subsequent battle Ascari, together with Alfredo Oriani, engaged the escorting British destroyers, scoring hits on , and later finished off the tanker Kentucky and the steamer Burdwan, previously disabled by Axis air strikes. Researcher Francesco Matessini said that Ascari sank the drifting Burdwan with two torpedoes. Between late 1942 and early 1943, Ascari participated in a number of minelaying missions in the Sicilian Channel, as well as escort and troop transport missions between Italy and Tunisia. On 23 March 1943 Ascari sailed from Palermo carrying German troops towards Tunis, and was joined at sea by the sister ship and two other destroyers, and , also carrying German troops. At 7:18 on 24 March, Lanzerotto Malocello struck a mine laid by about 28 miles north of Cape Bon and was left dead in the water. It was initially thought that the ship had been torpedoed, and Commander Mario Gerini, Ascaris commanding officer and also in command of the destroyer group, ordered Leone Pancaldo and Camicia Nera to proceed towards Tunis as he tried with Ascari to bring help to Lanzerotto Malocello, that sank about 90 minutes later. While rescuing Lanzerotto Malocellos survivors, however, Ascari hit in turn three mines, losing her bow and stern and finally sinking at 13:12, about 25 miles north of Zembretta. Some MAS boats sent from Bizerta and Pantelleria reached the scene after about four hours, and could only rescue 59 of the 533 troops and crew aboard Ascari. Commander Gerini was lost together with 193 of his crew and 280 German soldiers. References Bibliography External links Ascari Marina Militare website Soldati-class destroyers Ships built in Livorno Ships built by OTO Melara 1938 ships World War II destroyers of Italy Ships sunk by mines