Operation Genova

Genoa

'Genova' was an Italian convoy operation across the Mediterranean (27/29 April 1942).

This was one of several small convoys which the Italians ran between Naples and Tripoli, Tripoli and Naples, and Tripoli and Benghazi, escorted by the destroyers Premuda, Lanzerotto Malocello and Strale, and torpedo boats Cantore, Castore and Generale Carlo Montanari. The convoys suffered a number of problems but no attacks.

On 27 April the 'Genova' outbound convoy of two ships departed Palermo for Tripoli under escort of the torpedo boats Cigno, Castore, Lince and Generale Carlo Montanari, and reached its destination without loss on 29 April.

In a parallel undertaking, on 27 April the 243-ton motor vessel San Giusto departed Navarino (Pylos) on the west coast of Italian-occupied Greece. Two days later it came under gunfire attack from the submarine Urge and suffered slight damaged. A Fiat CR.42 fighter-bomber then attacked the submarine and, probably, sank it, although some sources claim that the torpedo boat Pegaso sank the boat on 29 April.