Bandiera-class submarine

Class overview
Operators	Regia Marina
Preceded by	Pisani class
Succeeded by	Squalo class
In commission	1930–1948
Completed	4
Lost	1
Scrapped	3
General characteristics
Type	Submarine
Displacement	940 t (925 long tons) (surfaced) 1,097 t (1,080 long tons) (submerged)
Length	69.8 m (229 ft)
Beam	7.3 m (23 ft 11 in)
Draft	5.26 m (17 ft 3 in)
Installed power	3,000 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesels) 1,300 hp (970 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion	2 shafts; diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) (surfaced) 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) (submerged)
Range	4,750 nmi (8,800 km; 5,470 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced) 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	90 m (300 ft)
Crew	53
Armament	1 × single 102 mm (4 in) deck gun 2 × single 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns 8 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 4 stern)

The Bandiera-class submarines were built for the Regia Marina (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 Pisani-class submarines. They displaced 940 metric tons (925 long tons) surfaced and 1,097 metric tons (1,080 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 69.8 meters (229 ft) long, had a beam of 7.3 meters (23 ft 11 in) and a draft of 5.26 meters (17 ft 3 in).[1] They had an operational diving depth of 90 meters (300 ft).[2] Their crew numbered 53 officers and enlisted men.[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,500-brake-horsepower (1,119 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 650-horsepower (485 kW) electric motor. They could reach 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) on the surface and 8.2 knots (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph) underwater.[2] On the surface, the Bandiera class had a range of 4,750 nautical miles (8,800 km; 5,470 mi) at 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph); submerged, they had a range of 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[2]

The boats were armed with eight 53.3-centimeter (21 in) 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 102-millimeter (4 in) deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.[1][2]

Submarines

Construction details[1][3][4][5][6]

Ship	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Fratelli Bandiera	Cantiere Navale Triestino, Trieste	11 February 1928	7 August 1929	2 June 1930	Discarded 1 February 1948
Luciano Manara		1 May 1928	5 October 1929	29 July 1930
Ciro Menotti	Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano	12 May 1928	29 December 1929	29 July 1930
Santorre Santarosa		1 May 1928	22 October 1929	29 July 1930	Scuttled 20 January 1943

Service history

During the Spanish Civil War, Luigi Settembrini made one patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean in September 1937 during which she sank a Soviet cargo ship.[7]

Notes

1. Chesneau, p. 307
2. Bagnasco, p. 143
3. uboat.net IT Fratelli Bandiera Accessed 30 April 2022
4. uboat.net IT Luciano Manara Accessed 30 April 2022
5. uboat.net IT Ciro Menotti Accessed 30 April 2022
6. uboat.net Santorre Di Santarosa (SN) Santarosa Accessed 30 April 2022
7. Frank, p. 97

References

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Frank, Willard C. Jr. (1989). "Question 12/88". Warship International. XXVI (1): 95–97. ISSN 0043-0374.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.

External links

• Classe Bandiera Marina Militare website