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 with a single deck gun forward of the conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and gro ...
for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two machine guns.[
]
Submarines
SOURCES
Service history
During the Spanish Civil War, ''Luigi Settembrini'' made one patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea.
It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...
in September 1937 during which she sank a Soviet cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...
.[Frank, p. 97]
Notes
References
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External links
Classe Bandiera
Marina Militare website
{{WWII Italian ships
Submarine classes
Bandiera
Submarines of the Regia Marina