View source for Italian sloop Eritrea

{{short description|Colonial ship of the Italian Regia Marina}}
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|Ship image= Francis garnier.1.jpg
|Ship caption= ''Francis Garnier''
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|Ship country=Italy
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Kingdom of Italy|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Eritrea''
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|Ship ordered= 8 May 1935
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|Ship launched= 28 September 1936
|Ship completed= 10 February 1937
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|Ship fate= Transferred to France 1948
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country= France
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|France|naval}}
|Ship name= ''Francis Garnier''
|Ship namesake= [[Francis Garnier]]
|Ship acquired= 12 February 1948
|Ship struck= 1966
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|Ship fate= Sunk as target ship 1966
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship type= Colonial ship
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|2165|LT|t|0}} standard
*{{convert|3068|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full load
|Ship length= {{convert|96.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|13.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draught= {{convert|4.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=2-shaft diesel-electric, 7,800 hp diesel, 1,300 hp electric motors
|Ship speed= {{convert|20|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} 
|Ship range= {{convert|6950|nmi|km|abbr=on}}
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|Ship complement= 234
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|Ship armament=*4 × {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}} guns (2 × 2)
*2 × [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|Vickers-Terni 40 mm/39]] pom pom (2 × 1)
*4 × [[Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] machine guns (4 × 1)
|Ship armour=*Deck: {{convert|25|to|32|mm|in|abbr=on}} {{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
*Conning tower: {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} {{citation needed|date=November 2024}}
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'''''Eritrea''''' was a colonial ship of the Italian [[Regia Marina]] constructed in the [[Castellammare di Stabia|Castellammare]] Shipyards near [[Napoli]].  Construction started in 1935 and she was commissioned in 1937.<ref>[[:it:File:Nave eritrea.jpg|Photo of the "Eritrea"]]</ref> She served mainly in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.<ref>[http://comandosupremo.com/fareast.html "Eritrea" in the Far East]</ref>

==Design==

The ''Eritrea'' (2,170 tons displacement) was constructed for duties as a typical "colonial ship" and was sometimes referred to as a "[[sloop of war|sloop]]". She had a novel diesel-electric machinery outfit designed to maximise range.

She was armed with four [[120 mm Italian naval gun#45-calibre Schneider-Canet-Armstrong 1918/19|120&nbsp;mm guns]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John |title=Naval Weapons of World War Two |url=https://archive.org/details/navalweaponsworl00camp |url-access=limited |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date=1985 |location=Annapolis, Maryland |pages=[https://archive.org/details/navalweaponsworl00camp/page/n346 335]–338 |isbn=0-87021-459-4}}</ref> two 40&nbsp;mm guns, and two 13.2&nbsp;mm machine guns. The ship also had an extensive engineering workshop on board and could provide repair support to Italian submarines based in East Africa.

A modified sister ship to be called ''Etiopia'' was planned, but cancelled on the outbreak of war.

==Service==
[[File:ITALIAN WARSHIP SURRENDERS AT COLOMBO. 14 SEPTEMBER 1943. THE ITALIAN COLONIAL SLOOP ERITREA A 2170 TONS, ESCORT VESSEL WITH A SPEED OF 20 KNOTS, ENTERED COLOMBO HARBOUR RECENTLY TO SURRENDER. A19586.jpg|left|thumb|''Eritrea'', 14 September 1943 entering Port of Colombo to surrender.]]

Following [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]]'s declaration of war on 10 June 1940, colonial ship ''Eritrea'' became part of the Italian Royal Navy (''[[Regia Marina]]''). ''Eritrea'' was part of the Italian Navy's [[Red Sea Flotilla]] located at the port of [[Massawa]] in [[Eritrea]].<ref>[http://www.anmi.taranto.it/filatelia/eritrea/eritrea.htm History of the "Eritrea" (in Italian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210022720/http://www.anmi.taranto.it/filatelia/eritrea/eritrea.htm |date=2010-12-10 }}</ref>

In February 1941, as the [[East African Campaign (World War II)|East African Campaign]] started to go badly for the Italians, Massawa, the home port for ''Eritrea'' became more endangered.  Along with {{ship|Italian ship|Ramb I||2}} and {{ship|Italian ship|Ramb II||2}}, ''Eritrea'' slipped through a British [[blockade]] off [[Perim]] and sailed into the [[Indian Ocean]] on 20 February 1941.<ref>[http://www.storiain.net/arret/num67/artic3.asp Eritrea dangerous travel to Asia (in Italian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020607042951/http://www.storiain.net/arret/num67/artic3.asp |date=2002-06-07 }}</ref>

She sailed across the [[Indian Ocean]] and ultimately reached [[Kobe]], Japan. Upon reaching Japan, ''Eritrea'' was supposed to operate as a [[commerce raider]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]].  Even though allied with Italy, the authorities of then neutral Japan took a dim view of the idea of an Italian raider operating from neutral Japanese ports.  The Japanese refused to comply with the Italian plans and ''Eritrea'' was not allowed to leave Kobe.

In December 1941, after the official declaration of war, the Japanese government allowed ''Eritrea'' to provide assistance to "transport submarines."  These submarines, carrying rare goods, arrived in Japanese-held [[Penang]] and [[Singapore]] from the distant bases in German-held [[Bordeaux]].

On 8 September 1943, when [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]] declared [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|an armistice]], ''Eritrea'' was navigating between [[Singapore]] and [[Sabang, Indonesia|Sabang]] to give a support to the Italian oceanic cargo submarine {{ship|Italian submarine|Comandante Cappellini||2}}.  The submarine had just arrived from [[German occupation of France during World War II|occupied France]] after a long and difficult voyage.  As soon as the [[Reuters]] message about the surrender of Italy was picked up by the crew of ''Eritrea'', the vessel changed course at once and headed at full speed to [[Colombo]] in [[Ceylon]] to surrender. ''Eritrea'' passed by [[Sumatra]] and escaped despite the presence of the Japanese aerial and naval units. Off the coast of [[Ceylon]], it was intercepted by [[HMS Overdale Wyke|HMS ''Overdale Wyke'']] of the [[Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force]]. ''Eritrea'' identified itself and its intent to surrender. It was boarded by a party from HMS ''Overdale Wyke'' and escorted to the [[Port of Colombo]]. It was later used by the [[Royal Navy]] from Colombo and [[Addu Atoll]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Ceylon Navy's Prized Catch |url=https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/sunday-times-sri-lanka/20160529/283274571992809 |access-date=11 August 2020 |publisher=Sunday Times}}</ref>

===French service===

{{other ships|French ship Francis Garnier}}
After the war, ''Eritrea'' was turned over to France. The [[French Navy]] used ''Eritrea'' in colonial service with the name ''Francis Garnier'' until 1965. ''Francis Garnier'' was then declassed to become a target ship.  She was sunk during a [[1966–70 French nuclear tests|nuclear test]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]] in 1966.

==See also==

* [[East African Campaign (World War II)|East African Campaign]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Brescia|first=Maurizio|title=Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45|year=2012|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-544-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John|title =Naval Weapons of World War Two |publisher =Naval Institute Press |date =1985 |location =Annapolis, Maryland|isbn =0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Cosentino|first=Michele|chapter=The Colonial Sloop ''Eritrea'' |publisher=Conway|location=London|year=2016|title=Warship 2007|pages=30–41 |isbn=978-1-84486-326-6}}
*{{cite book |last1=Fraccaroli |first1=Aldo |title=Italian Warships of World War II |date=1968 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton, UK |isbn=0-7110-0002-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Chesneau|first2=Roger|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|year=1980|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-146-7|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Chumbley|first2=Stephen|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995|year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-132-7|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}

==External links==
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-503.htm Sesuikan]
* [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/EFGHI/eritrea.aspx Eritrea] Marina Militare website {{in lang|it}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}
{{WWII Italian ships}}
{{1966 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eritrea}}
[[Category:World War II naval ships of Italy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Castellammare di Stabia]]
[[Category:World War II mine warfare vessels]]
[[Category:Naval ships of France]]
[[Category:Military of British Ceylon]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1966]]
[[Category:1936 ships]]