Mameli-class submarine
The Mameli-class submarine was one of the first classes of the submarines to be built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) after the First World War. Some of these boats played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. Of the four boats built in this class, all but one survived the Second World War.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Mameli class |
| Builders: | Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto |
| Operators: |
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| Preceded by: | Micca class |
| Succeeded by: | Pisani class |
| Built: | 1925–1929 |
| In commission: | 1929–1948 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| Scrapped: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 64.6 m (212 ft) |
| Beam: | 6.51 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Draft: | 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power: | |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Armament: |
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Design and description
The Mameli class was one of the Regia Marina's first classes of submarines to be built after the First World War. They displaced 823 metric tons (810 long tons) surfaced and 1,009 metric tons (993 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 64.6 meters (211 ft 11 in) long, had a beam of 6.51 meters (21 ft 4 in) and a draft of 4.3 meters (14 ft 1 in).[1] They had an operational diving depth of 90 meters (300 ft).[2] Their crew numbered 49 officers and enlisted men.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,550-brake-horsepower (1,156 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 550-horsepower (410 kW) electric motor. They could reach 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface and 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Mameli class had a range of 4,360 nautical miles (8,070 km; 5,020 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph); submerged, they had a range of 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[2]
The boats were armed with six 53.3-centimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern for which they carried a total of 10 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 102-millimeter (4 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two single 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1]
Ships
| Ship | Builder[1] | Laid down[1] | Launched[1] | Completed[1] | Fate[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pier Capponi | Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto | 1925 | 19 June 1927 | 1929 | Sunk by HMS Rorqual, 31 March 1941 |
| Giovanni da Procida | 1 April 1928 | Discarded, 1 February 1948 | |||
| Goffredo Mameli | 9 December 1926 | ||||
| Tito Speri | 25 May 1928 | ||||
Service history
Giovanni Da Procida is the only known boat to have attempted to sink a ship during the Spanish Civil War, albeit unsuccessfully.[3] The Mamelis participated in the Second World War. Three boats survived the war to be discarded in 1948.
Notes
- Chesneau, p. 307
- Bagnasco, p. 140
- Frank, p. 96
References
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
- Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Frank, Willard C., Jr. (1989). "Question 12/88". Warship International. XXVI (1): 95–97. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.