The Settembrini class was a pair of submarines 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 The Settembrini class was an improved and enlarged version of the preceding s. 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 56 officers and enlisted men.Chesneau, p. 308
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. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the Settembrini class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Bagnasco, p. 147
The boats were armed with eight torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern for which they carried a total of 12 torpedoes. They were also armed with a single deck gun forward of the conning tower for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two or four machine guns.
Boats + Construction data Ship Builder Laid downFraccaroli, p. 131 Launched Completed Fate Cantiere Navale Triestino, Trieste 16 April 1928 28 September 1930 25 January 1931 Sunk in collision with 15 November 1944 16 June 1928 29 March 1931 25 April 1932 Stricken from the Navy List 23 March 1947
Service history During the Spanish Civil War, Luigi Settembrini made one patrol in the Eastern Mediterranean in September 1937 during which she sank a Soviet cargo ship.Frank, p. 97
Notes
References
External links Luigi Settembrini Marina Militare website