on the 10th AUG 1942 an Italian sub was sunk in Haifa Bay, some 6 KM north of the town, 2 bodies were washed ashore CAP CHERSI and PO DEL BEN. the families in Italy have asked us to try and locate these long forgotten graves. please send me any inf you have. the sub name was SCIERE.
Hi, Can you provide any more info such as pictures or unit details and such to try and spur interest in the matter?
Hi, Heres a bit more detailed information regarding the SCIRE;- R.Smg. Scire` The Italian submarine Scirè was a vessel of the class "600" series "Adua". This type of submarine was built for short cruises and was protected by a single hull and a false keel. This class of vessels obtained good results during W.W. II; they were robust and maneuverable, but their surface speed was too slow. Some participated in the Spanish Civil War.On July 10th, 1940, under the command of Captain Pini, the unit was credited with the sinking of the 1,058 t. French steamer Cheick. The Scirè and her twin boat "Gondar" had different operational lives from the rest of the series. In August 1940, the unit underwent important structural modifications for the installation of cylindrical containers for the transport of sub-attack crafts of the S.L.C. (Siluro a Lenta Corsa), the famous "maiale" , and her command was transferred to Commander Borghese. Later, the conning tower was modified similarly to the German U-Boots, removing the highly visible enclosed deck and lowering the periscopes' sleeves. The 100/47 gun was removed and a new A.A. machine gun added. The unit was fitted with three cylinders, one forward and two aft. Each cylinder could carry a single S.L.C. The Scirè and the Gondar were almost identical, but the forward cylinder of the latter did not have reinforcement rings thus allowing for the two units to be properly identified. Despite her notoriety, there actually are very few pictures of the Scirè, and of the few, many were manually retouched.Between September 24 and October 3, and once again from October 21 to November 3 1940 it operated in two missions against the British naval base of Gibraltar. A new mission took place on May 15th 1941 and it was repeated on September 10th, this time achieving some results. The most important mission was the one of December 19th, 1941 when human torpedoes launched by the Scirè sank the battleships Queen Elisabeth and Valiant, the tanker Sagona and the destroyer Jervis in the shallow waters of the port of Alexandria. Later, Borghese relinquished the command of his submarine to Commander Zelich. After having left La Spezia on July 27th, 1942, the Scirè reached Leros from which she then headed towards the British port of Haifa. The unit left Leros on the 6th of August and waited at sea for information from a German reconnaissance unit; communication was lost thereafter. According to British records, the Scirè was lost on August 10th just outside the port of Haifa in Palestine where it was intercepted by the British torpedo-boat Isley and sunk with all men aboard. The bodies of two swimmers, Captain Chersi and P.O. Del Ben were washed ashore and buried in the local cemetery. Between September 2 and 28, 1984 the Italian rescue ship Anteo recovered the remains of 42 of the 49 crew members and 11 operators aboard at the time of her lost. Parts of the hull, previously removed during a recovery attempt, are now displayed at the "Sacrario delle Bandiere" in Rome, and the naval museums in La Spezia and Venezia. The Scirè was one of only three Italian vessels to receive the Gold Medal for Valor. Regards Verrieres R.Smg. SCIRE'
Scire List of Persons lost onboard the Scire Agnalli , Settimo ,Junior Chief ......Antonucci , Cesare.Rating Baio , Alfonso.Sublieutenant (E) Barbieri , Francesco Barbuti , Ottorino Sergeant Baronchelli , Paolo Rating ,Benini , Remigio Sublieutenant Beuk , Rodolfo .Junior Chief Borghetti , Ivo .Junior Chief Borgogno , Marcelle Rating Braggion , Giovanni Sergeant Brugnoni , Lindo Junior Chief Canali , Enzo Junior Chief Cappellini , Domenico Junior Chief Caprili , Delfo Sergeant Capuano , Mario Junior Chief Chersi , Egil Lieutenant Purser Condo , Tommaso Chief 2nd Class Croci Carminati , Raul Midshipman Del Ben , Eugenio Chief 2nd Class Dragone , Vittorio Rating Esposito , Pasquale Junior Chief Farina , Giuseppe Chief 1st Class Fioravanti , Erminio Junior Chief Fontanini , Remo Chief 3rd Class Fontebuoni , Guido Rating Gemmi , Alfìero Rating Gervasi , Fulvio Rating Giacalone , Vincenzo Junior Chief Giurini , Benedetto Sergeant Gnecco , Pier ?Lodati , Romolo Sergeant Magnone , Giuseppe Junior Chief Manzoni , Lauro Sergeant Mapelli , Giovanni Junior Chief Montanelli , Luciano Junior Chief Morani , Giovanni Junior Chief Morgan , Aurelio Chief 2nd Class Olcese , Armando Lieutenant Pavera , Umberto Chief 1st Class Peresson , Aurelio Junior Chief Petracchi , Antonio Junior Chief Pizzichini , Vittorio Rating Pozzi , Ettore Junior Chief Rapetti , Francesco Chief 1st Class Regaldo , Federico Rating Ricciardi , Luca Rating Riva , Enrico Junior Chief Salaris , Silvio Chief 2nd Class Savino , Gennaro Lieutenant Scardigli , Eugenio Junior Chief Scotti , Corrado Junior Chief Stella , Gino Chief 3rd Class Tailer , Antonio Lieutenant (E) Tavelli , Rocco Junior Chief Ulivelli , Umberto Sergeant Vespia , Domenico Sergeant Villa , Livio Chief 2nd Class Visintin , Livio Rating Zelick , Bruno (1940)Lieutenant Commander Regards Verrieres
There is an Italian war graves commission. These are the only contact details I have been able to find - perhaps they might help? Commissariato generale per le onoranze ai Caduti di guerra Founded 1919. Contact: P. le L. STURZO 23 - 00144 ROME Telephone 06 - 5913632 Fax 5918562
many thanks to Verrieres for all the important information he gave. My story begginsn when an I talian Engineer in Haifa approached me with this Q. I Dived down to the SCIRE in 1955 with the Israeli Navy Seals, and I read all anbout the sub. last year a Israeli Doctor now living in Italy, was approached by a member of the CHERSI family. they want to find the graves Of CAP CHERSI and PO DEL BEN. I have painfully gone and walked all over the Military Graveyards in Haifa...with no success up till now. today I had my Italian friend write a long letter to the WW2 GRAVE DEP IN ROME, that do not have their list Comuteriesed yet! just to see what they have in the old files. it will take some time. in the mean time, I shall look at the graveyard near Catholic Monestaries in Haifa. maybe I shall find these long forgotten graves out there? if anyone on this site has a father or relative that was in 1942 with the ROYAL NAVY in Haifa, please try to hear whatever he remembers?
here are 2 graves I have located in the German graveyard in Haifa. no name is written on the crosses. pictures attached.
without DNA test , it will be impossible to say for sure. but, this is the German graveyard, and as the Italians were with the Germans at the time, it is quite possible that we have found the graves. why there are no names , is a mystery...it could be that wooden crosses were put in 1942...and wore away in time. we shall try to talk to the munks in STELLA MARIS Monestery to see if they remember who is buried in these 2 graves in the 1942 plot of the German Graveyard.
Hi,Michael, I was looking at a web page yesterday which was translated from italian which stated that both bodies were washed up on the beach four days after the sinking and they were buried in the local (as opposed to a military cemetery??) cemetery with full military honours by the British who (Quote..Fired rifles over them) we British are meticulous record keepers with this being a naval funeral,there must be some(should`nt there be???) paperwork for the burial party. regards Verrieres
Hi,Michael, I was looking at a web page yesterday which was translated from italian which stated that both bodies were washed up on the beach four days after the sinking and they were buried in the local (as opposed to a military cemetery??) cemetery with full military honours by the British who (Quote..Fired rifles over them) we British are meticulous record keepers with this being a naval funeral,there must be some(should`nt there be???) paperwork for the burial party. regards Verrieres I have all the paper work that is available now, however, all that is mentioned about the graves is , quote` a local graveyard`. I have personally gone through all the Military Graveyards in Haifa...nothing. and the Main Office in Ramleh , out here, have no records of DEL BEN, and CHERSI. if only someone that was on the spot at the time, will show up , we might find these long forgotten graves. however, I have approached now the Catholic Monestary of STELLA MARIS in HAIFA, maybe they were buring in the Graden of STELLA MARIS. if there is anyone reading these lines, that might have more information , anything, please reply. MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK. ISRAEL NAVY SEALS , RETIRED.
