The sinking

July 22nd 1943 – a convoy, formed by the steamers Aderno and Colleville, left Pozzuoli towards Civitavecchia. It was escorted by TA 11, two submarine chasers and leaded by the torpedo boat Aliseo that was in command of Carlo Fecia di Cossato.
The convoy left immediately afterwards the sunset. The torpedo boat Aliseo waited the going out of the other boats and steamers outside the S.Vincenzo wharf. Aliseo, during the nightly navigation, it was forced more times to use illuminating shot to identify fishing boats, harbour watch boats or tugs.
In the early morning of the following day, the convoy was attached by an air formation; fortunately it not suffered any damages and one of the enemy airplanes was shot down.
During the machine-gun firing some full-beams bombs on the torpedo blowed up and caused some damages to the sheets on the deck and to the rudder; also the escort airplane it was forced to land.
The Captain decided therefore to to continuing with the navigation of the convey; in the meanwhile the torpedo boat tug the airplane to coast to have repaired the damages to the rudder.
In the early afternoon Aliseo reached again the convoy and at about 17.30 they were sighted from a reconnaissance aircraft. Only two hours after, little miles before reaching destination, Aderno comes hit from two or three torpedo launched by the submarine HMS Torbay and she sunk immediately. The torpedo boat Aliseo directed immediately towards the point of the throw but the eco protractor didn’t give any signal; she leave on the place, the TA 11 and the hunting boats, to escort the steamer Colleville in port; in the meantime she drop a lifeboat for assistance to the shipwreck victims.
He got up to the hunting of the submarine, responsible of the sinking, until the following day, when he returned to recover the lifeboat and to direct it in port.