The Bandiera-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 The Bandiera 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 53 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. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the Bandiera class had a range of at ; submerged, they had a range of at .Bagnasco, p. 143
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 machine guns.
Submarines
+ Construction detailsuboat.net IT Fratelli Bandiera Accessed 30 April 2022uboat.net IT Luciano Manara Accessed 30 April 2022uboat.net IT Ciro Menotti Accessed 30 April 2022uboat.net Santorre Di Santarosa (SN) Santarosa Accessed 30 April 2022 Ship Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate Cantiere Navale Triestino, Trieste 11 February 1928 7 August 1929 2 June 1930Discarded 1 February 1948 1 May 1928 5 October 1929 29 July 1930 Odero-Terni-Orlando, Muggiano12 May 192829 December 192929 July 1930 1 May 192822 October 192929 July 1930Scuttled 20 January 1943
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 Classe Bandiera Marina Militare website