Yugoslav submarine Sava
| Company type | Submarine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval military vessel |
| Predecessor | Nautilo (Italian Regia Marina) |
| Founded | January 3, 1942 Monfalcone, Italy |
| Headquarters | Monfalcone (construction) , Italy |
| Products | Flutto-class submarine |
Yugoslav Submarine Sava
The submarine Sava (pennant number P-802) belonged to the Flutto class and served within the Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica – JRM). Constructed by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone during the period of the Second World War, she was initially laid down and completed under the name Nautilo for deployment in the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy).
In September 1943, following the Italian armistice, her crew deliberately scuttled the vessel. Subsequently, German forces recovered the submarine and commissioned her into the Kriegsmarine as UIT-19. This incarnation of the submarine met its demise during an Allied aerial assault in 1944. Post-war, the Yugoslav Navy undertook a second salvage operation, recommissioning her as Sava, with active service continuing until 1971.
Design and construction
The submarine Sava was originally laid down on 3 January 1942 under the name Nautilo. It was the eighth vessel in the Type 1 Flutto-class series, constructed for the Regia Marina (Royal Navy) by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Monfalcone. The launch occurred on 20 March 1943, with completion achieved by 26 July of the same year.
Upon completion, the submarine had an overall length of 63.15 m (207 ft 2 in), a beam measuring 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in), and a draught of 4.87 m (16 ft 0 in). The vessel's displacement was 905 tonnes (891 long tons) when surfaced and increased to 1,068 tonnes (1,051 long tons) when submerged. Propulsion was provided by two Fiat diesel engines producing a combined output of 2,400 hp (1,800 kW), alongside two CRDA electric motors delivering a total of 800 hp (600 kW). This configuration enabled a maximum speed of 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) on the surface and 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) while submerged.
The primary offensive equipment included six 21 in (530 mm) torpedo tubes, carrying twelve torpedoes in total. Defensive armaments featured a single 3.9 in (99 mm)/47 caliber gun, supplemented by four 20 mm (0.79 in)/70 guns and/or four 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns. The crew complement consisted of four to five officers and between 44 and 48 enlisted sailors.
Service history
After the Italian armistice in September 1943, Nautilo was deliberately sunk in Venice harbour to prevent capture. Subsequently, German forces salvaged the vessel and incorporated it into the Kriegsmarine under the designation UIT-19. The submarine met its demise once more on 9 January 1944 during an air raid conducted by the Royal Air Force in Pula.
Following World War II, the Yugoslav Navy (Serbo-Croatian: Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica – JRM) raised the submarine and transferred it to the Uljanik Shipyard for repairs spanning from 1947 to 1949. It was recommissioned in 1949 as Sava (pennant number P-802). Alongside Mališan (P-901) and Tara (P-801), it constituted the foundation of Yugoslavia's new submarine fleet.
In 1958, Sava was assigned to training roles and underwent a significant overhaul between 1958 and 1960. This refit involved removing her 100 mm deck gun and redesigning the conning tower to achieve a more streamlined profile. She remained active as a training platform until being decommissioned in 1971.
After her naval service concluded, the vessel was repurposed as a nightclub named "Yellow submarine" located in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
See also
Notes
References
- Freivogel, Zvonimir. "Podmorničarska tradicija na hrvatskom Jadranu" [Submarine tradition on the Croatian Adriatic]. Sušačka revija. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
- Fraccaroli, Aldo (1974). Italian Warships of World War II. London: Ian Allan Publishing. OCLC 834485650.
- Gardiner, Robert (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-605-7. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Weapons and warfare - Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851095636. Retrieved 12 March 2016.