Sirena-class submarine

Class overview
Operators Regis Marina
Preceded byArgonauta class
Succeeded byPerla class
Built1931–1934
In commission1933–1948
Completed12
Lost11
Scrapped1
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 691 t (680 long tons) (surfaced)
  • 850 t (837 long tons) (submerged)
Length60.18 m (197 ft 5 in)
Beam6.45 m (21 ft 2 in)
Draft4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power
  • 1,350 bhp (1,010 kW) (diesels)
  • 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced)
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) (submerged)
Range
  • 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced)
  • 72 nmi (133 km; 83 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)
Armament

The Sirena-class submarines were the second sub-class of the 600 Series of coastal submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s. Of the dozen boats built of this class, only one survived World War II.

Design and description

The Sirena class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Argonauta-class submarines. They displaced 691 metric tons (680 long tons) surfaced and 850 metric tons (837 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). Their crew numbered 45 officers and enlisted men.[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 675-brake-horsepower (503 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 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) underwater.[2] On the surface, the Sirena class had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph);[1] submerged, they had a range of 72 nmi (133 km; 83 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[2]

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 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. The anti-aircraft armament consisted of two or four 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1]

Ships

SOURCES [1][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Construction data
Ship Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate
Ametista Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano 16 September 1931 26 April 1933 1 April 1934 Scuttled 12 September 1943
Anfitrite Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone 11 July 1931 5 August 1933 22 March 1934 Sunk 6 March 1941
Diamante Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto 11 May 1931 21 May 1933 18 November 1933 Sunk 20 June 1940
Galatea Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone 18 July 1931 5 October 1933 25 June 1934 Struck 1 February 1948
Naiade 9 May 1931 27 March 1933 14 November 1933 Sunk 14 December 1940
Nereide 30 May 1931 25 May 1933 18 February 1934 Sunk 13 July 1943
Ondina 25 July 1931 2 December 1933 19 September 1934 Sunk 11 July 1942
Rubino Cantieri navali del Quarnaro, Fiume 26 September 1931 29 March 1933 21 March 1934 Sunk 29 June 1940
Sirena Cantieri Reuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone 1 May 1931 26 January 1933 2 October 1933 Scuttled 9 September 1943
Smeraldo Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto 25 May 1931 23 July 1933 29 November 1933 Lost ca. 25 September 1941
Topazio Cantieri navali del Quarnaro, Fiume 26 September 1931 15 May 1933 26 April 1934 Sunk 12 September 1943
Zaffiro Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano 16 September 1931 28 June 1933 4 June 1934 Sunk 9 June 1942

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Chesneau, p. 309
  2. ^ a b Bagnasco, p. 148
  3. ^ uboat.net Ametista (AA) Ametista Accessed 1 May 2022
  4. ^ uboat.net Anfitrite (AN) Anfitrite Accessed 1 May 2022
  5. ^ uboat.net Diamante (DI) Diamante Accessed 1 May 2022
  6. ^ uboat.net Galatea (GT, N.71) Galatea Accessed 1 May 2022
  7. ^ uboat.net Naiade (NA) Naiade Accessed 1 May 2022
  8. ^ uboat.net Nereide 1(NE) Nereide Accessed 1 May 2022
  9. ^ uboat.net Ondina (ON) Ondina Accessed 1 May 2022
  10. ^ uboat.net Rubino (RU) Rubino Accessed 1 May 2022
  11. ^ uboat.net Sirena (SI) Sirena Accessed 1 May 2022
  12. ^ uboat.net Smeraldo (SD) Smeraldo Accessed 1 May 2022
  13. ^ uboat.net Topazio (TP) Topazio Accessed 1 May 2022
  14. ^ uboat.net Zaffiro (ZA) Zaffiro Accessed 1 May 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.