Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci
Encyclopedia
Leonardo da Vinci was a of the Italian navy
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World War II. The unit operated in the Atlantic from September 1940 until its loss in May 1943, and became the top scoring non-German submarine of the all war.
Construction
Leonardo da Vinci was built at the CRDA shipyard in 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....
, near Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy’s leading submarine builder. One of six boats of the Marconi-class
Marconi class submarine
The Marconi-class was a class of six submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy . The submarines were all launched between 1939 and 1940, and all but one, , were lost in the Atlantic during the Second World War....
, which were laid down in 1938-39, Leonardo da Vinci was launched in September 1939. Designed as an ocean-going vessel, she was intended for operations both in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic.
Service history
With Italy’s entry into World War IIWorld 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...
in June 1940 Leonardo da Vinci was dispatched to the Atlantic to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
in occupied France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to serve in the Italian submarine flotilla there, BETASOM
BETASOM
BETASOM BETASOM BETASOM (an Italian language acronym of Bordeaux Sommergibile. was a submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Regia Marina Italiana during World War II....
. She arrived October 1940 after a successful transit of the Straits of Gibraltar, scene of a number of Axis submarine losses.
Leonardo da Vinci carried out 11 war patrols, sinking 13 ships of 90,415 GRT. This included the 21,500 ton liner Empress of Canada
RMS Empress of Canada (1922)
RMS Empress of Canada was an ocean liner built in 1920 for the Canadian Pacific Steamships by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland. This ship -- the first of two CP vessels to be named Empress of Canada -- regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route...
. Including a further 4 ships of 29,828 tons sunk in the Mediterranean, Leonardo da Vinci was Italy’s most successful submarine in World War II, and her captain, Lt. Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia
Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia
Gianfranco Gazzana Priaroggia was an officer in the Italian Royal Navy . Gazzana-Priaroggia commanded multiple Italian submarines during World War II...
, Italy’s leading submarine ace. With a higher score than Britain’s Wanklyn
Malcolm David Wanklyn
Lieutenant Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO & Two Bars was the Allies' most successful submariner in the Second World War in terms of tonnage sunk, and received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British...
, in HMS Upholder
HMS Upholder (P37)
HMS Upholder was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939, launched on 8 July 1940 by Mrs. Doris Thompson, wife of a director of the builders. The submarine was commissioned on 31 October 1940...
, or America’s O’Kane
Richard O'Kane
Rear Admiral Richard Hetherington “Dick” O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who received a Medal of Honor for his service on the...
in USS Tang
USS Tang (SS-306)
USS Tang was a Balao-class submarine of World War II. She was built and launched in 1943.In her short career, the Tang sank 33 ships displacing 116,454 tons Her commanding officer received the Medal of Honor for her last two engagements...
(both later sunk), Prioroggia and Leonardo da Vinci were the most successful non-German submariner and submarine in the conflict.
In July 1942 Leonardo da Vinci was assigned to a special operation aimed at mounting raids on harbours on the eastern seaboard of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. To this end she was converted to carry a CA class midget submarine
CA class midget submarine
The CA class were a group of midget submarines built for the Italian Navy during World War II.-Design:These submarines were designed by the Caproni Company and built in great secrecy...
, and during the autumn engaged in trials with the new weapon.
However, the operation was delayed due to the need for modifications to the CA craft and Leonardo da Vinci returned to action to the Atlantic.
On 19 March 1943 Leonardo da Vinci torpedoed the 7,628 ton British cargo ship SS Lulworth Hill
SS Lulworth Hill
SS Lulworth Hill was a cargo ship completed by William Hamilton & Co in Port Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde in 1940. She was owned by Dorset Steamships Co Ltd and managed by Counties Ship Management Co Ltd of London , both of which were offshoots of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking...
in the South Atlantic. The Leonardo da Vinci captured and took on board one survivor;two other men survived following a 50-day ordeal on a liferaft.
In April 1943 Leonardo da Vinci sunk three vessels in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Fate
After sinking 4 more ships, on 22 May 1943 the Leonardo Da Vinci unwisely signalled its intention to head for BordeauxBordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
on completion of its patrol. Its position having been fixed by direction-finding, on 23 May the destroyer HMS Active
HMS Active (H14)
HMS Active, the tenth Active , launched in 1929, was an A class destroyer. She served in World War II, taking part in the sinking of four submarines. She was broken up in 1947....
and the frigate HMS Ness (both escorts to convoys WS-30 and KMF-15) subjected the submarine to an intense depth-charge attack and sank it 300 miles (482.8 km) west of Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
at an estimated position of 42°05’N, 15°34’W . There were no survivors.