Italian World War II destroyers
Encyclopedia
At the start of World War II, Italian destroyers (Italian: caccia-torpedinieri) were a mix of warships dating from old, World War I designs up to some of the most modern of their type in the world. They also varied in size from enlarged torpedo-boats to exploratori (an Italian designation for large destroyers approaching light cruiser size).
Although the reputation of Italian military prowess has suffered from its performance in North Africa
in World War II, blame cannot be placed with its warships nor with their crews. Their destroyers were responsible for the safe flow of convoys to supply the Axis
armies in North Africa, a dangerous task, and for the suppression of British submarines.
", meaning "scouts", was originally given to a class of Italian warship that were between the then current destroyers and cruisers, in terms of size and firepower. They were reclassified as destroyers by 1940. The Regia Marina classified yet another group of ships (Capitani Romani class
) as "exploratori oceanici"—ocean scouts.
Italian destroyers were usually organised into squadriglia of four ships of one class.
(Royal Italian Navy) were expected to be enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean, Red Sea
and the Gulf of Aden
. This was reflected in the design and construction of its warships, which did not need to withstand open ocean conditions. In 1941, the appropriately named Scirocco foundered in a storm off Cape Spartivento.
Italian destroyer designs followed differing design paths. At one end, a torpedo boat design was developed into a series of destroyer classes (Sella, Sauro and Turbine) that were comparable with their British contemporaries. There were also large destroyers of the older Mirabello and Leone classes, which, due to their older design, were kept to less dangerous tasks. The large destroyer concept was revived in the mid 1920s, in response to new French designs.
At the end of the 1920s, a design emerged (Freccia class) that was the basis for improvement and standardisation. Subsequent classes showed incremental changes that improved reliability and the Maestrales were the template for the following twenty-three ships.
The original anti-aircraft weaponry, consisting of mixtures of obsolete 40 millimetre Vickers cannon (designed in 1917) and 13.2 machine-guns was clearly inadequate by the start of Italy's war. The chosen answer were 20 millimetre cannon and, in some individual ships, 37 millimetre guns replaced torpedo tubes.
Caution is needed when considering the maximum speeds of Italian warships of this period, since Italian practice was to run the trials with ships as light as possible, often without armament. This enabled impressive speeds which were unobtainable under operational conditions.
Mirabello
Three ships of this class were commissioned in 1916-17 as "exploratori", but one was lost in the Black Sea
in 1920. In destroyer terms in the early 1920s, the ships of this class were powerful vessels, displacing 2,300 tons and armed with eight four inch guns in single mounts, 450 millimetres (17.7) inch torpedoes, depth charges and mines. Four of the eight guns were mounted along the ships' sides, reducing a broadside to six. In 1942–43, the remaining ship in the class had its four beam
four inch guns removed and its anti-aircraft weaponry was strengthened to eight 20 millimetre machine guns and depth charge capacity was also increased.
The Mirabellos design reflected their age and when Italy entered the war, they were used to lay minefields off Taranto
and to escort convoys to Albania
and Greece
, relatively "safe" duties. Despite this, Carlo Mirabello was mined and sank off the Greek coast near Cape Dukato in 1941. Once re-armed, the remaining ship, Augusto Ributy was employed escorting North African convoys. She survived and was ceded to the Soviet Union
in 1946.
Leone
Three Leone class "exploratori" were commissioned in 1924. They were reclassified as destroyers in 1938. Their armament was upgraded from that of the preceding Mirabellos and the resultant additional topweight required increases in dimensions and displacement (2,690 tonnes) and the machinery was also significantly uprated to maintain speed. Main guns and torpedoes were all located along the centre-line, an improvement that allowed all guns to fire to both sides, although two turrets were placed amidships and could only fire to either side. Eight 4.7 inch (120 millimetres - the new standard for Italian destroyers) were mounted in four twin turrets and torpedo tubes were now 21 inch.
All three were part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
at the start of Italy's war in June 1940, where they were employed to lay mine fields and to disrupt British convoys, without any success. All were lost by early April 1941. Leone ran aground and was sunk by her sisters. After an abortive mission against Port Sudan
, Pantera was sunk by carrier-based Swordfish
aircraft and Tigre was later scuttled
.
Sella
The four Sella class were enlarged Palestro class torpedo boats
, commissioned in 1926/27 and displacing 1,500 tonnes. As completed, these ships had a single 120 millimetre (4.7 inch) gun, four 533 millimetre (21 inch) torpedo tubes, two 40 millimetre and two 13.2 millimetre guns. The single 120mm gun mounting was changed to a twin in 1929 and an additional twin mount was installed sometime before 1942. The 40mm weapons were an old pattern and they were replaced by two 20mm. Two more 20mm and two depth charge throwers were added. In use, the class proved to be unreliable.
Two, Bettino Ricasoli and Giovanni Nicotera, were sold to Sweden
and transferred just as Italy declared war. The remaining two were stationed in the Aegean
for much of the war. They laid minefields and escorted convoys and were involved in actions against British operations off Rhodes
and Crete
. In the latter case they carried the explosive motorboats that seriously damaged HMS York
at Suda Bay. At the Italian surrender in 1943, the Germans sunk the Quintino Sella and captured Francesco Crispi , renaming her TA15.
Sauro
Four Sauro class destroyers were commissioned in 1926/27. They were developments of the preceding Sella class, with a broader beam to allow for the greater weight of weaponry from that in the Sellas original specification and some layout changes. The machinery remained substantially unchanged and, consequentially, the Sauros were no more reliable. They displaced 1,625 tonnes, with four 120mm guns and six 533 mm torpedo tubes. Secondary armament, 40mm and 13.2mm guns were unchanged at the time of their early loss.
The four destroyers were based in the Red Sea to defend Italian Somaliland
. All were lost by early April 1941, when Massawa
fell. Three were lost on anti-shipping sorties and the fourth, left in port through engine defects, was scuttled.
Turbine
Eight 1,700 tonne Turbine class destroyers were commissioned in 1927 and 1928. These ships were a further development of the Sella design, with a larger hull, significantly increased engine power and fuel storage. The result was slightly faster ships with greater range. Armament was unchanged but a greater mine capacity was available. After 1940, the two surviving ships had their old model 40mm guns replaced by modern 10mm ones. In addition, Turbine had one triple torpedo tube mounting replaced by a 37mm gun.
All of the class were based at Tobruk
, north Africa, and used to lay minefields and run supplies from Italy. This was an exposed location and six were sunk before the end of September, 1940, most in harbour by naval aircraft. Two survived until the Italian surrender, one (Turbine) was captured by the Germans and renamed TA14. Euro joined the Allies and was subsequently sunk off Leros
.
Navigatori
The twelve Navigatoris were commissioned between December 1929 and May 1931. They were a modern form of the earlier exploratori - large destroyer - type of ship, displacing 2,650 tonnes and were a response to the French Jaguar and Guépard
classes. Weaponry, compared to the earlier exploratori was reduced to six 120mm in three twin turrets, one of which was amidships. The guns were a new model (Ansaldo 1926 pattern, 50 calibre) and the mountings allowed 45° elevation. The class used two sizes of torpedoes, in two triple banks, each unusually composed of two 533mm (21 in) separated by one 450mm (17.7 in). As originally built, the class retained the older anti-aircraft fit of two 40mm and four 13.2mm guns. Fifty-six mines were carried, except for the flagship, Nicolosso Da Rocco, which required the space for staff facilities. The class' machinery introduced a unit design, whereby the boilers and engine for one shaft was housed separately from those for the other shaft. Power output was substantially increased, in order to deliver the desired speed. A new style of bridge layout and structure was also introduced.
As originally built, the Navigatori ships were insufficiently stable and too wet. Cures were applied in two stages, firstly in the mid 1930s when some superficial changes were made to reduce superstructures and move fuel bunkers, and subsequently in 1938–1940, when the beam was increased and bows raised. Displacement was increased thereby and speed significantly reduced. During World War II, several programmes were started to upgrade weaponry, in particular anti-aircraft weapons, but none were applied uniformly to all ships in the class. These included full triple 533mm torpedo mountings, 40mm guns replaced by greater numbers of 20mm ones, The after torpedo tubes were replaced by 37mm guns. Several ships were adapted for radar but ony two received the equipment; Leone Pancaldo had the Italian EC3/ter Gufo set and Lanzaretto Malocello had the German FuMo 26/40G.
The three squadrons of this class served in the Mediterranean, escorting north African convoys, laying offensive minefields, bombarding shore targets and screening the fleet. Five ships survived until the Italian surrender, but two of these were sunk in September 1943 after action against a German convoy and another was scuttled in port to avoid capture by the Germans. One was captured by the Germans and served with them as TA44. One ship survived the war in Italian service.
Freccia
The four Freccia class destroyers, commissioned between October 1931 and May 1932, were a reversion to the smaller type of fleet destroyer and they were intended to keep pace with the new Zara class cruiser
s and required greater speed and engine power to do so. Despite their design origins with the Turbine class, various changes resulted in the displacement, as originally built, increasing to 2,150 tonnes These changes included a larger hull, remodelled bridge and had their engine exhausts trunked to a single funnel. Poor stability and engine reliability were serious problems when the ships entered service and remedies were attempted which, in turn, led to fuel contamination. Weaponry was as for the Turbines, except that an improved version of the 120mm gun was installed (Ansaldo 1926 pattern). Later, the obsolete 40mm and 13.2mm guns were replaced by 20mm/65 calibre ones. In one ship, a torpedo mounting was replaced by two 37mm guns.
At the start of Italy's war, the four ships formed the 7th Squadron based at Taranto
and they were at the Battle of Calabria
. Otherwise, their main role was convoy protection. Three were lost before the Italian surrender and one, Dardo, was captured by the Germans (renamed TA31).
Four ships, the Kondouriotis class, were built for the Greek Navy, based on the Freccia design.
Folgore
The four Folgores, commissioned between June and September 1932, were modified Freccias and they are sometimes included in that class as the "second group". Displacement was marginally reduced at 2,130 tonnes. The one major alteration was to reduce beam in order to improve their speed, this resulted in reduced fuel capacity and, consequently, their range. They were no more reliable or seaworthy than their earlier sisters. Their anti-aircraft gunnery was similarly improved.
These ships' service was closely similar to the Freccias. They were based at Taranto and also took part in the Battle of Calabria. They also spent much of their time escorting north African convoys, on which duties they were all lost before the Italian surrender.
Maestrale
After the disappointments of the Dardo and Folgore classes, the Maestrale development was a largely successful attempt to eliminate faults. The four ships, commissioned from September to November 1934, were larger than the earlier classes, 2,255 tonnes and longer and broader. Engines and armament, as completed, were unchanged from the Dardos, but a later version of the 120mm gun was used, the O.T.O. Pattern 1931. During service, efforts were made to improve the potency of the anti-aircraft weaponry; 40mm and 13.2 mm guns were replaced by newer 20mm ones and subsequently increased in number, two 37mm anti aircraft were installed in place of a torpedo tube mounting. A 120mm starshell gun was installed on some ships to mitigate the Italian Navy's disadvantages in night actions.
Although mainly used as fleet escorts, these ships also laid minefields and escorted convoys, during one such duty, they missed the Battle of Calabria and were never involved in a major fleet action. They came to a mixed bag of fates. Two were lost before the Italian surrender, one torpedoed and one lost in a storm; one, under repair at the surrender was scuttled to avoid German capture. The fourth, Grecale, joined the Allies, was involved in actions against the Germans and survived into long post-war Italian service.
Oriani
These four ships were commissioned between July and December 1937. They were effectively a repeat of the preceding Maestrales with an increased engine power. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a marginal speed improvement. The obsolete 40mm anti-aircraft guns were finally discontinued, being replaced by extra 13.2mm machine guns; otherwise armament was unchanged. The ships displaced 2,510 tonnes as built. Significant upgrades were made to the weapons systems of the two ships that survived Matapan
, similar to those made to the Maestrales. One torpedo tube mounting was replaced by two 37mm guns; 20mm cannon, a 120mm star-shell gun and depth charge throwers were also installed. Before the end of the war, one ship, Oriani had German Seetakt radar and additional 20mm cannon.
The four Orianis operated as fleet escorts for much of the war, being present at the battles of Calabria and Matapan, two being sunk at the latter action. Another was sunk shortly before the Italian surrender. One ship, Oriani, survived to serve with the Allies and was subsequently transferred to France and renamed D'Estaing.
Soldati
Nineteen Soldati were built in two batches; twelve commissioned between August 1938 and May 1939 and the second batch of five between February and August 1942. The remaining two ships were not completed before the surrender; one was scrapped while under construction and the final one was completed under German colours.
In 1940–41, the second, aft, directories were removed from those ships that had them. Five ships had an additional single 120mm gun (Ansaldo 1940 pattern) to replace their star-shell gun. The anti-aircraft machine-guns were replaced by 20mm cannon and further strengthened in 1943. Three ships received two single 37mm anti-aircraft guns, which replaced the single 120mm (where installed) and the aft torpedo tube mountings. One ship, Fuciliere, had an Italian Gufo radar set installed in 1943.
Commandanti Medaglie d'Oro
None of this class were ever launched, only nine were laid down.
Although the reputation of Italian military prowess has suffered from its performance in North Africa
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
in World War II, blame cannot be placed with its warships nor with their crews. Their destroyers were responsible for the safe flow of convoys to supply the Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
armies in North Africa, a dangerous task, and for the suppression of British submarines.
Exploratori
The designation "exploratoriExploratori
Exploratori was a type of Italian warship intermediate between destroyers and light cruisers. Before World War II, existing exploratori were reclassified as destroyers ....
", meaning "scouts", was originally given to a class of Italian warship that were between the then current destroyers and cruisers, in terms of size and firepower. They were reclassified as destroyers by 1940. The Regia Marina classified yet another group of ships (Capitani Romani class
Capitani Romani class cruiser
Capitani Romani was a class of light cruisers of the Italian navy. They were essentially designed to out-run and out-gun the large new French destroyers of the Fantasque and Mogador classes. Twelve hulls were ordered in late 1939, but only four were completed, just three of these before the...
) as "exploratori oceanici"—ocean scouts.
Active service
The later ships were primarily employed as fleet escorts, but not exclusively so. Other tasks included mine-laying, convoy escort, anti-submarine, supply transport and anti-shipping.Italian destroyers were usually organised into squadriglia of four ships of one class.
Design evolution
The operational areas for the Regia MarinaRegia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Royal Italian Navy) were expected to be enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean, Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
. This was reflected in the design and construction of its warships, which did not need to withstand open ocean conditions. In 1941, the appropriately named Scirocco foundered in a storm off Cape Spartivento.
Italian destroyer designs followed differing design paths. At one end, a torpedo boat design was developed into a series of destroyer classes (Sella, Sauro and Turbine) that were comparable with their British contemporaries. There were also large destroyers of the older Mirabello and Leone classes, which, due to their older design, were kept to less dangerous tasks. The large destroyer concept was revived in the mid 1920s, in response to new French designs.
At the end of the 1920s, a design emerged (Freccia class) that was the basis for improvement and standardisation. Subsequent classes showed incremental changes that improved reliability and the Maestrales were the template for the following twenty-three ships.
The original anti-aircraft weaponry, consisting of mixtures of obsolete 40 millimetre Vickers cannon (designed in 1917) and 13.2 machine-guns was clearly inadequate by the start of Italy's war. The chosen answer were 20 millimetre cannon and, in some individual ships, 37 millimetre guns replaced torpedo tubes.
Caution is needed when considering the maximum speeds of Italian warships of this period, since Italian practice was to run the trials with ships as light as possible, often without armament. This enabled impressive speeds which were unobtainable under operational conditions.
Classes
At the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, the Regia Marina's destroyer force was a mix of outdated ships of World War I design and larger numbers of modern designs.MirabelloMirabello class destroyerThe Mirabello class were a group of 3 destroyers built for the Regia Marina during World War I.The ships were designed as scout cruisers , essentially enlarged versions of contemporary destroyers. All ships were built by Ansaldo in Genoa...
Three ships of this class were commissioned in 1916-17 as "exploratori", but one was lost in the Black SeaBlack Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
in 1920. In destroyer terms in the early 1920s, the ships of this class were powerful vessels, displacing 2,300 tons and armed with eight four inch guns in single mounts, 450 millimetres (17.7) inch torpedoes, depth charges and mines. Four of the eight guns were mounted along the ships' sides, reducing a broadside to six. In 1942–43, the remaining ship in the class had its four beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
four inch guns removed and its anti-aircraft weaponry was strengthened to eight 20 millimetre machine guns and depth charge capacity was also increased.
The Mirabellos design reflected their age and when Italy entered the war, they were used to lay minefields off Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
and to escort convoys to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, relatively "safe" duties. Despite this, Carlo Mirabello was mined and sank off the Greek coast near Cape Dukato in 1941. Once re-armed, the remaining ship, Augusto Ributy was employed escorting North African convoys. She survived and was ceded to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1946.
Leone
Leone class destroyer
The Leone class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the early 1920s. Five ships were planned and three completed. All three ships were based at Massawa, Eritrea during World War II and were sunk during the East African Campaign....
Three Leone class "exploratori" were commissioned in 1924. They were reclassified as destroyers in 1938. Their armament was upgraded from that of the preceding Mirabellos and the resultant additional topweight required increases in dimensions and displacement (2,690 tonnes) and the machinery was also significantly uprated to maintain speed. Main guns and torpedoes were all located along the centre-line, an improvement that allowed all guns to fire to both sides, although two turrets were placed amidships and could only fire to either side. Eight 4.7 inch (120 millimetres - the new standard for Italian destroyers) were mounted in four twin turrets and torpedo tubes were now 21 inch.
All three were part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla
Red Sea Flotilla
The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy based in Massawa, Eritrea, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa...
at the start of Italy's war in June 1940, where they were employed to lay mine fields and to disrupt British convoys, without any success. All were lost by early April 1941. Leone ran aground and was sunk by her sisters. After an abortive mission against Port Sudan
Port Sudan
Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan; it has 489,725 residents . Located on the Red Sea, it is the Republic of Sudan's main port city.-History:...
, Pantera was sunk by carrier-based Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
aircraft and Tigre was later scuttled
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
.
Sella
Sella class destroyer
Sella class destroyer were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1920s. Two of these ships fought in World War II and both were sunk after the Italian capitulation to the Allies...
The four Sella class were enlarged Palestro class torpedo boats
Palestro class torpedo boats
The Palestro class torpedo boats were Italian torpedo boats that saw service during World War II.The design was subsequently enlarged into the Sella class destroyers, a design that was developed into a series of medium sized Italian destroyer classes....
, commissioned in 1926/27 and displacing 1,500 tonnes. As completed, these ships had a single 120 millimetre (4.7 inch) gun, four 533 millimetre (21 inch) torpedo tubes, two 40 millimetre and two 13.2 millimetre guns. The single 120mm gun mounting was changed to a twin in 1929 and an additional twin mount was installed sometime before 1942. The 40mm weapons were an old pattern and they were replaced by two 20mm. Two more 20mm and two depth charge throwers were added. In use, the class proved to be unreliable.
Two, Bettino Ricasoli and Giovanni Nicotera, were sold to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and transferred just as Italy declared war. The remaining two were stationed in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
for much of the war. They laid minefields and escorted convoys and were involved in actions against British operations off Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. In the latter case they carried the explosive motorboats that seriously damaged HMS York
HMS York (90)
HMS York, pennant number 90, was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy built in the late 1920s. She mostly served on the North America and West Indies Station before World War II. Early in the war the ship escorted convoys in the Atlantic and participated in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940...
at Suda Bay. At the Italian surrender in 1943, the Germans sunk the Quintino Sella and captured Francesco Crispi , renaming her TA15.
Sauro
Sauro class destroyer
The Sauro Class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1920s. They were based in the Red Sea Italian colony of Eritrea and all fought in World War II being sunk during the East African Campaign in 1941....
Four Sauro class destroyers were commissioned in 1926/27. They were developments of the preceding Sella class, with a broader beam to allow for the greater weight of weaponry from that in the Sellas original specification and some layout changes. The machinery remained substantially unchanged and, consequentially, the Sauros were no more reliable. They displaced 1,625 tonnes, with four 120mm guns and six 533 mm torpedo tubes. Secondary armament, 40mm and 13.2mm guns were unchanged at the time of their early loss.
The four destroyers were based in the Red Sea to defend Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somaliland , also known as Italian Somalia, was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy from the 1880s until 1936 in the region of modern-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th century by the Somali Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate, the territory was later acquired by Italy through various...
. All were lost by early April 1941, when Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
fell. Three were lost on anti-shipping sorties and the fourth, left in port through engine defects, was scuttled.
TurbineTurbine class destroyerTurbine class was a class of destroyers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1920s. They were essentially larger versions of the earlier .- Turbine class ships :*Aquilone -...
Eight 1,700 tonne Turbine class destroyers were commissioned in 1927 and 1928. These ships were a further development of the Sella design, with a larger hull, significantly increased engine power and fuel storage. The result was slightly faster ships with greater range. Armament was unchanged but a greater mine capacity was available. After 1940, the two surviving ships had their old model 40mm guns replaced by modern 10mm ones. In addition, Turbine had one triple torpedo tube mounting replaced by a 37mm gun.All of the class were based at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
, north Africa, and used to lay minefields and run supplies from Italy. This was an exposed location and six were sunk before the end of September, 1940, most in harbour by naval aircraft. Two survived until the Italian surrender, one (Turbine) was captured by the Germans and renamed TA14. Euro joined the Allies and was subsequently sunk off Leros
Leros
Leros is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 km from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 11-hour ferry ride . Leros is part of the Kalymnos peripheral unit...
.
NavigatoriNavigatori class destroyerThe Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...
The twelve Navigatoris were commissioned between December 1929 and May 1931. They were a modern form of the earlier exploratori - large destroyer - type of ship, displacing 2,650 tonnes and were a response to the French Jaguar and GuépardGuépard class destroyer
The Guépard-class destroyers of the French navy were laid down in 1927 and commissioned in 1930. They were similar to the previous Chacal class, with a larger hull and with a slightly improved speed and gun armament with 138mm guns of a new design...
classes. Weaponry, compared to the earlier exploratori was reduced to six 120mm in three twin turrets, one of which was amidships. The guns were a new model (Ansaldo 1926 pattern, 50 calibre) and the mountings allowed 45° elevation. The class used two sizes of torpedoes, in two triple banks, each unusually composed of two 533mm (21 in) separated by one 450mm (17.7 in). As originally built, the class retained the older anti-aircraft fit of two 40mm and four 13.2mm guns. Fifty-six mines were carried, except for the flagship, Nicolosso Da Rocco, which required the space for staff facilities. The class' machinery introduced a unit design, whereby the boilers and engine for one shaft was housed separately from those for the other shaft. Power output was substantially increased, in order to deliver the desired speed. A new style of bridge layout and structure was also introduced.
As originally built, the Navigatori ships were insufficiently stable and too wet. Cures were applied in two stages, firstly in the mid 1930s when some superficial changes were made to reduce superstructures and move fuel bunkers, and subsequently in 1938–1940, when the beam was increased and bows raised. Displacement was increased thereby and speed significantly reduced. During World War II, several programmes were started to upgrade weaponry, in particular anti-aircraft weapons, but none were applied uniformly to all ships in the class. These included full triple 533mm torpedo mountings, 40mm guns replaced by greater numbers of 20mm ones, The after torpedo tubes were replaced by 37mm guns. Several ships were adapted for radar but ony two received the equipment; Leone Pancaldo had the Italian EC3/ter Gufo set and Lanzaretto Malocello had the German FuMo 26/40G.
The three squadrons of this class served in the Mediterranean, escorting north African convoys, laying offensive minefields, bombarding shore targets and screening the fleet. Five ships survived until the Italian surrender, but two of these were sunk in September 1943 after action against a German convoy and another was scuttled in port to avoid capture by the Germans. One was captured by the Germans and served with them as TA44. One ship survived the war in Italian service.
FrecciaFreccia class destroyerThe Freccia class destroyer was a class of destroyers built for the Regia Marina, the Italian Royal Navy, in the 1930s. It was basically an enlarged version of the earlier Turbine class destroyers...
or Dardo
Zara class cruiser
The Zara class was an Italian heavy cruiser design of the Regia Marina from the early 1930s, considered by many to be one of the best cruiser designs of World War II...
s and required greater speed and engine power to do so. Despite their design origins with the Turbine class, various changes resulted in the displacement, as originally built, increasing to 2,150 tonnes These changes included a larger hull, remodelled bridge and had their engine exhausts trunked to a single funnel. Poor stability and engine reliability were serious problems when the ships entered service and remedies were attempted which, in turn, led to fuel contamination. Weaponry was as for the Turbines, except that an improved version of the 120mm gun was installed (Ansaldo 1926 pattern). Later, the obsolete 40mm and 13.2mm guns were replaced by 20mm/65 calibre ones. In one ship, a torpedo mounting was replaced by two 37mm guns.
At the start of Italy's war, the four ships formed the 7th Squadron based at Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
and they were at the Battle of Calabria
Battle of Calabria
The Battle of Calabria, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. It was fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. The battle occurred 30 miles to the east of Punta Stilo, the "toe" of Italy , on 9 July 1940...
. Otherwise, their main role was convoy protection. Three were lost before the Italian surrender and one, Dardo, was captured by the Germans (renamed TA31).
Four ships, the Kondouriotis class, were built for the Greek Navy, based on the Freccia design.
FolgoreFolgore class destroyerThe Folgore Class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the 1930s. All four ships fought in World War II and were sunk. They were a modified version of the Freccia class destroyers, but had the beam reduced to try to increase speed...
The four Folgores, commissioned between June and September 1932, were modified Freccias and they are sometimes included in that class as the "second group". Displacement was marginally reduced at 2,130 tonnes. The one major alteration was to reduce beam in order to improve their speed, this resulted in reduced fuel capacity and, consequently, their range. They were no more reliable or seaworthy than their earlier sisters. Their anti-aircraft gunnery was similarly improved.These ships' service was closely similar to the Freccias. They were based at Taranto and also took part in the Battle of Calabria. They also spent much of their time escorting north African convoys, on which duties they were all lost before the Italian surrender.
MaestraleMaestrale class destroyerThe Maestrale class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy and served in World War II. They were an enlarged version of the Dardo class destroyers. They were 10 m longer and introduced new pattern 120 mm guns...
After the disappointments of the Dardo and Folgore classes, the Maestrale development was a largely successful attempt to eliminate faults. The four ships, commissioned from September to November 1934, were larger than the earlier classes, 2,255 tonnes and longer and broader. Engines and armament, as completed, were unchanged from the Dardos, but a later version of the 120mm gun was used, the O.T.O. Pattern 1931. During service, efforts were made to improve the potency of the anti-aircraft weaponry; 40mm and 13.2 mm guns were replaced by newer 20mm ones and subsequently increased in number, two 37mm anti aircraft were installed in place of a torpedo tube mounting. A 120mm starshell gun was installed on some ships to mitigate the Italian Navy's disadvantages in night actions.Although mainly used as fleet escorts, these ships also laid minefields and escorted convoys, during one such duty, they missed the Battle of Calabria and were never involved in a major fleet action. They came to a mixed bag of fates. Two were lost before the Italian surrender, one torpedoed and one lost in a storm; one, under repair at the surrender was scuttled to avoid German capture. The fourth, Grecale, joined the Allies, was involved in actions against the Germans and survived into long post-war Italian service.
OrianiOriani class destroyerThe Oriani Class were a group of four destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyers, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a...
or Poeti
These four ships were commissioned between July and December 1937. They were effectively a repeat of the preceding Maestrales with an increased engine power. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a marginal speed improvement. The obsolete 40mm anti-aircraft guns were finally discontinued, being replaced by extra 13.2mm machine guns; otherwise armament was unchanged. The ships displaced 2,510 tonnes as built. Significant upgrades were made to the weapons systems of the two ships that survived MatapanBattle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second World War naval battle fought from 27–29 March 1941. The cape is on the southwest coast of Greece's Peloponnesian peninsula...
, similar to those made to the Maestrales. One torpedo tube mounting was replaced by two 37mm guns; 20mm cannon, a 120mm star-shell gun and depth charge throwers were also installed. Before the end of the war, one ship, Oriani had German Seetakt radar and additional 20mm cannon.
The four Orianis operated as fleet escorts for much of the war, being present at the battles of Calabria and Matapan, two being sunk at the latter action. Another was sunk shortly before the Italian surrender. One ship, Oriani, survived to serve with the Allies and was subsequently transferred to France and renamed D'Estaing.
SoldatiSoldati class destroyerThe Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy during World War II. The ships were named after military professions...
Nineteen Soldati were built in two batches; twelve commissioned between August 1938 and May 1939 and the second batch of five between February and August 1942. The remaining two ships were not completed before the surrender; one was scrapped while under construction and the final one was completed under German colours.First group
The first batch took the Oriani design, with some modifications giving an increased displacement of 1,645 tonnes. Weapons systems were modified but these were not consistent between all ships of the class. The 120mm guns remained the main battery, in two twin mountings, fore and aft, but a later pattern was used, the 1936 or 1937 Ansaldo. As completed, the anti-aircraft battery consisted of twelve machine guns. Five ships are known to have had a second fire control director installed aft; two ships are known not have been so fitted. All except Carabiniere had a 120mm star shell gun amidships, to help reduce the Italian ships' disadvantage in night actions. All ships had two triple 21 inch torpedo tube mountings.In 1940–41, the second, aft, directories were removed from those ships that had them. Five ships had an additional single 120mm gun (Ansaldo 1940 pattern) to replace their star-shell gun. The anti-aircraft machine-guns were replaced by 20mm cannon and further strengthened in 1943. Three ships received two single 37mm anti-aircraft guns, which replaced the single 120mm (where installed) and the aft torpedo tube mountings. One ship, Fuciliere, had an Italian Gufo radar set installed in 1943.
Second group
Seven modified Soldati class were ordered in 1940 and laid down in late 1940–41. These ships were equipped with five 120mm guns (2 twin and one single replacing the start shell gun of the earlier ships) and extra light AA guns.Commandanti Medaglie d'OroCommandanti Medaglie d'Oro class destroyerThe Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro were a group of destroyers planned for the Italian Navy during World War II. Twenty ships were ordered but none were launched by the time of the Italian Armistice.-Design:...
None of this class were ever launched, only nine were laid down.Captured ships
The Regia Marina also operated some destroyers built for foreign navies, captured from either France or Yugoslavia.- Premuda - former Yugoslav destroyer Dubrovnik captured in April 1941
- Beograd classBeograd class destroyerThe Beograd-class destroyers were built for the Yugoslav Royal Navy in the late 1930s. The ships all took part in World War II. Two of the three were captured by the Italian Navy after the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, and one of those was subsequently captured by the Germans.-Design:Following...
- 2 former YugoslavYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
destroyers captured in April 1941
Guns
- 4 inch (Mirabello)
- 120 millimetre (4.7 inch) M1918/19 Pattern (Leone)
- 120 millimetre (4.7 inch) O.T.O.OtoOto may refer to:*The Otoe tribe , a Native American people*The Oto Reservation was located in southeastern Nebraska*Oto, Iowa, a city in the United States*Ōtō, Fukuoka, a town in Japan...
1926 Pattern (Sella, Sauro, Turbine) - 120 millimetre (4.7 inch), 50 calibre AnsaldoGio. Ansaldo & C.Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.-From foundation to World War I:...
1926 Pattern (Navigatore, Freccia, Folgore) - 120 millimetre (4.7 inch), 50 calibre O.T.O. 1931 Pattern (Maestrale)
- 120 millimetre (4.7 inch), 1936 & 1937 Patterns (Soldati, 1st group)
- 120 millimetre (4.7 inch), 50 calibre Ansaldo 1940 Pattern (some Soldati, 1st group)
- 120 millimetre (4.7 inch), 15 calibre star-shell gun
- Vickers 40 millimetre, 39 calibre (original fit for most classes, steadily replaced by 20mm/65 calibre)
- Breda 37 millimetre, 54 calibre (Turbine, individual ships of Freccia, Folgore, Maestrale, Oriani, some Soldati)
- Breda Model 35Breda Model 35The Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/65 modello 35 , also known as Breda Model 35, was a 20 mm anti-aircraft gun produced by the Società Italiana Ernesto Breda of Brescia company in Italy and used during World War II. It was designed in 1932 and was adopted by the Italian armed forces in 1935...
20 millimetre, 65 calibre (Navigatori, Soldati) - Scotte-Isotta 20 millimetre, 70 calibre (Oriani, Soldati(?))
- 13.2 millimetre
Torpedoes
- 450 millimetres (17.7 inch (Navigatori)
- 533 millimetres (21 inch) (Navigatori, Soldati)