Sirena, Perla, Adua, Acciaio
Italian 600 class submarines

Adua (above) and Acciaio (below) class

Sirena, Perla, Adua, Acciaio classes
Type: Italian 600 class submarines.
History: Dating from a period of great expansion for the Italian navy's submarine arm, the 12 Sirena class submarines were known also as the 600 class boats. This figure was indicative of their standard surface displacement and, though the final design exceeded it by a considerable margin, they proved very handy boats for the constricted conditions of the Mediterranean. Their detail design was greatly influenced by that of the preceding Argonauta class, but, as they were laid down before the latter's entry into service, they did not benefit from working experience. Simple and robust, they were heavily used and suffered accordingly, only one surviving beyond the armistice of September 1943.

Diamante of Sirena class was on June 20, 1940 one of the first Italian naval losses.

Ten almost identical derivatives, the Perla class, followed on. Two of these, Iride and Onice, served somewhat controversially under Spanish Nationalist colours during the Spanish Civil War. During WW2, the Iride, together with the Ambra, were converted to carry SLC human torpedoes. The latter boat had already distinguished herself when, two days after the Battle of Cape Matapan, she had sunk the British cruiser HMS Bonaventure. Once converted, she went on to attack the harbour at Algiers in December 1942, heavily damaging four ships totalling 20,000 gross registered tons.

The Italian submarine Perla at Beirut after capture in 1942.

Yet another virtual repeat class had followed in the 17 Adua class boats, launched 1936-1938. Two of these also were converted to carry SLCs and one of these the Sore, was particularly successful. She attacked Gibraltar on no less than four occasions, the raid of September 1941 accounting for two ships, including the auxiliary tanker Denbydale. Her greatest coup, however, was in December 1941 when her three SLCs put the battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Valiant, together with a tanker, on the bottom of Alexandria harbour. She was finally sunk by the anti-submarine trawler May outside Haifa in August 1942.

Submarine Granito of Acciaio class was launched on August 7, 1941.

The final expression of the '600' type was in the enlarged 13-boat Acciaio class of 1941-1942.

Users: Italy.

Porfido of Acciaio class in typical colours for the Mediterranean.

3d model of Adua class (above) and Acciaio class (below).

This 3d model is a current element of the WW2 game WW2 Total. The data for production, movement and combat of the Axis and Allies units are here !

The Italian submarine Malachite of Perla class was build at OTO in La Spezia and completed on Juli 15, 1936.