Italian submarine Aradam

Aradam

Company type	Military submarine
Industry	Naval warfare
Founded	February 14, 1936 (1936-02-14) in Monfalcone, Italy
Headquarters	Monfalcone , Italy
Products	Submarines

Italian submarine Aradam was an Adua-class submarine constructed during the 1930s and operated by the Regia Marina throughout World War II. Its name was derived from the Amba Aradam peak located in Ethiopia.

Design and description

The Adua class represented a near-identical iteration of the earlier Perla class design. These vessels had a displacement of approximately 680 long tons (690 t) when surfaced and 844 long tons (858 t) submerged. The submarines measured 60.18 meters (197 ft 5 in) in length, with a beam spanning 6.45 meters (21 ft 2 in) and a draft of around 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in).

Propulsion on the surface was provided by a pair of 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) diesel engines, each connected to its own propeller shaft. When submerged, each propeller was powered by an electric motor rated at 400-horsepower (298 kW). These submarines could achieve speeds up to 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) while underwater. Their operational range extended to about 3,180 nautical miles (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) cruising at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) on the surface and approximately 74 nautical miles (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) when submerged.

Armament included six internal torpedo tubes of 53.3 cm (21.0 in), with four positioned at the bow and two at the stern. Surface engagements were supported by a single 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun. Defensive anti-aircraft weaponry comprised one or two twin-mounted 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns.

Construction and career

The submarine Aradam was constructed at the CRDA shipyard located in Monfalcone. Her keel was laid on 14 February 1936, she was launched on 18 October the same year, and officially entered service on 16 January 1937. On 6 March 1937, she was assigned to the 23rd Submarine Squadron based in Naples. During the following three years, Aradam carried out numerous training operations between Tobruk, Benghazi, and the Dodecanese islands.

At the onset of Italy's involvement in World War II, Aradam belonged to the 71st Squadron (VII Submarine Group) stationed in Cagliari, commanded by Captain Giuseppe Bianchini. On June 10, 1940, she was deployed to patrol waters between Sardinia and the Galite Islands. She returned to base on June 14 without engaging any enemy vessels.

Her second wartime assignment involved targeting a French convoy bound for North Africa in the Gulf of Lion. On June 21, increased aerial activity suggested an approaching convoy. At 3:12 on June 23, Aradam spotted a fast-moving vessel at coordinates 42°40′N 4°25′E and launched an attack that ultimately failed.

Throughout July and August 1940, Aradam undertook two patrols near Gibraltar. In October of that year, she initially patrolled off La Galite before being reassigned approximately 60 miles north of Cap de Fer. While patrolling about 45 miles west of La Galite on October 27, she encountered a destroyer, prompting her to dive and withdraw.

On November 9, 1940, Aradam departed from Cagliari to patrol off La Galite alongside four other submarines—including Alagi and Axum—forming a screen against British Operation "Coat." The mission concluded without any enemy contact.

Five days later, on November 14, she returned to sea with Diaspro and Alagi to provide screening during British Operation "White," which involved transferring fourteen aircraft to Malta from Force-H carriers.

In January 1941, Aradam patrolled roughly 40 miles east of La Galite. On the afternoon of January 9, she detected a vessel conducting anti-submarine maneuvers and subsequently withdrew. April saw her operating off the coasts of Cyrenaica and Egypt.

Between late July and early August, Aradam joined three other submarines southwest of Sardinia to screen British Operation "Style," though no enemy vessels were encountered. During September's British Operation "Halberd," she was positioned with three submarines east of the Balearic Islands in an ambush role; however, British forces did not transit this area. Later that month, on September 29, she sighted a British naval formation further south but was unable to engage.

In October 1941, her patrol area was again about sixty miles east of La Galite, followed by operations in November roughly 45 miles northeast of Tunis. December missions saw her once more near La Galite. Early in January 1942, she patrolled south of Malta, then moved off Algeria in February where she detected enemy ship noises on February 10 but failed to locate any convoy.

March found her operating near Cape Bougaroun. On April 6, at approximately 03:12 while east of Kélibia, under Captain Oscar Gran’s command, Aradam identified a large vessel traveling westward toward Cape Bon. She fired a torpedo at close range (around 500 meters) at coordinates 36°47′N 11°05′E. The target was later confirmed as HMS Havock.

The damaged destroyer attempted to reach shore but suffered a catastrophic explosion when her ammunition magazine detonated, splitting the ship in two as observed by Aradam. Alternative accounts suggest that HMS Havock had stopped at about 04:15 near 36°48′N 11°08′E, possibly evading the torpedo and was scuttled by her crew after running aground. Another version claims that Aradam torpedoed and destroyed the wreck itself.

In May 1942, Aradam operated north of Cape Blanc. Mid-June saw her dispatched with four other submarines—including Ascianghi and Dessiè—to patrol off Cape Blanc and later between Malta, Pantelleria, and Lampedusa aiming to intercept British convoys during Operation "Harpoon." No enemy ships were sighted during this deployment.

Following the launch of Operation Torch on November 8, 1942—with over five hundred Allied vessels landing troops on Algerian and Moroccan shores—Aradam, along with other Axis submarines, was immediately sent to the southern Mediterranean. On November 16, under Carlo Forni’s command, she infiltrated the Bay of Bona at night where she encountered a convoy consisting of three transports escorted by three warships. She launched two torpedoes without success and later fired two additional torpedoes at dawn which also missed. Subsequently, she engaged with her deck gun, lightly damaging one transport before submerging to evade counterattacks.

From December 1942 through February 1943, Aradam conducted several patrols off the coast of Cyrenaica. In March she operated within the Gulf of Sirte, followed by patrols west of Sardinia in May.

On April 10, 1943, while stationed at La Maddalena, the base endured an air raid by eighty-four US B-24 Liberator bombers which sank smaller vessels as well as the heavy cruiser Trieste. Although Aradam escaped direct hits, two crew members were wounded during this assault.

After Italy signed the Armistice of Cassibile surrendering to Allied forces, Aradam was undergoing maintenance in Genoa, where conversion work into an SLC (Siluro a Lenta Corsa) submarine was underway. Unable to leave port during this period, her crew scuttled her deliberately to prevent capture.

The Germans later refloated Aradam, but repairs were never completed. Ultimately, on September 4, 1944, she was sunk again during an Allied bombing raid targeting Genoa’s harbor.

Sources

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). World War Two Submarines. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's Complete Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Naval Warfare Chronology 1939–1945: The History of World War Two at Sea (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Men Beneath the Surface: The History of Italian Submarines from Origins to Present (Second ed.). Mondadori. ISBN 8804505370.
• Colombo, Lorenzo (May 25, 2024). "R.Smg. Aradam". regiamarina.net. Cristiano D'Adamo. Retrieved May 25, 2024. Operational History