Operation Lupo B

wolf B

'Lupo' was an Italian convoy from Tripoli in Italy’s North African colony of Libya to Naples on the Italian mainland (2/6 April 1942).

On 2 April the Italians despatched three convoys, each of two merchant vessels, from Taranto, Messina and Augusta in southern Italy and Sicily to Tripoli. The first was escorted by the destroyers Antonio Pigafetta, Antonio da Noli and Euro, and torpedo boats Cigno and Pallade; the second by the destroyers Premuda, Emanuele Pessagno and Folgore, and torpedo boat Centauro; and the third by the destroyers Freccia and Nicolo Zeno. Distant cover was provided by the light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia and the destroyers Ugolini Vivaldi and Mitragliere. All six of the merchant ships reached North Africa safely on 4 April.

At the same time two convoys made the return passage from Tripoli to Naples in the form of a two-ship convoy on 2/4 April escorted by the destroyer Antoniotto Usodimare and torpedo boat Lince, and a one-ship convoy on 4/6 April escorted by the destroyer Folgore and torpedo boat Castore. All of these vessels also reached their destinations safely.