The Platino, launched in 1941, belonged to the Acciaio class (sometimes called Platino class because this was the first vessel
to be launched) of coastal attack submarines built for the Italian Navy during that year 1941 and
the early months of 1942. During the war she sank a British corvette, caused serious damaged to a steamship and shot down an antisubmarine patrol
aircraft. After the Armistice, she was sent to Malta and transferred to Allied command, to later take part in training exercises.
Disarmed after the war, she was scrapped in 1948. Another two units of the class survived the war: Nichelio,
delivered to the Soviet Union in 1949, and Giada, which served with the Regia Marina until 1966.
The construction of these submarines provided a single hull flanked by side tanks, with a conning tower of lower profile to improve
stability and reduce the chances of enemy detection, to which contributed as well a reduced noise signature of the machinery.
It was installed an improved calculator for torpedo launching and, later, radio devices and radar localizators. These submarines were generally
of satisfactory qualities, but a major part of them had a brief life. Some were sunk during their first mission, and thus it is
not possible to make a right valoration of their performance.
Class: Acciaio/Platino (13 units - Acciaio, Alabastro, Argento, Asteria, Avorio, Bronzo, Cobalto, Giada, Granito, Nichelio, Platino, Porfido, Volframio)
Type: Coastal attack submarine
Length: 60.2 meters
Beam: 6.4 meters
Draught: 4.8 meters
Displacement (surfaced): 708 tonnes
Displacement (submerged): 864 tonnes
Propulsion: 2 x shaft, 2 x Diesel engine 700 horsepower, 2 x electric motor 400 horsepower
Speed (surfaced): 14 knots (26 kilometers/hour)
Speed (submerged): 7.7 knots (14.3 kilometers/hour)
Range (surfaced): 2300 nautical miles (4260 kilometers) at 14 knots
Range (submerged): 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) at 4 knots
Test depth: 80 meters
Complement: 45
Armament: 6 x 533-millimeter torpedo tube (4 at prow, 2 astern), 6 x torpedo reload,
1 x 100-millimeter 47-caliber deck cannon, 2 x 20-millimeter 70-caliber antiaircraft cannon
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