Platon Alexiades Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 (edited) On 24 October 1943, the Italian freighter Fulgor was victim of an explosion in Cadiz (Spain) [Fulgor had been used as a supply ship by the submarine Sciré in 1941 for operations of the Decima Flottiglia MAS]. Can anyone elaborate if this explosion was an attempt to scuttle the ship or was an external act of sabotage? Who carried it out? Many thanks. Platon Edited March 19, 2017 by Platon Alexiades sandokan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuseppe Garufi Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 This is the FULGOR ? ... da http://www.aukevisser.nl/inter/id439.htm Platon Alexiades and sandokan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danilo Pellegrini Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 (edited) La scheda della nave è quella; hai dubbi su un possibile scambio di foto ? Quello da te citato è un sito ufficiale della ESSO. L'errore comunemente commesso è invece quello di nominarla come motocisterna, in realtà una pirocisterna, dotata di macchina a vapore a quadruplice espansione di 2200 CI, costruita dallo Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino. Altra foto della FULGOR in: http://www.naviearmatori.net/ita/foto-4614-4.html Edited March 24, 2017 by Danilo Pellegrini sandokan, Giuseppe Garufi and Platon Alexiades 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 FULGOR was actually an undercover submarine support ship for the Italian subs operating in the Atlantic Ocean. She had been at Huelva, just outside the Straits, on 10 June 1940, and was switched to Cadiz on 29 July for just that purpose. Her conventional name was "Base C". She had stocks of torpedoes, oil, diesel oil, other materials and victuals on board: torpedoes and victuals were dispatched from Italy, while the fuel came from other Italian merchant ships interned in Spanish harbours. The SLC operators for operation "B.G. 3" against Gibraltar were sent by air to Spain on 14 May 1941 and then went on board FULGOR, which was fitted with pipes on each side and joints able to mate with the fuel and water intakes installed on Italian submarines. At the time of SCIRE's third sortie, she had on board 450 tons of diesel oil, 20/30 tons of lubricating oil, 10 W 6,8 type A and B torpedoes, 10 W 7,2 type F torpedoes, 12,000 special rations and distilled water enough for one replenishment. SCIRE' left La Spezia on 15 May 1941 and moored on the port side of FULGOR at Cadiz at 23.30 of 23 May. She embarked the SLC operators, which checked their mounts and their equipment brought by the sub; she also took in fresh victuals and made good some small repairs, while her crew had a hot shower on board the depot ship, sailing before first light. This same method was repeated for operation "B.G. 4": the operators came in by air on 14 Sept. 1941 and embarked on FULGOR, by now used as support ship for SCIRE', which left La Spezia on 10 September and reached Cadiz in the night 17/18. SCIRE' then left the Cadiz roads with the four SLC crews (one as a spare crew) on board. The "Gamma men" operation "G.G. 1" against Gibraltar was also supported by FULGOR. 12 operators were sent to Spain, one half by land route from Betasom via St. Jean de Luz and Pyrenaic mountain tracks with Italian Navy guides, the other half on board S/S MAURO CROCE to Barcelona where they left the ship posing as deserting sailors; then all were taken on board FULGOR, from which they switched to tanker OLTERRA laid up in Algeciras on 11/12 July for the Gibralter raid on 14 July. For operation "G.G 2" in September 1942, 2 operators reached Barcelona on board S/S MAURO CROCE, deserting and then reaching OLTERRA, while 3 others were chosen among the 7 operators of "G.G. 1" detained by the Spanish carabineros, being replaced in the Spanish barracks by three sailors from FULGOR. In the light of all this, in my opinion the 24 October 1943 sabotage can best be attributed to Repubblica Sociale/Decima Mas or Betasom agents operating once again with the tacit support of the Spanish authorities, which wanted to prevent the Decima Mas materials left on board from falling into Allied hands. From USMM "I mezzi d'assalto", 1972 sandokan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 FULGOR was a tanker built by Cantieri Navali della Spezia, completed in June, 1922, 6,554 grt, delivered in 1926 to "La Columbia" Soc. Marittima per il Trasporto di Petroli e Derivati, Genoa. She was returned, along with other Italian merchant ships interned in Spanish Atlantic and Canaries islands ports since June 1940, to the Italian government in 1944 via the Allies. She became ESSO TRIESTE in 1951 for the same owner, and was broken up in La Spezia from 3 Nov. 1953. sandokan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platon Alexiades Posted March 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 Dear Francesco, Danilo and Giuseppe, Many thanks for your contribution. One comment: although the sabotage may well be attributed to members of Decima Mas, I think there is a possibility that it was the work of the German Abwehr. A week later, an attempt was apparently made by the Germans on the Italian tanker Lavoro in Cartagena. Possibly the Fulgor attack was also made by German saboteurs. All the best, Platon Danilo Pellegrini and Giuseppe Garufi 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 Dear Francesco, Danilo and Giuseppe, Many thanks for your contribution. One comment: although the sabotage may well be attributed to members of Decima Mas, I think there is a possibility that it was the work of the German Abwehr. A week later, an attempt was apparently made by the Germans on the Italian tanker Lavoro in Cartagena. Possibly the Fulgor attack was also made by German saboteurs. All the best, Platon LAVORO, a motor tanker of Achille Lauro built in 1938 (launch 18.9.1938 and delivery 29.1.1939) by CRDA at Cantiere San Marco, Trieste, 7,886 grt, in the night 10/11 June 1940 was about to cross the Straits of Gibraltar coming in from Venezuela with a full oil cargo, when she was intercepted by British craft together with OLTERRA, PAGAO and LIBANO, and brought into the Gibraltar roads. LIBANO was held there after an aborted scuttling attempt, while OLTERRA and PAGAO went into Algeciras roads and scuttled themselves in shallow waters there. LAVORO was anchored outside the seaward mole with a British armed guard on board; her skipper managed to cut off her anchor unnoticed, leaving the currents to have her drift toward the Spanish coast, where she grounded 3 miles off Algeciras. In 1942 Achille Lauro was barely able to prevent the Italian government (Foreign Minister Ciano in particular) from selling her to Spain (probably with a German charter in mind). She remained there until 1944, when she was released from Spain like FULGOR and taken over by the Gibraltar authorities, being sailed with an Italian scratch crew made up from former PoWs. So I don't think the attempt, if any, was made in Cartagena, rather in Algeciras itself. Source: Tobia Costagliola, "La flotta che visse due volte. Storia delle navi di Achille Lauro", Armando Editore, 2013. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danilo Pellegrini Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) In the light of all this, in my opinion the 24 October 1943 sabotage can best be attributed to Repubblica Sociale/Decima Mas or Betasom agents operating once again with the tacit support of the Spanish authorities, which wanted to prevent the Decima Mas materials left on board from falling into Allied hands. Quella della X^ è un ipotesi plausibile ma è da tener presente che, dopo la resa dell'Italia, anche la sezione spagnola dell'Abwehr al comando del capitano Fritz Hummel si era attivata sabotando navi italiane nei porti di Huelva, Cadice, Cartagena, Barcellona e Vigo, per impedire che si dirigessero verso porti alleati. In particolare l'allegato rapporto del US Army Military Intelligence Service riferisce che: shortly after the surrender of Italy at the end of 1943 … another successful sabotage mission executed in Cadiz in the Summer of 1943 was the damaging of an italian freighter by means of a magnetic mine ... https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/HUMMEL,%20FRIEDRICH_0009.pdf Edited March 20, 2017 by Danilo Pellegrini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platon Alexiades Posted March 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 Dear Danilo and Francesco, Many thanks for the Fritz Hummel testimony. It is unfortunate that he does not give the names and dates of the vessels which were targeted.I am attaching pages from the Admiralty War Diaries which refer to an attempt on Lavoro (apparently the saboteurs were based on the German freighter Lipari). These sabotage attacks are not as well known as those of the Decima Mas Flottiglia. Perhaps some details can be found in the Abwehr ULTRA decrypts at the National Archives (HW19 series). Many of them originated from the Abwehr K.O. Spanien. Unfortunately, they are not available in digital format and require quite a bit of patience to get through. All the best, Platon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 LIPARI, 1,943 grt/1930, owner Sloman of Hamburg, had sailed from Genoa on 2 August 1939 on her home return trip. She put into Cartagena on 25 August and into Malaga on 26 August, where her skipper required a written order from the local German consul not to sail again, while at the same time trying to get coal enough for her home journey, but the existing stocks only came up to 140 tons, while foodstuffs and drinking water were also in short supply. From the German embassy in Madrid came the request to transfer her coal cargo to the OTTO LEONHARDT, 3,682 grt/1911, Leonhardt & Blumberg, also in Malaga at the same time (arrived from Rotterdam via Oran). After the British entry into the war on 3 September, it was too late to attempt anything, and the rigid attitude of the German representative in Spain had prevented any attempt at homecoming on her part. She was laid up in the outer harbour on 28 October. She was then earmarked on 18.4.1940 to be employed as a stationary Mediterranean U-Boat refuelling ship in Cartagena (Etappen U-Boot-Versorger), but was never employed as such; delivered by Spain to Great Britain as a war prize on 24 July 1945, taking the MoWT name EMPIRE GARSTON. Sources: - Cai Boie, Bernd Oesterle, "Die deutsche Handelschiffahrt bei Kriegsausbruch 1939", Elbe-Spree Verlag, 2000 - Ludwig Dinklage, Hans Juergen Witthoeft "Die deutsche Handelsflotte 1939-1945. Die Schicksale aller Seeschiffe ueber 100 BRT", Nikol Verlag, 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 The Italian merchant ships held in Spanish harbours outside the Mediterranean on 10 June 1940 were: - ARCOLA 6,349 grt Canary Islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, later to Sao Vicente, Cabo Verde islands, returned to UK 13 Apr. 1944 - ATLANTA 4,404 grt Canary Islands, Las Palmas, blockade runner to Bordeaux 29 May/14 June 194 1 - BURANO 4,450 grt Canary Islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, blockade runner to St. Nazaire 1/21 April 1941 - CAPO ALGA 4,723 grt Canary Islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, blockade runner to Nantes 1/18 Ju ne 1941 - CAPO LENA 4,820 grt, Atlantic coast, Vigo, to Bordeaux 27 Febr. 1941 - CELLINA, 6,086 grt, captured at Gibraltar, MoWT EMPIRE SAILOR - CLIZIA 3,698 grt Atlantic coast, Gijòn, to Bordeaux 9 Febr. 1941 - DREPANUM 2,736 grt Atlantic coast, El Ferròl, to Bordeaux March 1942 - DUCHESSA D'AOSTA 7,872 grt S.ta Isabel/Fernando Po, tried to run the blockade, intercepted in Gulf of Guinea by British forces Jan. 1942 - EDERA 5,254 grt Atlantic coast, La Coruna, interned to Sept. 1943, returned 24 Dec. 1943 in Allied employ - ERNANI 6,619 grt Canary islands, Las Palmas, tried to run the blockade toward Bordeaux 25 June 1941, torpedoed & sunk by U.103 by mistake 28 June 1941 - EUGENIO C. 4,078 grt Atlantic coast, El Ferròl, to St. Nazaire 14 June 1941 - FIDELITAS 5,740 grt Atlantic coast, La Coruna, Sept. 1940 to El Ferròl, to Bordeaux in 1942 (more) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 - GAETA, 4,457 grt, Atlantic coast, Huelva, returned on 15 Oct. 1943 - GIANNA M., 5,719 grt, Canary islands, Las Palmas, tried to run the blockade to Bordeaux on 23 April 1941, captured by AMC HILARY on 11 May 1941 - IDA, 6,131 grt, Canary islands, Las Palmas, blockade runner to Bordeaux 29 May/17 June 1941 - LIBANO, 1,592 grt, captured at Gibraltar after an aborted scuttling attempt, MoWT EMPIRE RESISTANCE (she was at Omaha Beach, by the way, as we shall see better in the next Bollettino) - LUCIA C., 6,123 grt, Atlantic coast, Vigo, returned to Gibraltar by 8 Febr. 1944 - PAGAO, 6,101 grt, at Algeciras, scuttled, wreck sold to Spain and later salved - POLLENZO, 6,470 grt, sabotaged and captured at Gibraltar - RECCO, 5,595 grt, Canary islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, tried to run the blockade to St. Nazaire on 19 Apr. 1941, scuttled 3 May 1941 to avoid capture by AMC HILARY - SANGRO, 6,466 grt, Canary islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, tried to run the blockade 19 April 1941, captured by AMC CAMITO on 6 May 1941, sunk by U-97 - TAIGETE, 4,672 grt, Canary islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, returned after 8 September 1943 to UK control - TODARO, 5,162 grt, Canary islands, S.ta Cruz de Tenerife, blockade runner to St. Nazaire then Bordeaux 26 May to 18 June 1941 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 So as you see we have as possible targets EDERA in La Coruna, FULGOR in Cadiz, LAVORO in Algeciras or Cartagena, GAETA in Huelva, LUCIA C. at Vigo. About Barcelona I have no info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platon Alexiades Posted March 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 Dear Francesco, Many thanks for these fascinating details. As far as I know Abwehr records have not survived but some members were interrogated as Fritz Hummel (courtey of Danilo Pellegrini) and perhaps a search of the HW19 files will be useful. Next visit at TNA hopefully! All the best, Platon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesco De Domenico Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Foto del piroscafo LIPARI, da Cai Boie-Bernd Oesterle, "Die deutsche Handelsschiffahrt bei Kriegsaubruch 1939", Elbe- Spree Verlag, 2000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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