Lot 770

WWII ITALIAN SUBMARINE LAUNCH PHOTO ALBUM GONDAR

Previous image preload Next image preload

WWII ITALIAN SUBMARINE LAUNCH PHOTO ALBUM GONDAR

Estimate: $200 - $400

Starting Bid: $50

(0 Bids)

by Milestone Auctions
August 1, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
38198 Willoughby Parkway
Willoughby, OH, US 44094

WWII Italian Photo Album of the Launching of the Adua Class Submarine R. Smg Gondar. The photo album comes with a letter from the manufacturer of the Submarine giving the album as a gift to his Excellency Mussolini. Excellent. The Italian submarine Gondar was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) during the 1930s. It was named after the city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia.Design and description:The Adua-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding Perla class. They displaced 680 long tons (690 t) surfaced and 844 long tons (858 t) submerged. The submarines were 60.18 meters (197 ft 5 in) long, had a beam of 6.45 meters (21 ft 2 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in). For surface running, the boats were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 400-horsepower (298 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Adua class had a range of 3,180 nautical miles (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph), submerged, they had a range of 74 nmi (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. One reload torpedo was carried for each tube, for a total of twelve. They were also armed with one 100 mm (4 in) deck gun for combat on the surface. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns.Construction and career:Gondar was launched on 3 October 1937 in OTO's shipyard in La Spezia and commissioned on 28 September 1938.  Initially, she was assigned to 14th Squadron based at La Spezia. After intensive training and exercises, in August of 1938 Gondar was reassigned to the III Submarine Group based at Leros. During 1939, Gondar did a long endurance training in the Dodecanese, and in February of 1940 the submarine was temporarily assigned to Messina, and finally in May 1940 she became a part of 15th Squadron (I Submarine group) based at La Spezia. At the outbreak of hostilities she was immediately sent on a mission to patrol an area along the French coast and Gulf of Genoa. She returned to the base on 14 June 1940 without encountering any enemy traffic. After completing two more missions, one 20 miles east of Cape Antibes from 18 to 25 June 1940, and the other off the Strait of Gibraltar from 5 to 16 August 1940, Gondar was moved into Arsenal at La Spezia to convert her into an SLC carrying submarine. Three SLC (Siluro a Lunga Corsa which means long running torpedo) units were fitted onto the boat on her deck, two placed side by side in the aft, and one on her bow, the submarine's deck gun was also removed to accommodate SLC units. With a weight of 2.8 tons, these SLC cylinders were able to withstand depths up to 90 meters, triple the depth of the first system that was installed on Iride. On 21 September 1940 Gondar, under command of captain Francesco Brunetti, sailed from La Spezia to raid the naval base of Alexandria, after the first attempt by Iride had failed. In the evening of September 23, 1940 Gondar arrived in Messina, where she embarked on an SLC unit of six officers, one NCO and 3 sailors. On 25 September 1940 she secretly left for Alexandria. On 29 September Gondar was ordered to head to Tobruk, as the British naval force had sortied from Alexandria. While on her way to Tobruk, at 20:30 on the same day, Gondar spotted an enemy ship, about 1,500 meters away. The submarine tried to disengage by diving to 80 meters, however, she was almost immediately detected by ASDIC of destroyer HMAS Stuart who immediately attacked the submarine with depth charges.[4] In two hours, at 22:30 two more ships joined the hunt, an armed trawler Sindonis, and HMS Diamond, with additional units coming to help as the hunt went on, including Sunderland flying boats. The ongoing depth charge attacks caused serious damage to the submarine and especially to the SLC units which were beginning to flood. At 8:30 on September 30, 1940, Gondar had to surface, due to sustained damage and almost completely exhausted reserves of oxygen. Upon surfacing, the crew scuttled the boat with explosive charges. Except for electrician Luigi Longobardi, who was killed by one of the bombs dropped by a Sunderland flying boat, the entire crew was rescued and imprisoned by the British.Evacuation of the Gondar:With the sinking of Gondar, the British intelligence noted the three cylinders on the deck of the submarine, and a presence of numerous divers among the crew. That raised questions about the existence of special units in Regia Marina responsible for penetration into enemy ports.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

PACKING/SHIPPING
• It is the bidder's responsibility to take shipping and handling costs into consideration when bidding on items.
• Packaging, shipping, and insurance on items will be available to successful bidders. Applicable charges will be applied.
• BIDDERS PRESENT AND TAKING ITEMS AFTER AUCTION - Items paid for must be packed, transported and/or removed by the purchaser at his/her own risk after the close of the sale. If any employee or agent of Milestone Auction shall pack or transport the merchandise, it is fully at the risk and responsibility and expense of the purchaser. Milestone Auctions shall not be held liable for any loss or damage that may be caused by the said agent or employee. All items not removed after the close of the sale may be shipped to the buyer at their expense or may be moved or stored by Milestone Auctions. Fees, rates, and insurance will be charged accordingly to the buyer.
• BIDDERS NOT PRESENT OR NEEDING SHIPPING - Shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice and are NON-REFUNDABLE. Shipping will be based on actual costs via FedEx, FedEx Freight or USPS (best way). Handling and insurance will vary in cost depending on each invoice. All packages will be shipped with insurance. Items will ship seven to fourteen (7-14) business days after payment is received.
• INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS - Milestone Auctions has the availability to ship to international bidders. By law, Milestone Auctions cannot and will not declare lesser values for any international purchases and all shipments will include the invoice with purchase totals including the buyer's premium and shipping cost. All international bidders are responsible for paying all customs and duties on the items.
• LARGE SIZE ITEMS - Please inquire about shipping costs due to the size restrictions of freight shipments. A third party shipment may be necessary for larger items. Call for more information, 440-527-8060

Milestone Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $999 $25
$1,000 $1,999 $50
$2,000 $4,999 $100
$5,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $24,999 $500
$25,000 $49,999 $1,000
$50,000 $99,999 $2,500
$100,000 + $5,000