Marconi class submarine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marconi class submarine
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,195 tons surfaced 1,490 tons submerged
Length:	76.5 m
Beam:	6.81 m
Draft:	4.72 m
Propulsion:	2 CRDA diesel engines 2 Marelli electric engines
Speed:	17.8 knots surfaced 8.2 knots submerged
Range:	2,900 nautical miles (5,400 km) at 17 knots (31 km/h) surfaced 10,500 nautical miles (19,400 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h) surfaced 8 nautical miles (15 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h) submerged 110 nautical miles (200 km) at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged
Complement:	57
Armament:	8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes (4 bow, 4 stern), 1 x 3.9-inch (99 mm) gun, 4 x 13.2 mm machine guns

The Marconi-class was a class of submarines of the Italian Regia Marina (Navy). They were long-range single hull boats with internal ballast tanks and external blisters, derived directly from the excellent Marcello-class. They had a maximum operational depth in excess of 288 ft (90 m), and a normal fuel load of 72 tons. They are considered to be the best Italian ocean-going submarines of World War II built prior to the war.

Six boats were built, the Guglielmo Marconi and the Leonardo da Vinci by CRDA, and the last four by OTO, La Spezia.

In 1941 and 1942 the conning towers in all boats of the class were reduced and the sleeves were lowered.

In the summer of 1942 the Leonardo da Vinci was temporarily adapted to carry a CA type midget submarine at the expense of removing the deck gun. The experiment was not a complete success, and the modifications were reversed.

After Mediterranean patrols, all members of this class were transferred to the newly activated German naval base at Bordeaux on the Atlantic in September 1940, where they sank 38 ships of 216,227 tonnes. All of these boats were sunk in the Atlantic, except the Luigi Torelli which was captured at Singapore by the Japanese in 1943, ceded to the Germans, captured again by the Japanese in 1945, and finally captured by the US Navy.

[edit] Submarines of the class

• Guglielmo Marconi, built by CRDA, launched 30 July 1939, commissioned 8 February 1940, sunk 28 October 1941 in the Atlantic off the Strait of Gibraltar.
• Leonardo da Vinci, built by CRDA, launched 16 September 1939, commissioned 8 March 1940, sunk 23 May 1943 by depth charges 300 miles (500 km) off Vigo, Spain.
• Michele Bianchi, built by OTO, La Spezia, launched 3 December 1939, commissioned 15 April 1940, sunk 5 July 1941 torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Tigris off Bordeaux.
• Luigi Torelli, built by OTO, La Spezia, launched 6 January 1939, commissioned 15 May 1940, captured at Singapore by the Japanese in 1943, ceded to the Germans, captured again by the Japanese in 1945, and finally captured by the US Navy. Scuttled 1946.
• Alessandro Malaspina, built by OTO, La Spezia, launched 18 February 1939, commissioned 20 June 1940, sunk 10 September 1941 by depth charges from a Sunderland.
• Maggiore Baracca, built by OTO, La Spezia, launched 21 April 1940, commissioned 10 July 1940, sunk 8 September 1941, bombed and rammed by the British destroyer HMS Croome in the Atlantic.

[edit] References

• Regia Marina
• Erminio Bagnasco, Submarines of World War Two, Cassell & Co, London. 1977 ISBN 1-85409-532-3