Italian submarine Iride
Encyclopedia
The Italian submarine Iride was a 600-Serie Perla-class
submarine
, serving with the Regia Marina
during World War II
.
She was originally armed with six 21 inch torpedo
tubes, 12 torpedoes, one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun and room for up to four 13.2 mm machine guns. During the course of the war, Iride was converted to carry human torpedo
es, which were stowed in cylinders mounted on her deck.
) and completed on 30 July 1936, being delivered to the Regia Marina on 6 November that year.
Iride almost torpedoed the destroyer HMS Havock
on 31 August 1939. The British ship replied with depth charges, damage on both sides was avoided, although "in the wardrooms of the Fleet, wild stories circulated of Neapolitan dentists being kept busy repairing Italian submariners teeth broken in the depth-charge explosions".
On 22 August 1940, in preparation for a human torpedo attack on the port of Alexandria
in Egypt, Iride was performing a test in the Gulf of Bomba
, Cyrenaica
with four human torpedoes when three Fairey Swordfish
torpedo bomber
s from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle
attacked and sank the submarine and two other ships in shallow water.
Sent in response to a sighting of the submarine tender, they approached at sea level after a flight of several hours from a North African airfield. The aircraft caught the Iride together with the depot ship Monte Gargano and the torpedo boat Calypso at anchor. The flight leader, Captain Oliver Patch, Royal Marines, sank the Iride, while John Wellham and Lieutenant Cheesman attacked the others. The action resulted in the sinking of four ships with three torpedoes. A few crew members were rescued with the support of the human torpedo operators; most died in the sinking. John Wellham, low on fuel and wounded, returned to his desert base and was awarded the DSC
Patch received the DSO. Patch and Wellham would later fly in the attack on Italian fleet at Taranto harbour.
Perla class submarine
The Italian Perla-class submarines were a group of submarines built for the Italian Navy in the 1930s. They were the third sub-class of the 600 Series of submarines built by Italy and designed by Bernadis....
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, serving with the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
She was originally armed with six 21 inch torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes, 12 torpedoes, one 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun and room for up to four 13.2 mm machine guns. During the course of the war, Iride was converted to carry human torpedo
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
es, which were stowed in cylinders mounted on her deck.
History
She was laid down on 3 September 1935 in the Odero-Terni-Orlando Navy Yard, Muggiani (La SpeziaLa Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
) and completed on 30 July 1936, being delivered to the Regia Marina on 6 November that year.
Iride almost torpedoed the destroyer HMS Havock
HMS Havock (H43)
HMS Havock was an H-class destroyer built for the British Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, the ship enforced the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides as part of the Mediterranean Fleet...
on 31 August 1939. The British ship replied with depth charges, damage on both sides was avoided, although "in the wardrooms of the Fleet, wild stories circulated of Neapolitan dentists being kept busy repairing Italian submariners teeth broken in the depth-charge explosions".
On 22 August 1940, in preparation for a human torpedo attack on the port of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in Egypt, Iride was performing a test in the Gulf of Bomba
Gulf of Bomba
The Gulf of Bomba is a gulf on the coast of Libya....
, Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
with four human torpedoes when three Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle
HMS Eagle (1918)
HMS Eagle was an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Ordered by Chile as the Almirante Cochrane, she was laid down before World War I. In early 1918 she was purchased by Britain for conversion to an aircraft carrier; this work was finished in 1924...
attacked and sank the submarine and two other ships in shallow water.
Sent in response to a sighting of the submarine tender, they approached at sea level after a flight of several hours from a North African airfield. The aircraft caught the Iride together with the depot ship Monte Gargano and the torpedo boat Calypso at anchor. The flight leader, Captain Oliver Patch, Royal Marines, sank the Iride, while John Wellham and Lieutenant Cheesman attacked the others. The action resulted in the sinking of four ships with three torpedoes. A few crew members were rescued with the support of the human torpedo operators; most died in the sinking. John Wellham, low on fuel and wounded, returned to his desert base and was awarded the DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
Patch received the DSO. Patch and Wellham would later fly in the attack on Italian fleet at Taranto harbour.