On 16 April 1942, the NMS Regina Maria and the NMS Marasesti rendezvoused near the Bosphoros with the German cargoships Arkadia and Salzburg the tanker Prodromos and took them to Burgas. From there they moved to Varna on 17 (the tanker) and 23 April (the cargo ships), and then, to Constanta on 18 and 26 under different escorts. The Germans also brought some MFPs through the straits.
The Italian tankers returned in May 1942. On 27, the NMS Regina Maria and the NMS Regele Ferdinand took the Albaro and the Celeno from Istanbul to Constanta and on 13-14 June took them back to the straits.
On 29 June, the German tanker Dresden entered the Black Sea and made it to Varna unescorted. On 2 July it entered Constanta, escorted by the NMS Viscolul MTB and the armed tug Duca.
On 18 July, at 0700 hours, the NMS Regina Maria and the NMS Regele Ferdinand met up with the same Albaro and Celeno near the Bosphoros and took them to Constanta. The return trip was made in two stages. First to Varna on 1 August, escorted by teh same destroyers and R-133 and R-164 and then to the Bosphoros on 3 August. The two R-boote were sent in advance to rendezvous with the Hungarian tanker Szeged, which was supposed to pass through the straits. because of the bad weather, the Szeged could only enter the Black Sea and arrive to Constanta several days later escorted by the two R-boote.
On 7 September, at 1935 hours, the same two destroyers were waiting for the Albaro and Celeno near the Bosphoros. Two torpedoes passed by the Regina Maria, but the destoryer managed to evade them. They launched several depth charges in the area were the torpedoes came from and then returned to the tankers, which had just exited the straits. They arrived at Constanta on 8 September, at 2200 hours. The tankers were taken back on 12-13 September.
On 5 October 1942, the Celeno and Albaro returned to the Black Sea at 1230 hours and were escorted by the R-class destroyers to Constanta, where they arrived the following day at 1330 hours. On 7 October, another tanker, the Arca, passed through the Bosphoros and arrived at Constanta on 16 October.
On 14-15 October, the Celeno was escorted back to the straits by the NMS Regele Ferdinand and the NMS Marasesti. On 18 October, the Arca was escorted by the NMS Stihi and two MFPs to Cape Sabla, from where it was taken over by Bulgarian torpedo-boats. The Arca was torpedoed on 26 October 1942 in the Aegean, by the HMS Taki, 9 miles South of the Island of Kios. The Albaro left Constanta on 28 October escorted by the NMS Regina Maria and the NMS Marasesti to Varna. It arrived at the Bosphoros under German escort on 4 November.
On 14 November, at 1510 hours, the NMS Regina Maria and the NMS Regele Ferdinand met up with the German tanker Ossag near the straits. The ship, unfortunately didn't have any radio on board and the signal lights were probably malfunctioning. At 1645 hours three torpedoes were sighted. They had been fired by the L-5, which laid in waiting in the area. The Regina Maria soundedt ehalarm, launched flares and fired a round in the direction of the torpedoes, but the Ossag took no evasive action. On torpedo hit it in the stern and it was immobilized. The two destroyers evaded the other torpedoes and started to look for the submarine. They launched 40 depth charges. By 2030 hours, the Ossag had drifted into Turkish waters and there it was towed by tugs from Isntanbul and taken for repairs.
On 28 November 1942, the R-class destroyers escorted the Celeno to Constanta, where they arrived in the morning of 29. On 4 December it was escorted to Varna by three R-boote and passed through the straits in the following days. It was the last such mission of the year. |
