The Zara class was an Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 heavy cruiser

Heavy cruiser

The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...

 design of the Regia Marina

Regia Marina

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

 from the early 1930s, considered by many to be one of the best cruiser designs of 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...

. Four ships of the class were completed, Zara

Italian cruiser Zara

Zara was an Italian Zara class heavy cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. The cruiser was named after the Adriatic city of Zara ....

, Fiume

Italian cruiser Fiume

The Fiume was a Zara class heavy cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina. Her name derives from the city of Fiume and her motto Sic indeficienter virtus derived from the city's motto since 1659, Indeficienter-Service:...

, Pola

Italian cruiser Pola

The Pola was a Zara class heavy cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina. She was built in the OTO shipyard at Livorno and entered service in 1932...

 and Gorizia

Italian cruiser Gorizia

Gorizia was an Italian Zara class heavy cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. The ship was named after the city of Gorizia. She was the only surviving cruiser of her class after the Battle of Cape Matapan....

, all of which saw extensive service during the war.

Design

The Zaras were essentially an improved Trento class

Trento class cruiser

The Trento class was an Italian heavy cruiser design of the Regia Marina from the late 1920s. The three ships of the class were named after the three unredeemed cities taken from the Austro-Hungarian empire after the victory in World War I, Trento, Trieste, and Bolzano.The Trentos were the first...

 tasked with dealing with the latest French

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...

 designs.

The Trentos had been designed to the limitations of 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 cruisers had to be 10,000 tons or less, and armed with 8 inches (203.2 mm) guns or smaller. The weight limitation made it impossible to design a ship with those guns and armour able to stop shells of the same caliber. A typical Washington design had 76 mm in its armour belt, and less on other areas of the ship. These thicknesses were reasonably good against destroyer and light cruiser weapons (typically between 5 in {127 mm} and 6 in {150 mm}), but insufficient against the 120 kg shells that 203 mm fired, capable of piercing even 150 mm at medium range. In general, in order to be effective, armour should be roughly the same thickness as the diameter of the shells fired against it.

Trentos had sacrificed armor for speed, allowing them to make high-speed dashes up and down the long Italian coastline, which would otherwise be difficult to defend from Italy's widely separated naval bases. Although equipped with powerful armament, hits against them would likely penetrate the armour and knock the ships out of combat. Even a won battle might seriously deplete Italian naval strength, something they were not prepared to address through sheer numbers.

The solution was a new design, one combining the armament of the Trentos with the armour needed to protect them from similar French designs. To achieve this, the Zaras were almost 2000 t (at standard displacement) over the 10,000 ton limit, even if fully loaded (because the modest amount of the fuel load) they displaced no more than, for example, British heavy cruisers. Extras such as a high superstructure and torpedo tubes were removed in an effort to save weight, but in the end the ships ended up considerably "overweight" anyway. The removal of the superstructure made placement of radar

Radar

Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...

 difficult, and in the end none of the class would ever carry one. This would prove to be a fatal omission.

Armour

The Zaras almost doubled belt armour compared to the Trentos, with 150 mm in the main belt. The main deck was also very thick, 70 mm. Turrets and barbettes were as well protected by over 100 mm armour. In addition to the primary armour scheme, there was secondary armour: the upper deck was 20mm, and the flank hull above main belt was 30 mm. Almost no other cruisers were equipped with two armoured decks and two armoured belts. This scheme followed, in fact, not quite a cruiser layout, but that of a small battleship. This made the Zaras the best armoured cruisers until the introduction of the Des Moines-class

Des Moines class cruiser

The Des Moines class cruisers were a group of U.S. Navy heavy cruisers, commissioned in 1948–1949. They were the last of the all-gun heavy cruisers, exceeded in size in the American navy only by the cruisers.-Description:...

. This additional armour would have made the ships decidedly nose-heavy, so to offset this the rear of the ship was raised by one deck behind the front funnel. The result was excellent watertight integrity and protection.

Armament

The Zaras shared their main armament with the last of the three Trentos, the Bolzano. They were equipped with the 203 mm/L53 (8 in) guns of 25 tonnes each and were fitted in pairs in Ansaldo

Gio. 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:...

 turrets. The guns had a high muzzle velocity

Muzzle velocity

Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...

 of 939 m/s (3,080 ft/s) with a 125 kg (275 lb) AP shell, allowing Zaras to engage equals at a very long 34,400 yards (31,500 m) at 45 elevation. The Trento and Trieste had a less advanced model, firing a 110 kg to  29,000 m. The downside to the new gun was a greater dispersion of shots and barrel wear than normal.

The secondary armament was superior as well, compared to the standard of those times: sixteen Škoda

Škoda Works

Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...

 Model 1910 100 mm/L50 guns were fitted in eight dual turrets, four on each side, again following a scheme similar to a small battleship. Later, these were replaced by OTO

Oto

Oto 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...

 L/47s, plus two single 100 mm mounts for flare

Flare (pyrotechnic)

A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...

 illumination rounds. In 1937, the aft 100 mm mounts were replaced by 37 mm/54 caliber Bredas more useful for close defense, and in 1940, the 40 mm Vickers were replaced by 37 mm Bredas, also. All these guns were reasonably modern, especially at their time, even if not outstanding performers. However, overall anti-aircraft performance was not good, due to the slow tracking process and an inadequate fire control system, although the weapons were acceptable.

One odd feature was the aircraft catapult on the bow, which made it impossible to prepare for launch while firing, perhaps a minor consideration. The Piaggio P.6bis originally carried was later replaced by M.41s, CANT

Cantiere Navale Triestino

CANT was an Italian aviation company which originally specialised in building naval aircraft, formed in 1923 as part of the CNT...

 25AR

CANT 25

|-CANT 25AR:-See also:-References:*The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft . Orbis Publishing: 1985.*Green, William, and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown. New York: SMITHMARK Publishers, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8....

s, MF6s, and in 1938, by Ro.43s.

Service history

Zara was laid down at OTO Muggiano 4 July 1929, launched

Ship naming and launching

The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...

 27 April 1930, and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

 21 October 1931. She was joined by Fiume, laid down at Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino on 29 April 1929, launched 27 April 1930, and completed 23 November 1931; Pola at 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 :...

, laid 17 March 1931, launched 5 December 1931, and completed 21 December 1931; and Gorizia, launched 28 December 1930 at OTO Livorno.

France immediately responded with a new heavy cruiser of her own, Algérie

French cruiser Algérie

The Algérie was a French heavy cruiser that served during the early years of World War II. She was built in response to the Italian Zara class cruisers, incorporating better armour than previous French cruisers....

, which was a close match for the Zaras when she launched in 1934.

When the Second World War

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...

 broke out, Gorizia, Zara, and Fiume were organized into 1st Cruiser division, Pola serving as flagship

Flagship

A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...

 for 2nd Cruiser Division. During this part of the war, the Zaras were a serious problem for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, which had nothing comparable in the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

, and were seriously out-gunned by them during the inconclusive 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...

 and 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...

.

However, Zaras were eventually taken to task during 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...

. After Pola (in company with Fiume and Zara, serving as escort to the battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

 Vittorio Veneto

Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto

Vittorio Veneto was the lead ship of her class of battleships that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto, during World War I.-Construction:...

) was hit by a torpedo

Torpedo

The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

 from a TSR 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...

 from Formidable, which stopped her, the rest of the 1st Division (at this time Gorizia was in reserve) ran in to protect her. Three Royal Navy battleships (the Queen Elizabeth-class

Queen Elizabeth class battleship

The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships were a class of five super-dreadnoughts of the Royal Navy. The lead ship was named after Elizabeth I of England...

 sisters Barham, Valiant, and Warspite), plus many supporting units, were able to approach them closely at night — the lack of radar on Zaras making them unaware of their approach. Valiant, astonishingly, scored with her first salvo. The British battleships quickly sank all three Italian cruisers and two of their escorting destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

s in a one-sided gunfight, the only reaction being the aimless fire of a 40mm AA cannon from the already wrecked Zara.

Gorizia survived until she was taken over by the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

s after Italy left the war in 1943. In that year, her armour had the only opportunity to display its effectiveness, when this ship was hit by three bombs, launched by American bombers, but the main deck resisted them all and the ship continued to fire against the high-flying bombers. Later she was able to reach La Spezia, but the damage to the mid-ship was heavy, with almost all the structures over the armor belt devastated and a 100 mm (3.9 in) turret thrown into the sea. Ironically, at beginning of 1941, a modest British attack, at night, over Naples hit Zara. There were only two 113 kg (250 lb) bombs, launched at low altitude, but they pierced the hull and almost sank the ship. Gorizia was sunk 26 June 1944 at her moorings in 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...

, in yet another twist of fate by Italian manned torpedo

Human torpedo

Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....

es, after the Italians joined the Allies.

External links