Name Berillo Class and type Perla-class submarine Launched 14 June 1936 | Builder CRDA, Monfalcone Beam 6.45 m (21 ft 2 in) Length 60 m | |
Fate Scuttled, 2 October 1940 Displacement 680 tonnes (669 long tons) surfaced
844 tonnes (831 long tons) submerged | ||
The Italian submarine Berillo was an Perla class built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) during the 1930s.
Contents
Design and description
The Perla-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding Sirena 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).
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 5,200 nautical miles (9,600 km; 6,000 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph), submerged, they had a range of 74 nmi (137 km; 85 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).
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.
Construction and career
Berillo was built by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico (CRDA) at their Monfalcone shipyard and launched on 14 June 1936. The boat was scuttled by her own crew after having been surprised on the surface by the British destroyers Havock and Hasty on 2 October 1940, depth charged for two hours, heavily damaged and forced to surface.