The Italian submarine Iride was a Perla-class vessel constructed for the Regia Marina in the 1930s. Built by OTO at their Muggiano shipyard, she was laid down on September 3, 1935, launched on July 30, 1936, and completed by November 6, 1936. The Perla class was an evolution of the Sirena class, featuring modified design elements such as an enlarged false tower, modernized engines, and an internal radiogoniometer, which enhanced operational capabilities. Displacement at full load was approximately 695 metric tons surfaced and 855 metric tons submerged, with overall dimensions of about 60.2 meters in length, a beam of 6.4 meters, and a draft near 4.7 meters. Powered by two diesel engines producing 675–750 horsepower each for surface travel, and electric motors of 400 horsepower for submerged operation, Iride could attain speeds of 14 knots on the surface and 7.5 knots underwater. Her range was notable, with 5,200 nautical miles at 8 knots on the surface and 74 nautical miles at 4 knots submerged. Armament included six internal 53.3 cm torpedo tubes (four bow, two stern) with a total of twelve torpedoes, along with a 100 mm deck gun and light anti-aircraft machine guns. Initially assigned to La Spezia’s 12th Squadron, Iride conducted long-range cruises in the Mediterranean, including secret missions during the Spanish Civil War, notably in 1937 and 1938, under the command of Junio Valerio Borghese. During these operations, she attempted torpedo attacks and was involved in a notable incident on August 30, 1937, when she was mistakenly targeted by the British destroyer HMS Havock during a patrol. Subsequently, Iride was transferred temporarily to Spanish service, renamed Gonzalez Lopez, and operated under Spanish command with Italian personnel aboard. In World War II, she undertook patrols off Toulon and the Gulf of Lion, but her most significant engagement was in August 1940 when she was converted into a special operations submarine to carry and deploy Siluro a Lenta Corsa (SLC) human torpedoes. Her first attack attempt against the British naval base at Alexandria ended in disaster on August 22, 1940, when she was hit and sunk by British aircraft during a reconnaissance and attack mission. The sinking resulted in the loss of 35 crew members, but seven survivors were rescued. Her service history underscores her role in Italy’s naval efforts during the late 1930s and early World War II, including covert operations and wartime engagements in the Mediterranean theater.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.