HMS P714 was an Acciaoia class submarine operated by the British Royal Navy after its capture on 12 July 1943.
Originally operated by the Italian Regina Marina as Bronzo, she was captured after being engaged by HMS Seaham, HMS Boston, HMS Cromarty, and HMS Poole. Towed into to Syracuse by HMS Seaham, she was as later transferred to Malta and renamed HMS P714.
It was originally intended to transfer her to the Hellenic Navy, but was given to the Free French naval forces instead on 29 January 1944. She was renamed Narval and remained in operation until the end of the war when she was decommissioned. She was finally scrapped in 1948.
Bronzo (on the right) next to Volframio in early 1942Bronzo at her base in Cagliari, Sardinia, in early 1943Bronzo was commanded for most of her life by Tenente di Vascello Cesare BuldriniBuldrini (with binoculars around his neck) and other members of Bronzo’s crew in August 1942.On 12th July 1943, Bronzo surfaced among a group of British minesweepers, who immediately opened fire on her with their 3-inch gunsBronzo being towed towards Syracuse by HMS SeahamThe captured Italian submarine Bronzo sits in the harbor at Syracuse, Sicily The captured Italian submarine Bronzo sits in the harbor at Syracuse, SicilyThe captured Bronzo at Syracuse, with damage to the conning tower clearly visible
HMS P712 was a Perla-class submarine captured by the Royal Navy during World War Two and subsequently operated by them.
Perla was the lead ship of her class of submarines built for the Italian Regina Marina. On June 6, 1942, Perla launched two torpedoes at the British corvette HMS Hyacinth. Both missed and Hyacinth counter attacked with depth charges. Suffering serious damage, Captain Ventura ordered her to surface and be scuttled. Damage to the Kingston Valves caused by the attack meant that she flooded very slowly. This provided time for the British to board and prevent her sinking.
Repaired and commissioned into the British Royal Navy she was renamed HMS P712.
While in British service she was used to evaluate the level of development of Italian submarines.
In 1943, she was transferred to the Hellenic Navy and renamed Matrozos. She served until 1947 when she was sold and scrapped.
Perla in with its original pre-war color schemePerlaPerlaPerla arriving in BordeauxPerlaThe captured Perla, at anchor in Beirut harbour, Syria 17 July 1942An armed sentry guarding Perla 17 July 1942
HMS X2 was an Archimedes-class submarine operated by the British Royal Navy during World War Two. Originally the Italian Regina Marina submarine Galileo Galilei, it was captured on 19 June 1940 after an engagement with the British anti-submarine warfare trawler HMS Moonstone.
Towed to Port Said, she was repaired and commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS X2. This was later changed to HMS P711. During her service she as used as a training submarine in the east. Following the conclusion of the Second World War she was scrapped in January 1946.
Galileo GalileiGalileo GalileiGalileo Galilei being captured 19 June 1940 by the British armed trawler MoonstoneGalileo Galilei after her capture along with along with HMS KandaharHMS X2 (ex-Galileo Galilei) at Aden after her capture showing the damage to her finGalileo Galilei after her captureGalileo Galilei after being capturedGalileo Galilei after being captured
