Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Regia Marina — Submarine

Italian submarine Axum

Adua-class submarine

Italian submarine Axum
Unknown author — betasom.it — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate RIN Axum

Service

  1. Regia Marina as Axum2 December 1936 — 28 December 19431,579 days of the war
Adua-class submarine Particulars
Name
Axum
Namesake
Axum
Builder
CRDA, Monfalcone
Laid down
8 February 1936
Launched
27 September 1936
Commissioned
2 December 1936
Fate
Ran aground and scuttled, 28 December 1943 (1943)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
680 long tons (691 t)
Displacement, submerged
844 long tons (858 t)
Length
60.18 m (197.4 ft)
Beam
6.45 m (21.2 ft)
Draught
4.6 m (15.1 ft)
Speed
14 knots (25.9 km/h, 16.1 mph)
Range
3,180 nmi (5,889 km)
Complement
44
Main gun
100 mm (3.9 in)

Axum was a Adua-class submarine in service with the Regia Marina. The ship was named after Axum. Her keel was laid at CRDA, Monfalcone on 8 February 1936. She entered service on 2 December 1936, having been launched on 27 September 1936.

She was one of 17 ships of her class. The class followed the Perla-class submarine and was succeeded by the Acciaio-class submarine.

The boat displaced 680 long tons surfaced and 844 long tons submerged. She measured 60.2 m (197 ft) long with a beam of 6.5 m (21 ft). Her designed speed was 14 knots, and she carried a complement of 44.

Her main battery was one 100 mm (3.9 in) guns.

She was in commission for 1,579 days of the Second World War.

She was scuttled on 28 December 1943, at 42°35′N 8°38′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 CRDA diesel engines
  • 2 CRDA electric engines
Armament
  • 1 × 100 mm/47-caliber deck gun
  • 2 × single 13.2 mm Breda machine guns
  • 6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (4 forward, 2 aft)
  • 12 × torpedoes

Sister ships

Sources