NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
General Mola (ex-Evangelista Torricelli), 1951- C5			Tosi, Taranto, Italy	10.1931	27.5.1934	12.1934 // 4.1937	stricken 9.1959
General Sanjurjo (ex-Archimede), 1951- C3			Tosi, Taranto, Italy	10.1931	10.12.1933	8.1934 // 4.1937	stricken 9.1959
General Mola II (ex-Galileo Galilei)			Tosi, Taranto, Italy	10.1931	19.3.1934	10.1934 // 10.1937	to Italy 1.1938 (Galileo Galilei)
General Sanjurjo II (ex-Galileo Ferraris)			Tosi, Taranto, Italy	10.1931	11.8.1934	1.1935 // 10.1937	to Italy 1.1938 (Galileo Ferraris)

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	880
Displacement normal, t	970 / 1239
Length, m	70.5
Breadth, m	6.87
Draught, m	4.12
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 Tosi diesels / 2 Marelli electric motors
Power, h. p.	3000 / 1100
Max speed, kts	17 / 8
Fuel, t	diesel oil 100
Endurance, nm(kts)	10500(8) / 105(3)
Armament	2 x 1 - 100/43 OTO 1927, 2 x 1 - 13.2/76, 8 - 533 TT (4 bow, 4 stern, 16)
Electronic equipment	hydrophone
Complement	55
Diving depth operational, m	90

Project history

Italian submarines of Archimede class, transferred to Spanish Nationalists. Since autumn of 1936, serving under Italian flag, both boats operated against Republican forces. Early 1937 they were assigned to Government of Franco. Transfer to Spanish crews has been effected secretly 24.4.1937. For concealment of Italian origin General Mola and General Sanjurjo till August, 1937 carried also fictitious names of lost submarines, C3 and C5 respectively.     Rather successful large submarines of Italian type, fast, with high endurance and strong armament. Saddle-tank hull, maximum diving depth was 90m.

In connection with repair of submarines General Mola and General Sanjurjo in September-November, 1937 at Taranto, Italians as their time replacement in October, 1937 secretly transferred to Spanish Nationalists four other submarines: two of Archimede class and two medium submarines of Perla class. Archimede class boats (Galileo Galilei and Galileo Ferraris) received Spanish "secret" names General Mola II and General Sanjurjo II for concealment of fact of repair of "original" submarines in Italy, medium submarines Onice and Iride, respectively received Spanish names Aguilar Tablada and Gonzáles López. Actually transfer of these four submarines had purely fictitious character: boats had Italian crews and talian commanders. On General Mola II and General Sanjurjo II Spaniards were presented by one mate and 6 motormen for each boat, on two other submarines there were only Spanish chief mates. In Italian Navy these submarines were registered as "legionary" and in this connection were conditionally designated as L1-4.

Modernizations

early 1950s, General Mola, General Sanjurjo: - 1 x 1 - 100/43.

Naval service

After Civil war both submarines served even two decades under Spanish flag. All four "legionary" submarines already in the January, 1938 were returned to Italians.