1089maul
Member
I wouldn’t normally do another review so soon after the last one in case I bore members and guests! However, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Swan Sinks written by Eric Wiberg which deals with sinking of the SS Cygnet (Greek registered) by Smg Enrico Tazzoli who was commanded the Regia Marina ace Carlo Fecia Di Cossato.
The book is small in size and consists of 118 pages. There is no bibliography but two pages of acknowledgments. There are a number of black and white photographs spread out through the book.
I purchased the book purely out of interest. An enormous number of allied vessels were sunk by the Axis during the war and seemed unusual for an author to write a book on a single sinking which in all probability had no effect on the outcome of the war and does not get a mention in any book that I know of apart from statistics in the career of Smg Tazzoli.
I am so glad that I purchased the book as it gives a balanced account of the sinking from both the Greek side and that on the Italian. The author has researched with surviving crew members of the Greek ship and one survivor from the Tazzoli.
The book starts with the building of the Tazzoli and a biography of Fecia Di Cossato. It then goes onto the building of the SS Cygnet and biographies of the crew. Details then follow of the sinking of SS Cygnet followed by further successes of Smg Tazzoli in the same patrol together with an account of its return France with a damaged bow and being unable to torpedo other ships that it came across. He also details accounts of the Greek survivors who ended up in the USA.
The book then goes on to detail the fate of Fecia Di Cossato and the submarine itself which resulted the loss of almost all the crew members who were on board at the time of the sinking of the SS Cygnet. In order to continue the same balance throughout the book, the author tells of what happened to the Greek crew members. The book ends with full crew lists for both the Cygnet and Tazzoli. What was unusual was that the crew list also includes the military awards that they given.
I believe that author chose this incident as there a fraternisation between the two crews after the sinking some of which was caught on camera. If you go onto Youtube and search for Fecia Di Cossato you will find it. The clip lasts for exactly four minutes.
The book is very easy to read and could be read in three to four hours. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Regia Marina.
Regards to all,
Bob
The book is small in size and consists of 118 pages. There is no bibliography but two pages of acknowledgments. There are a number of black and white photographs spread out through the book.
I purchased the book purely out of interest. An enormous number of allied vessels were sunk by the Axis during the war and seemed unusual for an author to write a book on a single sinking which in all probability had no effect on the outcome of the war and does not get a mention in any book that I know of apart from statistics in the career of Smg Tazzoli.
I am so glad that I purchased the book as it gives a balanced account of the sinking from both the Greek side and that on the Italian. The author has researched with surviving crew members of the Greek ship and one survivor from the Tazzoli.
The book starts with the building of the Tazzoli and a biography of Fecia Di Cossato. It then goes onto the building of the SS Cygnet and biographies of the crew. Details then follow of the sinking of SS Cygnet followed by further successes of Smg Tazzoli in the same patrol together with an account of its return France with a damaged bow and being unable to torpedo other ships that it came across. He also details accounts of the Greek survivors who ended up in the USA.
The book then goes on to detail the fate of Fecia Di Cossato and the submarine itself which resulted the loss of almost all the crew members who were on board at the time of the sinking of the SS Cygnet. In order to continue the same balance throughout the book, the author tells of what happened to the Greek crew members. The book ends with full crew lists for both the Cygnet and Tazzoli. What was unusual was that the crew list also includes the military awards that they given.
I believe that author chose this incident as there a fraternisation between the two crews after the sinking some of which was caught on camera. If you go onto Youtube and search for Fecia Di Cossato you will find it. The clip lasts for exactly four minutes.
The book is very easy to read and could be read in three to four hours. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Regia Marina.
Regards to all,
Bob
