ptdockyard

Thank you!

I was wondering if the members here could help me solve a mystery. Here are two photos that show a CAM 41 magnetic mine hunting ship "Santa Rita" (DM 40) in Genoa in 1944. I do not see her in Groener's anywhere listed in German service and she is not listed in Cernuchi's book "Black Phoenix " on the RSI Navy. Can anyone shed light on who was operating this ship in 1944 and any other details such as dimensions or armament? Thank you! Dave G

Does anyone have a drawing showing this destroyer as she was originally designed or (better yet) the planned conversion by the Regina Marina in 1941-42? Any sketch/drawing/photo of a model is appreciated! Thanks! Dave G

Try these forum topics on the Paulba Forum: http://www.paluba.info/smf/index.php/topic,1216.0.html http://www.paluba.info/smf/index.php/topic,1059.0.html

Groener's lists this ship as being built in Solimano shipyard in Savona. Are there records of the ships that were built there in this time period? Groener di dice che questa nave è stata costruita nel cantiere navale di Solimano a Savona. Ci sono registrazioni delle navi che ci sono state costruite in questo periodo di tempo? Dave

Thank you. It could be French. After reading your response I also am thinking it may be a fictional name if the ship is a Q-ship. A Q-ship in the Western Mediterranean in 1944-45 seems odd to begin with. The Germans used decoy schooners with some success in the Aegean but on the whole these ships were not successful in WW2. Thanks for the information! Dave

I have been researching German U-Falle/Q-ships lately and ran across an entry in my Groener's "Deutsche Kriegschiffe" V. 8 page 539 about a 400 ton Italian ship "Capitano Pitou" that looks like it was modified as a submarine decoy/Q-ship with 1-90mm, a 37mm gun plus two torpedo tubes. It appears it may have been in the Western Mediterranean if it ever reached service. Does anyone have any information on this ship or pictures by any chance? Thank you, Dave G

Qualcuno ha qualche immagine o fotografia della nave "Mille Miglia IV"? Lei è stato utilizzato dalla Regia Marina come AS10 partire nel 1940. Grazie! Dave

Thank you!

I ran across this page tonight with a picture and caption: http://www.kaskus.co.id/thread/5244031b148b467116000004/bwk-warning-pics-regio-esercito-during-ww-ii/1 "During his 90 year of history the Italian Air Force employed not only aircraft but also some boat mostly used in attendance to seaplane units in the air harbor. In this photo a high-sea rescue motorboat Rama (Motoscafo Soccorso d'Alto Mare Regia Aeronautica) employed by the Regia Aeronautica around later Thirties/early Forties XX Century in the air harbor of Cadimare, near La Spezia, Liguria. This motorboat were able to afford the sea in gale and strong gale conditions. During the East African Campaign, on Summer 1940 three Regia Aeronautica’s motorboat was allocated to Regia Marina (Italian Navy) as reinforcement of the torpedo boat’s line somewhat tatty of the XXI Squadriglia MAS, at Massawa, Eritrea. The Air Force’s boats was modified in loco with torpedo and depth charges. Victor Sierra" Can anyone provide more details on these craft? What about the one mentioned that is turned into a motor torpedo boat in Massawa? Thank you Dave G

Here is a picture of the Yacht Pertinace in Corsica in 1942 Can anyone identify the two vessels on either side? Thank you, Dave G

How was the escort gunboat ERNESTO GIOVANNINI armed from 1940-43? Were any light guns and depth charges added to her armament? Thank you David Gregory The PT Dockyard

There is a nice picture of one of these on this forum: http://www.forum-mar...ic,17729.0.html Can anyone offer a descrition of ehat these ships did and how many there were? Dave G The PT Dockyard

There is a partial list of VAP boats here on this forum: http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php...ic,14321.0.html Dave G

OK The numbers may have been different but it does look like the type was used by the Germans per the photos. Were there only twelve boats of this type? Were you going to comment on the FORUM-Marinearchive thread? It would be intersting to see you compare data. Dave G The PT Dockyard

Thanks! :s20: Here is a boat that looks like it has similar lines, especially the very pointed bow-- the AS20 Lombardi Was she in the area possibly? Did she have any sister ships? Dave G The PT Dockyard

Several of these were captured and used by the Germans Two in Cannes (FCa 02 ex italien 824 et FCa 03 ex Italien 817) six in Nice (FNi 03 ex italien 820, FNi 04 ex Italien 821, FNi 05 ex Italien 823, FNi 06 ex Italien 822, FNi 07 ex Italien 814 et FNi 08 ex Italien 819). Yesterday I found out that two were sunk in gun actions with PT Boats: From "At Close Quarter's" by Robert Bulkeley we find this account of the actions: "On the night of July 15/16, Lt. Stanley Livingston, Jr., USNR, in Ens. Aalton D. Monaghan's PT 558, a Thunderbolt boat, led PT 552 (Lt. Carl A. Whitman, USNR) and PT 555 (Ens. Howard H. Boyle, Jr., USNR), 40mm. boats, on patrol off the French coast with the British destroyers Terpsichore and Kimberley. Near Nice the group picked up two small radar targets, one of which the destroyers sank by 4.7-inch gunfire. Comdr. A. C. Banague, RN, tactical commander of the group, in the Terpsichore, ordered the PT's to attack the second target. The PT's closed the target, a 70-foot patrol craft, and made three firing runs on it at a range of about 500 yards. At the end of the runs the target was still underway but appeared to be out of control. Livingston brought the 558 alongside and found one badly wounded man on deck and two dead below. The all-metal hull of the patrol craft had taken some twenty-five 40mm. hits, seventy 20mm. hits, and over two hundred 50-caliber hits, and was listing badly. The 558 took off the wounded man and all documents aboard, including a photograph of the boat with a crew of seven men. Apparently some of the crew had gone over the side, but none could be found. The 558 pulled away and PT 552 sank the vessel with 40mm. fire. (DG Note- This was FNi07) Two nights later Lieutenant Livingston, again in Ensign Monaghan's PT 558, with two 40mm. boats, Ens. J. L. McCullough, Jr.'s PT 561, and Ens. Robert F. Morton's PT 562, found a similar patrol craft 3 miles east of Antibes. The boats fired at it for 5 minutes at a range of 250 yards. Then Morton took the 562 alongside and found one badly wounded man and three dead on deck, all grouped around the patrol craft's forward 20mm. gun. The 562 took off the wounded man and pulled away. Three minutes later the vessel capsized and sank." (DG Note- This was FNi06) The source on the German boats is here: http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php....msg172315.html Interesting stuff. :s41: Dave G

Here is a picture of Derna harbor showing German S-boats camouflaged with sheets In the lower right we can see at least one small patrol boat with a gun platform forward of the bridge Does anyone have any further information on what this craft is? I assume it is an Italian patrol craft of some kind. Dave G

YES! A picture of the deck of one of the landing traboccli! :s20: Is there anything on the trabaccoli used in the Adriatic as N.A.P. = Natante antipartigiano or V.A.P. — Vigilanza antipartigiana? These seeme to have been active 1942-43 against Yugoslavian partisans. I have read that many of these were Trabaccoli armored with plate and barrels and armed with machine guns and light cannon (47mm). Here are a few actions that involved Italian VAP boats in 1943 7.February-anti-partisan ship NAP 2 attacked, killed commander of Metkovic port 4.May- anti-partisan ship NAP 19 was attacked during patrol near Hvar island 13.May- anti-partisan ship NAP 9 was attacked during patrol near Hvar island 12.June VAP 36 attacked in Velebit channel 28.June-anti-partisan ship VAP 19 attacked from the coast 12.July-in Zarace bay(Hvar island) VAP 17 attacked,1 soldier killed Here is most detailed study prepared and published by Vojnoistorijski Institut (Institute for Military History) in 1976 and covering all activities of Italian Army in territories under its command. Period covered January-September 1943. Data based on official documents of Kingdom of Italy in that period (Jan-Sep 1943). http://www.znaci.net/00001/4_13_3_1.pdf Besides other military activities, there are specified activities of all N.A.P. and V.A.P. craft. Dave G

:s20: Excellent! Is it possible to enlarge any of these photos? Also, what wre the dimensions of these craft? Dave G

This looks like an interesting exhibit at a museum in Italy. Too bad I can't make it over :s06: AIDMEN Dave G.

Here is a picture from Paluba Forum of Tripoli Harbor in early 1943. Of the three ships on the right side of the picture I think the middle one is Lago Zuai or her sister. Dave G

Here is an interesting post on a Yugoslavian Forum about a Guardia di Finaza boat that ended up in the Partisan "Tiger Fleet." http://www.paluba.info/smf/index.php?topic=1059.75 Dave G.

A nice little video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2fAYwtsJwY...feature=related Dave G

Here is what I think is a VAP It is from HERE http://www.lapiazza.rn.it/piazza/modules/n...php?storyid=770 Here are a few actions that involved Italian VAP boats in 1943 7.February-anti-partisan ship NAP 2 attacked, killed commander of Metkovic port 4.May- anti-partisan ship NAP 19 was attacked during patrol near Hvar island 13.May- anti-partisan ship NAP 9 was attacked during patrol near Hvar island 12.June VAP 36 attacked in Velebit channel 28.June-anti-partisan ship VAP 19 attacked from the coast 12.July-in Zarace bay(Hvar island) VAP 17 attacked,1 soldier killed Does anyone have any further details on these actions or any others involving Italian naval forces and Partisans? Dave G The PT Dockyard