Royal Italian Navy Submarines of WW2 - Transport Missions to Japan

On February 8th, 1943 Dönitz proposed to the Italians to re-purpose the remaining submarine for transport service from France to Japan. In exchange, the Germans would transfer 10 VII-C class U-boats to the Italian Navy and Italian crews and commanders began training in Germany soon after. Under the supervision of Rear-Admiral (E) Fenu, the remaining boats began extensive refitting work. The deck guns were removed, the ammunition magazines turned into additional fuel depots, the attack periscope removed, and a great part of the on board comforts, including one of the heads, removed to give space to cargo. The torpedo tubes were also sheared off. With the transformation of these few remaining boats, the Italian participation to the Battle of the Atlantic practically concluded. The sacrifice had been great; the result achieved would fuel a lasting debate, which is still ongoing. Of the 10 submarines assigned to transport missions to Japan, only seven were still in service when the transformation began .

Before the Italian armistice of September 8th, 1943 only the Cappellini, Torelli and Giuliani left port and, after a long and perilous voyage, reached Singapore. Here the boats were captured by the Japanese and transferred to the German Navy. Of the boats, the story of the Cappellini is probably the most amazing. On September 8th, (actually the morning of the 9th), having received news of the armistice signed by the Italian government, the Japanese immediately took control of the boat. The crew was captured and interned in a Japanese P.O.W. camp. Later on, a good part of the crew (not the officers) decided to continue fighting along side the Germans, and the submarine was manned by a mixed crew of German and Italian sailors. Incorporated in the Kriegsmarine, the boat was assigned the nominative UIT.24. At the surrender of Germany, May 10th 1945, the boat was incorporated into the Japanese navy with the nominative I-503 where it continued to operate until the end of the conflict with a mixed Italian, German, Japanese crew. The Cappellini, was eventually captured by the United States and sunk in the deep waters off Kobe on April 16th, 1946.