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Cavallini:
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Weapons |
Torpedoes |
| All “Cavallini” excluding the “Mameli” were
fitted with four torpedo tubes aft and four forward. The “Mameli” had only
two tubes aft. All tubes were loaded before leaving port and two extra
torpedoes were stowed in each compartment giving the “Mameli” a total of 10
torpedoes, while all other boats had 12. Torpedoes were loaded through a
special hatch and the operation was very laborious. Once at sea, torpedoes
could be removed from the tubes for limited maintenance (fuel topping). |
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| Range, speed
and direction of the weapons could be configured while they were inserted in
the tubes. The tubes, produced by Tosi, could take a variety of 21’ (533 mm)
torpedoes produced both by Whitehead and “Silurificio Italiano”. Similar to
the Royal navy, the Regia Marina did not experience the kind of massive
torpedo failure which plagued the U.S. Navy and the Kriegsmarine. Italian
weapons were reliable, but left a visible trail thus making them easy to
spot.
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Smaller weapons |
| Each boat was equipped with a small armory containing
rifles and side arms.
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Deck Guns |
| The first two “Cavallini” classes were fitted with a 4”
(102) mm deck gun caliber 35 produced by O.T.O. (Model 1931, 35 and 38).
These guns had a maximum range of 14,500 meters, but the practical range,
due to the simplicity of the optical range-finder, was much lower. Later
classes were fitted with the newer 100 mm caliber 43, while the “Liuzzi”
received a caliber 47. The “Cavallini” carried 22 kg Ap shells or smaller
13.8 kg. conventional shells. The “Mameli” had a reserve of 150 shells,
increased to 200 on the “Settembrini”, 230 on the newer classes and further
increased to 290 on the “Liuzzi”. The muzzle velocity, originally at around
730 m/s, was later increased to 840 m/s. A well-trained gunnery team could
fire eight shells per minute. Shells were loaded from the stowage area below
onto the main compartment and from there pushed up to the deck through a
tube. Since there are no specifications for a mechanical or hydraulic
hoisting system, it is assumed that the shells were pushed by hand. The
gunners also had access to a ready storage area built into the cunning tower
and secured by a watertight hatch. |
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| The “Mameli” and the “Settembrini” had a
single gun mounted forward of the cunning tower. The “Archimede” had a
second gun installed aft of the cunning tower. The “Brin” were the most
unusual; seeking to provide the gunners with a better platform protected
from the elements and with a greater range of excursion, the designers
fitted the gun on top of the cunning tower. This very unusual installation,
resembling some British classes, gave the “Brin” their unusual silhouette.
Eventually, it was soon discovered that the arrangement was not satisfactory
and never repeated. The “Liuzzi” returned to the field-tested single gun
mounted aft.
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Machine Guns |
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All “Cavallini” were equipped with the famous Breda Model 1931 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. These guns were mounted on a single support on the “Mameli” and “Archimede” and on double mounts on all other classes. The guns were installed on a retractable mount which would recede into a water-tight tube protected by a small hatch. Upon emerging, the gunners had to simply release the hatch, lift the guns out of the enclosure, install clip and fire. Each clip contained 30 rounds and the gun could fire up to 400 rounds per minute at a range of 2,000 meters. The “Mameli” and “Settembrini” had a reserve of 6,000 rounds, reduced on the “Archimede” to 3,000 but later restored on the later classes, with the exception of the “Liuzzi” which had a reserve of 12,000 rounds. As with all Italian submarines, toward the end of the conflict it was discovered that the 13.2 mm guns were insufficient in downing large American bombers protected by a thick armor. |
Mines |
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On the MICCA, the total capacity of the mine holds was 40 weapons. The
mines, 20 aft and 20 forward, were lodge in pairs of two on rails. The mines
were loaded from hatches located forward and aft of the deck guns. Each
hutch would open on the deck below from which another hatch led to the
holds. Each hold had its own separate ejection mechanism, basically a simple
hatch opening downward and allowing the mines to exit the hull by gravity.
The low speed of a submerged submarine and the ability of the crew to
accurately measure bearing and speed would allow for the precise delivery of
the weapons in the form of mine fields. |
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| © 1996-2007 REGIAMARINA (TM) - Terms and Conditions | ||
