Class of Italian light cruisers
|
| Class overview |
|---|
| Name | Condottieri class |
| Operators | |
| Subclasses |
- Giussano class
- Cadorna class
- Montecuccoli class
- Duca d'Aosta class
- Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi class
|
| Built | 1928–1937 |
| In commission | 1931–1971 |
| Completed | 12 |
| Lost | 6 |
| Retired | 6 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Type | Light cruiser |
| Displacement |
- 5,323–11,350 tonnes (5,239–11,171 long tons) standard
- 7,113–11,735 tonnes (7,001–11,550 long tons) full load
|
| Length | 169.3–187 m (555–614 ft) |
| Beam | 15.5–18.9 m (51–62 ft) |
| Draught | 5.2–6.9 m (17–23 ft) |
| Propulsion |
- 2 geared turbines
- 6 boilers
- 95,000–110,000 hp (71–82 MW)
|
| Speed | 37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph) |
| Complement | 507 |
| Armament | 8 152 mm (6 in)/53 cal. guns |
| Aircraft carried | 2–4 × reconnaissance floatplanes |
| General characteristics (Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi-class) |
|---|
| Displacement |
- 11,350 t (11,171 long tons) standard
- 11,735 t (11,550 long tons) full load
|
| Length | 187 m (614 ft) |
| Beam | 18.9 m (62 ft) |
| Draught | 6.9 m (23 ft) |
| Propulsion |
- 2 geared turbines
- 6 boilers
- 110,000 hp (82 MW)
|
| Speed | 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
| Complement | 640 |
| Armament | 10 152 mm (6 in)/55 guns |
| Aircraft carried | 4 × IMAM Ro.43 reconnaissance floatplanes |
The Condottieri class was a sequence of five light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina (Italian Navy), although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships were named after condottieri (military commanders) of Italian history.
Each class is known after the first ship of the group:
Giussano class:
Cadorna class:
Montecuccoli class:
Duca d'Aosta class:
Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi class:
Evolution
The first group, the four Giussanos, were built to counter the French large destroyers (contre-torpilleurs), the first being the 2,500 ton Le Fantasque-class, and therefore they featured very high speed, in exchange for virtually no armour protection.
The following two Cadornas retained the main characteristics, with minor improvements to stability and hull strength.
Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the Montecuccolis. About 2,000 tons heavier, they had significantly better protection, and upgraded power-plants to maintain the required high speed.
The two Duca d'Aostas continued the trend, thickening the armour and improving the power plant again.
The final pair, the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for good protection (their armour scheme was the same of the Zara-class heavy cruisers) and for two more 6-inch /55 guns.
Service
All ships served in the Mediterranean during World War II.
The ships of the first two subclasses (with the exception of Luigi Cadorna) were all lost by 1942, primarily to enemy torpedoes (with Bartolomeo Colleoni sunk by destroyers at the Battle of Cape Spada after being crippled by HMAS Sydney, Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano suffering a similar fate at in a night action of the Battle of Cape Bon, Giovanni delle Bande Nere sunk by British submarine HMS Urge, and Armando Diaz sunk by the British submarine HMS Upright) that led many authors (including Preston) to question their real value as fighting ships. The subsequent vessels fared considerably better with all surviving the war, except Muzio Attendolo (torpedoed in August 1942 and sunk by an Allied bombing in December 1942).
After the end of the war, Eugenio di Savoia and Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta were given to the Greek Navy and the Soviet Navy respectively as war reparations; Luigi Cadorna was quickly stricken, Raimondo Montecuccoli became a training ship, and the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi subclass served on in the Marina Militare until the 1970s, with Giuseppe Garibaldi becoming the first European guided missile cruiser in 1961 .
