Brin-class submarine

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Submarina Brin.jpg
Class overview
NameBrin-class submarines
BuildersTosi
OperatorsFlag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Regia Marina
Preceded by Archimede class
Succeeded by Liuzzi class
Built1936–1939
In commission1938–1948
Completed5
Lost4
Scrapped1
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • 1,000 tonnes (984 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,245 tonnes (1,225 long tons) submerged
Length72.47 m (237 ft 9 in)
Beam6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Draft4.54 m (14 ft 11 in)
Installed power
  • 3,000  bhp (2,200 kW) (diesels)
  • 1,300 hp (970 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) surfaced
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range
  • 9,000  nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) surfaced
  • 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement58
Armament

The Brin-class submarine was a group of five long-range submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) during the 1930s.

Contents

Design and description

The Brin-class submarines were improved versions of the preceding Archimede class. Two boats were replacements for submarines of that class that were secretly transferred to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. They displaced 1,000 metric tons (980 long tons) surfaced and 1,254 metric tons (1,234 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 72.47 meters (237 ft 9 in) long, had a beam of 6.68 meters (21 ft 11 in) and a draft of 4.54 meters (14 ft 11 in). The class was partially double hulled. [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. They could reach 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h; 19.9 mph) on the surface and 7.8 knots (14.4 km/h; 9.0 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Brin class had a range of 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph), submerged, they had a range of 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph). [2]

The boats were armed with eight internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern. They carried a total of 14 torpedoes. They were also armed with one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun for combat on the surface. The gun was initially mounted in the rear of the conning tower, but this was re-sited on the forward deck later in the war in the surviving boats and the large conning tower was re-built to a smaller design. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns. [1]

Ships

ShipNamesakeLaunchedFate
Brin Benedetto Brin 3 April 1938Surrendered to the Allies in 1943; discarded in February 1948.
Galvani Luigi Galvani 22 May 1938Sunk by British sloop HMS Falmouth near Persian Gulf on 26 June 1940.
Guglielmotti Alberto Guglielmotti 11 September 1938Sank Greek tanker Atlas in the Red Sea on 6 September 1940. Torpedoed by HMS Unbeaten on 17 March 1942.
Archimede Archimedes 5 March 1939Escaped from East Africa in 1941 to Bordeaux. Sunk by US Navy Catalina flying boats off Brazil on 15 April 1943.
Torricelli Evangelista Torricelli 26 March 1939Scuttled in the Red Sea on 23 June 1940 after an engagement with the British destroyers HMS Kandahar, HMS Khartoum, HMS Kingston, and sloop HMS Shoreham. The submarine was commanded by Salvatore Pelosi.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Chesneau, p. 309
  2. ↑ Bagnasco, p. 154

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References

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