Le navi bianche. L’evacuazione dei civili italiani dall’Africa Orientale

In March 1942 four of the major surviving passenger ships, ts Duilio and Giulio Cesare of Lloyd Triestino, and ms Saturnia and Vulcania of Italia S.A., were chosen for a repatriation mission. After long secret negotiations conducted thanks to the mediation of various governments, Italy and Great Britain reached an agreement in full conflict for the evacuation of the Italian civilians from the former Italian East Africa, of which about 28,000 women, children and elders. The difficulties to be overcome were considerable, above all for the supplies of fuel, water and food which it was agreed to pay in gold through neutral countries. Since it was not possible, for military reasons, to use the Suez route, the journey involved the circumnavigation of Africa, that is geographically 20,000 miles (37,000 km) round trip, but in wartime the route was lengthened to 23,000 miles (40,000 km). The German and Japanese allies did not undertake to guarantee the safety of our ships along the route. In the first mission all ships were destined for Berbera. The second mission was carried out as the first, while Duilio and Giulio Cesare skipping Massawa. The third mission planned for the complete repatriation of our compatriots took the Saturnia to Mogadishu and the other ships to Massawa. During the return, the Mussolini’s fall caught the four ships sailing in the Atlantic. The general total of repatriated compatriots was 27,706, of which 41.1% were children and young people. The average of each ship was 2,300 returnees.