Italian 600 Series submarines
Encyclopedia
The Italian 600 Series submarines were a series of submarine
classes built for the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina
) during the Inter war years.
and 1930 London conferences
, which placed restrictions on the number and size of warships of various types that nations could build.
The coastal submarine was limited to a 600 ton surface displacement, though there was no limit placed on the numbers of these vessels that could be built.
During this period Italy was involved in a rivalry with France in the Mediterranean, leading to a naval arms race. This provided the impetus for a sustained building programme, and led to Italy having the second largest submarine fleet in the world by outbreak of World War II
.
The Italian 600 series was equivalent to the French 600 Series
, the British S class
, and the German Type VII
U-boat
.
just above 600 tons; the earliest vessels displaced 650 tons while the last built were 715 tons. They had an endurance of 2,300 miles at 14 knots, with a submerged speed of 7-8 knots. Their armament was six torpedo tube
s (4 forward, 2 aft) with an outfit of 10-112 torpedoes and a single 3.9 inch/100mm gun, and four 13.2mm machine guns. They were manned by crews of 44 –48 men.
The success of the 600 Series led to the development of the Flutto class, a wartime design suited for fast production.
during World war II in a full range of front-line duties and missions. During the conflict between 1940 and 1943, 48 of the 59 built (80%) were lost.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
classes built for the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) during the Inter war years.
Development
The 600 Series were sea-going submarines, though designated as coastal-type submarines, built for service in the Mediterranean. They were built to conform to the interwar naval treaties arising from the 1922 WashingtonWashington Naval Conference
The Washington Naval Conference also called the Washington Arms Conference, was a military conference called by President Warren G. Harding and held in Washington from 12 November 1921 to 6 February 1922. Conducted outside the auspices of the League of Nations, it was attended by nine nations...
and 1930 London conferences
London Naval Conference
There were three major international naval conferences in London, the first in 1908-09, the second in 1930 and the third in 1935. The latter two, together with the Washington Naval Conference in 1921-22 and the Geneva Conferences , resulted in agreements between the major powers on navy vessel...
, which placed restrictions on the number and size of warships of various types that nations could build.
The coastal submarine was limited to a 600 ton surface displacement, though there was no limit placed on the numbers of these vessels that could be built.
During this period Italy was involved in a rivalry with France in the Mediterranean, leading to a naval arms race. This provided the impetus for a sustained building programme, and led to Italy having the second largest submarine fleet in the world by outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The Italian 600 series was equivalent to the French 600 Series
French 600 Series submarines
The French 600 Series submarines were a series of submarine classes built for the French Navy during the Inter war years.-Development:...
, the British S class
British S class submarine (1931)
The S-class submarines of the Royal Navy were originally designed and built during the modernisation of the submarine force in the early 1930s to meet the need for smaller boats to patrol the restricted waters of the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea replacing the British H class submarines...
, and the German Type VII
German Type VII submarine
Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
.
General characteristics
The 600’s had a surface displacementDisplacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
just above 600 tons; the earliest vessels displaced 650 tons while the last built were 715 tons. They had an endurance of 2,300 miles at 14 knots, with a submerged speed of 7-8 knots. Their armament was six torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s (4 forward, 2 aft) with an outfit of 10-112 torpedoes and a single 3.9 inch/100mm gun, and four 13.2mm machine guns. They were manned by crews of 44 –48 men.
Construction history
The prototype for the 600's was the Argonauta class, a class of seven single –hulled submarines of a Bernardis design, built in 1929. A further four classes were orders over the next 13 years, eventually totalling 49 submarines completed.- Argonauta class: a class of seven submarines, ordered in 1929 and completed in 1932-33. These all saw service in the Second World War, and six were lost.
- Sirena class: a class of 12 submarines, ordered in 1931 and completed in 1933-34. These all saw service in the Second World War, and 11 were lost.
- Perla class: a class of 10 submarines ordered in 1935 and completed in 1936. These all saw service in the Second World War, and seven were lost.
- Adua class: a class of 17 submarines ordered in 1936 and completed in 1937-38. These all saw service in the Second World War, and 13 were lost.
- Acciaio class: a class of 13 submarines ordered in 1940 and completed in 1942. These all saw service in the Second World War, and 11 were lost.
The success of the 600 Series led to the development of the Flutto class, a wartime design suited for fast production.
War service
The 600 Series submarines served with the Regia MarinaRegia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World war II in a full range of front-line duties and missions. During the conflict between 1940 and 1943, 48 of the 59 built (80%) were lost.