Italian submarine Michele Bianchi

Michele Bianchi

Company type	Submarine
Industry	Naval military vessel
Founded	December 3, 1939 (1939-12-03)
Headquarters	La Spezia , Italy
Products	Marconi-class submarine

Michele Bianchi Submarine Overview

Michele Bianchi was a Marconi-class class submarine operated by the Italian Regia Marina during the Second World War. Bearing the pennant number BH, this vessel was launched on 3 December 1939.

Her initial combat mission took place in the Mediterranean Sea between 15 August and 3 September 1940. Later, she departed on 27 October 1940, arriving near the Strait of Gibraltar by 3 November. When British naval forces detected her attempt to enter the Atlantic Ocean, Michele Bianchi sought sanctuary in the neutral harbor of Tangier. She resumed her voyage from Tangier on 12 November and ultimately reached Bordeaux on 18 December 1940.

During her first patrol operating out of Bordeaux under the BETASOM command, Michele Bianchi successfully sank four enemy vessels. However, a subsequent patrol from 30 April to 30 May 1941 did not yield any successes. After departing Bordeaux on 4 July 1941, she was struck by a torpedo from HMS Tigris and sunk with no survivors on 5 July.

Technical Specifications

• Class: Marconi-class submarine
• Displacement: Approximately 1,175 long tons (1,194 t) (standard), 1,465 long tons (1,489 t) (full load)
• Length: 76.5 m (251 ft 0 in)
• Beam: 6.81 m (22 ft 4 in)
• Draught: 4.72 m (15 ft 6 in)
• Propulsion:
  • Diesel engines producing 3,600 hp (2,685 kW) for surface navigation
  • Electric motors generating 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) when submerged
  • Two propeller shafts
• Speed:
  • Surface speed up to 17.8 knots (33.0 km/h; 20.5 mph)
  • Submerged speed approximately 8.2 kn (15.2 km/h; 9.4 mph)
• Crew Complement: 57 personnel
• Armament:
  • One 100 millimetres (3.9 in) / 47 caliber deck gun
  • Four 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine guns
  • Eight torpedo tubes (four located at the bow and four at the stern)
  • Twelve torpedoes carried onboard

Ships Sunk by Michele Bianchi

Patrol Number	Date	Ship Name	Flag	Tonnage	Remarks
4th	14 February 1941	Belcrest	United Kingdom (civilian)	4,517	Merchant vessel part of Convoy SC 21; all crew lost
4th	15 February 1941	Alnmoor	United Kingdom (civilian)	6,573	Steam merchant from Convoy SC 21; no survivors
4th	24 February 1941	Huntingdon	United Kingdom (civilian)	10,946	Cargo ship from Convoy OB 288; no casualties reported
4th	27 February 1941	Baltistan	United Kingdom (civilian)	6,803	Freighter; eighteen crew members survived out of sixty-nine

Total Tonnage Sunk:				22,266

External links

• Michele Bianchi official Marina Militare page