The Adua-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding Perla class. They displaced680 long tons (690t) surfaced and 844 long tons (858t) submerged. The submarines were 60.18 meters (197ft 5in) long, had a beam of 6.45 meters (21ft 2in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15ft 5in).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447kW)diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 400-horsepower (298kW)electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26km/h; 16mph) on the surface and 7.5 knots (13.9km/h; 8.6mph) underwater. On the surface, the Adua class had a range of 3,180 nautical miles (5,890km; 3,660mi) at 10.5 knots (19.4km/h; 12.1mph), submerged, they had a range of 74nmi (137km; 85mi) at 4 knots (7.4km/h; 4.6mph).[2]
The boats were armed with six internal 53.3cm (21.0in)torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. One reload torpedo was carried for each tube, for a total of twelve. They were also armed with one 100mm (4in)deck gun for combat on the surface. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2mm (0.52in) machine guns.[1]
Construction and career
Upon entering the service, in August of 1938 she was assigned to Leros as part of the V Submarine Group.
After the declaration of war on 10 June 1940, Tembien, now part of the 35 Squadron (III Submarine Group) based out of Messina together with Durbo and Beilul, was assigned to patrol around Malta. The submarine's commander was captain Primo Longobardo.
After several uneventful patrols around Malta in July 1940, she was assigned to patrol off Crete, and then heading to Sollum in August 1940.
In September 1940, Tembien patrolled off Tobruk, and then participated unsuccessfully in counter-operation against British operation "MB5" (Malta garrison reinforcement).
On 6 October 1940 she returned to the base. A new commander, captain Guido Gozzi, was appointed.
Tembien spent November again patrolling around Malta. On 27 November 1940, at 23:24, Tembien sighted three large warships to the south, advancing northwest at an estimated speed of 9 knots. It was the 3rd cruiser squadron (HMSYork, HMSGlasgow and HMSGloucester) participating of in the British operation "Collar". At 23:28 while in the position 36°00′N14°47′E / 36.000°N 14.783°E / 36.000; 14.783Tembien launched two torpedoes from 1500 meters at the targets, but they both missed. Unable to hit the targets, Tembien tried to close in even further down to 1000 meters. At 23:33, she launched two more torpedoes, and an explosion was heard after 45 seconds, but no target was actually hit. Tembien quickly disengaged by rapid diving and getting away. British sources don't seem to mention an attack, and it appears British ships did not realize they were being attacked. On 30 November 1940 Tembien returned to the base.
She started the new 1941 by patrolling off Sollum. On 8 January 1941, at 00:45, Tembien sighted a large steamer off Bardia, and launched three torpedoes in a rapid succession. Captain Gozzi observed, however, that torpedoes ran erratically and didn't hit the target. This was the first case of torpedo erratic running that was reported to the Marine Directorate. An investigation that followed found that some components of the torpedo propellers and fins, in a batch produced by the Fiume torpedo factory, to be bent, and thus accounting for their inability to keep direction. On 12 January 1941 Tembien returned to the base.[3]
After a brief patrol off Malta in early February 1941, Tembien entered docks for some work where she remained for the next 4 months.
On 26 June 1941 she left the base to patrol off Cyrenaica. On 29 June 1941, at 20:41, Tembien sighted a formation of British ships off Ras Azzaz, a hundred miles east of Tobruk. The group was composed of destroyers HMSDefender and HMASWaterhen sailing from Tobruk (besieged by the Axis forces) to Alexandria evacuating troops from the 6th Australian Division. The two destroyers were then attacked off Sollum by 19 Ju 87 "Stuka" bombers: twelve German from StG 1 of the Luftwaffe and seven Italian from the 239 Bomber Squadron. One of these, piloted by Ennio Tarantola, hit HMASWaterhen on the stern with a 500kg bomb causing flooding in engine rooms and forcing the crew to abandon the ship. Tembien approached to within 600 meters and tried to deliver coup de grâce to the immobilized destroyer, but HMSDefender detected the submarine, turned toward it and opened fire at it, forcing Tembien to hastily launch two torpedoes from the aft tubes and then quickly dive.[4][5][6]
On 31 July 1941 Tembien left Augusta to patrol area west of Malta to form a screen with three other submarines (Fratelli Bandiera, Luciano Manara and Zaffiro ) in an attempt to intercept British naval forces ("Force X" ) that had been reported transiting through the Strait of Sicily. The British "Force X" consisted of HMSHermione, HMSArethusa and HMSManxman which was part The British operation "Style". All three ships were carrying reinforcements and supplies for Malta's garrison and were moving at full speed with the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and destroyers providing distant cover.
On 1 August 1941 Tembien reached her assigned area. In the early hours of 2 August 1941 Tembien sighted British ships while sailing on the surface and tried attacking them unsuccessfully. After one of the aircraft from Ark Royal spotted the submarine, the rest of the convoy was warned, and HMSHermione moving at 28 knots maneuvered to ram her.[7]Tembien was cut in two sinking at 36°21′N12°40′E / 36.350°N 12.667°E / 36.350; 12.667 (halfway between Pantelleria and Malta). HMSArethusa and HMSManxman, who followed HMSHermione bumped into the wreck already half-submerged when they passed over the point where Tembien sank. Captain Gozzi, four other officers and 37 of other men died, there were no survivors. HMSHermione sustained only minor damage during collision and was put in for repairs to her bow structures at Gibraltar upon arrival there from her mission on 4 August.
Italian submarine Axum was an Adua-class submarine built in the 1930s, serving in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after an ancient city of Axum in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Alagi was an Adua-class submarine built in 1930s serving in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the Amba Alagi mountain in Ethiopia.
HMAS Waterhen (D22/I22) was a W-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built during World War I, the destroyer was completed in mid 1918, and commissioned into the Royal Navy. In 1933, Waterhen and four other British ships were transferred to the RAN. The ship's early RAN career was uneventful, with periods spent decommissioned in reserve, but she was reactivated in September 1939, and deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the Australian destroyer force: the Scrap Iron Flotilla. During her time in the Mediterranean, Waterhen was involved in escort and patrol duties, performed shore bombardments, and participated in Allied evacuations from Greece and Crete. On 29 June 1941, while operating with the Tobruk Ferry Service, Waterhen was heavily damaged by two Italian Regia Aeronautica's aircraft, dive bombers Ju 87 Stuka of 239 squadriglia, flown by pilots Serg.mag. Ennio Tarantola e Serg. Lastrucci. Attempts to tow the ship to port were unsuccessful, and she sank on 30 June 1941, the first RAN ship lost to combat in World War II.
HMS Splendid was a third-batch S-class submarine built for the Royal Navy during World War II. She was laid down on 7 March 1941 and launched on 19 January 1942. After an initial patrol through the Bay of Biscay to Gibraltar, Splendid conducted two patrols in the Mediterranean Sea; one was abandoned after technical problems and on the other she sank two Italian ships. On her next patrol, the submarine attacked two Italian convoys, sinking an Italian destroyer in the second attack. Based in Algiers, the boat operated north of Sicily, sinking six Italian ships, including two tankers and two heavy merchant ships. Splendid was detected by a German destroyer on 21 April 1943 while patrolling off Naples, Italy; the submarine was attacked with depth charges by the destroyer and forced to surface, after which she was scuttled and her surviving crew members taken prisoner. She was the most successful British submarine by tonnage sunk between November 1942 and May 1943.
Italian submarine Durbo was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a town of Durba in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after Shebelle River in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Lafolè was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a "massacre at Lafolè", an ambush set up by Somalis on November 25, 1896, against a travelling Italian party near a village of Lafolè.
Italian submarine Ascianghi was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after Lake Ashenge in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Uarsciek was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a village in Somalia which housed a coast guard station during the period of Italian colonial control.
Italian submarine Neghelli was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a town of Negele in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Beilul was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a town of Beilul in Eritrea.
Italian submarine Aradam was an Adua-class submarine built in the 1930s, serving in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the Amba Aradam mountain in Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Adua was an Adua-class submarine built in the 1930s, serving in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after Adwa, a town in northern Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Dagabur was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a town of Dagabur in eastern Ethiopia. The submarine played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. On August 11, 1942, during World War II, Dagabur was rammed by destroyer HMS Wolverine and sank with all hands.
Italian submarine Gondar was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after a city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Dessiè was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. It was named after the town of Dessie in north-central Ethiopia.
Italian submarine Corallo was a Perla-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. She was named after a gemstone Coral.
Italian submarine Malachite was a Perla-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s. She was named after a gemstone Malachite.
Guglielmotti was a Brin-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy during the 1930s.
Turbine was the lead ship of her class of eight destroyers built for the Regia Marina during the 1920s. Her name means whirlwind.
References
Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-962-6.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Uomini sul fondo. Storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini ad oggi (Seconded.). Mondadori. ISBN8804505370.
Bertke, Donald; Smith, Gordon; Kindell, Don (2012). World War II Sea War, Volume 3: The Royal Navy is Bloodied in the Mediterranean. Bertke Publications. ISBN978-1937470012.
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