The ''Pisani''-class submarines were built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. They played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists.

Design and description

Designed in parallel with the s, the ''Pisani'' class was larger to accommodate more fuel and give them more range. They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 48 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 307 For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. Like the ''Mameli''s, their stability was poor and they had to be modified with bulges after completion. This reduced their speeds from on the surface and underwater to and respectively. On the surface, the ''Pisani'' class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Bagnasco, p. 141 The boats were armed with six torpedo tubes, four in the bow and two in the stern for which they carried a total of nine torpedoes. They were also armed with a single deck gun forward of the

conning tower A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and gro ...

for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two machine guns.

Boats

Service history

During the Spanish Civil War, ''Vettore Pisani'' made at least one patrol off the Catalan coast in August 1937 during which she made one unsuccessful attack.Frank, p. 96

Notes

References

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External links

Vettor Pisani
Marina Militare website {{WWII Italian ships Submarine classes Pisani Submarines of the Regia Marina