| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Glauco-class |
| Builders | Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico,Trieste |
| Operators | |
| Built | 1931–1936 |
| In commission | 1935–1948 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Scrapped | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 73 m (239 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 5.12 m (16 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
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| Range |
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| Armament |
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TheGlauco class was a pair ofsubmarines ordered by thePortuguese government, but were taken over and completed for theRegia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the 1930s. They played a minor role in theSpanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting theSpanish Nationalists.
TheGlauco-class submarines were improved versions of the precedingSqualo class. Theydisplaced 1,071metric tons (1,054long tons) surfaced and 1,326 metric tons (1,305 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 73 meters (239 ft 6 in) long, had abeam of 7.2 meters (23 ft 7 in) and adraft of 5.12 meters (16 ft 10 in).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,500-brake-horsepower (1,119 kW)diesel engines, each driving onepropeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 600-horsepower (447 kW)electric motor. They could reach 17knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, theGlauco class had a range of 9,760nautical miles (18,080 km; 11,230 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph); submerged, they had a range of 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).[2]
The boats were armed with eight internal 53.3 cm (21 in)torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern. They carried a total of 14torpedoes. They were also armed with two100 mm (3.9 in)deck guns, one each fore and aft of theconning tower, for combat on the surface. Theiranti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns.[1]
Both boats were built byCRDA in itsTrieste shipyard. The submarines had initially been ordered in 1931, but were acquired by the Italians when Portugal cancelled the order. Both boats werelaunched in 1935,[1] and they saw action in theSpanish Civil War and theSecond World War.[2]Glauco was badly damaged by the British destroyerHMSWishartandscuttled by her own crew on 27 June 1941, west of Gibraltar;Otaria was surrendered to theAllies in 1943 and used for training until it was sent to the junkyard in 1948.[1]
