Page 241 - The Secret War in the Italian front in WWI (1915-1918)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As far as the participation of the Cryptographic Unit to antisubmarine warfare is concerned, the
piece of information sent to the Italian Navy on 27 June concerning the repair of German submarine
UC 53 in the Spanish port of Cadiz should be mentioned . From another well-informed source, we
26
learn that, between 11 and 29 June, German submarine UC 52 travelling from Germany to Kotor,
was under repair in port of Cadiz . Perhaps the U52 and U53 (picture 11.3) arriving in Cadiz from
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Germany in June, both with the task of laying mines in the Mediterranean, were sheltered at the
same time in port of Cadiz.

11.3 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECURITY ISSUES

The vulnerabIlITy of TelecoMMunIcaTIons
The increasingly devastating
destructions caused, during the conflict
by a higher number of larger calibre
artillery pieces systematically severed,
especially in the initial phases of
attacks, the physical communications
connections, including those prepared
with special care, and fostered the
spread of radiotelegraphy on the first
lines of the front .
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Picture 11.4 depicts the higher physical
security of wireless communications
compared to physical carriers and, above
all, overhead lines: it shows a device
for sorting telegraphic and telephone
lines known as ‘castle’ (top part) and
the protection of the radiotelegraphic
station located in a cave of Monte
Cengio. In the latter, the only part of
the structure directly exposed to enemy
artillery shots was the antenna which,
when damaged, in most cases could
be repaired quickly, while operators
11.4 The vulnerability of wired connections versus and equipment were safely preserved
radiotelegraphic stations (ISCAG Archive)
within equipped caves (picture 11.5).
The Monte Cengio station, as many
others connecting Division with Corps Headquarters of the Italian army, was equipped with
200W devices.

26 Section R Logs, 29 giugno 1917. AUSSME, Series B1, 101S, Vol. 283d.
27 Erwin Sieche, La guerra sottomarina tedesca nel Mediterraneo 1915 – 1918, in La Guerra navale 1914 -1918, Edito da A.
Rastelli e A. Massignani, Rossato, op.cit., p.70.
28 Protecting a line from destruction during heavy bombardments required burying it at least 3 feet under the level of the terrain
and inside iron pipes. These conditions could hardly be met at the front.

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