World War II Database

Contributor: Alan Chanter

ww2dbaseLuigi Torelli was built at the Odero Terni Orlando (OTO) shipyard in La Spezia, Italy. One of six submarines of the Marconi-class, which were laid down in 1938 and 1939, the Luigi Torelli was launched in January 1940. Designed as an ocean-going vessel, she was intended for operations both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean. When Italy entered World War II in June 1940 the Luigi Torelli was still completing its training and shakedown period. Afterward, it conducted a short reconnaissance mission in the Gulf of Genoa, and was then dispatched to Bordeaux, France to serve in the Italian submarine flotilla there.

ww2dbaseBetween 11 and 29 September 1940, the Luigi Torelli was assigned to patrol an area just off the Azores Islands. On 5 October 1940, she reached Bordeaux. In the following weeks, the boat left port several times and made short practice missions.

ww2dbaseOn 15 January 1941 Luigi Torelli sighted a small convoy and sank the Greek freighter Nemea, the Norwegian freighter Brask and, on the next day, the Greek freighter Nicolaos Filinis. Two weeks later, she sank the British freighter Urla. In July 1941, she sank the Norwegian tanker Ida Knudsen. On 19 February 1942, she sank the British freighter Scottish Star and, on 25 February, the Panamanian tanker Esso Copenhagen.

ww2dbaseIn the early hours of 4 June 1942, the Luigi Torelli , under the command of Lieutenant Commander Augusto Migliorini, was found on the surface by a patrolling British Coastal Command Wellington bomber (flown by Wing Commander Jeff Greswell, the Commanding Officer of No. 172 Squadron) off the coast of Spain. Illuminated by the aircraft's powerful Leigh Light she was attacked with machine guns and depth charges, causing a complete loss of power, damage to compass and steering equipment and starting a serious fire in the battery compartment. Miraculously, the Italian submarine escaped, and was towed by Spanish tugs into a Spanish harbour for temporary repairs. On 6 June, she left this haven, only to be attacked twice by Sunderlands of 10 (RAAF) Squadron and further damaged. Putting into the Spanish port of Santander, the submarine was officially interned; yet a month later made a dash to freedom.

ww2dbaseIn 1943, after conversion into a long-range supply vessel with 150-ton cargo capacity, Luigi Torelli was renamed Aquila VI and sent to Japanese-occupied British Malaya. Upon the Italian capitulation, she was taken over by the Germans and operated out of Penang as UIT-25. While receiving repairs in Japan, upon the German surrender, she was taken over by the Japanese as I-504, making her one of only two ships to have flown the flags to have flown all three flags of the principal Axis nations (the other being Luigi Torelli's sister ship, Comandante Cappellini, which served as UIT-24 in German service and I-503 in Japanese service). At the end of the war, she was surrendered to the United States. Finally being scuttled by her ultimate (sixth) captain in the Kii Channel on 16 April 1946.

Submarine Luigi Torelli (TI) Interactive Map

Photographs

Luigi Torelli Operational Timeline