Adua-class submarine

Class overview
Adua
Name:	Adua class
Builders:	Odero Terni Orlando (OTO), Muggiano Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico (CRDA), Monfalcone Tosi, Taranto
Operators:	Regia Marina
Preceded by:	Perla class
Succeeded by:	Acciaio class
In commission:	1937–1948
Completed:	17
Lost:	16
General characteristics
Type:	Submarine
Displacement:	680 tonnes (669 long tons) surfaced 844 tonnes (831 long tons) submerged
Length:	60.18 m (197 ft 5 in)
Beam:	6.45 m (21 ft 2 in)
Draft:	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:	1,200 bhp (890 kW) (diesels) 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed:	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:	3,180 nmi (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) surfaced 74 nmi (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	45
Armament:	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern) 1 × 100 mm (3.9 in)/47 deck gun 1 or 2 × twin 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft guns

The Adua-class submarine was the fourth sub-class of the 600 Series of coastal submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) during the 1930s. There were 17 submarines in this class, almost all named after places in Ethiopia which had been an Italian colony since 1936, but only one, Alagi, survived World War II. Three submarines of this class (Gondar, Ascianghi, and Neghelli) were sold to Brazil before the war and replaced with submarines of the same names.

Design and description

The Adua-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding Perla class design. They displaced 680 metric tons (670 long tons) surfaced and 844 metric tons (831 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 60.18 meters (197 ft 5 in) long, had a beam of 6.45 meters (21 ft 2 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in).^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447 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. On the surface, the Adua class had a range of 3,180 nautical miles (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph), submerged, they had a range of 74 nmi (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).^[2]

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern. One reload torpedo was carried for each tube, for a total of twelve. They were also armed with one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun for combat on the surface. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2 millimeters (0.52 in) machine guns.^[1]

Ships

Ship	Builder	Launched	Fate
Adua	CRDA	13.9.1936	sunk on 30 September 1941, by destroyers HMS Gurkha and HMS Legion, Western Mediterranean sea
Alagi	CRDA	15.11.1936	sold for scrap on 1 February 1948
Aradam	CRDA	18.10.1936	sunk on 4 September 1944 in Genoa by Allied bombers
Ascianghi	OTO	5.12.1937	scuttled near Augusta, Sicily on 23 July 1943, after attack of destroyers HMS Laforey and HMS Eclipse
Axum	CRDA	27.9.1936	scuttled near Morea on 28 December 1943, during a mission for the Allies
Beilul	OTO	22.5.1938	sunk by Allied air attack, May 1944
Dagabur	Tosi	22.11.1936	sunk during Operation Pedestal by the British destroyer HMS Wolverine
Dessiè	Tosi	22.11.1936	sunk on 28 November 1942 by destroyers HMS Quiberon and HMS Quentin, near Bona, Algeria.
Durbo	OTO	6.3.1938	scuttled on 18 October 1940 east of Gibraltar after attack by destroyers HMS Firedrake and HMS Wrestler
Gondar	OTO	3.10.1937	scuttled on 30 September 1940, near Alexandria, after attack by destroyers HMAS Stuart and HMS Diamond
Lafolè	OTO	10.4.1938	sunk on 20 October 1940, north of Melilla by destroyers HMS Gallant, HMS Hotspur and HMS Griffin
Macallé	OTO	29.10.1936	assigned to the Red Sea Flotilla and ran aground on 15 June 1940 when the crew was disabled by central nervous system poisoning from a chloromethane leak in the ship's air conditioning system.^[3]
Neghelli	OTO	7.11.1937	sunk on 19 January 1941 by destroyer HMS Greyhound
Scirè	OTO	6.1.1938	sunk on 10 August 1942 off Haifa by HMS Islay
Tembien	OTO	6.2.1938	sunk on 2 August 1941, west of Malta, by HMS Hermione
Uarsciek	Tosi	19.9.1937	sunk on 14 December 1942, south of Malta, by HMS Petard and the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga
Uebi Scebeli	Tosi	3.10.1937	sunk on 29 June 1940 by HMS Dainty and HMS Ilex

Notes

1 2 Chesneau, pp. 309–10
↑ Bagnasco, p. 154
↑ "THE MILITARY OPERATIONS OF THE ITALIAN FLEET ON RED SEA JUNE 1940 - APRIL 1941". Arnaldo Borsa. Retrieved 2012-08-02.

References

Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
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

Italian Submarines Class "600"

Italian 600 Series submarines

Argonauta class Sirena class Perla class Adua class Acciaio class

Italian naval ship classes of World War II

Battleships	Conte di Cavour Andrea Doria Littorio

Heavy cruisers	Trento Zara

Light cruisers	Condottieri Capitani Romani Etna

Destroyers	Mirabello Leone Sella Sauro Turbine Navigatori Freccia Folgore Maestrale Oriani Soldati Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro

Torpedo boats	Palestro Generali Curtatone Spica Orsa Ciclone Ariete

Corvettes	Gabbiano

Submarines	Marcello Marconi Balilla Mameli Pisani Ettore Fieramosca Bandiera Squalo Bragadin Argonauta Settembrini Sirena Archimede Glauco Pietro Micca Calvi Perla Adua Foca Argo Brin Liuzzi Cagni Acciaio Flutto R CA CB CM CC

Other	San Giorgio Taranto Ramb I Ramb II Ramb III Aquileia Eritrea MAS

Aircraft carriers	Aquila (not delivered) Sparviero (cancelled)

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