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The RPS DX TEAM Diploma on the anniversary of the sinking
On 29 July 1943 , due to an unfortunate series of events, the minelaying submarine "Pietro Micca" of the Royal Italian Navy was sunk just off Punta Ristola in the sea of Leuca. his class, of the Italian Navy.
The submarine had been built in the Tosi shipyards of Taranto starting in 1931, following very specific needs; it was, in fact, the project of an innovative and modern military vehicle of large dimensions , perfect for the underwater transport of large quantities of materials, protected from enemy eyes, towards the Italian lands overseas. It was also equipped with modern instrumentation, being, for example, the first submarine equipped with sonar .
Unfortunately it was the only one of the "Pietro Micca" class as the construction costs went beyond all expectations.
The new submarine В«Pietro MiccaВ» was launched on March 31, 1935 and, with its size, was frightening to any adversary. Even the weapons supplied were not negligible: she was equipped with 4 torpedo launch chambers at the bow and two at the stern; she also had two 120mm cannons and 4 anti-aircraft machine guns. Her crew consisted of 72 men, including the commander and his deputy.
In eight years of activity, he was employed in various missions, many intended for the transport of war material towards the Italian territories of the Mediterranean and others as minelayers, managing to penetrate enemy areas with extreme ease. Some successful missions were carried out in Egypt, in the port of Alexandria, against English ships . In 1937 it was also used, but clandestinely, in support of the Francoist government of Spain.
There were also several attempts by the Germans to have it displaced in the Atlantic Ocean, where they still did not have valid naval means but, due to various logistical and bureaucratic problems, the Pietro Micca always remained in the Mediterranean area.
During a mission, in 1942, an unexplained accident occurred : a torpedo came out of one of the stern torpedo tubes due to an error or a problem with the device. The explosion caused some damage. As if that were not enough, in October of the same year, a violent storm damaged the hull forcing the submarine to return to Taranto for repairs.
The last mission saw him set sail from Taranto on 24 July, bound for Naples: unfortunately, 4 days later, off the coast of Calabria, near Capo Spartivento, a serious breakdown occurred which prevented him from diving and maneuvering; the commander, therefore, decided to reverse course and return to the Apulian city from which he had started.
Due to maneuvering difficulties, the support ship Bormio was assigned to him , whose meeting was expected off the coast of Leuca: from there, the two vessels would have set course for Taranto.
Unfortunately, due to a fatality, the support ship arrived very late for the appointment in the sea of Leuca; on the contrary, very punctual, the English submarine Trooper arrived and, recognizing her adversary on the surface, attacked him by launching six torpedoes, one of which hit, splitting our submarine in half.
It was a tragedy : at least 18 sailors, including the master and deputy, were thrown out of the hull divided in two by the explosion, while the other 54 remained trapped in half of the hull which quickly sank.
The sinking took place 3 miles from Punta Ristola, in a sea 84 meters deep: it was July 29, 1943 .
Help from the fishermen of Leuca arrived immediately and, shortly thereafter, the same ship Bormio that brought the survivors on board; the others, desperately, made noises on the sunken hull but the depth and the means of the time were not able to save them. The noises continued for hours until, some shots, made the silence fall forever...
The wreck and the 54 heroic sailors , who died because they were unable to defend themselves due to technical problems, still lie in the deep sea of Leuca since that nefarious summer of 1943, about forty days before the armistice of Cassibile which would have been signed by Badoglio.
Again, luck lacked, not courage !
Who is our Diploma aimed at?
First of all, with the SPM80 Diploma , the 80th Anniversary of the sinking of the Pietro Micca , we at RPS DX TEAM, in collaboration with the Italian Marine Amateur Radio Association (ARMI - Lecce District) , intend to commemorate and remember the sacrifice of men to board of the submarine and the excellence of the Italian Navy ; to do this, we address all radio enthusiasts, whether they are radio amateurs or SWLs .
For this reason, the diploma will be in two versions: the "OM Version" and the "SWL Version": in any case, just write the name used for the connections in the field at the bottom of the page to obtain the OM version, while , for the В«SWLВ diploma» we have created a special page .
Duration
The Diploma В«Submarine Pietro MiccaВ» takes place for the duration between the dates indicated below.
The start is expected at 00:00 UTC on 15/07/2023 and the end of the activities at 24:00 UTC on 30/07/2023 .
Scores
It will be possible to download the diploma, in the В«BronzeВ», В«SilverВ» and В«GoldВ» versions upon reaching the pre-established scores, achieved in the period from 07/15/2023 to 07/30/2023. Normally, each QSO is worth ONE POINT , except for CW mode connections which are worth TWO POINTS ; In OM bands, connections to the same station and on the same band/mode are valid provided they are made on different days; therefore, QSOs subsequent to the first made on the same day, with the same correspondent and in the same band/mode, are considered В«duplicateВ» (and, therefore, with a "ZERO" value) ; this means that, in the same day, several connections can be made with the same station, on the same band and in the same way but, ALL, will count as one and only connection
For example, summarizing :
♦ A QSO with an activating station in modes other than «Jolly mode» (CW) is worth ONE POINT ;
♦ A QSO with an activating station on CW is worth TWO POINTS ;
♦ A QSO with a «Jolly station» is worth FOUR POINTS , which, eventually, are added to those of the Jolly mode if the QSO is in that emission mode
♦ Points can be accumulated by connecting the activating stations on different bands or on the same band if done on different days.
Any emission method is valid for all connections, as long as it complies with the Bandplan and current regulations .
The following scores are expected , upon reaching which it will be possible to download the diploma:
Diploma В« Submersible Pietro Micca В», version for OM:
♦ Bronze Diploma: 8 points EU stations, 4 points NON EU stations
♦ Silver Diploma: 16 points EU stations, 8 points NON EU stations
♦ Gold Diploma : 24 EU station points, 16 NON EU station points
To facilitate the achievement of the necessary scores, from time to time, a "Jolly Station" may appear which will be able to dispense as many as FOUR POINTS for each QSO! The station will be announced on the DX Cluster: stay tuned !
Call
The activating stations, conducted by the OM members of the RPS DX TEAM of the "Radio Penisola Salentina" Club, together with the ARMI (Italian Amateur Radio Association) members of the districts involved, will make a general call on the bands within their jurisdiction.
The calls will be as follows :
♦ For CW OMs: « CQ SPM80 »
♦ For Voice OMs: « CQ SUBMERSIBLE PIETRO MICCA »
When the stations make the QSO, they will supply the signal to the corresponding station and some information regarding our radio activity (if in voice), according to the standards established on the frequencies; the QSOs will be noted in the LOGs which will be transferred in a short time to this web area at the end of each call session.
At the end of this phase, each station will be able to check the level achieved up to that moment and, if necessary, will be able to download the diploma in PDF format.
Attendance sessions
As a rule, call sessions by our associates are not foreseen a priori: therefore, there may be several stations, including В«JollyВ» ones on the air at the same time; to discover them, it is possible to consult the DX Cluster or check the pages of this site.
However, to help friends, some stations have established the following calendar, being able to predict when they will be on the radio free from commitments; we reiterate, however, that this calendar is not absolutely binding and will be updated periodically:
No frequency sessions established yet
For information on this diploma
It is possible to contact the RPS Award Manager, Radio Penisola Salentina at the following email address 1rps.italia[at]gmail.com taking care to replace В«[at]В» with a more suitable В«@В»: l The Award Manager is available to clarify any doubts.
Based on the logs uploaded to the system by the activators, you will have details of the RPS, Radio Penisola Salentina stations connected and, if the necessary score is achieved, you will be able to download your diploma (important: do not write the "/p", "/m" , "/qrp" or similar but only the callsign).
Last very important note: the award download function will be active, exceptionally, for 15 days after the conclusion of the diploma.
73 Al 4L5A
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