Italian ship Gaetano Donizetti
Encyclopedia
The Gaetano Donizetti was an Italian merchant ship, which sank on September 23, 1943 in the Aegean Sea
, killing some 1,800 people on board, 1,576 Italian POW's and 220 guards and crew.
The Germans had expected and anticipated the Italian surrender, and immediately launched Operation Achse
to disarm the Italian Army and take over control of the territories they occupied. The Dodecanese
island group had been under Italian occupation since the Italo-Turkish War
of 1912. German forces under Generalleutnant Ulrich Kleemann
rushed to the central island of Rhodes
, and attacked the 40,000-strong Italian garrison on 9 September, and forced it to surrender by 11 September. In doing so, they outmaneuvered the British, which had hoped by their Dodecanese Campaign
to conquer the islands and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans.
The Germans had to hold off the British and wanted to get rid of the numerous Italian prisoners as soon as possible. The Nazis considered the Italians who chose not to fight further alongside them (the majority), not as prisoners of war, but as traitors to be sent to the Reich to do forced labor
.
The "Donizetti" set sail on September 22. It sailed along the east coast of Rhodes, and headed south-west, passing Lindos
to the south. The "Donizetti" was escorted by the German torpedoboat TA10
under Oberleutnant Jobst Hahndorff. This was the former French torpedoboat La Pomone and later the Italian FR 42.
Around 01.10 that night (on September 23), the convoy was detected by HMS Eclipse
under Commander E. Mack, who immediately opened fire. The Gaetano Donizetti went down in seconds, taking with her the entire crew and all Italian POW's. The German torpedoboat TA10 was heavily damaged and later towed back to Rhodes, where it was scuttled a few days later. HMS Eclipse left the scene, not realising the extent of the tragedy that had just happened.
On February 12, 1944, another transportship leaving from Rhodes, the SS Oria
, sank in a storm, causing the death of some 4,000 Italian prisoners of war.
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, killing some 1,800 people on board, 1,576 Italian POW's and 220 guards and crew.
Background
On September 8, 1943 the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces was signed.The Germans had expected and anticipated the Italian surrender, and immediately launched Operation Achse
Operation Achse
Operation Achse , also called Operation Alaric, were the codenames of the German plans to forcibly disarm the Italian armed forces after their expected armistice with the Allied forces...
to disarm the Italian Army and take over control of the territories they occupied. The Dodecanese
Dodecanese
The Dodecanese are a group of 12 larger plus 150 smaller Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, of which 26 are inhabited. Τhis island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the Southern Sporades island group...
island group had been under Italian occupation since the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
of 1912. German forces under Generalleutnant Ulrich Kleemann
Ulrich Kleemann
Ulrich Kleemann was an officer in the German Army during World War II.Colonel Kleemann of the 3rd Motorized Infantry Brigade was awarded a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 October 1941...
rushed to the central island of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
, and attacked the 40,000-strong Italian garrison on 9 September, and forced it to surrender by 11 September. In doing so, they outmaneuvered the British, which had hoped by their Dodecanese Campaign
Dodecanese Campaign
The Dodecanese Campaign of World War II was an attempt by Allied forces, mostly British, to capture the Italian-held Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea following the surrender of Italy in September 1943, and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans...
to conquer the islands and use them as bases against the German-controlled Balkans.
The Germans had to hold off the British and wanted to get rid of the numerous Italian prisoners as soon as possible. The Nazis considered the Italians who chose not to fight further alongside them (the majority), not as prisoners of war, but as traitors to be sent to the Reich to do forced labor
Italian military internees
Italian military internees was the official name given by Germany to the Italian soldiers captured, rounded up and deported in the territories of the Third Reich in Operation Achse in the days immediately following the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces .After disarmament by the...
.
The disaster
The Italian Gaetano Donizetti of 3428 tons, had be confiscated by the Germans to bring arms to Rhodes. The Germans then stowed some 1,600 prisoners in the cargo hold, where there was reasonably only room for 700.The "Donizetti" set sail on September 22. It sailed along the east coast of Rhodes, and headed south-west, passing Lindos
Lindos
Lindos is an archaeological site, a town and a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies on the east coast of the island...
to the south. The "Donizetti" was escorted by the German torpedoboat TA10
Torpedoboot Ausland
The Torpedoboot Ausland were small destroyers or large torpedo boats captured by Nazi Germany and incorporated into the Kriegsmarine. They were assigned a number beginning with TA-TA 1 to TA 6:...
under Oberleutnant Jobst Hahndorff. This was the former French torpedoboat La Pomone and later the Italian FR 42.
Around 01.10 that night (on September 23), the convoy was detected by HMS Eclipse
HMS Eclipse (H08)
HMS Eclipse was an E class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service in the Atlantic, Arctic, and Mediterranean theatres during World War II, until sunk by a mine in the Aegean Sea on 24 October 1943.-Service history:...
under Commander E. Mack, who immediately opened fire. The Gaetano Donizetti went down in seconds, taking with her the entire crew and all Italian POW's. The German torpedoboat TA10 was heavily damaged and later towed back to Rhodes, where it was scuttled a few days later. HMS Eclipse left the scene, not realising the extent of the tragedy that had just happened.
On February 12, 1944, another transportship leaving from Rhodes, the SS Oria
SS Oria
The SS Oria was a Norwegian steamboat, which sank on February 12, 1944, causing the death of some 4000 Italian prisoners of war. This was one of the worst maritime disasters ever, and probably the worst loss of life caused by the sinking of a single ship in the Mediterranean Sea.- The ship :The...
, sank in a storm, causing the death of some 4,000 Italian prisoners of war.