The 15 February 1909 happened: The submarine Foca was delivered

15/02/14

The submarine Foca, type "Laurenti", placed under the command of Lieutenant Ernesto Giovannini, was delivered to Spezia. Built by the FIAT-San Giorgio del Muggiano shipyard with setting on the port in April 1907 and launched on 8 September 1908, it was the first submarine built in Italy by private industry and designed by Eng. Cesare Laurenti, former major of the Naval Engineers, technical director of the shipyard.

The most marked feature of this unit was to be equipped with three axis lines (the only Italian submarine) driven by three petrol engines for a total power of 800 hp; for navigation in immersion, however, only the two external axes operated by two 77 Kw electric motors were used. The unit never gave good performances and therefore, above all in consideration of the dangerousness of the petrol used as fuel, it was not reproduced in other specimens.

Source: Military Navy