P-01 Velebit
Velebit in the Lora Naval Base, August 2011
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| History | |
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 Yugoslavia
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| Name: | Soča |
| Builder: | Brodogradilište specijalnih objekata, Split |
| Homeport: | Lora Naval Base, Split |
| Identification: | P-914 |
| Captured: | 1991 |
| Fate: | Captured by the Croatian National Guard during an overhaul |
 Croatia
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| Name: | Velebit |
| Acquired: | 1991 |
| Out of service: | 2005 |
| Renamed: | 1996 |
| Refit: | 1996 |
| Struck: | 2006 |
| Homeport: | Lora Naval Base, Split |
| Identification: | P-01 |
| Fate: | Raised from the sea and stored in Lora Naval Base, declared redundant |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 21.09 m (69.2 ft) |
| Beam: | 2.7 m (8.9 ft) |
| Draft: | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Range: | 250 nmi (460 km; 290 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) |
| Endurance: | 6–7 days |
| Crew: | 4 + 6 special forces |
| Armament: |
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Velebit (pennant number P-01) was a modified Una-class midget submarine and the only submarine to see service with the Croatian Navy. It was built for the Yugoslav Navy during the 1980s where it was named Soča. At the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence Soča was being overhauled in the Brodogradilište specijalnih objekata division of Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia. Although stripped of all equipment, it was preserved from the retreating Yugoslav forces by the shipyard workers.
With modifications that were aimed at improving the ships endurance by including a diesel generator, it was launched as Velebit (P-01) in 1996. A few years later it was out of service because of the need to acquire a new set of batteries, which in turn, never happened. After unsuccessful attempts of selling it to a foreign buyer, it was offered to various museums in Croatia with a final destination still pending.
Velebit was completed as Soča in 1987 at the Brodogradilište specijalnih objekata division of Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia, as the fourth boat in its class. It measures 21.09 metres (69.2 feet) in length, has a draft of 2.4 m (7.9 ft), a 2.7 m (8.9 ft) beam and displaces 88 tonnes (87 long tons) when surfaced or 98.5 tonnes (96.9 long tons) when submerged. It was constructed as a single hull design with the internal compartment divided into three sections: forward (command/steering) position, exit chamber and the propulsion section in the back. During underwater operations two battery groups with a total of 256 cells power two 20 kW Končar electric motors mounted on a single shaft that spins a five blade propeller. Surface propulsion and battery recharging is provided by a single diesel generator.
Maximum speed is eight knots (15 kilometres per hour; 9.2 miles per hour) underwater and seven knots (13 kilometres per hour; 8.1 miles per hour) surfaced. The boat's range is 250 nautical miles (460 kilometres; 290 miles) with a speed of four knots (7.4 kilometres per hour; 4.6 miles per hour). It has an underwater endurance of up to 6–7 days which is an improvement compared to 96 hours of other Una-class boats. Maximum diving depth is 120 metres (390 ft).
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