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
Matrozos was a Perla-class submarine captured by the Royal Navy during World War Two and subsequently operated by the Royal Hellenic Navy.
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
Bronzo was an Acciaoia-class submarine operated by the Italian Regina Marina. She was launched on 28th September 1941 and commissioned on 2nd January 1942. Bronzo had an active but unsuccessful career, being involved in the attacks on the Pedestal and Operation Harpoon convoys.
She was captured on 12th July 1943 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
