RN Leonardo da Vinci - Highest Scoring Non-German Submarine

It is often forgotten that the Italian Navy had the largest submarine arm, upon their entrance into World War Two. True enough that many of these submarines would do...less than ideal service. But one submarine, Leonardo da Vinci, has the honor of being the highest-scoring (by tonnage sunk) non-German submarine of the war.
And people often forget she even existed, because, well. Italy.

[@John-jl9de]

Ex US Navy Submarine sailor here, great information, thanks.

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

Funny how Leonardo da Vinci himself came up with the idea of the submarines,

[@aquateenchris]

Nice, love learning more about the Italian subs.

[@aquateenchris]

I'd love to see a video on the RN Toricelli

[@JohnSmith-se9yl]

Excellent research! Amazing photos/footage found. Thanks for a well thought out presentation...

[@lucaorlandi289]

Italy had the fourth navy in the world .The submarines were 172 and sinked a lot of ships with 1750 missions

[@flatworm00]

Very interesting video, I was always under the impression that USS Tang sank the most tonnage.

[@alephalon7849]

This Leo da Vinci did much better than her battleship predecessor!

[@warhawk4494]

Italian submarines were probably the most successful arm of the Italian navy.

[@jasonz7788]

Awesome video thank you 👍

[@maconescotland8996]

Leonardo da Vinci was "spotted" by Royal Navy vessels because the captain needlessly signalled his intention to sail to Bordeaux - this message was intercepted and her position fixed.

[@AlfredoCalalang]

I've only learned that Italians participated,but overlooked in WW 2 history,educational and a good source of research. ❤😊

[@m.streicher8286]

The best part about Italian submarines? They didn't use Italian 15" shells.

[@aquateenchris]

I always thought the best part of an Italian sub was the salami

[@alexzenz760]

​@@aquateenchris sub - lami 😉

[@mbryson2899]

😂

[@jaex9617]

Wait a minute. They sank a *schooner* ? That’s like kicking a puppy!

[@Sean_Coyne]

We sink thousands of schooners every day in Australia...it's a large pub beer glass of 425ml, or around 15 imperial ounces.

[@giancarlogarlaschi4388]

Well ... That's really bad Seamanship. I wouldn't have done it. I'm Italian Sir .

[@spaniardsrmoors6817]

Italians were not "incapable" of building more they were BETRAYED by their "ally" Germany breaking the Pact of Steel just 4 months after signing just as they broke every Pact they signed. It stipulated Italy be given 3 years to prepare, but they were dragged into WWII by the invasion of Poland. The Germans also never notified Italy of their intentions to invade.

[@wojciechgroblicki3922]

Decent submarines

[@peyiots]

A possible moral of this story: never torpedo a troop ship. Apart from killing your enemy, defenceless young men, you risk killing your own co-nationals.

[@shiibii6360]

Wouldn't sinking an enemy troop ship also have a high chance of saving hundreds of your nations soldiers, as you are depriving the enemy of a large amount of supplies and trained personnel. It is hard to predict ahead of time if your enemy is using the ship to also carry POWs and refugees, as in this case.

[@peyiots]

@@shiibii6360 You're quite right but to kill one's own men and innocent civilians as a result of a wilful decision must weigh much more heavily on one's conscience than holding back and letting off an enemy who might attack you later. Mine was just an emotional reaction against the tragedy of war that includes the unintentional killing of one's own people. From a 'hard-nosed' perspective I acknowledge that this could seem too pacifist.

[@jotabe1984]

having a ship carrying POW without propper sight of that is a war crime by the nation that has these prisioners under their control... If there was a war crime in the Da Vinci's sinking of RMS Empress of Canada was a British one...

[@lolloblue9646]

Sounds about par for the course, for WW2 nations. Americans did try to attack German subs that were rescuing survivors. This caused the German high command's directive to not attempt rescue at all, which was brought up in Nürnberg, but IIRC it was quickly dismissed when Dönitz (I think?) retorted that they couldn't risk their crews because "laws of warfare only applied to them"

[@mulletoutdooradventures6286]

Thank God the Italians were clueless on how to properly deploy their Navy. They had a relatively respectable navy that could've definitely done allot better under better leadership

[@spaniardsrmoors6817]

“This revisionist history convincingly argues that the Regia Marina Italiana (the Royal Italian Navy) has been neglected and maligned in assessments of its contributions to the Axis effort in World War II. After all, Italy was the major Axis player in the Mediterranean, and it was the Italian navy and air force, with only sporadic help from their German ally, that stymied the British navy and air force for most of the thirty-nine months that Italy was a belligerent. It was the Royal Italian Navy that provided the many convoys that kept the Axis war effort in Africa alive by repeatedly braving attack by aircraft, submarine, and surface vessels. If doomed by its own technical weaknesses and Ultra (the top-secret British decoding device), the Italian navy still fought a tenacious and gallant war; and if it did not win that war, it avoided defeat for thirty-nine, long, frustrating months.”

[@mariorossi6832]

Excellent story.....didn't know that!!!!!