Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines


Manaar

TypeCargo ship
CountryBritish British
Built1942GRT8,007

Date of attack18 Apr 1943Time
0515Z sunk (e)
FateSunk by submarine Leonardo da Vinci (T.V. Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia)
Position of attack32° 30'S, 35° 10'E
Complement98 (4 dead and 94 survivors)
Convoy
Notes At 0315B hours, the British Manaar (8,007 GRT, built 1942), bound from Mombasa and Beira to Durban, was intercepted by Da Vinci and hit by a torpedo in no. 1 hold on the starboard side. The crew abandoned ship but the vessel did not sink immediately.

At 0430B hours, survivors apparently another torpedo hit in no. 4 hold on the port side.

Between 0545 and 0710 hours, the submarine also used her gun, firing intermittently about 23 100mm rounds of which 12 were hits. The ship sank at 0720 hours.

Four were killed, 94 survivors including a lascar, the only survivor of Sembilan picked up earlier by Manaar, reached Port St Johns (South Africa) in four boats on 21st April 1943. The second Officer was picked up by the submarine and lost with her. Survivors described the submarine as about 300 ft long, freshly painted slate grey, no wood deck visible. One 4" deck gun flush on deck, two large machine guns on conning tower. According to the lascar, the crew numbered about 24 (over 60!) and were apparently mixed Italian and German (they were all Italians!).

Position of attack

Ships hit by Italian submarines