New Midget Italian Scientific Submarine -- Pietro Vassena in the conning tower of his midget submarine, known as the "C.3", picture made at the inventor's workshop at Lake Como, Italy. Pietro Vassena, 50-year-old Italian inventor will shortly carry out tests at Lake Como with the midget two-man treasure-seeking and grapping submarine which he has designed. The craft, 25 feet. Long and four feet six inches wide, can descend to a depth of 2,400 feet and remain submerged for 20 hours. on the surface it is powered by a 40/50 H.P. Car engine and when submerged,by an electric 20 h.p. motor which gives it a submerged speed of 16 m.p.h. January 07, 1948. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).