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The F class - or Laurenti class - represents a series of coastal attack submarines launched in 1916, built for the Italian Navy.
However the last three units built were acquired by the Spanish Navy, constituting the first class of submarines operated in said
Navy. The project of the Fiat-Laurenti submarine had a great success and influenced the construction of numerous submarines
commissioned in other nations. The 21 units built for the Italian Navy were progressively retired from service during the 1920s
and 1930s, while the three units acquired by the Spanish Navy remained in service until 1934. These submarines effectuated numerous
missions in enemy coasts and near the most important traffic routes, without any of them being ever sunk.
The design provided a slender hull of good hydrodynamic characteristics, with few protruding elements on it, which could dive
safely to depths of up to 45 meters. The prow had a characteristic shape, with the two torpedo tubes allocated, side by side, in a
backward position in the lower section. The pressure hull was built with steel plates which had from 9 to 11 centimeters in thickness. The equipment provided
two periscopes of 9 centimeters in diameter, one for observation and other for attack, a gyroscopic compass and a Fessenden
underwater acoustic indicator, with a range of 5 miles.
F class: 24 units
Type: Coastal attack submarine
Length: 45.6 meters
Beam: 4.2 meters
Draught: 3.1 meters
Displacement (surfaced): 260 tonnes
Displacement (submerged): 320 tonnes
Propulsion: 2 x shaft, 2 x Diesel engine Fiat 375 horsepower, 2 x electric motor Savigliano 260 horsepower
Speed (surfaced): 12.3 knots (22.8 kilometers/hour)
Speed (submerged): 8 knots (14.8 kilometers/hour)
Range (surfaced): 1300 nautical miles (2400 kilometers) at 9 knots
Range (submerged): 120 nautical miles (220 kilometers) at 2.5 knots
Operational depth: 45 meters
Complement: 26
Armament: 2 x 450-millimeter torpedo tube (at prow), 4 x torpedo reload,
1 x 76-millimeter 30-caliber deck cannon, 1 x 6.5-millimeter machine gun Colt
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