Condottieri-class cruiser

Last updated
Italian cruiser Montecuccoli.jpg
Condottieri-class cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli at Venice
Class overview
NameCondottieri class
Operators
Subclasses
  • Giussano class
  • Cadorna class
  • Montecuccoli class
  • Duca d'Aosta class
  • Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi class
Built1928–1937
In commission1931–1971
Completed12
Lost6
Retired6
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
Length169.3–187 m (555–614 ft)
Beam15.5–18.9 m (51–62 ft)
Draught5.2–6.9 m (17–23 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 geared turbines
  • 6 boilers
  • 95,000–110,000 hp (71–82 MW)
Speed37 kn (69 km/h; 43 mph)
Complement507
Armament8 152 mm (6 in)/53 cal. guns
Aircraft carried2–4 × 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
Length187 m (614 ft)
Beam18.9 m (62 ft)
Draught6.9 m (23 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 geared turbines
  • 6 boilers
  • 110,000 hp (82 MW)
Speed34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Complement640
Armament10 152 mm (6 in)/55 guns
Aircraft carried4 × 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.

Contents

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.

Ships

List of Condottieri-class ships
ShipClassBuilderLaid downService
StartEnd
Alberto di Giussano Giussano class Ansaldo 29 March 19281 January 193113 December 1941
Alberico da Barbiano Ansaldo16 April 19289 June 193113 December 1941
Bartolomeo Colleoni Ansaldo21 June 192810 February 193219 July 1940
Giovanni delle Bande Nere Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia31 October 19281 January 19311 April 1942
Luigi Cadorna Cadorna class Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico19 September 193011 August 1933May 1951
Armando Diaz Odero Terni Orlando28 July 193029 April 193325 February 1941
Raimondo Montecuccoli Montecuccoli class Ansaldo1 October 193130 June 19351 June 1964
Muzio Attendolo Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico10 April 19317 August 19354 December 1942
Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta Duca d'Aosta class Odero Terni Orlando29 October 193213 July 193520 February 1959
Eugenio di Savoia Ansaldo6 July 193316 January 19361965
Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi Duca degli Abruzzi class Odero Terni Orlando28 December 19331 December 1937January 1961
Giuseppe Garibaldi Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico28 December 19331 December 19371971

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Condottiero</span> Mercenary soldier leader in medieval Italy

    Condottieri were Italian military leaders during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. The definition originally applied only to commanders of mercenary companies, condottiero in medieval Italian meaning 'contractor' and condotta being the contract by which the condottieri put themselves in the service of a city or lord. The term, however, came to refer to all the famed Italian military leaders of the Renaissance and Reformation era. Notable condottieri include Prospero Colonna, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, Cesare Borgia, the Marquis of Pescara, Andrea Doria, and the Duke of Parma. They served Popes and other European monarchs and states during the Italian Wars and the European Wars of Religion.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Muzio Attendolo Sforza</span> Italian condottiero

    Muzio Attendolo Sforza was an Italian condottiero. Founder of the Sforza dynasty, he led a Bolognese-Florentine army at the Battle of Casalecchio.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi</span> Italian mountaineer and explorer (1873–1933)

    Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, was an Italian mountaineer and explorer, briefly Infante of Spain as son of Amadeo I of Spain, member of the royal House of Savoy and cousin of the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III. He is known for his Arctic explorations and for his mountaineering expeditions, particularly to Mount Saint Elias and K2. He also served as an Italian admiral during World War I. He created Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi in Italian Somalia during his last years of life.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Calabria</span> World War II naval battle

    The Battle of Calabria known to the Italian Navy as the Battle of Punta Stilo, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. Ships of the Regia Marina were opposed by vessels of the Mediterranean Fleet. The battle took place 30 nmi to the east of Punta Stilo, Calabria.

    Italian cruiser <i>Giovanni delle Bande Nere</i>

    Giovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian light cruiser of the Giussano class, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the eponymous 16th-century condottiero and member of the Medici family. Her keel was laid down in 1928 at Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia; she was launched on 27 April 1930, and her construction was completed in 1931. Unlike her three sisters, the finish and workmanship on the vessel were not rated highly. She was sunk on 1 April 1942 by the British submarine HMS Urge.

    <i>Giussano</i>-class cruiser

    The Alberto di Giussano class of light cruisers were a sub-class of the Condottieri class built before World War II for the Italian Regia Marina, to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. They were designed by general Giuseppe Vian and were named after Condottieri of the Italian Mediaeval and Renaissance periods.

    Italian cruiser <i>Alberto di Giussano</i>

    Alberto di Giussano was an Italian Giussano-class cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was launched on 27 April 1930.

    Italian cruiser <i>Alberico da Barbiano</i>

    Alberico da Barbiano was an Italian Giussano-class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after Alberico da Barbiano, an Italian condottiero of the 14th century.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberico da Barbiano</span> Italian condottiero

    Alberico da Barbiano was the first of the Italian condottieri. His master in military matters was the English mercenary John Hawkwood, known in Italy as Giovanni Acuto. Alberico's compagnia fought under the banner of Saint George, as the compagnia San Giorgio.

    Italian cruiser <i>Raimondo Montecuccoli</i>

    Raimondo Montecuccoli was a Condottieri-class light cruiser serving with the Italian Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war and served in the post-war Marina Militare until 1964.

    Italian cruiser <i>Muzio Attendolo</i>

    Muzio Attendolo was a Condottieri-class light cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina which fought in World War II. She was sunk in Naples by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 4 December 1942. Although salvaged after the war, she was damaged beyond repair and was scrapped.

    Italian cruiser <i>Emanuele Filiberto Duca dAosta</i> WWII Italian naval vessel

    Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta was an Italian light cruiser of the fourth group of the Condottieri-class, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war, but was ceded as war reparation to the Soviet Navy in 1949. She was finally renamed Kerch and served in the Black Sea Fleet until the 1960s.

    Italian cruiser <i>Eugenio di Savoia</i> Italian and Greek naval vessel (1933–1965)

    Eugenio di Savoia was a Condottieri-class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war but was given as a war reparation to the Hellenic Navy in 1950. Eugenio di Savoia was renamed Elli and served until 1965.

    Italian cruiser <i>Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi</i>

    Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961. She was built by OTO at La Spezia and named after Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian explorer and Admiral of World War I.

    Italian cruiser <i>Giuseppe Garibaldi</i> (1936)

    Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war she was retained by the Marina Militare and upgraded. She was built by CRDA, in Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino shipyard Trieste and named after the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberto da Zara</span> Italian admiral

    Alberto da Zara was an Italian admiral of the Regia Marina.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinando Casardi</span> Italian politician

    Ferdinando Casardi was an Italian admiral during World War II.

    The 152 mm /53 Model 1926–1929 were built for the Italian Navy in the years before World War II. These guns were used on all Condottieri-class light cruisers except the Duca degli Abruzzi-class.

    References