The Oriani Class (also known as the Poeti class) were a group of four destroyers built for the Italian Navy

Regia Marina

The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...

 in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyer

Maestrale class destroyer

The 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...

s, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament. 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. . Significant upgrades were made to the weapons systems of the two ships that survived Matapan

Battle 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

Ships

All four ships were built by OTO Livorno

Livorno

Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...

 and named after poets:

Ship	namesake	Launched	Completed	Service
Alfredo Oriani	Alfredo Oriani Alfredo Oriani Alfredo Oriani was an Italian author, writer and social critic.-Bibliography: Nico Perrone, Croce e Oriani, in Rivista di storia contemporanea, 1984 Giovanni Spadolini - G. Tarello - Giorgio Rebuffa - Francesco Traniello - Luisa Mangoni - M. Ciliberto - G. Landucci - A.S. Pombeni - F. Cerea - P.G....	30 July 1936	15 July 1937	Damaged in the Battle of Matapan Battle 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... , she she took part in the successful attack on Harpoon Operation Harpoon (1942) Not to be confused with Operation Harpoon Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea in mid-June 1942, during the Second World War. One convoy, Operation Vigorous, left Alexandria. The other, Operation Harpoon, travelled...  convoy in June 1942. Escaped from La Spezia La Spezia La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...  during the Italian Armistice Armistice with Italy The Armistice with Italy was an armistice signed on September 3 and publicly declared on September 8, 1943, during World War II, between Italy and the Allied armed forces, who were then occupying the southern end of the country, entailing the capitulation of Italy...  in 1943 and was interned in Malta Malta Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in... , given to the French Navy French Navy The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...  as a war reparation, where she served as the D'Estaing until 1954.
Vittorio Alfieri	Vittorio Alfieri Vittorio Alfieri Count Vittorio Alfieri was an Italian dramatist, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy."-Early life:Alfieri was born at Asti in Piedmont....	20 December 1936	1 December 1937	Sunk on 28 March 1941 in the Battle of Cape Matapan Battle 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...
Giosuè Carducci	Giosuè Carducci Giosuè Carducci Giosuè Alessandro Michele Carducci was an Italian poet and teacher. He was very influential and was regarded as the official national poet of modern Italy. In 1906 he became the first Italian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.-Biography:...	28 October 1936	1 November 1937	Sunk 28 March 1941 in the Battle of Matapan Battle 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... .
Vincenzo Gioberti	Vincenzo Gioberti Vincenzo Gioberti thumb|250px|Vincenzo Gioberti.Vincenzo Gioberti was an Italian philosopher, publicist and politician.-Biography:Gioberti was born in Turin....	19 September 1936	27 October 1937	Sunk on 9 August 1943 by the British submarine HMS Simoom HMS Simoom (P225) HMS Simoom was an S class submarine of the Royal Navy, and part of the Third Group built of that class. She was built by Cammell Laird and launched on October 12, 1942.-Career:... .

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