Etna-class cruiser (1941)

This article is about the uncompleted World War II cruisers. For the 1880s cruiser class, see Etna-class cruiser.

An Etna-class cruiser
Class overview
Name	Etna class
Builders	C.R.D.A., Trieste
Operators	Regia Marina   Royal Thai Navy
Built	1939–1942
Planned	2
Completed	0
Lost	2
General characteristics
Type	Cruiser
Displacement	5,900 long tons (6,000 t) standard
Length	153.8 m (504 ft 7 in) overall
Beam	14.47 m (47 ft 6 in)
Draught	5.95 m (19 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft geared turbines 3 boilers 40,000 hp (29,800 kW)
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Complement	580
Armament	(as redesigned for Italy) 3 × twin 135 mm (5.3 in)/45 OTO-Ansaldo 1938 guns 10 × 65 mm (2.6 in)/64 Ansaldo-Terni 1939 AA guns 10 × twin 20 mm (0.8 in)/65 Breda 1935 AA guns
Armour	Belt 60 mm (2.4 in) Deck 20–35 mm (0.8–1.4 in)

The Etna class were two cruisers originally ordered in Italy for the Thai Navy in 1938 and subsequently requisitioned for service by the Italian Navy on the outbreak of World War II, neither ship was completed and the damaged hulls were scrapped after the war.

Development

In the early 1920s, the Royal Thai Navy operated a small fleet of old vessels. To modernize the force, the Navy began to order new warships from the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy. The effort peaked in 1934, with the order of 22 torpedo boats, minelayers, coast defense ships, sloops, and submarines from the latter two nations. In 1938, two cruisers were ordered from Italy, named Taskin and Naresuan. The initial Thai design featured an armament of three twin 15.2 cm (6.0 in) guns, six 7.6 cm (3.0 in) anti-aircraft guns, eight 1.32 cm (0.52 in) machine guns, and two triple 53.3 cm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes. The design was 153.8 m (505 ft) long, had a beam of 14.47 m (47.5 ft), and a draft of 5.25 m (17.2 ft). Propulsion consisted of 3 boilers that could theoretically produce 4,500  shp (3,400  kW ) and a top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) through two propellers. The class, named the Taskin-class cruiser, also featured an aircraft catapult amidship, a displacement of 5500 tons, 6 cm (2.4 in) of belt armor, and a 3 cm (1.2 in) thick armored deck. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Taskin and Naresuan were laid down by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico in Trieste on 23 September and 26 August 1938, respectively. As the light cruisers were being built, Italy joined World War II. By late 1941, British land-based aircraft afflicted heavy looses on Italian merchants and escorts supplying North Africa as convoy duty became increasingly hazardous. In December 1941, the Italian government requisitioned the two ships, planning to rebuild them as anti-air cruisers that could carry cargo to Africa. Under Italian control, Taskin was renamed to Etna, and Naresuan became Vesuvio. The Italian design became known as the Etna-class, as the two ships were named after famous Italian volcanos. The new design was not complete until 6 August 1942, when work could continue. ^[3]

As both ships had already been launched, Italian designers were limited in what they could change. The torpedoes and catapult were removed, and the main guns were swapped with the 13.5 cm (5.3 in)/45 model 1938 in the same arrangement as before. Anti-aircraft armament consisted of ten single 6.5 cm (2.6 in)/64 and ten twin 2.0 cm (0.79 in) Breda guns. Five 6.5 mm guns were fitted on each side of the ship while the 2.0 cm guns were fitted on the former catapult deck, enlarged bridge, and funnel. In place of the catapult was a deckhouse intended to be used for troop accommodations; in conjunction with other spaces, the ships were planned to carry 1,000 soldiers. Four cargo holds near each gun could carry about 600 cubic metres (21,000 cu ft) of ammunition that were served by collapsible cranes. ^{[3] [4]}

Ships

Ship	Laid down	Launched	Fate
Etna (ex-Taksin)	23 September 1939	28 May 1942	Scuttled September 1943
Vesuvio (ex-Naresuan)	26 August 1939	6 August 1941	Scuttled September 1943

When Italy surrendered to the Allies in September 1943 the hulls of the ships were 53% complete. Although both vessels were sabotaged before being captured by the Germans, they were able to continue some construction work before abandoning the project. The ships were scuttled in Trieste harbour in 1945. The hulls were re-floated and scrapped in the late 1950s.

References

1. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. US Naval Institute Press (January 18, 1980). 1980. p. 410. ISBN   978-0-87021-913-9.
2. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. US Naval Institute Press (January 18, 1980). 1980. p. 298. ISBN   978-0-87021-913-9.
3. Whitley, Michael J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Arms and Armour Press. pp. 144–145. ISBN   978-1-85409-225-0.
4. Brescia, Maurizio. "Cruisers built for Siam". Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1036150259.