Italian submarine Axum

Axum

Company type	Submarine
Industry	Naval military vessel
Founded	8 February 1936
Headquarters	Monfalcone , Italy

The Italian submarine Axum belonged to the class and was constructed during the 1930s, operating under the ministry of the Regia Marina throughout World War II. Its designation was inspired by the historic city of Axum in Ethiopia.

Design and description

The submarines were essentially iterations of the earlier class. They featured a displacement of approximately 680 long tons (690 t) when surfaced and around 844 long tons (858 t) submerged. The vessels measured about 60.18 meters (197 ft 5 in) in length, with a beam spanning 6.45 meters (21 ft 2 in), and a draft close to 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in).

For propulsion on the surface, these submarines utilized two CRDA diesel engines, each producing roughly 600 bhp and connected to individual propeller shafts. When submerged, propulsion switched to two electric motors rated at approximately 400 hp each, driving the same shafts. This setup enabled a maximum speed of about 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced and around 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) underwater. Their operational range extended to nearly 3,180 nautical miles (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) cruising at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) on the surface, while submerged endurance reached approximately 74 nautical miles (137 km; 85 mi) at a speed of 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).

Armament included six internal torpedo tubes with a diameter of 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in), arranged as four at the bow and two at the stern, carrying a total of twelve torpedoes. Surface combat capability was provided by a single 100 mm /47 caliber deck gun manufactured by Škoda. Additionally, light anti-aircraft defense consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2 mm Breda machine guns for protection against aerial threats.

Construction and career

Axum was constructed at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CRDA) shipyard located in Monfalcone, Italy. The keel was laid on 8 February 1936, and the vessel was launched later that year on 27 September. She officially entered service on 2 December 1936. Following a short period of training, on 20 March 1937, she was assigned to the 23rd Submarine Squadron based in Naples. Between 27 August and 5 September of the same year, Axum undertook a covert operation supporting the Spanish Nationalists in the Strait of Sicily, although no targets were detected during this mission.

From 1937 until 1940, Axum engaged in rigorous training exercises while operating out of Naples. In 1940, she was reassigned to the 71st Squadron (VII Submarine Group) headquartered at Cagliari, yet Naples remained her primary operational base. After Italy entered World War II, her missions predominantly took place in the western sector of the Mediterranean Sea.

In June 1940, Axum was deployed south of Sardinia. Between 4 and 5 July, she patrolled near northern Algeria’s coastline. Subsequently, from 9 to 11 July, she shifted her patrol area to the vicinity of the La Galite and later moved southwest of Sant'Antioco. On the afternoon of 9 November, departing from Cagliari, Axum joined four other submarines—including Alagi and Aradam—to patrol near La Galite as a screening force against British Operation Coat. Later that day, shortly after 19:00 hours, she detected distant engine sounds but was too far away to mount an attack. On 12 November 1940, faint noises were again picked up via her hydrophones; however, the distance still prevented any offensive action. During a patrol south of Sardinia on 27 November at 21:35, three enemy destroyers were spotted, prompting Axum to submerge to avoid detection.

In January 1941, Axum operated along the coasts of Algeria and Tunisia. On 16 June, she was tasked with patrolling between Ras Uleima and Marsa Matruh to prevent British naval bombardments supporting their troops’ retreat. Four days later, orders directed her closer to Benghazi. On the night of 23 June around 22:26, after sighting a westbound ship, Axum launched a torpedo which failed due to erratic running. A second torpedo also missed by passing just aft of the target. The vessel retaliated with gunfire, forcing Axum to dive and endure a brief but intense depth charge attack without sustaining damage. From 19 to 28 July, she patrolled off Tobruk, detecting considerable aerial and naval activity but encountering no attacks.

Following this period, Axum moved to Leros. Upon surfacing there, she was mistakenly identified as hostile and came under fire from a friendly MAS boat armed with machine guns and a torpedo; fortunately, no damage or casualties resulted. Subsequently, she was relocated first to Messina and then in September back to Cagliari. That same month, Axum joined three other submarines (Aradam, Diaspro, and Serpente) in an operation east of the Balearic Islands and south of Menorca aiming to intercept British vessels during Operation Halberd, though no enemy ships passed through their patrol zone. On 24 October, Axum conducted patrols near Malta, followed by December operations off Cape Bougaroun.

On 4 January 1942, Axum was deployed south of Malta with orders to detect and engage British naval forces; however, no contacts were made. February saw her patrolling off Algeria’s coast. Mid-June found her operating in the Ionian Sea before shifting northwest of Algiers. By 22 June she had moved to patrol near Linosa. In July, while patrolling between Cani Island and La Galite on the afternoon of the 15th approximately six miles east of Cani Island, she sighted the destroyer HMS Welshman advancing swiftly toward Malta. At around 20:00 hours, Axum launched three electric torpedoes but failed to score hits due to adverse weather conditions and rough seas.

HMS Nigeria listing after being struck by torpedoes from Axum

In mid-August 1942, Axum participated alongside numerous other submarines in an operation targeting a British convoy involved in Operation Pedestal. A total of fifteen Italian submarines and two German U-boats were deployed across the western Mediterranean with orders to engage any enemy vessels larger than destroyers. Departing Cagliari on 11 August for an area approximately twenty-five miles northwest of Cape Blanc, she arrived on the following day. Early on 12 August at around 6:00 hours, Axum left her designated patrol zone and approached Cape Blanc submerged. At 18:21 hours that evening, convoy silhouettes were spotted; by 18:40 smoke from anti-aircraft fire engaging two aircraft was visible on her right flank. Continuing her approach, at 19:27 she observed a convoy roughly five miles away to her left. By 19:37 observation showed that distance had decreased to approximately four thousand meters with the convoy moving at thirteen knots. At another periscope check at 19:48 a cruiser was selected as target. At about 19:55 from an estimated range of one thousand three hundred meters from the front row of ships and one thousand eight hundred meters from the cruiser itself, Axum fired a salvo of four torpedoes: one straight ahead; one angled five degrees right; one five degrees left; and a final one straight ahead again before rapidly disengaging. Sixty-three seconds post-launch an explosion was heard followed by two more detonations twenty-seven seconds apart. The commanding officer initially believed only two ships had been hit but in fact three vessels sustained damage.

The first torpedo struck the light cruiser HMS Nigeria, flagship for Admiral Harold Burrough, commander of Force X. Moving at fourteen knots when hit, an explosion tore open a thirty-foot-wide breach which disabled electrical systems, flooded boiler compartments, incapacitated pumps, and ignited onboard fires. Fifty-two crew members perished. Despite listing heavily to port initially, the crew stabilized the vessel allowing it to turn back toward Gibraltar escorted by three destroyers where Admiral Burrough transferred his flag to HMS Ashanti. The damaged cruiser underwent repairs in Gibraltar for over a year before returning to service in September 1943. Two additional torpedoes struck light cruiser HMS Cairo, traveling at eight knots; these hits severed her stern including one propeller shaft killing twenty-four crewmen. After evacuation efforts succeeded, HMS Derwent scuttled Cairo with gunfire.

Torpedo from Axum hitting SS Ohio

The fourth torpedo hit the tanker SS Ohio, inflicting severe damage on what was likely the most critical merchant vessel within the convoy as it carried essential fuel supplies for Malta. Despite fires breaking out immediately after impact, within twenty minutes her crew managed to extinguish them allowing continued travel at thirteen knots despite sustained damage. Although subjected to multiple bomb attacks en route, determined crew efforts supported by several escorting destroyers enabled Ohio's successful arrival at Malta on August 15th where after unloading fuel she ultimately sank following structural failure in harbor.

Approximately four and a half minutes after firing torpedoes commenced counterattacks by escorting vessels targeting Axum. At sixty-five meters depth when depth charges began falling around her position she quickly descended further reaching one hundred meters depth as pursuit continued for roughly two hours during which sixty depth charges were expended against her location. Surfacing at around twenty-two fifty hours for damage assessment revealed enemy destroyers nearby prompting immediate submergence followed by movement northward underwater. The submarine surfaced again at approximately one thirty hours on August fourteenth despite damage preventing dives below forty meters but remained on patrol within assigned sector over subsequent two days before returning safely to base at Trapani on August fifteenth at nineteen thirty hours.

During October and November of that year she conducted patrols around Balearic Islands waters where on November seventh enemy vessels were sighted resulting in detection forcing emergency diving maneuvers amidst heavy depth charge barrages causing some structural harm leading her withdrawal from patrol area two days later.

In February 1943 operations focused within Gulf of Sirte without encountering shipping traffic while on April eleventh severe storms off Sardinia caused flooding disabling both periscopes necessitating mission abandonment for return repairs.

On July twenty-first while transiting from La Spezia toward La Maddalena near coordinates 42°35′N 08°38′E, approximately five miles northwest of Calvi in Corsica's Haute-Corse department she was detected by British submarine Templar which launched seven torpedoes during multiple attack runs all failing to strike their mark.

At Italy's armistice announcement on September eighth 1943 Axum was docked at Gaeta undergoing diesel engine repairs. Early next day German forces attempted seizure of vessels moored there but by two fifteen hours Axum, operating only one engine managed escape sailing toward Montecristo island where she remained overnight. On September tenth she reached Portoferraio then proceeded onward to Palermo for further repairs before sailing onward to Malta.

Departing Malta on October ninth bound for Taranto she underwent additional maintenance including restoration work on second engine. For remainder of conflict she performed infiltration missions transporting spies and sabotage teams between German-occupied territories and Italian-controlled ports.

During one such mission beginning December twenty-fifth leaving Taranto en route for spy recovery operations off Gulf of Kyparissia, Axum arrived at rendezvous point along western coast of Morea late evening December twenty-seventh awaiting transfer via sailboat when drifting toward shore ran aground upon uncharted rocks. Unable to free herself despite all efforts by afternoon December twenty-eighth crew scuttled submarine using explosive charges near Kaiafas beach located at coordinates 37°31′N 21°35′E. Crew alongside spies spent subsequent month evading capture within mountainous terrain surrounding Morea before finally being rescued near Marathopolis (present-day part of Gargalianoi) close to Proti Island by escort vessel Ardimentoso at January's end.

References

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini ad oggi (Second ed.). Mondadori. ISBN 8804505370.
• Colombo, Lorenzo. "R. Smg. Axum". Regia Marina Italiana. Retrieved 30 January 2024.

External links

• Regia Marina The Italian Navy during the Second World War