The submarine Enrico Toti (S 506) represents a milestone in the history of naval shipbuilding Italian. The submarine is the first of a class of four submarines, built in the 60s of the last century, which took its name: the Toti class. Toti was built on construction sites of the Italcantieri Of Monfalconein the province of Gorizia, starting from 1965. Its importance is due to the fact that this submarine was the first made in Italy after over twenty years of inactivity in the sector and today is located at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci of Milan.
The technical characteristics of the Toti S 506
Toti was long 46.2 meters and his cylindrical body had a width of 4.75 meters. Its total weight, namely the displacementwas equal to 536 tons when he navigated on the surface of the water, while from immersed it was equal to 593 tons. Although it was classified as a submarine, or as a boat suitable for navigation on the surface, but with the possibility of totally immersing, its characteristics were closer to those of a submarine. Its operating speed was equal to 9.6 knots from emerged and 14 knots in immersion. Its operational fee underwater was equal to 150 meters And he had been tested at 300 meters deep. He could host up to 26 crew members.
One of the most innovative characteristics at the time was the false toweralso called saildel Toti. This structure located in the upper part of the submarine housed it snorkelthe antennas communication and others navigation toolsin addition to the emergency exit, called Garitta. The snorl represented a novelty and is a system strictly connected to the system propulsion of these submarines. This was in fact composed of two Fiat MB 820 diesel engines from 570 horses each and from a Siemens electric motor from 900 horses.
The system, in fact, is called electric diesel, because during the immersion the submarine navigated thanks to the electric motor powered by batteries. But when it was necessary recharge themthe submarine sailed to an extremely reduced altitude and close to water hairabout ten meters, and made some tools emerge including it snorkel. This tool is a tube which allowed the submarine of aspire air necessary to make the two diesel engines work, which only in those conditions could generate electricity To recharge the batteries and power the electric motor. In fact, diesel engines in order to work do not only need fuel, but also a lot of air and in particular of theoxygen contained in it: during the immersion it is therefore not It is possible to keep them on And that’s why the batteries were used.
Toti was equipped with four launches pipes from 533 mm in the bow, that is, in the front. These systems were able to launch Filoguidate torpedoes with Self -curving head. This means that each torpedo was equipped with a sonar, or a system capable of issuing and receiving sound waves, which allowed him to identify and follow underwater targets. Toti never participated in war actions and sinked no other submarine, but was used for numerous training activities and in exercises, also in the NATO area.
Why was he built after the Second World War?
After losing the Second World Warin 1947, restrictions were imposed on the type of armaments that the armed forces could be equipped. Among these, the Italian Navy could not have purchased battle ships and submarines of all kinds. During the following years, due to the growing voltage Between the United States and Russia, or during the period of the Cold War, the status of allies of the USA of the USA allowed them to obtain theloosening of some restrictions imposed in the peace treaty. The Italian Navy was therefore allowed to equip themselves with the means necessary for the patrol of Mediterranean With the aim of monitoring the activity of Russian boats.
For this, in April of 1965 the construction of the Sottomarino Enrico Toti at the Cantieri della Italcantieri of Monfalconeat the time called CRA – reunited construction sites of the Adriatic. Two years later, in March of 1967the submarine was laugh And after another year he entered service. After Toti, his class It was completed in about two years with the construction and launch of the submarines Giving it, Mocenigo And Bagnolini. The class of submarines Toti was classified as SSK (Submarine-Submarine Killer), i.e. submarines specialized in the destruction of other similar boats.
After little more than Twenty -seven thousand nautical miles navigation, in 1999 The Toti submarine has finished your active service. In the 2001 Toti began his last trip from Augusta, to Sicily, up to Cremonain Lombardy, also sailing in the Po river. This happened because the submarine was donate at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo Da Vinci in Milanwhere he was transported by land after the arrival in Cremona and where he is still today open.
