westward course. | |||||||
| 8 Apr 1941 | 0300 | 45° 29'N, 4° 29'W | The submarine received a signal from BETASOM reporting a convoy in 25°30' N, 18°30' W and altered course to 145° to intercept. At 2000 hours on the 9th, she received a new signal and altered course to the south to intercept, but by 1600 hours on the 11th had sighted nothing and abandoned the attempt. | |||||||
| 10 Apr 1941 | 0545 | 39° 00'N, 18° 45'W | An illuminated vessel was observed, apparently proceeding to Lisbon. The vessel could not be closed enough to identify and the submarine abandoned the attempt to intercept. | |||||||
| 22 Apr 1941 | 1736 | 1° 21'N, 21° 00'W | At 1420 hours, a smoke was sighted on the horizon and the submarine took an intercepting course. While closing it was identified as an enemy medium-sized vessel. At 1736 hours, the first torpedo misfired due to a defective valve. One torpedo was fired after a 5-6 second-delay and another with a 25-second delay which naturally missed the target. The torpedo crew was criticised by Admiral Parona (head of BETASOM) as these delays were inexcusable. | |||||||
| 28 Apr 1941 | 1414 | 10° 06'N, 18° 57'W | A steamer was observed at 1318 hours. The submarine made a submerged approach (hampered by a defective attack periscope) and it appeared to be 5,000-ton vessel steering 100°, apparently proceeding to Conakry. At 1414 hours, a single torpedo (533mm) was fired from a bow tube at a range of 1,500 metres. It missed. The vessel made an SOS identifying herself as the British Carperby (4,890 GRT, built 1928) and opened fire on the periscope. Caridi had trouble keeping his submarine at periscope depth and finally lost contact. | |||||||
| 3 May 1941 | 2115 | 18° 40'N, 20° 20'W | A smoke was seen over the horizon and the submarine closed. It proved to be a Spanish vessel and she was allowed to proceed. | |||||||
| 4 May 1941 | 1915 | 20° 20'N, 19° 30'W | A vessel was sighted on a 200° course. It proved to be the Spanish Jupiter (4,833 GRT, built 1900) and was allowed to proceed. | |||||||
| 5 May 1941 | 0345 | 21° 18'N, 19° 10'W | A 20,000-ton ship, escorted by a destroyer, was observed at a distance of 5,000 metres, travelling at 18-20 knots, probably proceeding to Gibraltar. Because of the excellent visibility, the attempt to close was abandoned at 0440 hours. | |||||||
| 7 May 1941 | 0825 | 26° 58'N, 15° 35'W | A smoke was seen on the horizon and the submarine maneuvered to intercept. but at 1135 hours this was recognized as a fishing vessel proceeding to Grand Canary island and was ignored. | |||||||
| 7 May 1941 | 1140 | 26° 58'N, 15° 35'W (0) Approximately. | An unknown vessel was sighted and the submarine dived to attack. The vessel proved to be Swiss but despite closing to a distance of 500 metres, the name could not be deciphered and she was left undisturbed. | |||||||
| 8 May 1941 | 0815 | 28° 55'N, 14° 52'W | The submarine closed a vessel, which proved to be the Spanish Cilurnum (3,863 GRT, built 1919), proceeding to Santander and she was left undisturbed. | |||||||
| 9 May 1941 | 2300 | 35° 00'N, 13° 10'W | BETASOM ordered the submarine to patrol between 33°00' N and 34°00' N and between 09°00' W and 10°00' W. Caridi had to inform BETASOM that he could not comply because of engine defects. | |||||||
| 10 May 1941 | 1000 | 36° 22'N, 12° 48'W | Pietro Calvi was ordered by BETASOM to intercept a convoy reported in 51°52' N, 19°20' W on southerly course. Caridi had to inform BETASOM that he could not comply because the submarine was short of fuel. | |||||||
42 entries. 16 total patrol entries (4 marked as war patrols) and 29 events.