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Italian Submarines Of World War II
The Italian submarine fleet of World War II was the largest in the world at the time, with 116 submarines. It saw action during the Second World War, serving mainly in the Mediterranean. During the conflict 88 submarines, some two-thirds of its total strength, were lost. Construction history The submarine fleet available to the Italian Royal Navy (the ''Regia Marina'') in World War II was the product of a long term build-up during the interwar years, despite the prevailing economic and political pressures of the period. After World War I Italy had a fleet of 47 submarines in various classes; these were mostly obsolescent and she was interested in replacing them. To this end the ''Regia Marina'' made plans for a fleet of vessels in three Types: *Type I ocean-going: *Type 2 coastal/sea-going; *Type 3 mine layers. *The Navy also invested time and resources in midget submarines and underwater special forces. At the same time the major powers were negotiating an arms limitation tre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mario Falangola
Mario Falangola (August 9, 1880 – July 14, 1967) was an Italian admiral during World War II. Early life and career Mario Falangola was born in Rome in 1880 and was admitted to the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno in 1899, graduating as ensign in 1902.Paolo Alberini, Franco Prosperini, ''Dizionario biografico Uomini della Marina 1861-1946'', Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, pp. 219-220. In 1911-1912, with the rank of Lieutenant, he participated in the Italo-Turkish War aboard the armored cruiser ''Giuseppe Garibaldi''. When Italy entered World War I, Falangola was initially embarked on the battleship ''Leonardo Da Vinci'', but after a short time he was transferred to the submarine service; in 1916 he became commander of the submarine ''Argo'', and later of the submarine ''F 7''. At the command of the latter, Falangola sank on 12 February 1918 the small Austro-Hungarian auxiliary vessel ''Pelagosa'' (245 GRT), and on August 11, 1918 the troop transport ''Euterpe'' (2,27 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archimede-class Submarine
The ''Archimede'' class were a group of four submarines built for the (Royal Italian Navy) in the early 1930s. The boats fought in the Spanish Civil War (under the Nationalist flag) and in World War II. In Spanish service, two boats were known as the ''General Mola'' class; these were taken out of service in 1959. Design The ships were designed by the firm Cavallini and were a partially double hulled design. They were an enlarged version of the with ballast tanks rearranged, greater range, fuel and torpedo capacity for ocean service. Like most of the later ocean-going submarines of the Italian navy, their deck armament consisting of two guns was conceived to deal with armed merchantmen in surface combat. They also mounted two anti-aircraft machine guns. The number of torpedoes was increased from 12 on the ''Settembrini'' class to 16. Boats All boats were built by the shipyard of Franco Tosi at Taranto, between 1930 and 1934. ''Torricelli'' and ''Archimede'' took part in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balilla-class Submarine
The ''Balilla'' class were the first submarines to be built for the Italian navy following the end of World War I. They were large ocean-going cruiser submarines designed to operate in the Indian Ocean based in Italy's East African colonies. The design was double-hulled and based on the German Type UE 2 U-boats, one of which, was supplied to the Italians as a war reparation. A auxiliary diesel engine was installed as an extra generator. During the war, the boats were stationed in the Mediterranean in 1940 but proved too large to be effective patrol submarines. Their only success was the sinking of the British submarine by on 15 October 1940. After 1941 they were used as transport submarines to supply Italian forces in North Africa. The surviving boats were scrapped after the war. One submarine, , was built for the Brazilian Navy to a modified design. Design The design of the ''Ballila'' class consisted of a strong double-hull which gave the ships a maximum diving dept ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Squalo-class Submarine
The ''Squalo''-class submarines were a group of four submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy (''Regia Marina'') during the 1930s. They were built at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CRDA) shipyard at Monfalcone, and designed by Curio Bernardis. Design and description The ''Squalo''-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding . They shared that design's problems with stability and seakeeping and required the same bulging of the hull to rectify the problems. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 53 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 308 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the ''Squalo'' class had a range of at , submerged, they had a ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bandiera-class Submarine
The ''Bandiera''-class submarines were built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. Design and description The ''Bandiera'' class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding s. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 53 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 307 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the ''Bandiera'' class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Bagnasco, p. 143 The boats were armed with eight torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern for which they carried a total of 12 torpedoes. They were also armed wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pisani-class Submarine
The ''Pisani''-class submarines were built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. Design and description Designed in parallel with the s, the ''Pisani'' class was larger to accommodate more fuel and give them more range. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 48 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 307 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. Like the ''Mameli''s, their stability was poor and they had to be modified with bulges after completion. This reduced their speeds from on the surface and underwater to and respectively. On the surface, the ''Pisani'' class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Settembrini-class Submarine
The ''Settembrini'' class was a pair of submarines built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. Design and description The ''Settembrini'' class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding s. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 56 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 308 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the ''Settembrini'' class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Bagnasco, p. 147 The boats were armed with eight torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern for which they carried a total of 12 torpedoes. They ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mameli-class Submarine
The ''Mameli''-class submarine was one of the first classes of the submarines to be built for the (Royal Italian Navy) after the First World War. Some of these boats played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists. Of the four boats built in this class, all but one survived the Second World War. Design and description The ''Mameli'' class was one of the 's first classes of submarines to be built after the First World War. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 49 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 307 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the ''Mameli'' class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal ( it, Battaglia di Mezzo Agosto, Battle of mid-August), known in Malta as (), was a British operation to carry supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was a base from which British ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys to Libya, during the North African Campaign (1940–1943). From 1940 to 1942, the Axis conducted the Siege of Malta, with air and naval forces. Despite many losses, enough supplies were delivered by the British for the population and military forces on Malta to resist, although it ceased to be an offensive base for much of 1942. The most crucial supply item in Operation Pedestal was fuel, carried by , an American tanker with a British crew. The convoy sailed from Britain on 3 August 1942 and passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on the night of The Axis attempt to prevent the fifty ships of the convoy reaching Malta, using bombers, German E-boats, Italian MA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anti Submarine Warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typically carried out to protect friendly shipping and coastal facilities from submarine attacks and to overcome blockades. Successful ASW operations typically involved a combination of sensor and weapon technologies, along with effective deployment strategies and sufficiently trained personnel. Typically, sophisticated sonar equipment is used for first detecting, then classifying, locating, and tracking a target submarine. Sensors are therefore a key element of ASW. Common weapons for attacking submarines include torpedoes and naval mines, which can both be launched from an array of air, surface, and underwater platforms. ASW capabilities are often considered of significant strategic importance, particularly following provocative instances of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Janusz Piekałkiewicz
Janusz Piekałkiewicz (1925 in Warsaw – March 9, 1988) was a Polish underground soldier, historian, writer, as well as a television and cinema director and producer. He was a world-renowned author on many aspects of World War II history; over 30 of his books have been printed, most of them in German, and later translated to other languages. He also wrote from his experiences during the war and specialized in detailing operations within the secret services. A unique characteristic of many of his books is that chapters contain two parts. Firstly, he describes details and contemporary quoted sources and then, in the second part, he provides analysis and his own commentaries to those events. According to critics, this results in a very objective presentation of the material. In addition to his well-known history books, he also wrote books about treasure hunting. In homeland Piekałkiewicz was born in Warsaw, Poland. His uncle was professor Jan Piekałkiewicz, a leader of the Polish ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
