Sirena-class submarine
The Sirena-class submarines were the second sub-class of the 600 Series of coastal submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s. Of the dozen boats built of this class, only one survived World War II.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |
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| Preceded by: | Argonauta class |
| Succeeded by: | Perla class |
| Built: | 1931–1934 |
| In commission: | 1933–1948 |
| Completed: | 12 |
| Lost: | 11 |
| Scrapped: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 60.18 m (197 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 6.45 m (21 ft 2 in) |
| Draft: | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power: | |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Armament: |
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Design and description
The Sirena class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Argonauta-class submarines. They displaced 691 metric tons (680 long tons) surfaced and 850 metric tons (837 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 61.5 meters (201 ft 9 in) long, had a beam of 5.7 meters (18 ft 8 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in). Their crew numbered 45 officers and enlisted men.[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 675-brake-horsepower (503 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 400-horsepower (298 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) underwater.[2] On the surface, the Sirena 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 72 nmi (133 km; 83 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 12 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. The anti-aircraft armament consisted of two or four 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1]
Ships
| Ship | Builder[1] | Launched[1] | Fate[1] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ametista | Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano | 26 April 1933 | Scuttled, 12 September 1943 |
| Anfitrite | Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone | 5 August 1933 | Sunk, 6 March 1941 |
| Diamante | Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto | 21 May 1933 | Sunk, 20 June 1940 |
| Galatea | Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone | 5 October 1933 | Struck, 1 February 1948 |
| Naiade | 27 March 1933 | Sunk, 14 December 1940 | |
| Nereide | 25 May 1933 | Sunk, 13 July 1943 | |
| Ondina | 2 December 1933 | Sunk, 11 July 1942 | |
| Rubino | Cantieri navali del Quarnaro, Fiume | 29 March 1933 | 29 June 1940 |
| Sirena | Cantieri Reuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone | 26 January 1933 | Scuttled, 9 September 1943 |
| Smeraldo | Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto | 23 July 1933 | Lost, September 1941 |
| Topazio | Cantieri navali del Quarnaro, Fiume | 15 May 1933 | Sunk, 12 September 1943 |
| Zaffiro | Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano | 28 June 1933 | Sunk, June 1942 |
See also
Notes
- Chesneau, p. 309
- Bagnasco, p. 148
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.