''Sirena'' was one of a dozen s, the second
sub-class of the
600 Series of
coastal submarine
A coastal submarine or littoral submarine is a small, maneuverable submarine with shallow draft well suited to navigation of coastal channels and harbors. Although size is not precisely defined, coastal submarines are larger than midget submarine ...
s built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s.
Design and description
The ''Sirena'' class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding s. They
displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a
beam
Beam may refer to:
Streams of particles or energy
*Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy
**Laser beam
*Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles
**Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and a
draft of . Their crew numbered 45 officers and enlisted men.
[Chesneau, p. 309]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s, each driving one
propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a
electric motor
An electric motor is an Electric machine, electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a Electromagneti ...
. They could reach on the surface and underwater.
[ On the surface, the ''Sirena'' class had a range of at ;][ submerged, they had a range of at .][Bagnasco, p. 148]
The boats were armed with six torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a cylindrical 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 (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s, four in the bow and two in the stern for which they carried a total of 12 torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
es. 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. The anti-aircraft armament consisted of two or four machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s.[
]
Construction and career
''Sirena'' was laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico
Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico ("United Shipbuilders of the Adriatic") was an Italian manufacturer in the sea and air industry which was active from 1930 to 1966. This shipyard is now owned by Fincantieri.
History
In 1930, Stabilimento Tecnic ...
at their Monfalcone shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
in 1931, launched on 26 January 1933 and completed the following year.[
]
Notes
References
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External links
Sommergibili
Marina Militare website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sirena
Sirena-class submarines
World War II submarines of Italy
1933 ships