The Capitani Romani class was a class of light cruisers acting as flotilla leaders for the Regia Marina (Italian Navy). They were built to outrun and outgun the large new French destroyers of the Le Fantasque and Mogador classes.[2] Twelve hulls were ordered in late 1939, but only four were completed, just three of these before the Italian armistice in 1943. The ships were named after prominent ancient Romans (Capitani Romani (lit. Roman Captains)).[3]
The Capitani Romani class were originally designed as scout cruisers for ocean operations ("ocean scout", esploratori oceanici), although some authors consider them to have been heavy destroyers.[4] After the war the two units still in service were reclassified as flotilla leaders (caccia conduttori).
The design was fundamentally a light, almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament. The original design was modified to sustain the prime requirements of speed and firepower. Given their machinery development of 93,210kW (125,000hp), equivalent to that of the 17,000-ton cruisers of the Des Moines class, the target speed was over 41 knots (76km/h; 47mph), but the ships were left virtually unarmoured. As a result, the three completed warships achieved 43 knots (80km/h) during trials.[3] The Capitani Romani-class vessels shipped a main battery of eight 135mm (5.3in)DP guns, with a rate of fire of eight rounds per minute and a range of 19,500m (21,300yd). They also carried eight 533mm (21in)torpedo tubes. The wartime load dropped the operational speed by one to five knots (1.9 to 9.3km/h; 1.2 to 5.8mph), depending on the source.[2][5]
Attilio Regolo was torpedoed by the submarine HMSUnruffled on 7 November 1942, and remained in drydock for several months with her bow shattered.[11]
Ships
Four of the ships were scrapped before launch. Five were captured by the Germans in September 1943, still under construction. All five were sunk in harbour, one was raised and completed. Three were completed before the Italian armistice.[3]
Captured by the Germans in Castellammare di Stabia while under completion, and scuttled by them on 28 September 1943. Raised and completed for the Italian Navy after the war. Renamed San Marco, she served as a destroyer leader until her decommission in 1971.
Construction cancelled June 1940; scrapped between July 1941 and August 1942
Post-war French service
D606 Chateaurenault, the former Attilio Regolo
Attilio Regolo and Scipione Africano were transferred to France as war reparations. They were renamed Chateaurenault and Guichen respectively. The ships were extensively rebuilt for the French Navy by La Seyne dockyard with new anti-aircraft-focused armament and fire-control systems in 1951–1954. The ships were decommissioned in 1961.[3]
General characteristics as rebuilt
Displacement
Length
Beam
Draught
Machinery - unchanged
Armament
6 – 105mm guns (three twin turrets of German origin)
Giulio Germanico and Pompeo Magno served in the post war Marina Militare, being renamed San Marco (D 563) and San Giorgio (D 562) respectively and reclassified as destroyers. Both ships were extensively rebuilt in 1951–1955 and fitted with American weapons and radar.[3] Characteristics included:
General characteristics as rebuilt
Six 127mm (5in) guns in twin turrets fitted in 'A', 'X' and 'Y' positions, with anti-aircraft capability
a Menon anti-submarine mortar fitted in 'B' position
SPS-6 and SG-6B radar, SQS-11 sonar and the Mk37 fire control system for the 127mm guns
San Marco was further rebuilt as a cadet training ship in 1963–1965 when she was fitted with new CODAG machinery. New 76mm (3in) guns replaced the 40mm and 'X' 127mm mounting. San Marco was decommissioned in 1971, San Giorgio following in 1980.[13]
↑ De Pellegrini Dai Coi, Maurizio (January 2012). "Scipione: posto di combattimento". Rivista Marittima (in Italian). Marina Militare: 28–40.
↑ Pope, Dudley (1998). Flag 4: The Battle of Coastal Forces in the Mediterranean 1939–1945. Chatham Publishing. pp.121–122. ISBN1-86176-067-1.
↑ Fioravanzo, Giuseppe (1970). Le azioni navali in Mediterraneo dal 1° aprile 1941 all'8 settembre 1943 (in Italian). Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. pp.468–469.
↑ Baroni, Piero (2007). La guerra dei radar: il suicidio dell'Italia 1935/1943 (in Italian). Greco & Greco. p.187. ISBN978-8879804318.
↑ Cocchia, Aldo (1966). La Marina italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale, volume 18. Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p.397.
↑ Bragadin, Marc'Antonio (1957). The Italian Navy in World War II. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. p.241. ISBN0-405-13031-7.
Ando, Elio (1978). "Capitani Romani: Part 1, Design and Construction". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Warship II. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp.146–157. ISBN0-85177-149-1.
Ando, Elio (31 December 1984). "Capitani Romani: Part 2, Operational History". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Warship II. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp.246–257. ISBN0-85177-149-1.
Bishop, Chris (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships, and Submarines. Sterling Publishing. ISBN1-58663-762-2.
Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-544-8.
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-459-4.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-146-7.
Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War 2. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan Publishing.
Gardiner, Robert & Brown, David K. (2004). The Eclipse of the Big Gun: The Warship 1906–1945. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-953-0.
Green, Jack & Massignani, Alessandro (1998). The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940–1943. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN1-885119-61-5.
Jordan, John (2005). "The Escorteurs RapidesChâteaurenault and Guichen". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2005. London: Conway. pp.136–139. ISBN1-84486-003-5.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Sadkovich, James (1990). Reevaluating Major Naval Combatants of World War II. Greenwood Press. ISBN0-313-26149-0.
Stille, Mark (2018). Italian Cruisers of World War II. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN978-1-4728-2535-3.
Tomlin, Barbara (2004). With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean, 1942–1945. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN0-8131-2338-0.
Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-141-6.
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