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 .Bagnasco, p. 140 The boats were armed with six torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern for which they carried a total of 10 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 single machine guns.

Ships

SOURCES

Service history

''Giovanni Da Procida'' is the only submarine known to have attempted to sink a ship during the Spanish Civil War, albeit unsuccessfully.Frank, p. 96 The ''Mameli''s participated in the Second World War. Three boats survived the war to be discarded in 1948.

Notes

References

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External links

Classe Mameli
Marina Militare website {{DEFAULTSORT:Mameli Submarine classes Mameli Submarines of the Regia Marina