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Platon, forse, potrà fornirci qualche dettaglio in più in merito alla notizia pubblicata ieri sul sito della rete televisiva nazionale maltese da Mario Xuereb: "WWII mystery solved – HMS Urge discovered off Malta A marine archaeology survey team from the University of Malta, working in co-operation with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, has located the wreck of the British WW2 submarine HMS Urge off the coast of Malta. Results from this search have established beyond doubt that on 27th April 1942 HMS Urge struck a German mine when leaving the British submarine base at the height of the siege of Malta by German and Italian forces in WW2. The wreck of the submarine stands upright and proud at a depth of 108m on the seabed, her deck gun facing forward. Professor Timmy Gambin, from the University’s Department of Classics & Archaeology, led the survey team, whose discovery finally resolves the question of how one of Britain’s most successful WW2 submarines was lost. The search team consisted of maritime archaeology staff and students from the University of Malta and a number of sub-contracted vessels. The submarine had a crew of 32 but was also carrying 11 other naval personnel and a journalist to her destination of Alexandria. German and Italian bombing of Malta had damaged the Maltese base of the Royal Navy’s 10th Submarine Flotilla too severely for operations to continue, despite its many successes against enemy vessels supplying Rommel’s Afrika Corps. This departure should have allowed her crew some respite after the most intense warfare experienced by British submarines in WW2, but fate dictated that her path met a mine laid by German E boats on her course in the channel out of Malta. She sank quickly with no survivors. In the spring of 1942 the Maltese Islands were so heavily bombed that the 10th Submarine Flotilla known as the Fighting 10th were ordered to leave Malta and set up base in Alexandria. They left periodically leaving a number of hours in between departures – HMS Urge departed sometime in April but never arrived in Alexandria. Speaking to TVM, Prof. Gambin said that “the damage to the bow shows a very violent explosion where the entire bow section is detached from the rest of the submarine, indicating that the ship would have sunk very fast giving no chance to anybody to survive from this tragedy.” The distinctive features of HMS Urge have been identified by comparing strikingly clear images of the wreck with wartime photographs. Spellbinding images of the submarine show her standing defiant after more than 77 years underwater, accommodating a multitude of marine life whilst maintaining the vigilant stance for which she was so widely acclaimed. The bows of the submarine lie buried in the seabed following the impact of her descent from the surface. “Besides the damage on the bow, the wreck is in absolutely fantastic condition, it is sitting upright on the sea-bed, very proud, in the direction that it was ordered to take on its way to Alexandria. It is actually quite a poignant vision to see this submarine still upright and proud”, said Prof. Gambin. HMS Urge’s captain was Lieutenant-Commander EP Tomkinson, DSO, RN, and in WW2 the submarine earned renown for successfully attacking an enemy battleship, cruiser, and merchant ships. HMS Urge also landed British commandos in special operations, as well as participating in secret missions involving British Secret Intelligence Service agents on enemy coasts. Her disappearance in 1942 had long been a mystery. The search team was working for a research project led by Professor Gambin, Francis Dickinson and Platon Alexiades. Francis Dickinson is a grandson of Lieutenant-Commander Tomkinson, who provided information on HMS Urge and lead financial sponsorship of the project, and Platon Alexiades, an experienced naval researcher from Montreal, Canada with critical insight into relevant military records of WW2, who also sponsored the project. The sponsorship agreement was facilitated through the University of Malta’s Research and Innovation Trust (RIDT). Having reviewed materials relating to the discovery, the UK Ministry of Defence has approved the research project’s conclusion that the wreck discovered is that of HMS Urge. Professor Timmy Gambin told TVM that “some time ago there was a claim that HMS Urge was discovered off Libya. This claim was based on a single sonar image but never verified through footage and photography. With the data that we gathered, we were able to put together a very comprehensive package comparing what we observed in our sonar data, in our video footage, from our photographs and compared these to actual historic photographs of the Urge and we were in little doubt with regard to the actual ID of the submarine but to be absolutely certain we sent this package to the Ministry of Defence who confirmed that they are very satisfied with the research that we have done, and with our claim.” The wreck site is a war grave and will be protected under Maltese and international legislation. “In collaboration with Heritage Malta and the Superintendence [of Cultural Heritage] we will now start the motion to protect this site. We will declare the area an area of archaeological importance, meaning that certain activities such as bottom fishing and anchoring will not be allowed in its proximity so that we will actually protect the physical aspect of the site. The site is also a war grave so any access to the site, such as diving or exploration from the outside will have to be done in a very careful and meticulous way.” The crew of HMS Urge had formed bonds with the people of Malta, and the submarine is now a war grave as well as part of Malta’s cultural heritage. A memorial and public information on HMS Urge are now planned for April 2020 on the 78th anniversary of the loss of HMS Urge. Lieutenant-Commander Tomkinson’s daughter, Mrs.Bridget Dickinson, hopes that families of those lost will be able to join a commemoration in Malta". Link all'articolo: https://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/wwii-mystery-solved-hms-urge-discovered-off-malta/ Alla luce di quanto affermato nell'intervista dal Prof. Gambin sembrerebbero esserci pochi dubbi in merito all'identificazione del relitto. Link al servizio televisivo con parte del girato relativo al relitto: https://media.tvm.com.mt/16958960.ihtml/player.html?source=embed&photo_id=57209120&tvm_location=News_Clip Crediti immagini e video Television Malta

Pubblico qui un breve abstract del pezzo di Daniele Gatti e Giovanni Massimello comparso su "Storia Militare" di aprile 2016, in quanto contiene riferimenti e riconoscimenti ai contributi di ricerca pubblicati qui di recente da Jean-Pierre Misson e Francesco Mattesini, nonché al nostro forum. Il nostro thread è questo: http://www.aidmen.it/topic/91-sommergibili-u-205-urge-argonauta-2°/

Platon e Jean-Pierre Per l’ARGONAUTA ho portato le varie versione di Bertini e Capone, per avere un quadro di opinioni, che si basano sulle informazioni richieste all’Ammiragliato Britannico. Anche nel libro dell’USMM “Navi Militari perdute”, 5^ Edizione, è scritto (p. 47): ”… è emerso che assai probabilmente il Smg ARGONAUTA incappò il mattino del 29 giugno 1940, nel punto sopraindicato, in una formazione di Ct inglesi di cui facevano parte i Ct DAINTY, DEFENDER, DECOY, VOYAGER e ILEX che lo sottoposero a violento bombardamento determinandone l’affondamento”, in lat. 35°24’N, long. 20°10’E. Poco dopo, quasi nella stessa zona, i Ct affondarono anche il sommergibile UEBI SCEBELI. Nel libro della Sezione Storica dell’Ammiragliato “Enemy Attack on Shipping 1939-45” (pag. 279), la versione dell’affondamento dell’ARGONAUTA, su cui mi sono fidato per fare il mio saggio sul Bolletiino, è la seguente: “28 June, ARGONAUTA, Air Patrol, Aircraft 230 Squadron, R.A.F., Sunderland, 35°24’N, 19°00’N, Central Mediterraneon”. Lo stesso riporta Hermom Gill in “Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942”, pag. 168; e J.Rohwer e G. Hummelchen, “Cronology of the War at Sea”, pag. 40. Personalmente credo anch’io al successo sull’ARGONAUTA da attribuire al Sunderland in lat. 35°24’N, long. 19°00’E, ma c’è tanta confusione che posso anche sbagliarmi, e siano stati i cacciatorpediniere della 2^ Flottiglia, in lat. 35°16’N, long. 20°20’E, posizioni comunque lontane da Ras el Hilal, dove sta il relitto dei un sommergibile. Non credo all’incidente, dato che di notte dopo la partenza da Tobruk, l’ARGONAUTA doveva navigare in superficie sulla rotta costiera fino a Ras el Hilal. Al limite si fermava, ma non certamente in immersione. Inoltre vicino a Capo Ras el Hilal non significa che al momento dell’attacco dell’aereo si trovasse nel Golfo di Ras el Hilal. Non mi fido di ricostruzioni fatte ad arte in qualche recente libro, consultando qualcuno che, probabilmente, dato il tempo trascorso, ricorda male. Come la storia di un superstite che non è stata mai provata. Per l’URGE rimango della mia opinione, e nessuno può smontarla, a meno che si dimostri che l’attacco al SAN GIUSTO, in emersione con il cannone, e l’attacco degli aerei è stato portato contro un altro sommergibile britannico, e non credo che ci sia. Sappiamo di navi che sebbene non siano state colpite in pieno dalle bombe si sono perdute per i danni riportati nelle concussioni delle esplosioni, e un’avaria al timone o alle macchine in immersione è fatale. Il fatto è che per le missioni del m/v SAN GIUSTO non c’è nulla nelle Cartelle dell’Archivio US. è normale trattandosi di piccole unità dimenticate. Fa testo comunque il DIARIO DI SUPERMARINA che parla di attacco al SAN GIUSTO con il cannone. Sull’U 205 sono perfettamente in linea con Jean-Pierre e credo anche Platon, essendo lui che ci ha dato la versione del rimorchio in quella zona da parte della corvetta GLOXINIA. Resta sempre il mistero del relitto del 3° Sommergibile, se si esclude, come sembra probabile, l’ARGONAUTA. Comunque soltanto conoscendo le coordinate del relitto, cosa molto delicata per Jean-Pierre, potremmo arrivare a una conclusione, altrimenti restano soltanto discussioni. Francesco Mattesini

HM submarine Urge had a very interesting history and a mysterious disappearance, the latter has been the subject of an article and much discussion elsewhere in this forum. However, I would like to focus this time on a special operation carried out in Sicily in the last week of Septembre 1941. A little known episode of the war. This was not the first special operation for this submarine, two saboteurs had already been landed near Sant’Alessio Siculo (north of Taormina) to blow up a railway tunnel on 27 June 1941. On 24 Septembre 1941, the submarine landed a spy near Palermo. He was a French Jew named Alfred Rossi. Born in Beirut but living in Tunisia at the start of the war. Very patriotic and upset by the action of the Vichy government, he joined the Free French Mounier Resistance Network (involved in sabotaging Italian ships) and escaped to Malta in the Spring of 1941. Unfortunately for him, he was almost immediately spotted by the SIM who put him under surveillance for six days before he was caught while trying to return to the submarine on the first night of their rendezvous (30 Sep/1 Oct). Initially the torpedo boats Dezza and Cascino and MAS 531 and MAS 543 were sent to hunt the submarine but could not locate it. As the spy failed to show up, the submarine returned the following night to the same spot. SIM attempted to lay another trap for HMS Urge but her lookouts spotted a destroyer [either Climene or Cigno, both sailed from Trapani to catch the submarine on the second night]. At the same time, they heard machine gun fire from the shore and the submarine escaped. Not so lucky was Sub Lieutenant Lloyd who had gone in a rubber boat to pick up the spy and was killed by the carabinieri (there is a reference to this in the Diario Supermarina under the entry of 2 October 1941). To save his life, the spy agreed to operate his radio under control of SIM (I think the operation was run by Maggiore De Leo under the supervision of Colonello Bertacchi). Starting from about 10 October 1941, he supplied the ISLD (name of MI6 in the Mediterranean and the Middle East) with false information fed by Italian counter-intelligence. Lt Cdr Tomkinson of HMS Urge was certain that the spy had been caught because he correctly suspected that the presence of the destroyer was not accidental. However, he was not believed by the ISLD people in Malta who were certain that the spy was working for them. In February 1942, an attempt was made by HMS Urge to bring money for the spy (actually for SIM!) but the rendezvous at Calla Rossa (near Capo San Vito) failed when a MAS boat and then an auxiliary A/S vessel showed up [i have been unable to identify these two boats]. This time the coincidence could not be ignored and finally British Intelligence realised that the spy was controlled by the Italians. Contact by radio was maintained between Malta and Sicily until 1943 with each side trying to outwit the other. The Italians tried to find out if Sicily was the Allies’ objective while the British tried to divert their attention to the Balkans. Rossi managed to alert British Intelligence of his predicament with the intention of becoming a triple agent but there is some doubt if he succeeded. He attempted to escape while being transferred to another location and was shot dead by carabinieri (18 April 1943), a tragic end for a brave man. Italian Intelligence tried to continue the radio game by pretending that he had escaped but was wounded in his right arm so his “morse touch” was no longer the same. This time the British refused to play along and the operation was terminated. It is interesting to note that SIM was very successful in counter-intelligence during the war. Almost all the British spies (perhaps all?) were caught almost immediately when they reached Italian soil. I would like to correct an error in my book “Target Corinth Canal 1940-1944” when I mention briefly this story (page 143). I wrote that the operation was run by the Abwehr (German Intelligence). This is incorrect as my source at the time was a German document and when “Abwehr” was quoted it only meant counter-intelligence in the generic sense. Last August, I found out that it had been a SIM operation all the time. For those who might wonder what my book had to do with the Rossi case, I was only citing a parallel story as the Abwehr (this time German Intelligence!) tried to use similar tactics to trap a submarine but in Greece this time. Persons interested in the Rossi story and who can perhaps supplement it with new information are welcome to get in touch with me. Many thanks. Platon Alexiades