F8 was an F-class submarine in commission in the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) from 1917 to 1919. She sank during her workups but was salvaged without loss of life. She took part in the Adriatic Campaign of .
Design
Construction and commissioning F8 was laid down by FIAT-San Giorgio at Italy, on 1915. She was launched on 1916 and commissioned on 1917.
Service history F8 had been in commission for only 12 days when she sank off La Spezia on 1917 because of a maneuvering error during an exercise, coming to rest on the seabed south of the island of Tino at a depth of . Her hull remained intact and her crew suffered no casualties. Fortunately, the Brazilian Navy submarine rescue ship , which had been constructed at La Spezia and recently had completed her sea trials, had not yet departed for her delivery voyage to Brazil. At the request of the Italian government, she delayed her departure and came to F8′s assistance. Ceará brought F8 to the surface without loss of life within 24 hours of the accident.
F8 spent most of the rest of 1917 in the dockyard at La Spezia undergoing inspection, cleaning, and a refit. Near the end of the year, she was ready for sea and was assigned to the 2nd Submarine Squadron at Venice. She began her transfer voyage on 1917, but during it suffered a failure in her gas exhaust valve, resulting in a leak and the explosion of a cylinder. As soon as she reached Venice, she entered dry dock for repair of the damage.
F8′s repairs were completed in March 1918, and she began operations in the Adriatic Sea during the Adriatic Campaign, conducting offensive war patrols off Trieste and Pola. She was transferred to the Ancona Submarine Flotilla in June 1918. Before World War I ended in November 1918, she had conducted 10 war patrols, but without significant results.
F8 was placed in reserve immediately after the war. She was decommissioned and stricken from the navy list on 1919. She subsequently was scrapped.
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