On the afternoon of October 19, 1940, the Portuguese Internal Affairs Minister's office received a telegram from the Governor of the Azores informing him that a total of 25 castaways - other sources refer 26 - had disembarked in Vila do Porto, on the island of Santa Maria, from an Italian submarine.

The submarine was clearly visible for the coast, while hovering really near as they waited to see the men to landing in the port.

The survivors belonged to the Belgian ship “Kabalo”, sunk five hundred miles southwest of the island.

The submersible was the italian “Comandante Capellini” who had attacked the Belgian steamer on the night of October 15th.  

The crew abandoned the ship in two lifeboats. One, with 16 men, was found by the American merchant “Panam”, which entered the port of Lisbon on evening of the 23rd. The other - with 25 or 26 men depending on the sources - deserved the mercy of the Italian Commander Todaro who, knowing how far away land was, towed them to the Azores.

Moments from the Cappellini operation that saved part of the Kabalo crew.
(www.milistory.net)

During the journey to Santa Maria Island the sea became rough and the Belgians were sheltered in the submarine’s tower during the storm, a gesture that certainly saved their lives.

On the 19th they arrived in front of the small bay of Vila do Porto where they were disembarked. On the morning of November 10th, they arrived in Lisbon, as passengers on the Portuguese merchant Carvalho Araújo.

With them were also a dozen survivors from the Swedish steamer “Meggie” who had arrived on the island of São Miguel on November 4^th. Their ship had been sunk by the Italian submarine “Nani” also on October 27th. All were handed over to PVDE, the Portuguese International Police.

The Kabalo was in convoy OB.233 with 25 other ships, but was left behind. Sighted by the Italian submarine Comandante Capellini, it was sunk by cannon fire.

It was not possible to confirm either the number of crew members – 42 or 46 – or the number of fatalities, which in some sources is referred to as one and in others as two.

Carlos Guerreiro