Italian destroyer Francesco Crispi

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RN Crispi.jpg
Francesco Crispi 1927
History
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Kingdom of Italy
NameFrancesco Crispi
Namesake Francesco Crispi
BuilderPattinson, Naples
Laid down21 February 1923
Launched12 September 1925
Completed29 April 1927
FateCaptured by the Germans, 9 September 1943
War ensign of Germany (1938-1945).svg Germany
NameTA15
Acquired9 September 1943
Commissioned30 October 1943
Fate
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type Sella-class destroyer
Displacement
Length84.9 m (278 ft 7 in)
Beam8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draught2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range3,600  nmi (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement152–153
Armament

Francesco Crispi was one of four Sella-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the 1920s. Completed in 1927, she served in World War II.

Contents

Design and description

The Sella-class destroyers were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding Palestro and Curtatone classes. [1] They had an overall length of 84.9 meters (279 ft), a beam of 8.6 meters (28 ft 3 in) and a mean draft of 2.7 meters (8 ft 10 in). They displaced 970 metric tons (950 long tons ) at standard load, and 1,480 metric tons (1,460 long tons) at deep load. Their complement was 8–9 officers and 144 enlisted men. [2]

Unlike the Parsons geared steam turbines used by her sister ships, Francesco Crispi used a pair of Belluzzo turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by three Thornycroft boilers. The turbines were rated at 36,000 shaft horsepower (27,000  kW ) for a speed of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) in service, [3] although the ship reached a speed of 38.6 knots (71.5 km/h; 44.4 mph) from 35,540 shp (26,500 kW) during her sea trials while lightly loaded. [4] The Sellas carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). [5]

Their main battery consisted of four 120-millimeter (4.7 in) guns in one twin-gun turret aft of the superstructure and one single-gun turret forward of it. [2] Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Sella-class ships was provided by a pair of 40-millimeter (1.6 in) AA guns in single mounts amidships and a pair of 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns. They were equipped with four 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes in two twin mounts amidships. [3] The Sellas could also carry 32 mines. [2]

Construction and career

Francesco Crispi was laid down by Pattinson at their Naples shipyard on 21 February 1923, launched on 12 September 1925 and commissioned on 29 April 1927. [5]

Citations

  1. Whitley, p. 160
  2. 1 2 3 Fraccaroli, p. 43
  3. 1 2 Roberts, p. 298
  4. McMurtrie, p. 281
  5. 1 2 Whitley, p. 159

Bibliography

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