View source for Italian submarine chaser Albatros

{{other ships|Italian ship Albatros}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Albatros subchaser.jpg
|Ship image size=330px
|image alt=
|Ship caption=subchaser ''Albatros''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header=
| Ship country=[[Kingdom of Italy]]
| Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Kingdom of Italy|naval}} 
| Ship name=''Albatros''
| Ship owner=[[Regia Marina]]
| Ship namesake=[[Albatross]]
| Ship ordered=
| Ship builder=[[Cantiere navale di Palermo|CNR]], [[Palermo]]
| Ship laid down= November 1931
| Ship launched=27 May 1934
| Ship acquired=
| Ship commissioned=10 November 1934
| Ship decommissioned=
| Ship in service=
| Ship out of service=
| Ship struck=
| Ship reinstated=
| Ship fate= Sunk 27 September 1941
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header=
| Header caption=
| Ship class=
| Ship displacement=*{{convert|334|t|LT|0}} standard
*{{convert|490|t|LT|0}} full load
| Ship length={{convert|231.50|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam={{convert|22.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught=*{{convert|1.71|m|ftin|abbr=on}} standard
*{{convert|2.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}} full load
| Ship draft=
| Ship propulsion=*2-shaft Beluzzo geared turbines
*2 boilers of 3-drum type
*2 shafts
| Ship power={{cvt|4300|hp|lk=in}}
| Ship speed={{convert|24.5|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range=
| Ship endurance={{cvt|1420|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn}}
| Ship complement=52 (3 officers + 49 non-officers and sailors)
| Ship sensors= SAFAR 600 sonar (June 1939)
| Ship EW=
| Ship armament=*2 × single [[Škoda 10 cm K10#OTO 100.2F47 History|{{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}/47&nbsp;caliber]] guns (1934) 
*2 × twin [[Breda Model 1931 machine gun|13.2 mm Breda]] anti-aircraft guns (1934)
*2 × single [[Cannon 102/35 Model 1914|{{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}/35&nbsp;caliber]] guns (1935)
*2 × single 13.2 mm Breda anti-aircraft guns (1937)
*2 × single 8 mm machine guns (1939)
* 4 DC Throwers
* 2 DC rails
* 2 tow torpedoes
| Ship armor=
| Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''''Albatros''''' was a [[submarine chaser]] of the [[Regia Marina]] built in the 1930s which served during [[World War II]]. Later she was reclassified as a [[torpedo boat]], most likely purely for administrative purposes.

==Design and description==

In the late 1920s – early 1930s, Regia Marina was interested in developing a designated anti-submarine vessel. ''Albatros'' was the first experimental project offered and accepted for production with the original plan calling for the construction of 25 ships. The preliminary study for the project was conducted in 1929 and was influenced by the hull shapes of contemporary coastal torpedo boats and envisaged a pair of 450&nbsp;mm [[torpedo tubes]] installed in the bow of the ship. As [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]] was bound by the terms of [[London Naval Treaty]], which only limited the number of ships above 600 t, these ships were designed with this limit in mind. The prototype turned out to be rather unsuccessful, due to poor seaworthiness outside of coastal areas, difficulty in operating and maintenance of her steam propulsion turbines, poor and outdated armament, and the project was canceled, with development shifting onto a bigger boat (future [[Orsa-class torpedo boat|''Pegaso''-class]] escorts) with better armament, and easier to use engines. The [[torpedo tube]]s were never installed.

One has to wonder, if politics played a significant role in this decision. The majority in the government (but minority of the Regia Marina) favored development of capital ships, so allocated resources went mainly into this area, including unnecessary rebuilding of old-era heavy cruisers, or extending their service, but reducing financing to scientific and technical developments, and production of ammunition. In 1935 ''Albatros'' was reclassified as a second-line ship, and was assigned to Regia Marina's naval experimental unit at [[La Spezia]].<ref name=gt/>

==Construction and career==

''Albatros'' was launched on 27 May 1934, after 3 years of construction, commissioned on 10 November 1934, entered the service with Regia Marina by the end of 1934. Being almost immediately reclassified as a second-line ship, her more modern [[Škoda 10 cm K10#OTO 100.F247 History|{{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}/47&nbsp;caliber]] cannons were replaced with World War I era [[Cannon 102/35 Model 1914|{{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}/35&nbsp;caliber]] ones. In 1937 her [[Breda Model 1931 machine gun|13.2 mm Breda]] twin anti-aircraft guns were first replaced with two single 13.2&nbsp;mm Breda anti-aircraft guns, and later by two single 8&nbsp;mm machine guns.

In June 1939 SAFAR 600 (the first Italian sonar or echo-goniometer) was installed and successfully tested on ''Albatros''.<ref name=gt>Greentree, p.21</ref> However, production was halted due to a need to produce sonars for submarines. The results of sonar tests were actually pretty good, ''Albatros'' was able to identify targets at {{convert|3000|–|3500|m|sp=us}}, and sometimes even at {{cvt|7000|m}} in early 1940. The maximum speed of the ship in these experiments was restricted to {{convert|12|kn}}.<ref name=gt/> With the outbreak of hostilities, ''Albatros'' was assigned to patrol duty in the [[Strait of Messina]], and these experiments were halted. Strong currents present in the Strait of Messina significantly interfered with the sonar equipment, and its use was severely limited during her active duty.<ref name=gt/>

During her short career she was used for patrol and anti-submarine hunting missions, mainly in the Strait of Messina, and along the eastern coast of [[Sicily]] and overall performed 57 various missions. ''Albatros'' also escorted the transatlantic liner {{SS|Rex}} on her last voyage on 6 June 1940 from [[Genoa]] to [[Trieste]] and from there on 15 August, to [[Pula]]. On 22 June 1940 she was fired upon by an enemy submarine, but was not hit.

On 16 July 1940 ''Albatros'' while patrolling off [[Augusta, Sicily|Augusta]] was spotted and attacked with two torpedoes by the British submarine {{HMS|Phoenix|N96|6}}. After being able to successfully maneuver and avoid torpedoes, ''Albatros'' went on a depth charge attack sinking ''Phoenix'' with all hands in the position {{coord|37|15|N|15|15|E}}.<ref name=r5>Rohwer, p. 22</ref>

At 6:40 on 27 September 1941 ''Albatross'' under command of captain Alessandro Mazzetti left [[Messina]] to meet up with the {{GS|U-371}} and to escort her through the Strait of Messina. At 8:20 the British submarine {{HMS|Upright|N89|6}} spotted ''Albatros'' off [[Milazzo]] and decided to attack. ''Albatros'' detected the submarine and started closing in trying to ping the submarine's position. At 8:55, when the Italian ship came in for the second pass, ''Upright'' launched two torpedoes from approximately {{cvt|2750|m}} away. One torpedo hit ''Albatros'' while the British submarine rapidly dove down.<ref name=w5>Wingate, p. 110</ref> ''Albatros'' sank in the position {{coord|38|24|N|15|22|E}} {{convert|8|mi|spell=in}} northwest of Milazzo. 36 men died, and there were 47 survivors.

== Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==
*{{cite book|last=Bagnasco|first=Erminio|title=Le navi da Guerra Italiani 1940–1945|year=2003|publisher=Ermanno Albertelli|location=Parma}}
*{{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|year=1972|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-59114-119-2}}
*{{cite book|last=Greentree |first=David |title=British Submarine vs Italian Torpedo Boat Mediterranean 1940–43 (Duel) |year=2016 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1472814128}} 
*{{cite book|last=Wingate |first=John |title=The Fighting Tenth: The Tenth Submarine Flotilla and the Siege of Malta |year=2003 |publisher=Periscope Publishing Ltd |isbn=1904381162}}

==External links==
* [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/home.aspx Historical Ships] Marina Militare website
{{coord|38|24|N|15|22|E|display=title}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}

{{WWII Italian ships}}
{{September 1941 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albatros}}
[[Category:World War II torpedo boats of Italy]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1941]]
[[Category:Ships built in Palermo]]
[[Category:1934 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Cantieri Navali del Tirreno e Riuniti]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by British submarines]]