Italian destroyer Antonio da Noli

Antonio da Noli underway, 13 September 1942
History
Kingdom of Italy
Name	Antonio da Noli
Namesake	Antonio da Noli
Builder	Cantieri del Tirreno, Riva Trigoso
Laid down	25 July 1927
Launched	21 May 1929
Completed	15 March 1931
Fate	Sunk by mine, 9 September 1943
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Navigatori-class destroyer
Displacement	1,900 long tons (1,930  t) (standard) 2,580 long tons (2,621 t) (full load)
Length	107.3 m (352 ft)
Beam	10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Installed power	4 water-tube boilers 55,000  hp (41,000  kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	32 knots (59.3 km/h; 36.8 mph)
Range	3,800  nmi (7,000  km; 4,400  mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (designed)
Complement	222–225 (wartime)
Armament	3 × twin 120 mm (4.7 in) guns 2 × single 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns 4 × twin 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns 2 × triple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 86–104 mines

Antonio da Noli was one of a dozen Navigatori-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the late 1920s. Completed in 1931, she served in World War II.

Design and description

The Navigatori-class destroyers were designed to counter the large French destroyers of the Jaguar and Guépard classes. ^[1] They had an overall length of 107.3 meters (352 ft), a beam of 10.2 meters (33 ft 6 in) and a mean draft of 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in). ^[2] They displaced 1,900 metric tons (1,900 long tons ) at standard load, and 2,580 metric tons (2,540 long tons) at deep load. Their complement during wartime was 222–225 officers and enlisted men. ^[3]

The Navigatoris were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by four Odero-Terni-Orlando water-tube boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 55,000 shaft horsepower (41,000  kW ) ^[3] and a speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) in service, although the ships reached speeds of 38–41 knots (70–76 km/h; 44–47 mph) during their sea trials while lightly loaded. ^[4] They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). ^[3]

Their main battery consisted of six 120-millimeter (4.7 in) guns in three twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and the third amidships. ^[5] Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Navigatori-class ships was provided by a pair of 40-millimeter (1.6 in) AA guns in single mounts abreast the forward funnel and a pair of twin-gun mounts for 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns. They were equipped with six 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships. The Navigatoris could carry 86–104 mines. ^[4]

Construction and career

Antonio da Noli was laid down by Cantieri del Tirreno at their Riva Trigoso shipyard on 25 July 1927, launched on 21 May 1929 and commissioned on 29 December. ^[2]

Citations

1. Ando, p. 15
2. Whitley, p. 162
3. Ando, p. 16
4. Roberts, p. 299
5. Fraccaroli, p. 49

Bibliography

• Ando, Elio (1978). "The Italian Navigatori Class, 1928". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Super Destroyers. Warship Special. Vol. 2. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-131-9.
• Bogart, Charles H.; Canadiani, Guido; Caruana, Joseph & Greene, Jack (1988). "Question 3/87". Warship International. XXV (2): 202–205. ISSN   0043-0374.
• Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1-59114-544-8.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN   0-7110-0002-6.
• Roberts, John (1980). "Italy". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books. pp. 280–317. ISBN   0-8317-0303-2.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-59114-119-2.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   1-85409-521-8.

External links

• Antonio da Noli Marina Militare website