The Bandiera-class submarines were built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Regia Marina |
| Preceded by | Pisani class |
| Succeeded by | Squalo class |
| In commission | 1930–1948 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Scrapped | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 69.8 m (229 ft) |
| Beam | 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) |
| Draft | 5.26 m (17 ft 3 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Crew | 53 |
| Armament |
|
Design and description edit
The Bandiera class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Pisani-class submarines. They displaced 940 metric tons (925 long tons) surfaced and 1,097 metric tons (1,080 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 69.8 meters (229 ft) long, had a beam of 7.3 meters (23 ft 11 in) and a draft of 5.26 meters (17 ft 3 in).[1] They had an operational diving depth of 90 meters (300 ft).[2] Their crew numbered 53 officers and enlisted men.[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 650-horsepower (485 kW) electric motor. They could reach 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface and 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) underwater.[2] On the surface, the Bandiera class had a range of 4,750 nautical miles (8,800 km; 5,470 mi) at 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[2]
The boats were armed with eight 53.3-centimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern for which they carried a total of 12 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single 102-millimeter (4 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1][2]
Submarines edit
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fratelli Bandiera | Cantiere Navale Triestino, Trieste | 11 February 1928 | 7 August 1929 | 2 June 1930 | Discarded 1 February 1948 |
| Luciano Manara | 1 May 1928 | 5 October 1929 | 29 July 1930 | ||
| Ciro Menotti | Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano | 12 May 1928 | 29 December 1929 | 29 July 1930 | |
| Santorre Santarosa | 1 May 1928 | 22 October 1929 | 29 July 1930 | Scuttled 20 January 1943 |
Service history edit
During the Spanish Civil War, Luigi Settembrini made one patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean in September 1937 during which she sank a Soviet cargo ship.[7]
Notes edit
- ^ a b c d Chesneau, p. 307
- ^ a b c d Bagnasco, p. 143
- ^ uboat.net IT Fratelli Bandiera Accessed 30 April 2022
- ^ uboat.net IT Luciano Manara Accessed 30 April 2022
- ^ uboat.net IT Ciro Menotti Accessed 30 April 2022
- ^ uboat.net Santorre Di Santarosa (SN) Santarosa Accessed 30 April 2022
- ^ Frank, p. 97
References edit
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
- Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Frank, Willard C. Jr. (1989). "Question 12/88". Warship International. XXVI (1): 95–97. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
External links edit
- Classe Bandiera Marina Militare website
