Italian submarine Smeraldo

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History
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Kingdom of Italy
NameSmeraldo
Builder Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Laid down1931
Launched27 July 1933
FateLost, September 1941
General characteristics
Class and type Sirena-class submarine
Displacement
  • 691  t (680 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 850 t (837 long tons) (submerged)
Length60.18 m (197 ft 5 in)
Beam6.45 m (21 ft 2 in)
Draft4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 1,350  bhp (1,010  kW) (diesels)
  • 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced)
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 72 nmi (133 km; 83 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)
Armament

Smeraldo was one of a dozen Sirena-class submarines, the second sub-class of the 600 Series of coastal submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s.

Contents

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]

Construction and career

Smeraldo was laid down by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto at their Taranto shipyard in 1931, launched on 27 July 1933 and completed the following year. [1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Chesneau, p. 309
  2. 1 2 Bagnasco, p. 148

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References

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