![]() Francesco Crispi in 1927 | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Francesco Crispi |
Namesake | Francesco Crispi |
Builder | Pattinson, Naples |
Laid down | 21 February 1923 |
Launched | 12 September 1925 |
Completed | 29 April 1927 |
Fate | Captured by the Germans, 9 September 1943 |
![]() | |
Name | TA15 |
Acquired | 9 September 1943 |
Commissioned | 30 October 1943 |
Fate | |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | Sella-class destroyer |
Displacement | |
Length | 84.9 m (278 ft 7 in) |
Beam | 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines |
Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
Range | 3,600 nmi (6,700 km; 4,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
Complement | 152–153 |
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.
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]
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]