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|Ship country=[[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]]
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|Ship name=''Barletta''
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|Ship laid down=March 1931
|Ship launched=12 September 1931
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|Ship fate=Scrapped January 1965
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*2 × [[Cannon 102/45|{{cvt|102|mm|0}} /45 Mod. 1917 guns]]
*4 × [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{cvt|13.2|mm}} machine-guns]]
*60 × [[naval mine]]s
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'''''Barletta''''' was an Italian [[cargo liner]] built during the 1930s and later became an [[auxiliary cruiser]] of the {{lang|it|[[Regia Marina]]}} (Royal Navy) during [[World War II]].

==History==

Built between March and November 1931 in the [[Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico]] of [[Monfalcone]] (construction and assembly number 248, completion number 208) together with her sister ships ''Adriatico'', ''Brindisi'', ''Brioni'', ''Zara'', ''Lero'' and ''Monte Gargano'', the ship was originally a mixed motor vessel of {{GRT|1975|disp=long}} and 1069 [[net tonnage]]. Four holds with a capacity of {{convert|1722|m3}} allowed a [[Deadweight tonnage|deadweight of 1231]] (or 1220, or 1240) tons, and the cabins had a capacity of 82 passengers (for other sources 68, or 22 in first class, 24 in second and 22 in third). Two FIAT [[diesel engine]]s, with a total power of {{convert|3300|CV|lk=on}} (according to other sources {{convert|2200|or|2800|CV}}), consuming 11.5 tons of fuel (with a total stock of 1250 tons) per day, powered two [[propeller]]s (according to other sources only one) allowing a speed of {{convert|14.5|kn|lk=in}} (according to other sources {{convert|14|or|15.8|kn}}).

===Civilian career===
Registered with serial number 57 at the Maritime Compartment of [[Bari]], the ship initially belonged to the {{lang|it|Puglia Società anonima di Navigazione a Vapore}} (based in Bari). On March 21, 1932, the Puglia company merged with some other Adriatic shipping companies, to become the San Marco Navigation Company, based in [[Venice]], which on April 4 of the same year became {{lang|it|Compagnia Adriatica di Navigazione}}. The company later changed its name for the last time on 1 January 1937, to {{lang|it|Adriatica Società Anonima di Navigazione}}. ''Barletta'' then followed these changes of owner, finally becoming part of the {{lang|it|Adriatica}} fleet.

In her first years the ship was used for the transport of passengers and goods on the line n. 42, between the Italian Adriatic coast, [[Dalmatia]] and Albania.

The ship operated on behalf of {{lang|it|Adriatica}} until 1936, when she was requisitioned by the {{lang|it|Regia Marina}} (Royal Navy), armed for use as an [[auxiliary cruiser]]. According to some sources, however, the service continued until 7 March 1937. On 20 April 1937 the ship was deployed to [[Palma de Mallorca]] with the task of patrolling the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] coast, as part of the [[Spanish Civil War]], alternating in this role with her sister ''Adriatico''.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} On 24 May, while she was moored in [[Majorca]], ''Barletta'' was hit by a bomb during an air attack by the [[Republican Air Force]];{{sfn|Willmott|p=54}} killing six wounding three others.{{sfn|Naval War College Review|p=33}}

A few days later, at the end of May, the ship was escorted to [[La Spezia]] (where she arrived on May 28) and underwent the necessary repairs. In August, she received the false name of ''Rio'' and, under Spanish flag, was deployed to [[Favignana]], to prevent ships carrying supplies for the Spanish Republican troops to cross the [[Strait of Sicily]].

As part of this task, on August 31, 1937, ''Barletta/Rio'' left her patrol area and intercepted and captured, the British-flagged Greek [[oil tanker]] {{SS|Burlington}} north of the [[Strait of Messina]] and then her delivered to [[Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War)|Francoist]] ships. On 21 September 1937, the ship ended her patrols in the Sicilian channel and from 10 November, was based at [[Tobruk]] to control the transit of Republican ships in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean. During the Spanish war, ''Barletta/Rio'' carried out a total of four surveillance/interception missions.

In 1938 the ship was returned to the Adriatica company and resumed the civil service, sailing on the lines 43 and 43 B, which linked the ports of Venice, Bari, [[Rhodes]], and [[Smyrna]], along with various cities in Greece, Albania, and Turkey.

From January to March 1939, ''Barletta'' was again requisitioned (or chartered) by the {{lang|de|Regia Marina}} for use as a transport to Spain. She made six voyages (three from La Spezia to [[Cadiz]] and three from [[Genoa]] to [[Barcelona]]) and carrying a total of 857 men and 2172 tons of provisions for the civilian population.

On 25 March 1939 the ship resumed the service of transporting goods and passengers, but only for a short time; already on 6 April, she was again requisitioned for naval service. She left Brindisi for [[Durazzo]] and participated as a command ship in the operations for the occupation of Albania.

On August 2 of the same year the ship returned in civil service on the route Venice-Trieste-Brindisi-Bari-Lero-Calino-Coo-Rodi-Alessandria of Egypt.

===World War II===
====1940====
On 12 May 1940 ''Barletta'' was again requisitioned by the {{lang|it|Regia Marina}} while in Durazzo. Enrolled on the same date in the role of the auxiliary naval ship of the state as an auxiliary cruiser, the vessel received the code D 16 and was converted for naval service, including an armament composed of two [[Cannon 102/45|{{cvt|102|mm|0}} /45 Mod. 1917 guns]], four [[Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun|{{cvt|13.2|mm}} machine-guns]] and ferroguides for the transport and the laying of 60 [[naval mine|mines]]. The ship received the name code of Berlina.

On 6 June 1940, after the completion of the conversion works, the unit was employed as minelayer and carried out the laying of minefields off [[Gallipoli, Apulia|Gallipoli]], Santa Maria di Leuca and Durazzo. On 10 June, date of Italy's entry in the Second World War, the ''Barletta'' was framed, as a minelayer, in the Gruppo Navi Ausiliarie Dipartimentali del Dipartimento Militare Marittimo "Jonio e Basso Adriatico", based in Taranto.
Between 6 June and the beginning of July the ''Barletta'', together with the minelayer {{ship|Italian minelayer|Vieste||2}}, the elderly cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Taranto||2}} and the old destroyers {{ship|Italian destroyer|Carlo Mirabello||2}} and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Augusto Riboty||2}}, participated in the laying of 37 minefields for a total of 2335 mines, including 28 anti-submarine mines, in the waters of the Gulf of Taranto, the Lower Adriatic and Albania.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=26}} On 7 July the ship left Brindisi and, sent to Libya, began laying new minefields, this time in the waters of Benghazi and Tripoli, returning to Italy on 12 August. During these operations (especially in Tobruk) the ship, together with the destroyers {{ship|Italian destroyer|Turbine|1927|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Nembo|1927|2}}, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Euro|1927|2}} and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Aquilone|1927|2}}, laid 14 minefields for a total of 540 devices.

On 20 August the ship was assigned to the newly formed {{lang|it|Commando Superiore Traffico Albania (Maritrafalba)}} and was tasked to escort troop convoys to Albania.{{sfn|Freivogel & Rastelli|p=77}}

Starting from 5 September 1940, ''Barletta'' began to escort [[convoy]]s; at first she was employed on the Bari-Durazzo route with occasional escorts to Tobruk and [[Benghazi]] in North Africa, the auxiliary cruiser was then used also in the waters of Greece and the Aegean Sea.

On 24 December, the ship left Brindisi and, along with the [[torpedo boat]] {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Andromeda||2}}, escorted a convoy of the [[troop ship]]s ''Firenze'', ''Argentina'', and ''Italia'' and the transport ''Narenta'' to [[Vlora]].{{sfn|Freivogel & Rastelli|p=79}} At 12:25 the convoy, which was about twenty miles from Saseno, was attacked by the {{ship|Greek submarine|Papanikolis|Y-2|6}}. She launched a torpedo against ''Barletta'', which, having sighted the weapon in time, was able to avoid it by quickly turning to port. At 13:20, however, ''Firenze'' was torpedoed by ''Papanikolis'' in position 40°34' N and 19°02' E and began to sink a dozen miles west/northwest of Saseno. ''Barletta'' recovered 874 men, and ''Andromeda'' saved another 29, out of a total of 996 embarked aboard ''Firenze''; fatalities amounted to 93 men. ''Barletta'' reported some damage to nine ships during the rescue operations, while ''Firenze'', abandoned adrift, sank in the night of 24/25 December.

====1941====
''Barletta'' went into dock for repairs to damage sustained during the convoy before returning to active service in January 1941. That month, she got underway for another operation but accidentally collided with the steamer ''Merano''. On 4 May, she joined the escort for another convoy, along with the torpedo boats {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Aretusa||2}}, {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Altair||2}}, and {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Antares||2}}. The escort group left Brindisi and escorted the convoy, which landed the Italian expeditionary force at [[Argostoli]] (Cefalonia).

In September 1941, ''Barletta'' was redeployed in [[Piraeus]], Greece, to escort the merchant ships sailing in the Aegean Sea. During this period, she also carried out two missions to Tobruk. In mid-September, she escorted a convoy from [[Suda]] to Piraeus that included the transports ''Città di Livorno'' and ''Città di Marsala'' and the destroyers {{ship|Italian destroyer|Crispi||2}} and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Sella||2}}. While on the way on 19 September, the ships encountered the British submarine {{HMS|Torbay|N79|6}}. At 15:10, ''Torbay'' launched a spread of four torpedoes at a distance of about {{cvt|3600|m}}, but five minutes later, lookouts aboard ''Crispi'' spotted the torpedo wakes and alerted the other ships, allowing them to evade the attack. The destroyers launched [[depth charge]]s against ''Torbay'' but failed to inflict any damage.

On the afternoon of 19 October 1941, ''Barletta'' and the torpedo boats {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Lupo||2}}, ''Altair'', and {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Monzambano||2}} sailed from Piraeus as escort for a convoy of four merchant ships (''Città di Agrigento'', ''Città di Marsala'', ''Salzburg'', ''Tagliamento'') directed to Candia. That evening, at 19:30, ''Altair'' struck a mine in the [[Saronic Gulf]] that had been laid eleven days before by the British submarine {{HMS|Rorqual|N74|2}}. ''Altair'' had her bow blown off and caught fire and was forced to stop. ''Barletta'' and ''Monzambano'' continued on with the rest of the convoy, while ''Lupo'' went alongside ''Altair'' and took off her surviving crew (124 men out of a total of 139). ''Lupo'' attempted to take ''Altair'' under tow, but at 02:47 on 20 October, ''Altair'' sank. Earlier on the 19th, the torpedo boat {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Aldebaran||2}} had left Piraeus to rescue ''Altair'' was mined and sank in the same minefield.

In December 1941, ''Barletta'' ran aground west of [[Euboea]] in the [[Gulf of Salonika]].{{dubious|west of Euboea is nowhere near the Gulf of Salonika|date=January 2022}}

====1942====
On 17 January 1942, the ship left Piraeus to escort a convoy that consisted of the Italian transports ''Città di Savona'' and ''Città di Alessandria'' and the German vessel ''Livorno'' to Suda. The rest of the escort group included the torpedo boats ''Lupo'' and {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Cassiopea|1936|2}} and the German vessel [[Yugoslav minelayer Zmaj|''Drache'']]. The following day, the submarine {{HMS|Porpoise|N14|6}} attacked the convoy without success.

''Barletta'' and the German minelayer {{ship|German minelayer|Bulgaria||2}} laid a minefield off [[Zylakes]], Greece, from 2 to 3 July 1942. They were escorted by ''Lupo'' and ''Cassiopea'' and the German destroyer {{ship|German destroyer|Hermes||2}}.

She joined the torpedo boats {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Calatafimi||2}} and ''Monzambano'' to escort the German transport {{SS|Wachtfels||2}}, which was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine {{HMS|Proteus|N29|6}} off [[Crete]] on 7 August.

''Barletta'' was used as a transport on 16 September; carrying a load of [[gasoline]] in drums, she left Suda in company with the destroyer {{ship|Italian destroyer|Nicoloso da Recco||2}}, bound for Tobruk in North Africa. The following day, the British submarine {{HMS|Taku|N38|6}} attempted unsuccessfully to torpedo ''Barletta'', and she arrived in Tobruk undamaged later that morning.

The ship made another voyage to North Africa, this time from [[Palermo]] to [[Bizerta]] on 22–23 November. She was escorted by the torpedo boat {{ship|Italian torpedo boat|Groppo||2}}, and she again came under attack by a British submarine, {{HMS|Utmost}}, shortly before she reached Bizerta. She reached harbor without incident and later proceeded to [[Tunis]].

Between 29 and 30 November, ''Barletta'' and the destroyer {{ship|Italian destroyer|Antonio da Noli||2}} laid two sections of the minefields S 91 and S 92, with 172 and 154 mines respectively.{{sfn|Rohwer|p=216}}

On 12 December 1942, the ship returned to Taranto. Based in the Apulian port, the unit was employed for a short time in the escort of traffic to and from Tunisia, before being subjected to work in the Taranto Arsenal.

====1943====
On April 3, 1943, once the work was completed, ''Barletta'' was again sent to the Aegean, carrying out both convoy escort missions and the laying of minefields off Apulia and the Ionian Islands.

Between 19 July and 4 September 1943, while an Anglo-American landing on the Italian coast was becoming more and more probable, ''Barletta'', together with the auxiliary cruiser {{ship|Italian auxiliary cruiser|Francesco Morosini||2}} and the light cruisers {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi Cadorna||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Scipione Africano||2}}, participated in the laying of eleven minefields, for a total of 1591 mines, in the [[Gulf of Taranto]].{{sfn|Rohwer|pp=249, 263}}

The announcement of the [[Armistice of Cassibile]] on 3 September surprised the ship in its eponymous city, which remained under the control of Italian and Allied troops, thus avoiding its loss.

On 8 October 1943 the ''Barletta'' was part of the first Italian convoy on behalf of the Allies, which left from Augusta and headed for Algiers. Upon return from this mission, the auxiliary cruiser returned to Taranto on 17 October. Eight days later, on 25 October, ''Barletta'' was struck off the rolls of the auxiliary state fleet.

On the evening of 2 December 1943, the ship was at anchor near the old breakwater of Bari when, starting at around 19:15, the port was subjected to a heavy bombardment by about fifty [[Junkers Ju 88]] bombers of the {{lang|de|[[Luftwaffe]]}}, which sank or damaged irreparably between 17 and 28 ships (one of which, {{SS|John Harvey}}, was loaded with [[mustard gas]] bombs, which exploded and released toxic gases in the port area). A first salvo of bombs fell forward of ''Barletta'', causing a fire at the bow, near the ammunition [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]], then, at about 19:45, the ship was hit by several bombs especially on the side facing the sea. The crew, led by the chief engineer, tried to suppress the flames which were seriously threatening the magazine in the bow, but at 21:15 a nearby vessel exploded, inflicting further damage on ''Barletta''. The magazine eventually caught fire and exploded, fatally damaging ''Barletta'', which around nine o'clock in the morning of 3 December rolled over on her side and sank. A total of forty men were killed and another forty-four were wounded.

===Postwar===
The recovery of the wreck, which lay heeling 87° in twelve meters of water, began in May 1945 and ended in September 1948.

In the October 1948 the wreck of the refloated ''Barletta'', was towed to Trieste to be rebuilt. On 25 September 1949 the ship was again in service as a cargo liner, with a gross tonnage of 1966 gt, a net tonnage of 1060 gt, a deadweight capacity of 1240 dwt and a capacity of 82 passengers (32 in first class, 24 in second class and 26 in third class), starting again the regular service for Adriatica: the first voyage, on the route Trieste-Venice-Bari-Piraeus-Istanbul-Smirne, started on 1 October 1949.

In 1951 the Adriatica S.A. di Navigazione became Adriatica S.p.A. di Navigazione. In 1956 the Barletta was assigned to another line, which touched Trieste, Venice, Dalmatia, Piraeus, Heraklion and Calamata.

On 9 (or 18) September 1962 the old motor vessel was laid up in the port of Trieste and in 1965 was dismantled by the company SIDEMAR.

==Notes==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
|last1=Freivogel
|first1=Zvonimir
|last2=Rastelli
|first2=Achille
|title=Adriatic Naval War 1940–1945
|year=2015
|publisher=Despot Infinitus
|location=Zagreb
|isbn=978-953-7892-44-9
|name-list-style=amp
|ref={{sfnref|Freivogel & Rastelli}}
}}
* {{cite book
|title=Naval War College Review
|year=1990
|publisher=Naval War College
|location=Newport
|ref={{sfnref|Naval War College Review}}
|oclc=1779130
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Rohwer
| first = Jürgen
| year = 2005
| title = Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945 – The Naval History of World War Two
| publisher = Chatham Publishing
| location = London
| isbn = 978-1-59114-119-8
| ref = {{sfnRef|Rohwer}}
}}
* {{cite book
| last = Willmott
| first = H. P.
| title = The Last Century of Sea Power: From Washington to Tokyo, 1922–1945
| year = 2010
| publisher = [[Indiana University Press]]
| location = Bloomington
| isbn = 978-0-253-35214-9
| ref = {{sfnref|Willmott}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barletta}}
[[Category:Auxiliary cruisers of the Regia Marina]]
[[Category:1931 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by aircraft during the air raid on Bari]]

Italian auxiliary cruiser Barletta - Revision history

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