A Stamp issued in December 2005 to commemorate the inauguration of the submarine ENRICO TOTI in the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan is featured here. The stamp shows the logo design used to communicate and promote transportation.
After the defeat of Italy in the Second World War, it was prohibited for Italy to build new submarines therefore the Italian Navy used second-hand American submarines. The ENRICO TOTI became the first submarine to be built in Italy after WW2.
The submarine was built for the Italian Navy by Fincantiere Riuniti Adriatco, Monfalcone, Italy. Yard No 1870. Keel Laid in 1965. Launched March 12th 1967 as ENRICO TOTI (5-506) after the WWI War Hero Major Enrico Toti. Commissioned/Delivered to the Italian Navy on January 22nd 1968. She had a Displacement of 524 tons (surface) and 582 tons (submerged) Length 46.20metres. Beam 4.70metres. Draught of 4.0metres
Fitted with 2 Fiat MB 820 diesel engines giving 1140hp. One electric motor giving 900hp. Driving one shaft. Her speed was 14 knots surface and 15 knots submerged. She had a range of 3000 miles at a speed of 5 knots (surface) Armament consisted of Four 533mm Torpedo Tubes. Her maximum diving depth was 300 metres. Crewed by 4 Officers and 22 Ratings. There were only three ships built in her class. She was mainly used as a training submarine in the Mediterranean and during this period she sailed a total of 27.030 hours and covered some 137.000 miles. After being decommissioned on June 30" 1999, she was donated to the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan by the Italian Navy.
It took four years of detailed planning before the ENRICO TOTI could be transported to the museum in Milan.
Overland Trip.
On May 5th 2001 she left the Augusta Sicily Naval Base, via the Adriatic coast she headed north, then up the River Po to Cremona this is the last navigable port on the River Po, where she arrived on May 6th. She remained there until August 8th 2005, at which time she began her long overland trip of 92 kilometres.
This trip took six nights with an average speed of six kilometres an hour. Much work had to be done strengthening the Roads covering Milan's underground canal network and sewers before she could be transported along the chosen route. As well as the strengthening work on the roads, street lamps had to be temporarily removed, roundabouts had to be flattened to allow the low loader transport to pass. On August 14th 2005 she finally arrived at the museum. The submarine was opened to the public in 2006. The museum display for the ENRICO TOTI is set against a blue background and seen through the sight of a periscope.
Log Book March 2007