Acciaio-class submarine

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.

Italian Acciaio-class submarine (Porfido)
Class overview
NameAcciaio class
Builders
Operators Regia Marina
Preceded byAdua class
Succeeded byend of 600 series
In commission1941–1966
Completed13
Lost8
General characteristics [1][2]
TypeSubmarine
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

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
Ship Builder[1] Launched[1] Fate[1]
Acciaio OTO 20 July 1941 torpedoed 13 July 1943 by HMS Unruly
Alabastro CRDA 18 December 41 bombed 14 September 1942 by Allied aircraft
Argento Tosi 22 February 1942 sunk 3 August 1943 by USS Buck
Asteria CRDA 25 June 1941 sunk 17 February 1943 by HMS Easton, HMS Wheatland,
Avorio CRDA 6 September 1941 sunk 8 February 1943 by HMCS Regina
Bronzo Tosi 28 September 1941 captured 12 July 1943 by British destroyers
Cobalto OTO 20 July 1941 rammed 12 August 1942 by HMS Ithuriel
Giada CRDA 10 July 1941 surrendered at armistice September 1943
Granito CRDA 7 August 1941 torpedoed 9 November 1942 by HMS Saracen
Nichelio OTO 12 April 1942 surrendered at armistice September 1943
Platino OTO 1 June 1941 surrendered at armistice September 1943
Porfido CRDA 23 August 1941 torpedoed 6 December 1942 by HMS Tigris
Volframio Tosi 9 November 1941 scuttled 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

References

Notes
  1. Conway p310
  2. Bagnasco p163
  3. C Adamo at regiamarina.net

Bibliography
  • 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. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Dodson, Aidan & Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after Two World Wars. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
  • Frampton, Viktor (2010). "Question 22/44: HMS X-2". Warship International. XLVII (3): 218. ISSN 0043-0374.
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