Armament was settled around an impressive 14 x 450mm torpedo tubes arranged as eight bow-facing and six rear-facing. However, these were decidedly smaller in caliber than the widely-accepted 533mm types used in other attack submarines of the period - reason being that the Italian Navy though 450mm torpedoes proved sufficient in engaging lesser foes such as merchant vessels. The Cagni was also outfitted with 2 x 100mm deck guns for surface attack and 4 x 13.2mm heavy machine guns as an aircraft deterrent. The Cagni was afforded 36 total torpedo reloads.
Cagni began operational service undertaking various patrols throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Her career in the region saw her sink two enemy ships - Dagomba, a British tanker vessel, and Argo, a Grecian sloop. Both were targeted and sunk on November 29th, 1942. Her tour of the Mediterranean saw her complete some twenty-one total missions (five of the transport variety) before being relocated for service in the South Atlantic into 1943. Once there, she undertook just two missions before receiving word that the government has surrendered. In turn, Cagni was handed over to the Allies (Britain) on September 20th at Durban, South Africa.
After her service as an Axis submarine, Cagni began operations as part of the Allied contingent. She served in a training role form January 1944 onwards and would survive to the end of the war in Europe in May of 1945. Eventually decommissioned from active service in 1948, the boat was given up and scrapped ending her formal ocean-going career.
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