Former Italian Auxiliary Cruisers

[Enrico Cernuschi]

Good evening Gentlemen,

is there anything in the German literature about the following Italian auxiliary cruisers seized in Albania in Sept. 1943?

Arborea
Pola
Cattaro
Rovigno

     Thank you

         EC

[TD]

Hallo EC,

hier schon einmal


(7.0040)   Arborea (1929, La Spezia: Soc. Odero-Terni-Orlando, 218) 4959 BRT; 115,00 x 15,20 x 5,63 m; 5980 PSe, 15 kn; M/P, S. A. di Navigazione ,,Tirrenia", Neapel; 12.6.1940 ital. Marine, D. 5; 10.9.1943 Durazzo MMR; 16. oder 17.1.1944 + v. Sebenico/nach Flibo am 14.1.1944

Gruß

Theo

[Enrico Cernuschi]

Danke Theo.

I know the fates and the datas about those ships. The point is if they were pressed in service in the KM or were chartered as freighters or something else.
I know the German Navy had some big problems to man the even few ships available in the Adriatic Sea in Sept., Oct. and Nov. 1943. I would not wonder if she had had to sign an agreement with the Italian personell to sail them and which were the terms of this pact (which flag? A German party on the ships or what else?).
Do you know about the episodes about the small escort ship Pola and the torpedo boat Pilo in Sept. 1943?

Greetings

   EC

[Spee]

Hi Enrico,

I don't know the episodes, please tell us the story's.

[Enrico Cernuschi]

Pola and Pilo, with the tug Porto Conte, after the Italian Army in Albania command had ordered, on 10 Sept. 1943, the Italian ships to join the Germans, defected on 26 Sept. 1943 night while they were escorting a convoy with the Division Brennero sailing to Trieste, seized the German armed parties and arrived in the Puglia the next day. The convoy went on reaching its destination.

Is there anyting about this episode in the KM literaure and diaries?

   EC