Italian ship Mario Roselli
Encyclopedia
The Mario Roselli was an Italian cargo ship, which sank on 11 October 1943 in Corfu
Bay, killing some 1,302 Italian POW's.
and incorporated it in its auxiliary war fleet.
His first mission was the supply of Italian troops stationed in Libya, on the route Brindisi - Benghazi. On 12 June 1942, on passage to Benghazi, the ship was substantially damaged by allied aircraft and towed to Taranto
for repairs. On 19 December she returned to service on the route Naples - Palermo - Bizerte.
On 9 September 1943, the day after the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces, Mario Roselli was confiscated by the Germans and used to transport Italian POW's to Venice and Trieste.
The German guards opened fire on prisoners still on land who tried to escape.
The Mario Roselli was abandoned in the harbor, but was attacked again the next day and sank.
for reconstruction. It had a second career between 1952 and 1972 when it was sold to be scrapped in England.
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
Bay, killing some 1,302 Italian POW's.
History of the ship
The Mario Roselli was built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in 1940. Launched on 25 April 1941, the ship was delivered to the customer on 22 April 1942 and seized the next day in Trieste by the Italian NavyItalian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
and incorporated it in its auxiliary war fleet.
His first mission was the supply of Italian troops stationed in Libya, on the route Brindisi - Benghazi. On 12 June 1942, on passage to Benghazi, the ship was substantially damaged by allied aircraft and towed to Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
for repairs. On 19 December she returned to service on the route Naples - Palermo - Bizerte.
On 9 September 1943, the day after the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces, Mario Roselli was confiscated by the Germans and used to transport Italian POW's to Venice and Trieste.
The disaster in Corfu Bay
On 9 October 1943 the ship arrived in Corfu to take some 5,500 Italian prisoners on board. The prisoners were transferred from shore to ship using small boats. At 7:15 on 10 October, when the boarding was almost finished, an allied plane appeared, which immediately attacked the ship and motorboats. One bomb hit a motorboat crammed with prisoners, and another fell directly through an open hatch into the hold of the ship crowded with Italians, and exploded causing a terrible carnage. The ship leaned towards starboard and took water. Surviving prisoners tried to escape by jumping into the sea, but many drowned. In total there were some 1,302 victims.The German guards opened fire on prisoners still on land who tried to escape.
The Mario Roselli was abandoned in the harbor, but was attacked again the next day and sank.
Recovery and reconstruction
In 1952 the wreck of the Mario Roselli was salvaged and towed to MonfalconeMonfalcone
Monfalcone is a town and comune of the province of Gorizia , located on the coast of the Gulf of Trieste. Monfalcone means "Mount of Falcon" in Italian....
for reconstruction. It had a second career between 1952 and 1972 when it was sold to be scrapped in England.