| Yugoslav submarine Smeli |
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|Ship image= |Ship caption=
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Career (KSCS/Kingdom of Yugoslavia)
Name:
SmeliNamesake:
DaringBuilder:
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes, FranceLaunched:
1 December 1928In service:
1928–1941Out of service:
1941
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Career (Italy)
Name:
Antonio BajamontiNamesake:
Antonio BajamontiAcquired:
Captured on 17 April 1941In service:
1941–1943Out of service:
9 September 1943Fate:
Scuttled by the Italians at La Spezia in Liguria
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General characteristics Type:
Osvetnik-class diesel-electric submarineDisplacement:
630 long tons (640 t) (surfaced)
809 long tons (822 t) (submerged)Length:
66.5 m (218 ft)Beam:
5.4 m (18 ft)Draught:
3.8 m (12 ft)Propulsion:
2 × shaft MAN diesel engines 1,480 bhp (1,100 kW), 2 × Nancy electric motors 1,000 shp (750 kW)Speed:
14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) (diesel)
9.2 knots (17.0 km/h) (electric)Test depth:
260 ft (79 m)Complement:
43Armament:
6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (4 × bow, 2 × stern)
1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) gun
1 × 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft gun
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The Yugoslav submarine Smeli was the second of the Osvetnik-class diesel-electric submarines built by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes, France for the navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). She was launched in 1928, and was built to a Simonot design similar to the French Circé-class.
During the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, she was captured by Italian forces at the Bay of Kotor. She saw service with the Regia Marina as Antonio Bajamonti. She was scuttled by the Italians in September 1943 the day after the Italian surrender.
Description and construction[]
Smeli was built for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) by the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire company at Nantes, France. Her design was based on a Simonot design,[1] similar to the French Circé-class.[2] Along with her sister ship of the Osvetnik-class Osvetnik, she had an overall length of 66.5 m (218 ft), a beam of 5.4 m (18 ft), and a surfaced draught of 3.8 m (12 ft). Her surfaced displacement was 630 long tons (640 t) (809 long tons (822 t) submerged), and her crew consisted of 43 officers and enlisted men.[1]
She had two shafts driven by two MAN diesel engines or two Nancy electric motors. The diesel engines were rated at 1,480 bhp (1,100 kW) and the electric motors at 1,000 shp (750 kW), and she was designed to reach a top speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h) under diesel power and 9.2 knots (17.0 km/h) on her electric motors. She was able to dive to a depth of 260 ft (79 m), and had a surface range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h), and 75 nautical miles (139 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) submerged.[2] She was armed with six 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (four bow-mounted, two stern-mounted), one 100 mm (3.9 in) gun, and one 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft gun.[1]
Career and fate[]
Smeli was the second of her class, and the fourth submarine of the navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which subsequently became the Royal Yugoslav Navy.[1] During the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, she was captured by Italian forces at the Bay of Kotor.[3] She was commissioned by the Italians as Antonio Bajamonti, named after Antonio Bajamonti, the 19th-century politician and mayor of the Dalmatian port of Split. She was scuttled by the Italians at La Spezia in Liguria on 9 September 1943, the day after the Italian surrender.[1]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chesneau 1980, p. 358.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Fontenoy 2007, p. 188.
- ↑ Bagnasco 1977, p. 251.
References[]
Books[]
- Bagnasco, Erminio (1977). Submarines of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-962-7.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922–1946. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5.
- Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6.
The original article can be found at Yugoslav submarine Smeli and the edit history here.