Submarine Humaytá (1925)

Marinha do Brasil: 1 oceanic submarine built 1927-29, service until 1950

Development

Commissioning official photo of Humaita, showing her black livery

The lineage of Brazilian submarines started almost as early as the type started to appear. In 1900, John Holland marketed its first model to the USN, whereas nordenfelt marketed their own models. The project to acquire submarines for brazil started as early as 30 December 1905, in a plan that also comprised small battleships and armored cruisers as well as destroyers, twelve torpedo boats (proven already), and… three submarines. It was soon modified when HMS Dreadnought was launched, leading to a drastic revision of the acquisition of dreadnought by Brazil, which limited the budget for smaller vessels. This also spawned a naval new rivalry in South America, but the revised plan still comprised three submarines and ten destroyers, with the torpedo boats ditched in the process.

These three submarines were eventually purchased, Italian-built and of the F1 class, launched in 1913. They were all thre stricken in 1933. They came, wisely, with a dedicated submarine tender also built in Italy, Ceara, ordered from Fiat-San Giorgio and launched in 1915. These Laurenti types were not even the first attempt at acquiring submarines: “Goubet II” was a pioneering electrically-powered submarine designed by Claude Goubet in 1889, adopted by the Russian government for trials at Cherbourg, but not adopted. Brazil expressed interest and tried to purchase it afterwards, but only made half the payment. The submarine, rotting away, was ultimately sold at auction and never left France.

When in the late 1920s it was planned to retire the F1 class, this was to acquire three replacement submarines FY1933. They became the Tupi class, launched 1936-37. But before that, the sale of the battleship Deodoro to the Mexican Navy provided resources for the purchase of a new submarine ahead of schedule. Instead of coastal types, the funds enabled to look at a much larger model that could undertale commerce raiding tasks. It was to have superior range and surface speed as well as reaching deeper to survived attacks, with a generous provisions of torpedoes.

This became the Humaytá when a delegation looked at various designs in Italy and chose the Balilla-class design from Odero Terni Orlando (OTO). The Brazilians wanted some change to the base design, and approved it in 1925. On 19 November, her keel was laid down at OTO (see below, career). Long story short she became operational in 1929 and remained so until 1950. Compared to the later Tupi class, much smaller, she was a good complement, able to roam far around the South American Continent and across the Atlantic, bringing a new set of competences. She was also the first of the name, after a famous action of the Brazilian Navy in the Paraguayan war, passing under the guns of the namesake fort. Three more submarines of the same name will follow: A former Gato class (GUPPY) in 1957, a brand new British Oberon class in 1973, and ultimately the modern S41 Scorpène class built in Brazil and commissioned in 2024.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

The Humaita was essentially a repeat of the Balilla class in its great lines, plus the Brazilians wanted the relocation of the diesel and electric engines further forward, in order to eliminate the bow aircraft initially planned, and with a different distribution of ballast tanks throughout. The submarine also became longer as a result, with a full length of 87 m (more precisely 86.7 meters (284 ft)) versus 85.6 meters on the original, and a shallower draft of 4 meters versus 4.7 meters. The beam remained at 7.77 m (25.5 ft), roughly the same as the original at 7.8 meters (25 ft 7 inches).

The displacement was 1,450 long tons (1,473 t) surfaced and 1,884 long tons (1,914 t) submerged, about the same as the original, albeit the frist in class was lighter at 1,427/1,874 tonnes. In any rate, this was the largest active submarine in South America. Her conning tower was typical of the day, quite long, with a helmsman’s portholed post. The two pericopes, attack and watch, were located in a bell-like conning tower.

Powerplant

The powerplant differed also from the standard Balilla, as she had two Ansaldo diesels and a single electric motor, for a total of 4,900 bhp (3,700 kW) and 900 hp (670 kW) respectively, making for a top speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) surfaced and 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) submerged. The Main diesels were Fiat Q 458 8-cylinder for 2000 hp each at 360 rpm. The eletric motors were a pair of Savigliano 500 hp running at 221/242 rpm and the auxiliary generators were Fiat Q 304 de 425 hp (288 Kw). Her batteries were Hensenberger models of the Ironclad-Exide PA-820 type, 25/20.

This showed the type of diesels and modifications required to reach these figures. In a sense, she was a Balilla done right, albeit it is not known if stability was improved, but between the greater length and lower draught this is dubious. Range was better, reaching 12,840 nautical miles (23,780 km; 14,780 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced and 120 nmi (220 km; 140 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged. She was also able to dive to 100 m (330 ft), 105 meters tested, a bit less than the standard Balilla, tested at 110 m (350 ft).

Armament

Armament still comprised the same six 533 mm torpedo tubes but there was a 4 in (102 mm) deck gun, and she also could carry 16 mines placed in tubes like on Pietro Micca, requiring the extra lenght and relocation of the diesels and electric motors. But that was a great capability. A standard Balilla could indeed only carry 4 mines.

120 mm/24 Modello 1924

Originally a Schneider-Canet-Armstrong Modello 1918/19 it became the Vickers-Terni Modello 1924 and eventually the OTO Modello 1926. 9,600 lbs. (4,354 kg) 196.3 in (4.985 m) oa, barrel 212.6 in (5.400 m), 7 rounds per minute, range 16,950 yards (15,500 m) at 33°.

Breda Modello 31

Designer: Hotchkiss, Design date: 1929. Builder: Ernesto Breda for Mechanical Constructions; from 1931 onwards. Adapted design from Hotchkiss also used by the French Navy and Army, itself derived from the 1914 Hotchkiss air cooled LMG. In some sources they are references directly as “Hotchkiss” models.

Torpedo Tubes

Four tubes in the bow, two aft, which was not a lot for this tonnage. In total they carried sixteen torpedoes that could be replaced by mines. The torpedoes were called Whitehead tipo SI, likely of of the A140/450 (1921) capable of 29-32 knots, 6,000-4,000 m range settings, 1,140 Kgs, TNT warhead 140 kg, air tank loaded to 170 atmospheres. But other moder modern could be procured after 1930, like the wet-heater powered W 270/533.4 x 7.2 Veloce: 1,700 kg, 7.2 m WH 270 kg, 3,000-4,000 m/50 knots or 12,000 m/30 knots.

Equipments

Ballila also likely had a pair of Atlas hydrophones, likely of the same type as in the Fiaremosca. She also had a Sperry Mk V gyrocompass, a magnetic compass, one observation and one attack periscope, two sets S/A AB 500 FI 500w transmitters, three sets S/A TR 10 AF 10w of transceivers, an S/A AC 512 AFI receiver and two Marine Radio Receiver CR 91 and three EC 3 receivers. On the conning tower was installed a General Electric signal spotlight.

The new Brazilian submarine was completed at OTO, Muggiano and commissioned on 25 March 1929. Under the command of Lt. Cdr. Alberto de Lemos Basto, she left the shipyard on June 25, with her Brazilian crew, that came earlier on the steamship Comte Verace to train with Italian crews and perform sea trials and tests. Notably in these acceptance trials, her dive to 105 meters, was admired as more than double the old F-class. She made the crossing of the Mediterranean westwards, as well as the Atlantic, without stops so more than 5,000 miles, a good way to test her range. She arrived at Rio de Janeiro on July 18, 1929. Then, she entered Guanabara Bay, after a 23-day journey. When making to her designated berth she was received by journalists, high-ranking Navy officers, and the Italian ambassador to Brazil, Bernardo Attolico.

She had her official commissioning ceremony with the the Brazilian Navy on July 20, 1929, under the same commander Bastos. Her local crew was reorganized and comprised 68 men, including 5 officers, 6 non-commissioned officers, 12 sergeants, 40 corporals and sailors, and 5 mess attendants. The Humayta was the sole vessel of her own H class and squadron. Later in service, she had a new commander, Fernando Cochrane, ex-Executive Officer, then Lieutenant Commander João Paiva Azevedo, Jorge do Paço Mattoso Maia, Leônidas Marcos da Conceição. She soon trained to lay mines, being a large minelaying submarine, first of the kind in Brazil. She trained to lay dummy mines intensively in the 1930s, but in 1931, there was an explosion on board (no more details given).

Fast forward, and during World War II, she took part in neutrality patrol operations and training with surface units escorting convoys as well as later training of Brazilian and American aircraft, incorporated into the Northeast Naval Force. After Brazil declared war on Germany she took a more active patrol stance. She survived the war unharmed. However in 1949 her age started to show. She was exclusively used for training and less often at sea. She was decommissioned by the Notice 1721 on November 25, 1950. The ceremony was held at the Admiral Castro e Silva Base (BACS), presided over by the Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, Vice-Admiral Armando Pinto de Lima, after a long but relatively uneventful active service, cranking up 19,134.4 nautical miles surfaced and 1,514.7 nautical miles submerged, for 980 hours underwater. Other sources gives 20,649.1 nautical miles surfaced, 1,514.7 submerged or 283 days at sea, 974 hours in immersion, only 17 torpedoes launched (mines not included).

Read More/Src

Books

Souza, Marco Polo Áureo Cerqueira de; Nossos Submarinos – sinopse histórica; 1ª edição; Rio de Janeiro; SDGM; 1986; pág.: 36-39
Conway all the world’s fighting ships page 417.

Links

naval.com.br
naval.com.br
naval.com.br
marinha.mil.br
marinha.mil.br
submarinosdobr.com.br
pt.wikipedia.org