MISSIONS OF THE GROUP “BIANCHI”

From "Sommergibili negli Oceani"
(Submarines in the Oceans)
U.S.M.M.
During the first ten days of February Betasom, after the usual accords with B.d.U., sailed another group of submarines: the BIANCHI (Adalberto Giovannini) on February 5th, the OTARIA (commander Giuseppe Vocaturo) and the MARCELLO (commander Alberto Teppati) the 6th and the BARBARIGO (commander Giulio Ghiglieri) the 10th with orders to reach area in the northern Atlantic marked with the letter “A.” in chart 18. The OTARIA arrived in the area on the 13th, the BIANCHI 14th, and the BARBARIGO on the 16th, while it is not known if the MARCELLO, sunk during circumstances still unknown, has ever reached its zone. So that on the 16th, with the arrival of the BARBARIGO in the area, the line up was completed.

The OTARIA and the BARBARIGO didn't make any sighting; the BIANCHI instead, just few minutes after his arrival, sighted in the darkness of the night attenuated by lunar light, the isolated (1) British merchant ship Belcrest of 4517 t., which was subsequently sunk with two torpedoes. On February 18th, Betasom, informed by B.d.U. of the thinning of traffic in the southern part of the operational area, arranged the submarines in a  line more appropiate for the new situation, moving them as soon as possible in the zones marked “B” in the already mentioned chart. The OTARIA, unlike the others three submarines on patrol in the extreme south of the area, was not moved and received instead orders to attach a damage steamboat which, however, the boat failed to track down.


The line up “B” integrated with and completed the line of attack to the traffic made up by the Germans submarines along the meridian 20°00'W and it  covered, in the sense of the latitude, the ample zone between the 57°00'N parallel and the south extremity of Iceland. The sighting, made by airplanes Germans on February 19th of a convoy of about thirty ships with 5 escorts (2), originating from England and that it was moving west at 7 knots along the parallel 59°00'N, made it foresee the possibility of a prompt and effective employment of this attack team in a complex operation, in which also the Italians submarines would have been able to be effectively employed. Thus, a first line along the 12°00'W of 5 German Submarines distanced  20-25 miles apart was realized.

 
The steamboat Belcrest was a dispersed unity of convoy “SC.21” (from Halifax in England), probably convoy OB. 288 “. within February 20 and to which the BIANCHI participated and presumably also the MARCELLO, stayed inactive, because any submergible, of it Italian of it German, sighted the convoy. The following day the B.d.U. it prepared then another more line up to west of the precedent, approximately along the meridian 17°00'W, in which the BARBARIGO could also be inserted, and contemporarily said order to all the unities to rake up to 8 knots the zone with rout Of it. Finally the afternoon of 22 a submersible German succeeded in taking contact with the convoy but unfortunately only for brief time. The morning de 22 the BIANCHI, sighted in 57°55'N, J7°40'W the–periscope of a submersible, and dipped in turn immediately him, he/she had heard since 16.00 to the 21.15 distant bursts, an about forty in everything, during an action of search and hunting antisommergibile developed by the thin unities of escort to the convoy. And since you/he/she was verified that in that zone unity German subacques were found, the episode was put in relationship with a hypothetical action antisommergibile during which the loss of the MARCELLO would be verified. According to the postwar historical documentation you/he/she has been in fact possible to strengthen that, little press'a in the same period of time pointed out by the BIANCHI, three British thin unities, the destroyer Montgomery and Hurricane and the corvet Perwincles, attached with bombs three different submarines dipped without however to get sure tests of the sinkings. You discard the actions of the Hurricane and the Perwincle, because happened to too strongly distance by the presumed position of the submersible, it is to retain probable that the attack of the Montgomery - ^ to the MARCELLO, approximately in the point 59°00'N, 17°00'W, have had a tragic conclusion for our submersible. Taking back interrupts him description of the action of search to I rake up some signalled convoy, it is necessary to record that on January 22 the B.d.U. it ordered even more a new move of the submarines, inclusive BIANCHI and BARBARIGO toward positions to po nente of the preceding ones, positions to reach the following morning. The move ordered by the B.d.U. it was shown appropriate because the next day morning the same submersible German, that 22 had taken contact with the convoy, riavvistò the convoy a second time, giving so way to the submarines Italians and German of the line up to attach during the night among 23 and 24. While the BARBARIGO didn't meet any ship of the convoy, the BIANCHI in the evening hours of 23 you/he/she could attach instead, contemporarily to the submersible German U. 107, and to strike with a torpedo the load steamboat by the Royal Navy, Manistee and, in the first hours of the following 24, affon to give with three torpedoes the load steamboat British Waynegate of 4260 t.s.ls. facente departs some convoy.

 
 The BIANCHI mission report provides a clear realize the attack against the Manistee:


“February 23 rd 1941.
“11.54 - telegram of discovery of a convoy. Being in position prodiera is assumed parallel rout.
“16.45 - beginning of the approach. New telegram of discovery with new position of the convoy. Rout of it approaches chin to all strength to establish the contact.
“17.45 - sighting of a steamboat to the horizon. Manoeuvre to hold out him sight in favorable position to attach. The elements of the zigzagamento are noticed.
“17.50 - sighting of a Germanic submersible from 750 tonns. to distance 1500 meters.
“21.22 - it is slow down for decreasing the distance. According to starts stamento of the submersible ally that evidently manoeuvre to attach the same target.
“22.20 - end of the twilight. Inversion of rout for the starts cinamento.
“22.30 - sighting of the target to distance 3-4000. At heel of bow.
“22.34 - sighting of the submersible ally that attaches of bow on the same survey of the target.
“22.38 - II submergible ally quickly reverses the rout on the right-hand to attach of stern. I reverse the rout on the left not to hamper his manoeuvre. Attack of stern.
“22.45 - II submergible ally has launched and struck the ber saglio which doesn't sink, but you/he/she starts to skid and you/he/she proceeds to slow motion with the rudder to the gang.
“22.56 - all is approached to right-hand. Approach for attack of bow, to the least one.

The airplanes Germans also attacked them the convoy but without results of relief. “From distance 600 throwing of a torpedo from 533 that it strikes to stern. The steamboat increases the disbandment while the crew goes down in the boats. “23.05 - leaving from the zone to leave the submersible free ally. Search of the other unities of the convoy is recovered”.


Fortune favored once more the BIANCHI that, already a great deal advanced on the street of the return, it had the fortune to meet to the first hours of the 27 three ships merchant facentis it departs of a same convoy (1). The before the sighted ships escaped chin it sinks him because the torpedoes were diverted by the wavy motion a lot of pious am, the second instead, the load steamboat British Baltistan of 6803 t.s.ls., struck by the only torpedo launched to him, it sank in few instants; the bystander type undetermined, probably an auxiliary cruiser, with rapid manoeuvre of approach, he/she forced the submersible to bathe, preventing him so to take back the contact.

The OTARIA, that had been sent in a zone of more operations to south of the area in which the attack was developed to the convoy by the beginning of its mission “OB. 288”, on February 24 left the trap without having sighted some ship to serve in the military of it merchant of it. ";

II BARBARIGO stayed in the zone assigned up to March 1° instead, but you/he/she could not expound any activity because a violent storm with snow and hail forced him/it to hold the cloak for varied days. The missions of the submergible OTARIAs, BIANCHI and BARBARIGO were respectively concluded with the return to Bordeaux 1°, 4 and 8 March. Unfortunately the MARCELLO, as you/he/she is said, it sealed with the supreme sacrifice his war activity in Atlantic. It was this the first time that the B.d.U. it employed three submergible Italians in a vast manoeuvre of attack to a convoy in which 5 German underwater unities were contemporarily hocked; the offensive action altogether yielded the sinking of 8 ships, for a total of 35.227 t.s.ls. During this cruise the BIANCHI it strained to peak three steamboats for a total of 15.520 t.s.ls., reaching a result that could favorably hold up the comparison with the successes conse guiti from the submarines Germans in the same area and in the same period

(1) II I carry “OB.290”, departed by Liverpool.

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