Regia Marina: 10 Built 1935-37: Ambra, Berillo, Corallo, Diaspro, Gemma, Iride, Malachite, Onice, Perla, Turchese The Perla-class submarines were the third class in the 600 Series, Regia Marina’s most important class of coastal submarines from the interwar to WW2. These were named after gemstones and ten boats were built between OTO and CRDA shipyards in … Read more
Regia Marina: 2 Built 1937-39: Argo, Velella. The Argo-class submarines were two CRDA Montfalcone submarines loosely related to the “600 Series” but ordered originally by Portugal and cancelled while in construction, repurchased by the Italian government. They were capable of 14 knots surfaced but had a generous range, but they were larger than the 600 … Read more
Sirena class (1933) Regia Marina: 12 Built 1931-34: Ametista, Anfitrite, Diamante, Galatea, Naiade, Nereide, Ondina, Rubino, Sirena, Smeraldo, Topazio, Zaffiro The Sirena-class submarines were the second in the “600 Series” coastal models of the Regia Marina. They were essentially an improved and enlarged version of the preceding Argonauta capable of 14 knots surfaced for a … Read more
Medium Submersibles: 1929-33: Argonauta, Fisalia, Jalea, Jantina, Medusa, Salpa, Serpente The Argonauta class were the first sub-class of the “600 tonnes Series” considered either “medium” in Western publications and “coastal” in Italian ones. This large standardization effort (this first class comprised seven vessels, a record), built for the Regia Marina from 1929 to 1933 and … Read more
Coastal Submersibles (1930-47): Luigi Settembrini, Ruggiero Settimo The Settembrini-class were a pair of submersibles designed by engineer Cavallini and built for the Regia Marina in 1928-31 by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto shipyard. They were a development of the previous Mameli class of partial double hull saddle tank type that made for a simpler construction. … Read more
Coastal Submersibles (1931-48): Marcantonio Bragadin, Filippo Corridoni The Bragadin-class were four submarines built for the Regia Marina in 1927-31 by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto. The class comprised two boats, and they were essentially minelaying versions of the earlier Pisani class, sharing the latter’s stability issues and needed to be modified to correct those … Read more
Coastal Submersibles (1930-48): Delfino, Narvalo, Squalo, Tricheco The Squalo-class were four submarines built for the Regia Marina in 1928-30 by the Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico (CRDA) shipyard at Monfalcone, designed by Curio Bernardis. They were essentially a development of the previous Bandiera class, at 900 tonnes surfaced, and capable of 15 knots. They paid a heavy … Read more
Oceanic Transport Submersibles & Blockade Runners (1942-43). 12 planned, 2 completed: Remo, Romolo (comp. July 1943). The Romolo (or R class) class were 12 planned blockade runner transport submarines, but only 2 were completed, Remo and Romolo (Remus and Romulus), both lost 1943. They were among the most radical designs produced by Italy and a … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles: 1939-41: Ammiraglio Cagni, Ammiraglio Caracciolo, Ammiraglio Millo, Ammiraglio Saint-Bon. The “admirals” was the ending point of almost two decades of Italian oceanic submarine designs, with sixteen planned but due to the war breaking out, only four were completed. At 2200 tonnes underwater and 88 m long they were also among the largest and … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles: 1939-40: Alessandro Malaspina, Leonardo da Vinci, Luigi Torelli, Major Baracca, Michele Bianchi, Guglielmo Marconi. The Marconi class were submersibles built in the years immediately preceding the Second World War built, at CRDA shipyard in Monfalcone. They were the first class of Italian submarines built with electric welding, although it was limited to the … Read more
