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- ITALIAN SOMMERGIBILI

3)AMMIRAGLIO CAGNI



Photo. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3614442#/media/File:Sommergibile_Cagni.jpg



Photo. https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=ammiraglio-cagni-italian-attack-submarine


Commissioned 1941


Displacement: 1,653tons (surfaced) 2,136 (submerged)


Speed: 17 / 8.5 knots (surfaced/submerged)


Armament: 2 x 100mm guns 4 x 13.2mm anti-aircraft 14 x 450mm torpedo tubes (8 bow, 6 stern)
36 torpedoes


Complement: 85


Her first operational patrols were in the Mediterranean, doing five transport missions and 16 patrols. Her first mission in the Atlantic was of 136 days, sinking the British tanker Dagomba and the Greek sloop Argo 29 November 1942.


Ammiraglio Cagni was used in two theatres, the Mediterranean and South-Atlantic/Indian Ocean. She made 21 sorties in the Mediterranean, and 2 sorties in the South Atlantic/Indian Ocean in 1942–43.


On 9 September 1943, while on her 2nd Atlantic sortie, she received news of the armistice. She surrendered to the British in Durban on 20 September 1943. HMS Jasmine took part in the formal surrender.


Mediterranean Missions: While under the command of Lieutenant Commander Charles Liannazza, on 15 October 1941, she sailed from Taranto to Bardia, with a cargo of 140 tonnes of fuel cans and ammunition. She returned to Taranto on 22 October, while en route was attacked by guns and depth charges but suffered no damage. She carried out a similar mission on 18 November. She completed further 5 offensive and 16 transport missions.


Atlantic 1st Mission: On 5 or 6 October 1942, she sailed from La Maddalena to the South-Atlantic for her 1st Atlantic mission, against the convoy "TS 23". She crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on 12 October without any contact. But on 3 November, while submerged at daytime, she attacked and sank a 3,845 GRT British ship "Dagomba". On 29 November, while patrolling off Cape of Good Hope, Africa (in the immediate vicinity of Cape Town) she sank the 1,995 GRT Greek ship, "Argo".


On 3 January 1943, she attempted to re-arm by torpedo transfer on Tazzoli, but failed due to adverse weather conditions. But she was successfully fuelled on 13 January, with 45 tonnes of fuel by a German submarine.


On 15 February, in the Bay of Biscay, she was attacked from the air, by bombs and machine-gun fire, that led to the death of Sergeant Gunner Michelangelo Cannistraro.


This single mission (began on 6 October 1942 in Magdalene, and ended on 20 February 1943 in Bordeaux) lasted for 136 days.


Atlantic 2nd Mission (Indian Ocean 1st Mission): The second and last mission of Cagni began on 29 June 1943 and ended in Durban on 20 September 1943, lasted for over 84 days. She was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Joseph Roselli Lorenzini on this mission. She had received orders to proceed to Singapore, to attack merchant shipping in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, and returned with a load of rubber and tin.


On 17 July 1943, off the Canary Islands, she encountered a steamer of 5,500 GRT of unknown nationality.


On 25 July, she torpedoed the 22,048 GT British Armed Merchant Cruiser, HMS Asturias (in position 06°52'N; 20°45'W). HMS Asturias was thought to have her boilers and machinery spaces flooded, but the badly damaged Armed Merchant Cruiser managed to escape to Freetown, under tow.


On 30 July, Cagni crossed the equator, and on 28 August, she entered into Indian Ocean.


On 8 or 9 September, while just 1,800 miles from Singapore, she received the news of the armistice and was ordered to make the port of Durban.


On 20 September, she arrived, was intercepted by HMS Jasmine and escorted into Durban, where she formally surrendered to the British.


On 8 November, she left for Taranto, where she arrived on 2 January 1944. Located in Palermo, she was used for anti-submarine training activities for Allied planes.


On 10 February 1948, she was decommissioned and later broken up.

By Wikiwand


In the south Atlantic CAGNI sank 2 merchants totaling 8,961 DWT


ARGO - DAGOMBA


 ARGO


 

  DAGOMBA


 

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