Organizzata dal comandante Giovanni Aimone a bordo del San Giuseppe due, vascello lungo 16 metri, la spedizione di sei persone partì da Anzio ed arrivò sino all’isola Deception e poi alla base americana Palmer. Sono note una decina di cover con la scritta “San Giuseppe Due - Roma”.

G.  Martuscelli  navigator, F. Di Jorio  sailor, PG. Airoldi alpinist.

San Giuseppe Due departed Anzio (Rome) on 27 Jun 69 and sailed via Gibraltar, Las Palmas, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Mar Del Plata, Puerto Madrin, Port Stanley and Ushuaia finally arriving at Decepcion Island on 31 Dec 69 where they met up with US research vessel RV Hero.

San Giuseppe Due then departed Decepcion Island on 19 Jan 70 for Argentine Antarctic base Almirante Brown where she stayed 22-25 Jan, then she went to USA Palmer Station 25-28 Jan and returned to Almirante Brown to wait for good weather to cross the Drake Passage. Some of the crew abandoned ship at Almirante Brown and flew home. The Italian Navy then provided two navigators F Zarattini & S Di Mauro and aircraft pilot D Trentin who all arrived on the icebreaker ARA General San Martin on 19 Feb and were transferred aboard. San Giuseppe  Due then sailed into Port Stanley on 4 Mar 70 and finally returned to Anzio on 21 Nov 70.

The only known covers from the voyage (perhaps 10 according to the commander of the vessel) are on light grey paper impressed in maroon with “S.Giuseppe Due / Roma”.

 Seconda spedizione del San Giuseppe Due

 There was another voyage of the San Giuseppe Due. Master was Captain Giovanni Aimone Cat plus a crew of 4 sub officers from the Italian Navy:

Mario Camilli  2nd Chief Engineer, Giovanni Federici Sergeant Engineer, Tito Mancini  Sergeant Navigator, Ginacarlo Fede Sergeant Radioman, Dario Trentin   aircraft pilot joined at Port Stanley.

  They undertook research for the Naval Institute of Naples and the Italian Shipping Institute. Vessel departed Torre del Greco Naples on 1 Jul 73, visited La Maddalena Italy, Gibraltar, Las Palmas Spain, Salt Island Portugal, Recife, Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires 7 Nov, Mar Del Plata Argentine, Puerto Madryn Argentine, Port Stanley Falklands 27 Nov (late mail cancelled Port Stanley 19 Dec 73), Ushuaia 25-31 Dec, Decepcion Island 4 Jan 74, Port Lockroy 12 Jan, USA Palmer Station 14 Jan, BAT Argentine Islands 17-25 Jan, Almirante Brown 25 Jan, Decepcion Island 1 Feb, Orcadas 9 Feb, Signy Island 11 Feb, South Orkneys, Grytviken South Georgia 21 Feb where they met up with RRS Bransfield, departed South Georgia 18 Mar, South Sandwich Is, Cape Town, St Helena 14 April, Ascension, Cape Verde Portugal, Mauritania, Las Palmas Spain, Gibraltar, returning to Anzio Rome on 27 June 74.  Possibly 1500 covers were produced.