Sirio-class torpedo boat

The Sirio class (also known as the Saffo class[lower-alpha 1]) was a class of six sea-going steam-powered torpedo boats of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) built by the German shipyard Schichau-Werke from 1904–1906. They served in the Italo-Turkish War and the First World War.

Class overview
Builders: Schichau-Werke, Elbing
Operators:  Regia Marina
Preceded by: Pellicano
Succeeded by: Pegaso class
Built: 1904–1906
In commission: 1905–1923
Completed: 6
Lost: 3
Retired: 3
General characteristics
Type: High-seas Torpedo boat
Displacement: 210 t (210 long tons)
Length:
  • 51.00 m (167 ft 4 in) pp
  • 51.07 m (167 ft 7 in) oa
Beam: 6.0 m (19 ft 8 in)
Draught: 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:
Speed: 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range: 500 nmi (580 mi; 930 km) at full speed
Complement: 3 officer + 35 men
Armament:
  • 3 × 47 mm/40 guns
  • 3 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes

Design

In 1904, work began at the German shipyard of Schichau-Werke, Elbing (now Elbląg, Poland) on a class of six torpedo-boats for the Italian Navy.[3][lower-alpha 2] They were 50.00 metres (164 ft 1 in) long between perpendiculars and 51.07 metres (167 ft 7 in) overall, with a beam of 6.00 metres (19 ft 8 in) and a draught of 1.60 metres (5 ft 3 in).[1] Two Coal-fired Schultz-Thornycroft boilers fed Vertical triple-expansion steam engines rated at 3,000–3,100 indicated horsepower (2,200–2,300 kW), giving a rated speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph),[1][4] which corresponded to an in-service sea speed of about 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph).[3][lower-alpha 3] Displacement was 210 tonnes (207 long tons).[3]

Three 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were fitted, with a gun armament of three 47 mm guns. The ships had a crew of 38 officers and men.[1]

Service

On delivery, the ships of the class equipped the 1st Squadron of High Seas Torpedo Boats, based first at La Spezia and then at Messina.[2] The ships of the class were active during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912,[2] with Spica leading four Pegaso-class torpedo boats on a reconnaissance of the Dardanelles on the night of 18/19 July 1912, penetrating under fire about 18 kilometres (11 mi) before being stopped by a boom across the straits, and then escaping with little damage and no casualties.[6] Two ships, Scorpione and Serpente, were lost following collisions during the First World War, with the remaining ships being rearmed, with two 76 mm anti-aircraft guns replacing the 47 mm guns.[3] A third ship, Saffo was lost after running aground off Turkey on 2 April 1920.[3] The surviving ships were disposed of in 1923.[3]

Ships
Ship Laid down[3] Launched[3] Completed[3] Operational History
Sirio 27 December 1904 13 May 1905 29 September 1905 Discarded 4 March 1923[3]
Sagittario 20 December 1904 31 May 1905 3 November 1905 Discarded 4 January 1923[3]
Spica 14 January 1905 15 July 1905 22 November 1905 Discarded 4 March 1923[3]
Scorpione 17 January 1905 14 September 1905 13 December 1905 Sank following collision with French gunboat Surveillente 15 May 1917[1][4][lower-alpha 4]
Serpente 1905 30 October 1905 12 February 1906 Sank after collision with Italian merchant ship Citta di Bari 28 June 1916[1][4]
Saffo 1905 30 November 1905 1 March 1906 Lost after running aground Scalanova Bay, Turkey, 2 April 1920[3]

Notes
  1. Chesneau and Kolesnik[1] and the current Italian Navy[2] refer to the class as the Sirio class, while Fraccaroli[3] and Purnell's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Modern Weapons and Warfare[4] refer to the Saffo class.
  2. Work also begun in at the Pattison shipyard of Naples on four torpedo boats of similar size to a design by the British torpedo-craft specialist Thornycroft, the initial members of the Pegaso-class torpedo boat.[5]
  3. Speeds of up to 25.7 knots (47.6 km/h; 29.6 mph) were reached during sea trials.[3]
  4. Fraccaroli swaps the dates and circumstances of the loss of Scorpione and Serpente.[3]

Citations
  1. Chesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 359.
  2. "Sezione Torpediniere: Sottosezione Torpediniere da costa: Classe Sirio". Marina Militare. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. Fraccaroli 1970, p. 78.
  4. Purnell's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Modern Weapons and Warfare, p. 2138.
  5. Fraccaroli 1970, p. 80.
  6. Beehler 1913, pp. 87–90.

References
  • Beehler, William Henry (1913). The History of the Italian-Turkish War, Sept. 29, 1911 to Oct. 18, 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Advertiser-Republican.
  • Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
  • Fraccaroli, Aldo (1970). Italian Warships of World War 1. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0105-7.
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