The Marcello-class submarines were designed as improved versions of the preceding . They displaced 1043t surfaced and 1290t submerged. The submarines were 73m (240feet) long, had a beam of 7.19m (23.59feet) and a draft of 5.1m (16.7feet).[1]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two 18000NaN0 diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a 550hp electric motor. They could reach 17.4kn on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the Marcello class had a range of 7500nmi at, submerged, they had a range of 120nmi at .[2]
The boats were armed with eight internal 53.3cm (21inches) torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern. One reload were stowed for each tube, which gave them a total of sixteen torpedoes. They were also armed with two 100abbr=onNaNabbr=on guns and four 13.2mm machine guns for combat on the surface.[1]
It was sunk on 8 November 1940 by a combined effort from the destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy, and of the Royal Navy after attacking Convoy HX 84 they were defending.[3]
Italian submarines of World War II
. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 2005. Third Revised. 1-59114-119-2. Jürgen Rohwer.