Italian submarine Jantina (1932)

For other ships with the same name, see Italian submarine Jantina.
History
Kingdom of Italy
NameJantina
BuilderOdero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano
Laid down1930
Launched16 June 1932
Completed1933
FateSunk by HMS Torbay, 5 July 1941
General characteristics
Class and typeArgonauta-class submarine
Displacement
  • 660 t (650 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 813 t (800 long tons) (submerged)
Length61.5 m (202 ft)
Beam5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Draft4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 1,500 bhp (1,100 kW) (diesels)
  • 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced)
  • 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) (submerged)
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Armament

Jantina was one of seven Argonauta-class submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s. She played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists, and was later sunk during World War II.

Design and description

The Argonauta class was derived from the earlier Squalo-class submarines.[1] They displaced 660 metric tons (650 long tons) surfaced and 813 metric tons (800 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).[2] They had an operational diving depth of 80 meters (260 ft).[1] Their crew numbered 44 officers and enlisted men.[2]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 750-brake-horsepower (559 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 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater.[1] On the surface, the Settembrini class had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph);[2] submerged, they had a range of 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[1]

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 102-millimeter (4 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two single 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[2]

Construction and career

Jantina was laid down by Odero-Terni-Orlando at their Muggiano shipyard in 1930, launched on 15 June 1932 and completed the following year.[2] During the Spanish Civil War, she made one patrol off Barcelona on 12–27 August 1937 during which she unsuccessfully attacked a Republican destroyer with a pair of torpedoes. The destroyer was equally unsuccessful when she depth charged the submarine.[3] In an unusual submarine vs. submarine confrontation, the Jantina was sunk by torpedoes on July 5, 1941, by HMS Torbay; only six crew members survived from the Janita crew of 48. Her wreck was found in November 2021 near Mykonos, at a depth of 103 meters.[4][5]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Bagnasco, p. 146
  2. ^ a b c d e Chesneau, p. 309
  3. ^ Frank, p. 96
  4. ^ "Υποβρύχιο Jantina: Nαυάγιο 80 ετών εντοπίστηκε στον βυθό του Αιγαίου" (in Greek). CNN Greece. 14 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Greek divers discover Italian World War Two submarine wreck". Reuters. 29 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

References

  • 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.