Acciaio-class submarine

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Acciaio class submarine.jpg
Italian Acciaio-class submarine (Porfido)
Class overview
NameAcciaio class
Builders
OperatorsFlag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Regia Marina
Preceded by Adua class
Succeeded byend of 600 series
In commission1941–1966
Completed13
Lost8
General characteristics [1] [2]
Type Submarine
Displacement
  • 697 long tons (708 t) surfaced
  • 850 long tons (864 t) submerged
Length60.18 m (197 ft 5 in)
Beam6.44 m (21 ft 2 in)
Draught4.78 m (15 ft 8 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced
  • 7.7 knots (14.3 km/h; 8.9 mph) submerged
Range3,180  nmi (5,890 km) at 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h) surfaced
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement45
Armament

The Acciaio-class submarine [1] [2] (also sometimes called Platino class [3] ) was the fifth subclass of the 600 Series of coastal submarines built by the Regia Marina. They were completed during the early 1940s and saw service in World War II.

Contents

Design and description

The Acciaios were a development of the Adua and Perla designs, with some improvements, such as a lower conning tower to improve stability and reduce the silhouette. [2] Of the 13 vessels in the class, six were built by CRDA at Monfalcone, four by OTO at Muggiano, and three by Cantieri Tosi in Taranto, the three main Italian shipyards for submarines. They were single-hulled with side tanks, and built to a Bernardis design, though the Tosi vessels had more powerful engines (at the expense of the two stern torpedo tubes), giving a surface speed of 14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph).

The word Acciaio means "steel", and all vessels in this class were named for metals and minerals.

Ships

List of Acciaio-class submarines
ShipBuilder [1] Launched [1] Fate [1]
Acciaio OTO20 July 1941torpedoed 13 July 1943 by HMS Unruly
Alabastro CRDA18 December 41bombed 14 September 1942 by Allied aircraft
Argento Tosi22 February 1942sunk 3 August 1943 by USS Buck
Asteria CRDA25 June 1941sunk 17 February 1943 by HMS Easton, HMS Wheatland,
Avorio CRDA6 September 1941sunk 8 February 1943 by HMCS Regina
Bronzo Tosi28 September 1941captured 12 July 1943 by British destroyers
Cobalto OTO20 July 1941rammed 12 August 1942 by HMS Ithuriel
Giada CRDA10 July 1941surrendered at armistice September 1943
Granito CRDA7 August 1941torpedoed 9 November 1942 by HMS Saracen
Nichelio OTO12 April 1942surrendered at armistice September 1943
Platino OTO1 June 1941surrendered at armistice September 1943
Porfido CRDA23 August 1941torpedoed 6 December 1942 by HMS Tigris
Volframio Tosi9 November 1941scuttled at armistice September 1943; raised by Germans, sunk in Allied air raid 1944

Service

Of the 13 vessels completed, eight were lost in action. The submarines served in the Mediterranean.

See also

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Conway p310
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bagnasco p163
  3. ↑ C Adamo at regiamarina.net

Bibliography

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