Sailors aboard the Italian Navy’s minesweeper Gaeta recently put their mine-hunting technology to good use when they helped historians research the wreck of the Italian Navy destroyer ship Vincenzo Gioberti which was sunk in World War II.
The Oriani-class destroyer was sunk by a British submarine, the HMS Simoom, on August 9, 1943, five miles west of Punta Mesco, La Spezia, Italy.
Vincenzo Gioberti was hit by torpedoes and broke in two pieces. The ship’s stern sank almost immediately while the bow sank about a mile beyond the impact of the torpedo. The wreck lies some 600 meters beneath the surface.
ITS Gaeta used its equipment to help the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism and research agencies shed more light on the historic site.
During its mid-life upgrade in 2010, ITS Gaeta was equipped with a Thales 2093 Mk2 sonar which allowed the ship to conduct the deep water research.