The Spica-class were a class of torpedo boat

Torpedo boat

A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...

s of the Regia Marina

Regia Marina

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

 (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty

Washington Naval Treaty

The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...

, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 tons could be built in unlimited numbers. Thirty-two ships were built in total, between 1934 and 1937, thirty of which entered service with Italy and two which were transferred to the Swedish Navy

Swedish Navy

The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...

 in 1940. Although commonly referred to as torpedo boats, the Spica-class were similar in design to destroyer escort

Destroyer escort

A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...

s (their design was influenced by the Maestrale destroyer class

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...

 then in development) and were intended for anti-submarine duties, although they often had to battle aircraft and surface forces as well.

Twenty-three units were lost during World War II.

Design

The design work started in 1932 and two propotypes, the Spica and Astore, were built. The hull was 80 m long and displacement was around 720 tons standard rather than the 600 tons permitted by the Washington treaty. Propulsion consisted of a two shaft geared turbine layout with two Yarrow type boilers. The armament consisted of three 102 mm guns in single mountings in A, X and Y positions. They also carried four 450 mm torpedo tubes, which had a shorter range and a smaller warhead then the 533 mm ones then already in common use.

Ships

Ship	Builder	Completed	Operational History
Airone	Ansaldo Genoa Genoa Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....	10 May 1938	Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero Battle of Cape Passero (1940) The Battle of Cape Passero , was a Second World War naval engagement between the British light cruiser and seven torpedo boats and destroyers of the Regia Marina, southeast of Sicily, in the early hours of 12 October 1940...  by British cruiser
Alcione	Ansaldo Genoa	10 May 1938	Sunk 11 December 1941 by submarine
Aldebaran	Ansaldo Genoa	6 December 1936	Sunk on 20 October 1941 in the Saronic Gulf Saronic Gulf The Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with... , by mines laid by submarine
Altair	Ansaldo, Genoa	23 December 1936	Sunk on 20 October 1941 in the Saronic Gulf Saronic Gulf The Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with... , by mines laid by submarine
Andromeda	Ansaldo Genoa	6 December 1936	Sunk 17 March 1941 at Valona Vlorë Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912... , 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... , torpedoed by British bombers
Antares	Ansaldo Genoa	23 December 1936	Sank Greek submarine Proteus 29 December 1940. Sunk 28 March 1943 at 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 :...  by US bombers
Aretusa	Ansaldo Genoa	1 July 1938	Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1 August 1958
Ariel	Ansaldo Genoa	1 July 1938	Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero Battle of Cape Passero (1940) The Battle of Cape Passero , was a Second World War naval engagement between the British light cruiser and seven torpedo boats and destroyers of the Regia Marina, southeast of Sicily, in the early hours of 12 October 1940...  by British cruiser
Astore HMS Remus (28) HMS Remus was a of the Royal Swedish Navy during World War II. She had been built as Astore, a for Italy's Regia Marina, in the mid 1930s and sold to Sweden in 1940. The ship served in the Royal Swedish Navy until she was stricken in 1958.- References...	BS Napoletani Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...	30 May 1935	Sold to Sweden Swedish Navy The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...  as Remus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958
Calipso	Ansaldo Genoa	16 November 1938	Sunk 5 December 1940, by mines east of Tripoli
Calliope	Ansaldo Genoa	28 October 1938	Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1 August 1958
Canopo	CT Riva Trigoso	31 March 1937	Sunk 3 May 1941 by British bombers at Tripoli
Cassiopea	CT Riva Trigoso	26 April 1937	Sank British destroyer O and P class destroyer The O and P class was a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy. Ordered in 1939, they were the first ships in the War Emergency Programme, also known as the 1st and 2nd Emergency Flotilla, respectively...   in battle Battle of the Cigno Convoy The Battle of the Cigno Convoy was a naval engagement between two British Royal Navy destroyers and two Italian Regia Marina torpedo boats which took place southeast of Marettimo island, on the early hours of 16 April 1943...  southeast of Marettimo Marettimo Marettimo is one of the Aegadian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea west of Sicily, Italy. It forms a part of the municipality of Favignana in the Province of Trapani. From Trapani, the island takes about an hour to reach.Marettimo is the second largest of the Aegadian Islands...  island, on 16 April 1943, while escorting a transport ship to Tunis Tunis Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants.... . Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1959
Castore	CNR Ancona Ancona Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....	16 January 1937	Fought off a number of British motor boats and small vessels attempting to land at Tobruk as part of Operation Agreement Operation Agreement Operation Agreement consisted of a series of ground and amphibious operations carried out by British, Rhodesian and New Zealand forces on German and Italian-held Tobruk on 13 September 1942, during the Second World War. A Special Interrogation Group, fluent in German, also took part in missions... . She later rounded up a number of British survivors from the sea. Sunk 2 June 1943 by Allied destroyers and while escorting a convoy of two small freighters, which reached destination safely.
Centauro	CNR Ancona	16 June 1936	Sunk 4 November 1942, bombed in Benghazi Benghazi Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...  harbour
Cigno	CNR Ancona	15 March 1937	She was part of the screen of destroyers and torpedo boats escorting a four-freighter convoy to Tripoli on 26 May 1941, when two Blenheim bombers were shot down. Cigno rescued hundreds of Italian survivors after the Battle of Cape Bon, where she dodged four torpedoes launched by the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Isaac Sweers HNLMS Isaac Sweers HNLMS Isaac Sweers, was Gerard Callenburgh class destroyer of the Royal Netherlands Navy.-Design and construction:The keel was laid on 26 November 1938. The ship was launched on 16 March 1940 and the unfinished ship was evacuated to England after the German invasion of the Netherlands... . Sunk in battle Battle of the Cigno Convoy The Battle of the Cigno Convoy was a naval engagement between two British Royal Navy destroyers and two Italian Regia Marina torpedo boats which took place southeast of Marettimo island, on the early hours of 16 April 1943...  16 April 1943 southeast of Marettimo island, by British destroyers and , while escorting a transport ship to Tunis Tunis Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants.... . The Pakenham was also sunk in the same engagement.
Circe	Ansaldo Genoa	4 October 1938	Attempted to ambush a British convoy along with Vega south of Pantelleria Pantelleria Pantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, southwest of Sicily and just east of the Tunisian coast. Administratively Pantelleria is a comune belonging to the Sicilian province of Trapani...  on January 1941. Vega was sunk and the British cruiser HMS Bonaventure HMS Bonaventure (31) HMS Bonaventure was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy.-References:**...  damaged in the exchange of fire. Sank submarines , , HMS P38 HMS P38 (1941) HMS P38 was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness.- Career :P38 had a short-lived career with the Royal Navy. Commissioned in October 1941, after working up she was assigned to operate with the 10th Flotilla based in Malta in the Mediterranean in January...  and . Sunk by collision 27 November 1942
Climene	CNR Ancona	24 April 1936	She took part in the shooting down of three Beaufort Bristol Beaufort The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....  bombers and a Beaufighter Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...  while escorting a convoy between 20-21 August 1942. Sunk 28 April 1943, by submarine
Clio	Ansaldo Genoa	2 October 1938	Sank submarine in December 1940. She also participated in the battle of Skerki Bank Battle of Skerki Bank The Battle of Skerki Bank was a World War II naval battle which took place near Skerki Bank in the Mediterranean Sea on the early hours of 2 December 1942 between British and Italian forces.... , on 2 December 1942. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1959
Libra	CNQ Fiume	19 January 1938	Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1964
Lince	CNQ Fiume	1 April 1938	Along with Lupo, landed troops during the reconquest of Kastelorizo Operation Abstention Operation Abstention was the code name given to the British invasion of the Italian island of Kastelorizo, off Turkey, during the Second World War, on late February 1941... , on February 1941. Sunk 28 August 1943 by submarine
Lira	CNQ Fiume	1 January 1938	Scuttled 9 September 1943, repaired by the Germans, and served as the TA-49, sunk by bombing 4 November 1944
Lupo	CNQ Fiume	28 February 1938	Along with Libra, torpedoed the British tanker Desmoulea (8120 tn Ton The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from... ) in the Kasos Kasos Kasos is a Greek island municipality in the Dodecanese. It is the southernmost island in the Aegean Sea, and is part of the Karpathos peripheral unit. As of 2001, its population was 990. The island has been called in , .-Geography:...  straits on 31 January 1941 at the position 35°33′32"N 25°34′14"E disabling her for the rest of the war. The tanker was part of the convoy AN.14, and had departed Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...  for Piraeus Piraeus Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf.... . Captained by Francesco Mimbelli Francesco Mimbelli Francesco Mimbelli was an Italian Naval officer who fought in World War II.-Crete:Mimbelli was a commander of a Torpedo boat destroyer flotilla which fought in the Battle of Crete he was responsible for defending a convoy to Crete in the face of superior British forces.-Black Sea:He was also the...  during the reconquest of Kastelorizo Operation Abstention Operation Abstention was the code name given to the British invasion of the Italian island of Kastelorizo, off Turkey, during the Second World War, on late February 1941...  and the Battle of Crete Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur... , where she survived a battle against three cruisers and five destroyers, saving half of a small ships convoy. Sunk 2 December 1942 by destroyers , Javelin, Janus HMS Janus (F53) HMS Janus , named after the Roman god, was a J-class destroyer of the Royal Navy laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited at Wallsend-on-Tyne on 29 September 1937, launched on 10 November 1938 and commissioned on 5 August 1939. Janus participated in the Battle of Calabria in July 1940...  and Kelvin while picking up survivors from the Italian cargo ship Veloce en route to Tripoli Tripoli Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three... . Two other steamers, part of the same convoy, eventually reached home.
Pallade	BS Napoletani	5 October 1938	Sunk 5 August 1942 by air attack in Naples
Partenope	BS Napoletani	26 November 1938	Scuttled 11 September 1943
Perseo	CNQ Fiume	1 February 1936	Sunk 4 May 1943 by , and
Pleiadi	BS Napoletani	4 July 1938	Sunk 14 October 1941 by bombing in Tripoli harbour
Polluce	BS Napoletani	8 August 1938	Finished off submarine HMS Grampus HMS Grampus (N56) HMS Grampus was the lead ship of her class of mine-laying submarine of the Royal Navy. She was built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 25 February 1936. She served in the Second World War off China before moving to the Mediterranean Sea. She was sunk with all hands by the Regia Marina on 16 June...  in 1940. Sunk by torpedo bombers, 4 September 1942
Sagittario	CNQ Fiume	8 October 1936	Successfully protected a German convoy of caique Kaiki Kaiki may refer to:*Kaiki Nobuhide, sumo wrestler*Caïque, is a wooden fishing boat usually found among the waters of the Ionian or Aegean Seas.... s during the Battle of Crete Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...  against a British squadron of three cruisers and four destroyers, slightly damaging destroyer . Sank British MTB Motor Gun Boat Motor Gun Boat was a Royal Navy term for a small military vessel of the Second World War. They were physically similar to the Motor Torpedo Boats but equipped with a mix of guns instead of torpedoes. Their small size and high speed made them difficult targets for E-boats or torpedo bombers, but... -639 off Tunis Tunis Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants.... , on 28 April 1943 whilst escorting a steamer. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1964
Sirio	CNQ Fiume	1 March 1936	She was the first Italian unit to spot the enemy in the battle of Cape Spartivento Battle of Cape Spartivento The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War... , and fought off three British MTB Motor Torpedo Boat Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"... s (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-62) while escorting a four-ship convoy south of Marettimo on 16 February 1943. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare Marina Militare The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft... . Decommissioned 1959
Spica	BS Napoletani	30 May 1935	Sold to Sweden Swedish Navy The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...  as Romulus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958
Vega	CNQ Fiume	12 October 1936	Shot down a 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...  torpedo bomber off Sfax Sfax Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000...  on December 1940, after two steamers she was escorting were torpedoed and lost. Sunk by 10 January 1941 in the strait of Sicily Strait of Sicily The Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Its maximum depth is .... while attempting to ambush a British convoy to Malta