Pisani-class submarine

The Pisani-class submarines were built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists.

Vettore Pisani on the surface
Class overview
Operators:  Regia Marina
Preceded by: Mameli class
Succeeded by: Bandiera class
In commission: 1928–1947
Completed: 4
Scrapped: 4
General characteristics
Type: Submarine
Displacement:
  • 880 t (866 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 1,057 t (1,040 long tons) (submerged)
Length: 68.2 m (223 ft 9 in)
Beam: 6.09 m (20 ft)
Draft: 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)
Installed power:
  • 3,000 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,100 hp (820 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (surfaced)
  • 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) (submerged)
Range:
  • 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)
Test depth: 90 m (300 ft)
Crew: 48
Armament:

Design and description
Right-profile line drawing of the Pisani class

Designed in parallel with the Mameli-class submarines, the Pisani class was larger to accommodate more fuel and give them more range. They displaced 880 metric tons (866 long tons) surfaced and 1,057 metric tons (1,040 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 68.2 meters (223 ft 9 in) long, had a beam of 6.09 meters (20 ft) and a draft of 4.93 meters (16 ft 2 in).[1] They had an operational diving depth of 90 meters (300 ft).[2] Their crew numbered 48 officers and enlisted men.[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,500-brake-horsepower (1,119 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 550-horsepower (410 kW) electric motor. Like the Mamelis, their stability was poor and they had to be modified with bulges after completion. This reduced their speeds from 17.25 knots (31.95 km/h; 19.85 mph) on the surface and 8.75 knots (16.21 km/h; 10.07 mph) underwater to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) respectively. On the surface, the Pisani class had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph);[1] submerged, they had a range of 70 nmi (130 km; 81 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 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 nine 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 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1]

Boats
Ship Builder[1] Laid down[3] Launched[3] Completed[3] Fate[3]
Giovanni Bausan Cantiere Navale Triestino, Trieste 27 January 1926 24 March 1927 15 September 1929 Decommissioned 16 April 1942, converted into an oil barge.
Marcantonio Colonna 3 December 1925 26 December 1927 10 July 1929 Scrapped, 1943
Des Geneys 1 February 1926 14 November 1928 31 October 1929 Decommissioned 16 April 1942, converted into a battery-charging hulk
Vettor Pisani 18 November 1925 24 November 1927 16 June 1929 Decommissioned, 23 March 1947

Service history

During the Spanish Civil War, Vettore Pisani made at least one patrol off the Catalan coast in August 1937 during which she made one unsuccessful attack.[4]

Notes
  1. Chesneau, p. 307
  2. Bagnasco, p. 141
  3. Fraccaroli, p. 127
  4. 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.
  • Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0002-6.
  • 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.
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