Sommergibili U 205, URGE, ARGONAUTA 2°

[Platon Alexiades]

Dear Franco,

 

Since the minefield off Haifa was never laid (no mines were located in the area), we can assume that FOCA was lost before reaching Haifa. Therefore the possibility that she was lost at Ras Hilal is unlikely and I am afraid the "evidence" presented is not at all convincing. Of course, with a lot of imagination anything is possible! 

 

 

The same can be said with all the other supposed "discoveries" (HMS URGE, ARGONAUTA, PICCI FASSIO, etc.). People who take these seriously should perhaps assist in the identification of the 8 submarines "found" with the same methods at Tabarka. This will be very amusing but it is a waste of time.

 

All the best,

 

Platon

[Francesco Mattesini]

Caro Platon

 

E' vero che le mine non sono mai state trovate presso Haifa, ma neppure il FOCA é stato trovato, e se come dici tu é affondato durante il trasferimento verso le coste palestinesi allora occorerebbe  conoscere se vi é stata qualche azione britannica, che possa convalidarlo.

 

Come tu sai io non condivido l'idea che sommergibili possano sparire, non per causa di guerra.

 

Quello ché é certo é che al rientro dalla missione doveva passare per Ras el Tin, per poi dirigere verso Ras el Hilal, ma non é neppure detto che sia affondato in questa zona di mare.

 

Cordialmente.

 

Franco

[Platon Alexiades]

Dear Franco,

 

There were a number of attacks on submarines on 10 October 1940 that could have been on Foca:

 

At 1240 GMT, a Swordfish of 813 Squadron (HMS Eagle) attacked a submarine with four 100 lb bombs in 35°40' N, 20°20' E. Attacked believed to have inflicted little or no damage.

There is also mention of an attack by Swordfish at 1432 in 35°37' N, 19°54' E but this may be an error and refers to the same attack.

At 1600, the destroyer HMAS Vampire attacked an ASDIC contact with four patterns of depth charges (in all 26) in 35°33' N, 20°01' E.

At 1825, the destroyer HMS Defender attacked and ASDIC contact with a pattern of depth charges and HMAS Vampire later joined in the attack (35°38' N, 19°45' E). No result observed.

 

If any of these attacks were genuine then the submarine could only be Foca as no other Italian submarine was in the area. However, Foca had sailed from Taranto at 1850/10 October and was to pass through 34°00' N, 23°30' E on her way to Haifa. If she had proceeded in a straight line then she would have passed some 70 miles east of the attacks reported by the British thus I have some doubts if the attacks by the British were on a genuine submarine. As I have mentioned before, many attacks on submarines during the war were bogus and one can often prove that no submarine was in the vicinity. So I am not absolutely convinced of the validity of the British claims.

 

Foca could have sunk from the accidental explosion of one of her mines. You will note that Atropo had two premature explosions of her mines on 28 October and after that Italian submarines were no longer used in a minelaying role. 

 

Finally, I would point out that Foca was not supposed to go to Ras Hilal but to follow the Libyan coast at a distance of about 15 miles until off Ras Hilal so the theory that she was lost in the bay of Ras Hilal is far-fetched and anyway everything seems to point out that she was lost before reaching Haifa.

 

All the best,

 

Platon

[Francesco Mattesini]

Caro Platon,

 

come sempre sei stato convincente, e a questo punto non ho nulla da dire per contrastare delle tue tesi. Bertini  da affondato il FOCA per esplosione di una delle sue mine tra il 12 e il 15 ottobre in un punto situato a cdirca miglia 6  per 267° da Capo Carmelo (Palestina). Ritengo che anche Misson debbe rivedere i suoi conti.

 

Ti ringrazio per le informazioni,

 

Tanti saluti di Buon Anno

 

Franco