Italian submarine Lafolè

History
Regia MarinaKingdom of Italy
Name:	Lafolè
Builder:	Odero Terni Orlando, Muggiano
Launched:	10 April 1938
Fate:	Sunk, 20 October 1940
General characteristics
Class and type:	Adua-class submarine
Displacement:	698 long tons (709 t) surfaced 866 long tons (880 t) submerged
Length:	60.28 m (197 ft 9 in)
Beam:	6.45 m (21 ft 2 in)
Draught:	4.64 m (15 ft 3 in)
Propulsion:	2 diesel engines, 2 electric motors
Speed:	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range:	3,180 nmi (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) at 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph) surfaced
Test depth:	80 m (260 ft)
Complement:	46
Armament:	1 × 100 mm (4 in)/47 calibre deck gun 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (4 forward, 2 aft) 12 × torpedoes

The Italian submarine Lafolè was an Adua-class submarine built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) during the 1930s.

Design and description

The Adua-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding Perla class. They displaced 680 metric tons (670 long tons) surfaced and 844 metric tons (831 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 60.18 meters (197 ft 5 in) long, had a beam of 6.45 meters (21 ft 2 in) and a draft of 4.7 meters (15 ft 5 in).^[1]

For surface running, the boats were powered by two 600-brake-horsepower (447 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 400-horsepower (298 kW) electric motor. They could reach 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface and 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) underwater. On the surface, the Adua class had a range of 3,180 nautical miles (5,890 km; 3,660 mi) at 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph), submerged, they had a range of 74 nmi (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).^[2]

The boats were armed with six internal 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, 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 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun for combat on the surface. The light anti-aircraft armament consisted of one or two pairs of 13.2 millimeters (0.52 in) machine guns.^[1]

Construction and career

Lafolè was sunk by British destroyers HMS Gallant, Hotspur and Griffin off Melilla on 20 October 1940. Documents captured aboard her sister Durbo before she sank two days earlier that allowed the British ships to find and sink Lafolè.^[3]

Notes

References

• Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-962-6. 
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. 

External links

• Coastal submarines: Adua class

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in October 1940
Shipwrecks	2 Oct: Berillo 3 Oct: HMS Lady of the Isles 4 Oct: HMS Rainbow 11 Oct: HMT Warwick Deeping 15 Oct: HMS Triad 17 Oct: Aenos, HMS Dundalk, Languedoc, Scoresby 18 Oct: Beatus, Creekirk, Durbo, Empire Miniver, Fiscus, HMS H49 19 Oct: Assyrian, HMCS Bras d'Or, Empire Brigade, Snefjeld, Soesterberg, HMS Venetia 20 Oct: Lafolè 22 Oct: HMCS Margaree 24 Oct: Adolf Vinnen 25 Oct: Blairspey 28 Oct: Empress of Britain, Malygin 30 Oct: U-32
Other incidents	5 Oct: Melbourne Star 16 Oct: HMS Ashanti, HMS Fame 17 Oct: Gasfire 18 Oct: Blairspey, Carsbreck 19 Oct: Blairspey 22 Oct: Port Fairy 27 Oct: Conister
1939 1940 1941 September 1940 November 1940