128 nm at 6.9 kn overwater travel / 48 nm at 3 kn underwater travel nm
Immersion depth, max.
20 m
Type B was a miniature submarine of the Italian Navy , which was designed during the First World War in July 1915 and produced in small series. It was successor of the type A , 30% was larger had a larger range and was parallel to the type A produced.
Development history
The development and construction of the Type B took place under the direction of General Ferrati in the highest degree of secrecy in the underwater weapons factory in San Bartolomeo in La Spezia . The construction contract originally included six boats, but was then limited to only three boats due to the complex production, which were given the designations B 1 , B 2 and B 3 . The commissioning of the three boats took place between July 8th and November 25th 1916. Their operating weight was 46 t (empty state 40 t). The armament consisted of two 45 cm torpedoes , which could no longer be put on as in the previous model, but could be shot in the torpedo tubes provided in the bow. The crew now consisted of an officer and four men.
Calls
Boats B 1 and B 2 replaced the A-Types A 2 and A 4 stationed in Bari and took up an intensive guard duty off the local coast, but remained without enemy contact until the end of the war. B 3 was stationed in Venice , but suffered permanent machine problems and spent more time in dry docks than at sea. In January 1919, all three boats were decommissioned and scrapped.
literature
Harald Fock: Naval small weapons. Manned torpedoes, small submarines, small speedboats, explosives yesterday - today - tomorrow. Nikol, Hamburg 1996, ISBN 3-930656-34-5 , p. 39.