Italian submarine Delfino (1930)

Delfino (submarine)

Company type	Military submarine
Industry	Naval warfare
Founded	27 October 1928
Headquarters	Monfalcone , Italy
Products	Submarines

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Ship class= Squalo-class submarine

Ship displacement=*920 t (905 long tons) surfaced 1,125 t (1,107 long tons) submerged

Ship length=69.8 m (229 ft)

Ship beam=7.21 m (23 ft 8 in)

Ship draft=5.19 m (17 ft)

Ship power=*3,000 bhp (2,200 kW) (diesel engines) 1,300 bhp (970 kW) (electric motors)

Ship propulsion=*2 shafts; diesel-electric 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors

Ship speed=*15.1 knots (28.0 km/h; 17.4 mph) surfaced 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged

Ship range=*5,650 nmi (10,460 km; 6,500 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged

Ship test depth=90 m (300 ft)

Ship complement=53 personnel

Ship armament=*8 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes (4 forward, 4 aft) 1 × Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 102 mm (4.0 in) deck gun 2 × single Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns

Delfino was among four submarines of the class constructed for the [] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= (help) (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. It participated in World War II operations and was lost in 1943 following a collision with another Italian vessel.

Design and description

The Squalo series closely followed the design of the earlier class. These submarines had a surfaced displacement of approximately 920 metric tons (910 long tons), increasing to around 1,125 metric tons (1,107 long tons) when submerged. Their overall length measured 69.8 meters (229 ft), with a beam spanning 7.21 meters (23 ft 8 in), and a draft of 5.19 meters (17 ft). They were capable of diving to operational depths of up to 90 meters (300 ft). The crew complement consisted of 53 officers and enlisted sailors.

Propulsion on the surface was provided by a pair of diesel engines, each delivering approximately 1,500-brake-horsepower (1,119 kW), each connected to its own propeller shaft. When submerged, propulsion switched to electric motors rated at about 650-brake-horsepower (485 kW) per shaft. These vessels could achieve speeds up to 15.1 knots (28.0 km/h; 17.4 mph) above water and around 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) when submerged. Their surfaced cruising range extended to roughly 5,650 nautical miles (10,460 km; 6,500 mi) at a steady speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph), while underwater endurance reached approximately 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) at a slower pace of 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph).

Armament comprised eight internal torpedo tubes measuring 53.3 cm (21.0 in), evenly split between the bow and stern, carrying a total complement of twelve torpedoes. Surface combat capability was supported by a single deck gun of caliber Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 with a barrel diameter of 102 mm (4.0 in), while anti-aircraft defense featured two single-mounted Breda Model 1931 Machine Guns chambered for 13.2 mm (0.52 in) rounds.

Construction and career

The submarine Delfino, named after the dolphin, was constructed beginning on 27 October 1928 at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CRDA) shipyard located in Monfalcone. She was ceremoniously launched on 27 April 1930 and reached completion by 19 June 1931. Once commissioned, the vessel undertook two extensive voyages: one to the Black Sea in 1933 and another to the eastern Mediterranean in 1934. In December 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, she conducted patrols along Spain's eastern shoreline and attempted an unsuccessful attack on a merchant vessel. Following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in 1937, Delfino was deployed to operate within the Red Sea, returning to Messina the subsequent year.

With Italy's entry into World War II in June 1940, Delfino was active in the Aegean Sea. On 15 August 1940, she became involved in a controversial event when she launched torpedoes that sank the neutral Elli, which was anchored near Tinos while serving as an honor guard during Virgin Mary celebrations. Despite Greek concerns over vulnerability—stemming from previous unprovoked Italian air attacks on Greek naval vessels that summer—the expectation was that this religious observance, significant to both Catholic Italians and Orthodox Greeks, would deter any hostile action. According to Italy’s Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, Mussolini ordered the assault as a means to intimidate Greece, which remained neutral but had accepted British protection against Axis powers earlier in April 1940. Although Italy denied responsibility for the attack, Greece recovered torpedo fragments that were identified as Italian-made. Conversely, Italy accused Britain of carrying out the strike using pre-war torpedoes. Rather than weakening Greek resolve, the incident united them and strengthened their response to Italy’s ultimatum issued two months later on October 28. After hostilities ended, Greece received the Eugenio di Savoia as war reparations and renamed her Elli.

On 29 November 1940, while operating in the northern Aegean, Delfino launched two torpedoes at a convoy and claimed to have struck the Psara, though this was never substantiated. Later, on 1 August 1941 during a patrol near Tobruk, she was attacked by a British Short Sunderland aircraft from 230 Squadron. Delfino successfully shot down the plane and managed to rescue four survivors out of its twelve crew members. After conducting additional patrols around Sicily and Malta, she was reassigned in February 1942 to serve at the Submarine School in Pula for training purposes. Returning to combat operations in November 1942 based out of Taranto, Delfino completed three transport missions to North Africa, delivering more than 200 tons of ammunition and fuel. Undergoing refit from January through March 1943, her service ended abruptly on 23 March 1943 when she sank approximately one hour after departing Taranto due to a collision with her escort vessel, resulting in the loss of 28 crew members.

See also

Italian submarines during World War II

Bibliography

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). World War Two Submarines. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6.
• Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: An Encyclopedia of the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's Complete Guide to the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Naval Vessels of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0002-6.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Naval Chronology of World War Two 1939–1945: The Sea War History (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.

External links

• Delfino (1930) Official Marina Militare page