Italian submarine Barbarigo

"Barbarigo" was a World War II Italian and the destroyers USS|Moffett|DD-362|6 and USS|McDougal|DD-358|2. The "Barbarigo", near the Rocas Atoll, sighted warships and launched two torpedoes. The sinking of a battleship of the "California"-class was claimed and published, causing an immediate rebuttal (after the war, it was revealed that the mysterious 'battleship' was instead the cruiser USS|Milwaukee|CL-5|2 which had not even been damaged).

The "Barbarigo" was transferred to a new area 300 miles NE of Rocas Atoll, and intercepted and sank the British merchant ship "Chalbury".

On 29 August 1942, during air attacks, the crew of the "Barbarigo" shot down an aircraft, at the cost of aft gunner Carlo Marcheselli who was killed.

On 2 October, while en route to Brazil, the "Barbarigo" was rerouted to Freetown, Liberia. In a repeat of the "California" embarrassment, a battleship of the sclass|Mississippi|battleship|0 was claimed sunk. The ship was actually the British corvette HMS|Petunia|K79|6 which was also not even damaged.

On 8 October, the "Barbarigo" was relocated off Cape Verde, returning to Bordeaux eleven days later in triumph. The 12th mission began on 24 January 1943. While en route to the assigned area off Brazil, the crew sighted the Spanish merchant ship "Monte Igueldo" which was damaged with a torpedo. While she was sinking the "Barbarigo" was attacked by an American Catalina flying boat which dropped three bombs, missing the target.

On 2 March the "Barbarigo" sank with torpedoes the Brazilian passenger ship "Alfonso Penna". On the following day the American motor ship "Stag Hound" was sunk with torpedoes. The next day the submarine received orders to leave the area of operations and on 11 March transferred 25 tonnes of diesel fuel to the submarine "Torelli". The "Barbarigo" was then converted into a transport submarine for commercial exchange of goods between Germany and Japan. The deck guns were removed, the ammunition magazines turned into additional fuel tanks, the attack periscope removed, and a great part of the on board comforts, including one of the heads, removed to give space to cargo. The boat left port on 16 June 1943 with three Italian military personnel aboard assigned to a base in the Far East, and 130 tonnes of war material. After navigating along the security route off Bordeaux, the "Barbarigo" and her sister ship the "Torelli" parted. The "Barbarigo" failed to make any further contact, and Allied records have not shed any light on her disappearance. This was the end of the operational life of one of the most famous, though controversial, submarines of the Italian Atlantic fleet.

References

* [http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/submarines/barbarigo/barbarigo_us.htm Regia Marina]
* Erminio Bagnasco, "Submarines of World War Two", Cassell & Co, London. 1977 ISBN 1-85409-532-3