Carlo Fecia di Cossato
Carlo Fecia di Cossato | |
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Naples, Italy | |
Allegiance | Kingdom of Italy |
Service/ | Regia Marina |
Years of service | 1928–1944 |
Commands held |
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Battles/wars | |
Awards |
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Carlo Fecia di Cossato (25 September 1908 – 27 August 1944) was an officer in the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy), in command of submarines and torpedo boats during World War II. He was credited with the confirmed sinking of 23 enemy ships (16 Allied ships before the Armistice of Cassibile, with the submarine Enrico Tazzoli, and 7 German vessels after the armistice, with the torpedo boat Aliseo).[1] He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and of the Gold Medal of Military Valor, the highest decoration of the Italian Armed Forces.[1][2][3]
Fecia di Cossato was born in
At the beginning of World War II, Fecia di Cossato was the commander of the submarine Ciro Menotti based in
After the
Early life and career
Fecia di Cossato was born in
In 1929, after promotion to sub-lieutenant, Fecia di Cossato was assigned to the Italian Naval Detachment in Beijing and sent to China on the scout cruiser Libia.[4] He returned to Italy in 1933, was promoted to lieutenant and was assigned on the light cruiser Bari, stationed in Massawa during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. He then participated in two special missions on submarines during the Spanish Civil War.[4] In 1939 Fecia di Cossato attended the Italian Navy Submarine School in Pola, after which he was promoted to lieutenant commander and given command of a submarine.
At the outbreak of World War II
When Italy entered World War II, Fecia di Cossato was the commanding officer of the submarine Ciro Menotti, based in Messina as part of the 33rd Submarine Squadron. In this role, he participated in several missions in the Mediterranean Sea. In the autumn of 1940 he was transferred to the BETASOM submarine base, in occupied France, where he started his participation in the Battle of the Atlantic as executive officer of the submarine Enrico Tazzoli, whose commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander Vittore Raccanelli.[4]
In command of Enrico Tazzoli
On 5 April 1941 Fecia di Cossato was given command of Tazzoli, with Lieutenant Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia as executive officer. Fecia di Cossato and Gazzana Priaroggia (who was later given command of the submarines Archimede and Leonardo da Vinci) were to become Italy's most successful submariners in World War II.[5][6]
Early sinkings
On April 7, 1941 Tazzoli left Bordeaux for its first mission under Fecia di Cossato. After reaching a patrol area off the coast of West Africa, on April 12 the submarine attacked two British cruisers with torpedoes, but no hits were obtained.[7][8] On April 15, Tazzoli sank the British steamer Aurillac (4,733 GRT) with torpedoes and gunfire.[9] On May 7, Tazzoli sank the Norwegian steamer Fernlane (4,310 GRT) and two days later the Norwegian tanker Alfred Olsen (8,817 GRT).[5][10] The latter required two days of pursuit, all remaining torpedoes and a hundred artillery rounds, forcing Tazzoli to return to base after sinking it.[11][9] On the way back, Tazzoli was attacked by an enemy plane, but the reaction of its machine guns damaged the plane and forced it to fly away.
On May 25, Tazzoli reached Bordeaux, where Fecia di Cossato was awarded a Silver Medal of Military Valor. On July 15, 1941, Fecia di Cossato sailed for a new mission during which, on August 12, he destroyed the grounded wreck of the British steamer Sangara (5,449 GRT, already damaged by a previous attack by the German submarine U-69)[12] and on August 19 he sank the Norwegian tanker Sildra (7,313 GRT) about fifty miles off Freetown. He returned to base on September 11 and was awarded a Bronze Medal of Military Valor and an Iron Cross Second Class.[5]
Rescue of the Atlantis and Python survivors
In December 1941 Tazzoli left Bordeaux to take part in the rescue of 400 survivors from the German commerce raider
On
In American waters
On 11 February 1942, after the United States' entry into the war, Tazzoli under Fecia di Cossato left for a new mission, off the coasts of America. On 6 March the submarine sank the Dutch steamer Astrea (1,406 GRT), and on the following day the Norwegian motor ship Torsbergfjord (3,156 GRT). On 9 March Tazzoli sank the Uruguayan steamer Montevideo (5,785 GRT), on 11 March the Panama-flagged steamer Cygnet (3,628 GRT), on 13 March the British steamer Daytonian (6,434 GRT) and two days later the British tanker Athelqueen (8,780 GRT).[5][16] In the fight against the latter, Tazzoli suffered some damage, following which Fecia di Cossato decided to return to base, where he arrived on 31 March. Following this mission Fecia di Cossato was awarded another Silver Medal of Military Valor by the Italian authorities and an Iron Cross Second Class with Sword by the German authorities.[5][16]
On 18 June 1942, Fecia di Cossato sailed with Tazzoli for a new mission in the Caribbean. On 2 August he attacked and sank the Greek merchant Castor (1,830 GRT), and four days later he sank the Norwegian tanker Havsten (6,161 GRT), allowing her crew to abandon ship and be rescued by a nearby Argentinian ship, before sinking her. On 5 September, Tazzoli returned to base; for this mission Fecia di Cossato received a Bronze Medal of Military Valor.[5]
On 14 November 1942, Fecia Di Cossato sailed for his last mission on Tazzoli. On 12 December the submarine sank the British steamer Empire Hawk (5,032 GRT) and the Dutch merchant Ombilin (5,658 GRT); on 21 December the British steamer Queen City (4,814 GRT) became Tazzoli's next victim, followed on Christmas by the American motor ship Dona Aurora (5,011 GRT). During the return voyage, the submarine was attacked by a British four-engined plane, that was shot down by Tazzoli's machine gunners. On 2 February 1943, Tazzoli ended her patrol in Bordeaux.[5] On 19 March 1943, Fecia di Cossato was awarded a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by the German authorities, for his successes in the Atlantic.[3]
Ships sunk
Patrol | Date | Ship | Flag | Tonnage (GRT) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5th | 15 April 1941 | Aurillac | United Kingdom | 4,248 | Freighter, 1 killed |
5th | 7 May 1941 | Fernlane | Norway | 4,310 | Freighter with ammunition cargo, no casualties |
5th | 10 May 1941 | Alfred Olsen | Norway | 8,817 | Tanker, no casualties |
6th | 19 August 1941 | Sildra | Norway | 7,313 | Tanker, no casualties |
8th | 6 March 1942 | Astrea | Netherlands | 1,406 | Freighter |
8th | 6 March 1942 | Tonsbergfjord | Norway | 3,156 | Freighter; 1 killed |
8th | 8 March 1942 | Montevideo | Uruguay | 5,785 | Freighter; 14 killed |
8th | 10 March 1942 | Cygnet | Greece | 3,628 | Freighter; no casualties |
8th | 13 March 1942 | Daytonian | United Kingdom | 6,434 | Freighter; 1 killed |
8th | 15 March 1942 | Athelqueen | United Kingdom | 8,780 | Tanker; 3 killed |
9th | 2 August 1942 | Kastor | Greece | 5,497 | Freighter; 4 killed |
9th | 6 August 1942 | Havsten | Norway | 6,161 | Tanker; 2 killed |
10th | 12 December 1942 | Empire Hawk | United Kingdom | 5,032 | Freighter |
10th | 12 December 1942 | Ombillin | Netherlands | 5,658 | Freighter |
10th | 21 December 1942 | Queen City | United Kingdom | 4,814 | Freighter, 6 killed |
10th | 25 December 1942 | Doña Aurora | United States | 5,011 | Freighter, 7 killed, 2 POW |
Total: | 86,050 |
In command of Aliseo
In February 1943 Fecia di Cossato left the command of Tazzoli, was promoted to commander and was then given command of the brand new Ciclone-class torpedo boat Aliseo and of the 3rd Torpedo Boat Squadron.[18] He assumed command of Aliseo on 17 April 1943.[19][20] In May 1943 Fecia di Cossato learned that Tazzoli, having been converted into a transport submarine, had disappeared with all hands after sailing towards the Far East; the loss of his old crew deeply affected him.
On 22 July 1943 Aliseo left
Following other escort missions in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Fecia di Cossato was awarded another Bronze Medal of Military Valor by the Italian authorities, and a War Merit Cross by the German authorities.[22]
The Armistice and the battle of Bastia
When the
The local Italian and German commanders soon reached a "gentlemen’s agreement" according to which the German forces would be allowed to safely retreat to mainland Italy.[23] Meanwhile, however, the German forces secretly prepared to launch a surprise attack on the Italian ships moored inside the harbour, planning to capture them.[23] The attack started at 23:45 on 8 September, when two groups of German soldiers, after hearing a whistle (the signal to attack), stormed Ardito; the torpedo boat was heavily damaged (70 of her 180 crew were killed) and captured, and the merchant ships Sassari and Humanitas also fell into German hands.[23]
Aliseo had just left the harbour when the German attack began.
Shortly after dawn on 9 September, a combat group of the Tenth Bersaglieri Group (10° Raggruppamento Celere Bersaglieri) staged a counterattack which led to the recapture of the port, as well as of Ardito, Sassari and Humanitas; the German flotilla was ordered to leave the harbour, but the ships were immediately fired upon by the Italian coastal batteries, which damaged UJ 2203 and some of the MFPs.[23]
Aliseo, under the command of Fecia di Cossato, was then ordered by the port commander to attack and destroy the German units.[23] Shortly after 7:00 the flotilla, proceeding in a column led by UJ 2203, opened fire on Aliseo, which returned fire at 7:06, from a distance of 8,300 metres (9,100 yd); at 7:30 Aliseo was hit by an 88 mm shell in the engine room and temporarily left dead in the water, but the damage was quickly repaired and the torpedo boat closed in and engaged her adversaries in succession, destroying them one after the other.[23] At 8:20 UJ 2203, after suffering several hits, blew up; ten minutes later UJ 2219 was also destroyed when her magazines exploded.[23] Between 8:30 and 8:35 Aliseo also sank F 366, F 459 and F 623; the corvette Cormorano intervened during the final phase of the battle and, together with Aliseo, forced F 387 and F 612 to run aground, after which they were abandoned and destroyed.[23][24]
Aliseo picked up 25 German survivors, then proceeded towards
The ships remained on the roads till 18 September, when they entered the harbour in order to receive water and food supplies; on 20 September they left Palermo and reached
For both his achievements in the Battle of the Atlantic and his victorious action off Bastia, Fecia di Cossato was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor.[18][26]
Co-belligerence, insubordination, and death
Based in Taranto, Aliseo carried out numerous escort missions during the co-belligerence between Italy and the Allies, always under Fecia di Cossato's command. In June 1944, the new government chaired by Ivanoe Bonomi refused to swear loyalty to the king; on 22 June Fecia di Cossato, a staunch monarchist, refused in turn to swear loyalty to the new government, which he considered illegitimate.[27] On the same day, Fecia di Cossato was relieved of command, charged with insubordination and imprisoned. His huge popularity, however, led to immediate unrest among the crews of his and other ships, who refused to put to sea and demanded that he be freed and reinstated in his role. Shortly thereafter, Fecia di Cossato was released from prison, but he was given a mandatory three months' leave.[28]
With the armistice and the following events, Fecia di Cossato had seen the ideals that had guided him throughout his life – the
He is buried in Bologna.
Commemoration
A Sauro-class submarine, commissioned in 1980 and decommissioned in 2005, was named after him.
References
Citations
- ^ ISBN 9788804505372.
- ^ a b c d (in Italian) Italian navy website.
- ^ a b TracesOfWar.com
- ^ a b c d Carlo Fecia di Cossato.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Giorgio Giorgerini, Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi, pp. 192-439-449-470-490-497-498-514-515-518-528-551-554.
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September–October 2011, page 38.
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September–October 2011, page 39.
- ^ Goly Maioli, "Squali d'acciaio", Fratelli Melita Editori, La Spezia, 1988 page 165.
- ^ a b Giorgio Giorgerini, Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi, p. 490.
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September–October 2011, page 40.
- ^ Goly Maioli, "Squali d'acciaio", Fratelli Melita Editori, La Spezia, 1988 pag. 169
- ^ Giorgio Giorgerini, Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi, p. 498.
- ^ Ulrich Mohr, Atlantis, Longanesi & C, Milan, 1965, p. 298.
- ^ Ulrich Mohr, Atlantis, Longanesi & C, Milano, 1965, p. 300.
- ^ Ulrich Mohr, Atlantis, Longanesi & C, Milano, 1965, p. 301.
- ^ a b c Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September/October 2011, p. 42.
- ^ Regia Marina Italiana
- ^ a b c d Giorgio Giorgerini, Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi, p. 672-673.
- ^ Carlo Fecia di Cossato
- ^ a b c d Lunasub Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September–October 2011, page 43.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j 9 settembre 1943: l’impresa dell’Aliseo
- ^ Historisches Marinearchiv – F 612.
- ^ a b c Joseph Caruana, Interludio a Malta, on Storia Militare n. 204 – September 2010
- ^ Carlo Fecia di Cossato on the website of the Italian Navy.
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September/October 2011, page 45
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September/October 2011, page 45.
- ^ Orazio Ferrara, "Carlo Fecia di Cossato", on Eserciti nella storia n° 64, September–October 2011, page 46
- ^ La lettera di addio alla madre
Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.