| History | |
|---|---|
 Kingdom of Italy | |
| Name | Argonauta |
| Namesake | Argonaut |
| Builder | Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Monfalcone |
| Laid down | 1929–1930 |
| Launched | 19 January 1931 |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Fate | Sunk by aircraft, 28 June 1940 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Argonauta-class submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 61.5 m (202 ft) |
| Beam | 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in) |
| Draft | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Crew | 44 |
| Armament |
|
Argonauta was the lead ship of her class of seven submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s.
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
Argonauta was laid down by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico at their Monfalcone shipyard in 1929, launched on 19 January 1931 and completed the following year.[2]
Notes
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.
- 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
- Sommergibili Marina Militare website
This page was last edited on 3 February 2024, at 08:45