Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Dear Mr. Gregory,

My name is Guido Abate and I'm an Italian young man interested in WW2 military history. I wish to thank you for the time you have spent making your excellent site. I've read this article http://www.ahoy.tk-jk.net/Underwater/30Statistics-SubmarineFle.html about the statistics of submarines in WW2. I see you haven't got a lot of information about Italian subs, so I think you may like these sites (they are in English language):
http://www.regiamarina.net/ The best page about the Italian Royal Navy in WW2. This is the excellent database of Italian subs in WW2: http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/actions/subs_db_us.htm , for further information I suggest you to e-mail the webmaster, I think he will help you.

http://www.sommergibili.com/ (in this site there is also an interesting article about the Italian invention of the snorkel)

http://www.subnetitalia.it/
This site is about a German sub commander and the tragic sinking of the Laconia: http://wernerhartenstein.tripod.com/ .

I hope I helped you, best wishes,
Guido Abate
 
PS I have some comments about the part of your article about Italian subs:
Do you think it is so necessary to talk about the alleged lack of veracity of Mussolini? I think that what he told to Ribbentrop (who,by the way, wasn't more sincere than the Duce) hasn't much to do with a military history of Italia submarines, and a difference of 5 subs isn't so important. About the lack of trust of Doenitz for Italian subs, I think it looks quite surprising, given the good results of Italian units in the Atlantic, even though they didn't use the Wolfpack tactic and their operational zones were far from the most important routes. In my opinion, those passages of your article make a negative feeling towards the Italian Navy, a Navy that seems to be commanded by a liar (Mussolini wasn't,or, at least, not more than many other leaders) and despised by its ally (that wasn't: Doenitz might have been not satisfied by the performance of Italian subs at the begininning of the battle of the Atlantic, but by 1942 their performance was like that of U-Boote; for a comparison between Italian and German subs in the Atlantic see: http://www.subnetitalia.it/regiosom.htm ). Please, may you delete those passages? I think your article would be better without them.

Dear Guido,

Thank you for all your trouble to contact me and adding the links to Italian sites, all very useful. My friend in Atlanta Georgia, Terry Kearns combines all my writing by running Ahoy, he makes the site what it is, but all the content is my responsibility.

I appreciate yourr comments, but 60 years ago when I was involved at sea in WW2, we did think that your Mussolini tended to posture on the world stage, and wanted to impress both Hitler and his Ministers. Now what you say about other leaders and the truth may well be accurate, but it was felt that the Duce was at times quite loose with the facts.

With regards to Admiral Donitz and the few Italian Submarines that did operate in the Atlantic, I am merely reporting how the German U-Boat Commander reacted. He was a tough task master, demanding dedication and results from his own Submarines. I am thus leaving my Under Water Warfare as I have written it,

I am sorry if it offends you some 60 years after the event. In other parts of my Ahoy site I have made comment on a poor result of my own Navy, and that of our then Ally, the United States, we did not always win our battles all of the time.

I will see how I might make use of the information about your Navy you have been kind enough to send me, and again I say thanks to you, it is great to find a young man as you describe yourself interested in Naval Affairs of WW2.

With kind regards,
Mac. Gregory.

Dear Mr. Gregory,

I wish to thank you for your reply. I'd like to explain that I didn't feel offended by your article, I thought it was a bit too harsh, but no problem. I still like it and your excellent site and I'll read its articles with interest. I do hope the links I've sent you will be useful for your research: I'd be happy of having helped you.

Thank you again, yours faithfully,

Guido Abate

back to letters index