HM Submarine X2
Encyclopedia
HM Submarine X2 was an Italian
Archimede-class
submarine
, originally named Galileo Galilei. She served in the Regia Marina
before and during World War II
, before her capture by the Royal Navy
in 1940.
She was stationed in the Red Sea
in June 1940 as a unit of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
. During a patrol, with Capitano di Corvettathe equivalent rank to Lieutenant Commander
Corrado Nardi in command, on 16 June 1940, she sank the Norwegian
tanker
James Stove approximately 12 miles south of Aden
, following which aircraft from the cruiser HMS Leander
carried out a search for her without success.
On 18 June, the Galilei halted with cannon fire the Yugoslavian cargo ship Drava, but as Yugoslavia was not yet at war, she let it proceed. The gunfire was heard by the anti-submarine warfare trawler
HMS Moonstone and at 04:30 pm Moonstone sighted the periscope of Galileo Galilei and carried out an attack with two depth charges, though without damaging the submarine at the position 12°48′N 45°12′E.
The following day, after the British warship repeated its attack with depth charges, Nardi gave the order to surface and engaged the Moonstone with her guns. At the start of the action between the two vessels, the forward gun's sighting mechanism on the Galilei became unusable. The fast-moving Moonstone scored the first hit on the Italian boat after ten minutes, killing some men and wounding Nardi. The following hit killed the crew of the forward gun, including the First Officer. The submarine's aft gun jammed, and then another salvo from Moonstone killed all those on the conning tower including Nardi. Under the only officer left alive, though wounded, the young midshipman
Mazzucchi, the Galilei continued the fight with the forward gun. However the British destroyer HMS Kandahar
arrived, and Galilei surrendered. The submarine had lost 16 men; Nardi, four other officers, seven NCOs and four sailors. The submarine was then towed into Aden.
Though the British side claimed that the submarine's codebooks and operational documents were captured intact by the Royal Navy, and revealed the exact position of other Italian naval units, Italian survivors (including Midshipman Mazzucchi) reported that every document was destroyed before surrender, and that no written operational orders were issued to Italian units, only an oral briefing between captains and the submarine command in Massawa before every mission The claim was reported only to cover the British intelligence activities in Italian East Africa
.
Galileo Galilei was commissioned into the Royal Navy in June 1942 as HMS X2 (later changed to P 711), and was operated as a training boat in the East. She was scrapped on 1 January 1946.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Archimede-class
Archimede class submarine
The Archimede class were a group of submarines built for the Italian Navy in the early 1930s. The boats fought in the Spanish Civil War and in World War II...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, originally named Galileo Galilei. She served in the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
before and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, before her capture by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1940.
She was stationed in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
in June 1940 as a unit of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
Red Sea Flotilla
The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy based in Massawa, Eritrea, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa...
. During a patrol, with Capitano di Corvettathe equivalent rank to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Corrado Nardi in command, on 16 June 1940, she sank the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
James Stove approximately 12 miles south of Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
, following which aircraft from the cruiser HMS Leander
HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class light cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander.- History :...
carried out a search for her without success.
On 18 June, the Galilei halted with cannon fire the Yugoslavian cargo ship Drava, but as Yugoslavia was not yet at war, she let it proceed. The gunfire was heard by the anti-submarine warfare trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
HMS Moonstone and at 04:30 pm Moonstone sighted the periscope of Galileo Galilei and carried out an attack with two depth charges, though without damaging the submarine at the position 12°48′N 45°12′E.
The following day, after the British warship repeated its attack with depth charges, Nardi gave the order to surface and engaged the Moonstone with her guns. At the start of the action between the two vessels, the forward gun's sighting mechanism on the Galilei became unusable. The fast-moving Moonstone scored the first hit on the Italian boat after ten minutes, killing some men and wounding Nardi. The following hit killed the crew of the forward gun, including the First Officer. The submarine's aft gun jammed, and then another salvo from Moonstone killed all those on the conning tower including Nardi. Under the only officer left alive, though wounded, the young midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
Mazzucchi, the Galilei continued the fight with the forward gun. However the British destroyer HMS Kandahar
HMS Kandahar (F28)
HMS Kandahar was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, named after the Afghan city of Kandahar.-History:Kandahar was launched on 21 March 1939. On 21 February 1941, in company with and , she captured the German blockade runner off Iceland...
arrived, and Galilei surrendered. The submarine had lost 16 men; Nardi, four other officers, seven NCOs and four sailors. The submarine was then towed into Aden.
Though the British side claimed that the submarine's codebooks and operational documents were captured intact by the Royal Navy, and revealed the exact position of other Italian naval units, Italian survivors (including Midshipman Mazzucchi) reported that every document was destroyed before surrender, and that no written operational orders were issued to Italian units, only an oral briefing between captains and the submarine command in Massawa before every mission The claim was reported only to cover the British intelligence activities in Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
.
Galileo Galilei was commissioned into the Royal Navy in June 1942 as HMS X2 (later changed to P 711), and was operated as a training boat in the East. She was scrapped on 1 January 1946.
See also
- HMS GraphHMS Graph (P715)HMS Graph was a German Type VIIC U-boat used by the British Royal Navy during World War II.Commissioned as the U-570 in the German Kriegsmarine in mid-1941, she was attacked and captured on her first patrol....
- another captured submarine (formerly the U-570) commissioned into the Royal Navy - HMS SealHMS Seal (N37)HMS Seal was one of six ships of the Grampus-class mine-laying submarines of the Royal Navy. She served in the Second World War and was captured by the Kriegsmarine and taken into German service as U-B...
- Royal Navy submarine, captured and taken into service by the Germans.