View source for Adua-class submarine

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=RSMG Adua.jpg
|Ship image size=300px
|image alt=
|Ship caption=RSMG ''Adua''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name= ''Adua'' class
|Builders=*[[Oto Melara|OTO]], [[Lerici|Muggiano]]
*[[Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico|CRDA]], [[Monfalcone]]
*[[Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto|Tosi]], [[Taranto]]
|Operators={{navy|Kingdom of Italy|name=''Regia Marina''}}, [[Brazilian Navy]]
|Class before={{sclass|Perla|submarine|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Acciaio|submarine|4}}
|Cost=
|Built range= 
|In service range=
|In commission range=1937&ndash;1947
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=17
|Total ships lost=16
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Submarine]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|680|LT|t|0}} surfaced
*{{convert|844|LT|t|0}} submerged
|Ship length={{convert|60.18|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|6.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|4.7|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|1200|bhp|lk=in|abbr=on}} (diesels)
*{{convert|800|hp|abbr=on}} (electric motors)
|Ship propulsion=*[[Diesel-electric]]
*2 × [[diesel engine]]s
*2 × [[electric motor]]s
|Ship speed=*{{convert|14|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|7.5|kn}} submerged
|Ship range=*{{convert|3180|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10.5|kn}} surfaced
*{{convert|74|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}} submerged
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth={{convert|80|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=45
|Ship armament=*6 × {{convert|533|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (4 bow, 2 stern)
*1 × single [[Škoda 10 cm K10#OTO 100.2F47 History|{{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} / 47&nbsp;caliber]] [[deck gun]]
*1 or 2 x single [[Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] [[anti-aircraft gun]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Adua''-class submarine''' was the fourth [[ship class|sub-class]] of the [[Italian 600 Series submarines|600 Series]] of [[coastal submarine]]s built for the {{lang|it|[[Regia Marina]]}} (Royal Italian Navy) during the 1930s. There were 17 [[submarine]]s in this class, almost all named after places in [[Ethiopia]] which had been an [[Italian Ethiopia|Occupied by Italy]] since 1936, but only one, {{ship|Italian submarine|Alagi||2}}, survived World War II. Three submarines of this class (''Gondar'', ''Ascianghi'', and ''Neghelli'') were sold to Brazil before the war and replaced with submarines of the same names.

==Design and description==
The ''Adua''-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding {{sclass|Perla|submarine|4}} design. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|680|LT|t|sp=us}} surfaced and {{convert|844|LT|t|sp=us}} submerged. The submarines were {{convert|60.18|m|ftin|sp=us}} long, had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|6.45|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|4.7|m|ftin|sp=us}}.<ref name=c5>Chesneau, pp. 309–10</ref>

For surface running, the boats were powered by two {{convert|600|bhp|lk=in|0|adj=on}} [[diesel engine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]]. When submerged each propeller was driven by a {{convert|400|hp|0|adj=on}} [[electric motor]]. They could reach {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}} on the surface and {{convert|7.5|kn}} underwater. On the surface, the ''Adua'' class had a range of {{convert|3180|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10.5|kn}}, submerged, they had a range of {{convert|74|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|4|kn}}.<ref name=b4>Bagnasco, p. 154</ref>

The boats were armed with six internal {{convert|53.3|cm|in|1|abbr=on|sp=us}} [[torpedo tube]]s, four in the bow and two in the stern. One reload torpedo was carried for each tube, for a total of twelve. They were also armed with one {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[deck gun]] for combat on the surface. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of [[Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun|{{convert|13.2|mm|in|abbr=on}}]]  machine guns.<ref name=c5/>

{{clear}}

==Ships==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"  style="font-size:97%;"
|+ List of ''Adua''-class submarines
|-
! scope="col" | Ship
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" data-sort-type=date | Launched
! scope="col" data-sort-type=date | Fate
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Adua||2}}
| [[Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico|CRDA]]
| 13&nbsp;March 1936
| data-sort-value="30 September 1941" | sunk on 30&nbsp;September 1941, by destroyers {{HMS|Gurkha|G63|6}} and {{HMS|Legion|G74|6}}, Western Mediterranean sea
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Alagi||2}}
| [[Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico|CRDA]] 
| 15&nbsp;November 1936
| data-sort-value="1 February 1948" | sold for scrap on 1&nbsp;February 1948
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Aradam||2}}
| [[Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico|CRDA]] 
| 18&nbsp;October 1936
| data-sort-value="4 September 1944" | sunk on 4&nbsp;September 1944 in [[Genoa]] by Allied bombers
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Ascianghi||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 5&nbsp;December 1937
| data-sort-value="23 July 1943" | scuttled near [[Augusta, Sicily]], on 23&nbsp;July 1943, after attack by destroyers {{HMS|Laforey|G99|6}} and {{HMS|Eclipse|H08|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Axum||2}}
| [[Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico|CRDA]] 
| 27&nbsp;September 1936
| data-sort-value="28 December 1943" | scuttled near [[Morea]] on 28&nbsp;December 1943, during a mission for the Allies
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Beilul||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 22&nbsp;May 1938
| data-sort-value="1 May 1944" | sunk by Allied air attack, May 1944
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Dagabur||2}}
| [[Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto|Tosi]]
| 22&nbsp;November 1936
| data-sort-value="" | sunk during [[Operation Pedestal]] by the British destroyer {{HMS|Wolverine|D78|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Dessiè||2}}
| [[Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto|Tosi]]
| 22&nbsp;November 1936
| data-sort-value="28 November 1942" | sunk on 28&nbsp;November 1942 by destroyers {{HMS|Quiberon|G81|6}} and {{HMS|Quentin|G78|6}}, near [[Annaba|Bona, Algeria]].
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Durbo||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 6&nbsp;March 1938
| data-sort-value="18 October 1940" | scuttled on 18&nbsp;October 1940 east of [[Gibraltar]] after attack by destroyers {{HMS|Firedrake|H79|6}} and {{HMS|Wrestler|D35|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Gondar||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 3&nbsp;October 1937
| data-sort-value="30 September 1940" | scuttled on 30&nbsp;September 1940, near [[Alexandria]], after a 14-hour-long attack by destroyers {{HMAS|Stuart|D00|6}}, {{HMS|Diamond|H22|6}} and [[Short Sunderland|Sunderland]] [[flying boats]]
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Lafolè||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 10&nbsp;April 1938
| data-sort-value="20 October 1940" | sunk on 20&nbsp;October 1940, north of [[Melilla]] by destroyers {{HMS|Gallant|H59|6}}, {{HMS|Hotspur|H01|6}} and {{HMS|Griffin|H31|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Macallé||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 29&nbsp;October 1936
| data-sort-value="15 June 1940" | assigned to the [[Red Sea Flotilla]] and ran aground on 15&nbsp;June 1940 when the crew was disabled by [[central nervous system]] poisoning from a [[chloromethane]] leak in the ship's [[air conditioning]] system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icsm.it/regiamarina/redsea.htm|title=The Military Operations of the Italian Fleet on Red Sea June 1940 – April 1941|publisher=Arnaldo Borsa|access-date=2012-08-02}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Neghelli||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 7&nbsp;November 1937
| data-sort-value="19 January 1941" | sunk on 19&nbsp;January 1941 by destroyer {{HMS|Greyhound|H05|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Scirè|1938|2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 6&nbsp;January 1938
| data-sort-value="10 August 1942" | sunk on 10&nbsp;August 1942 off [[Haifa]] by {{HMT|Islay|T172|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Tembien||2}}
| [[Oto Melara|OTO]]
| 6&nbsp;February 1938
| data-sort-value="2 August 1941" | sunk on 2&nbsp;August 1941, west of [[Malta]], by {{HMS|Hermione|74|6}}
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Uarsciek||2}}
| [[Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto|Tosi]]
| 19&nbsp;September 1937
| data-sort-value="15 December 1942" | sunk on 15&nbsp;December 1942, south of Malta, by {{HMS|Petard|G56|6}} and the Greek destroyer [[Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga|Vasilissa Olga]]
|-
! scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" | {{ship|Italian submarine|Uebi Scebeli||2}}
| [[Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto|Tosi]]
| 3&nbsp;October 1937
| data-sort-value="29 June 1940" | sunk on 29&nbsp;June 1940 by {{HMS|Dainty|H53|6}} and {{HMS|Ilex|D61|6}}
|}

==Service==

The boats, once commissioned, were assigned to complete the squadrons of "600" submarines strengthening the 11th and 14th Squadrons at  [[La Spezia]] and 43rd at [[Taranto]]. After initial training, many of these boats carried out training cruises in the [[Dodecanese]] and along the coast of North Africa.

During the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1937–1938) five of the submarines already in service made seven special missions on behalf the Franco's regime without much success.

During 1938–39 the boats largely changed their assignment locations: there was at first a single squadron on four submarines at [[La Spezia]] four other submarines formed the 23rd Squadron at [[Naples]], and five more were assigned to [[Leros]]. In 1939 there was not a single boat of the series at [[La Spezia]], while the squadron at [[Leros]] was strengthened. In 1939 four boats from [[Naples]] and [[Taranto]] bases were sent to [[Tobruk]].

At the outbreak of the [[World War II]], there were four submarines assigned to each of the bases of [[La Spezia]], [[Cagliari]], [[Messina]] and [[Taranto]], and one submarine, {{ship|Italian submarine|Macallé||2}} was located at the [[Red Sea]] base of [[Massawa]].

==See also==
* [[Italian submarines of World War II]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==
*{{cite book|last=Bagnasco |first=Erminio |title=Submarines of World War Two |year=1977 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=0-87021-962-6}} 
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050409101536/http://www.regiamarina.net/subs/classes/600/600_us.htm Italian Submarines Class "600"]

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}
{{Adua-class submarine}}
{{Italian 600 Series submarines}}  
{{WWII Italian ships}}

[[Category:Italian 600 Series submarines]]
[[Category:Adua-class submarines| ]]
[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Ships built by Cantieri navali Tosi di Taranto]]
[[Category:Ships built by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico]]
[[Category:Ships built by OTO Melara]]