Narvalo was one of four s built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during the late 1920s. The boat served in World War II and was sunk in 1943 by British destroyers and aircraft.
Design and description
The Squalo-class submarines were essentially repeats of the preceding . They displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines were long, had a beam of and a draft of . They had an operational diving depth of . Their crew numbered 53 officers and enlisted men.
For surface running, the boats were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. When submerged each propeller was driven by a electric motor. They could reach on the surface and underwater. On the surface, the Squalo class had a range of at , submerged, they had a range of at .
The boats were armed with eight internal torpedo tubes, four each in the bow and stern. They carried a total of a dozen torpedoes. They were also armed with one deck gun for combat on the surface. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of two machine guns.
Construction and career
Narvalo, named for the narwhal, was laid down on 17 October 1928 at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico (CRDA) shipyard at Monfalcone. She was launched on 15 March 1930 and completed on 6 December.