Italian R class submarine
Romolo-class submarine (Romolo)
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| Class overview | |
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| Name: | Romolo |
| Builders: | Tosi, CRDA |
| Operators: |
 Regia Marina
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| Built: | 1942-1943 |
| In service: | 1943 |
| Planned: | 12 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Cancelled: | 10 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Transport submarines |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 86.5 m (283 ft 10 in) |
| Beam: | 7.86 m (25 ft 9 in) |
| Draft: | 5.34 m (17 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | |
| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Capacity: | 600 tonnes (591 long tons) of cargo |
| Complement: | 63 |
| Armament: |
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The R-class or Romolo-class submarine was a group of submarines built for the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina Italiana) during World War II. They were designed as blockade running transport submarines for transporting high-value cargo from Europe to Japan and vice versa. Axis-occupied Europe lacked strategic materials such as tungsten, tin and some commodities such as rubber.
The R-class submarines displaced 2,155 metric tons (2,121 long tons) surfaced and 2,560 metric tons (2,520 long tons) submerged. The submarines were 86.5 meters (283 ft 10 in) long, had a beam of 7.86 meters (25 ft 9 in) and a draft of 5.34 meters (17 ft 6 in). They had a cargo capacity of 600 tonnes (591 long tons).
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 1,300-brake-horsepower (969 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 450-horsepower (336 kW) electric motor. They could reach 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface and 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) underwater. On the surface, the R class had a range of 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph); submerged, they had a range of 110 nmi (200 km; 130 mi) at 3.5 knots (6.5 km/h; 4.0 mph).
The boats were only armed for self-defense with three 20-millimeter (0.79 in) light anti-aircraft guns. Some boats may have been equipped with a pair of internal 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in the bow and stern.
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