Italian submarine Salpa (1932)

For other ships with the same name, see Italian submarine Salpa.

History
Kingdom of Italy
Name	Salpa
Builder	Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto, Taranto
Laid down	1930
Launched	8 May 1932
Completed	1933
Fate	Sunk, 27 June 1941
General characteristics
Class and type	Argonauta-class submarine
Displacement	660 t (650 long tons) (surfaced) 813 t (800 long tons) (submerged)
Length	61.5 m (202 ft)
Beam	5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Draft	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	1,500 bhp (1,100 kW) (diesels) 800 hp (600 kW) (electric motors)
Propulsion	2 shafts; diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced) 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (submerged)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) (surfaced) 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	80 m (260 ft)
Armament	1 × single 102 mm (4 in) deck gun 2 × single 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)

Salpa was one of seven Argonauta-class submarines built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the early 1930s.

Design and description

The Argonauta class was derived from the earlier Squalo-class submarines. They displaced 660 metric tons (650 long tons) surfaced and 813 metric tons (800 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 61.5 meters (201 ft 9 in) long, had a beam of 5.7 meters (18 ft 8 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in). They had an operational diving depth of 80 meters (260 ft). Their crew numbered 44 officers and enlisted men.

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 750-brake-horsepower (559 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 400-horsepower (298 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Settembrini class had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 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).

The boats were armed with six 53.3-centimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the 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 single 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns.

Construction and fate

Salpa was laid down by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto at their Taranto shipyard in 1930, launched on 8 May 1932 and completed the following year.

Salpa was torpedoed by HMS Triumph of the Royal Navy and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Mersa Matruh, Egypt (32°05′N 26°47′E) on 27 June 1941.

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.
• Colombo, Lorenzo (April 29, 2024). "R.Smg.Salpa". regiamarina.net. Cristiano D'Adamo. Retrieved April 29, 2024. Operational History

External links

• Sommergibili Marina Militare website
• Regia Marina The Italian Navy in World War II