The ships were designed as scout cruisers (esploratori), essentially enlarged versions of contemporary destroyers. They were initially ordered in 1917, but postponed due to steel shortages, and re-ordered in 1920.[1] They had an overall length of 113.41 meters (372ft), a beam of 10.36 meters (34ft) and a mean draft of 3.1 meters (10ft 2in).[2] They displaced 2,195 long tons (2,230t) at standard load, and 2,289 long tons (2,330t) at deep load. Their complement was 10 officers and 194 enlisted men.[1]
The Leones were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines were rated at 42,000 shaft horsepower (31,000kW) for a speed of 33 knots (61km/h; 38mph) in service, although all of the ships exceeded that speed during their sea trials.[1] The ships carried 393 long tons (399t) of fuel oil[2] that gave them a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700km; 2,300mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28km/h; 17mph).[1]
The ships were outfitted for colonial service, and by 1935 they were deployed in the naval base of Massawa, Eritrea.[4] The ships were re-rated as destroyers in 1938 and fought in World War II, when the Italian entry in the war left Italian East Africa isolated from Italy.[5]
Attack on convoy BN 7
The lead ship of the class, Leone
The only appreciable action in which the destroyers were involved was the attack on the Allied convoy BN 7, in the early hours of 21 October 1940. Leone and Pantera, along with Francesco Nullo and Nazario Sauro, shelled the convoy and its escort, inflicting some splinter damage to the leading transport ship, especially on one of her lifeboats, and launched at least two torpedoes aimed at HMASYarra, which dodged them.[6] The attack was nevertheless repulsed by the cruiser HMS Leander, which fired 129 six-inch rounds on the Italian destroyers. Leone, Pantera and Sauro successfully disengaged but Nullo was chased by HMSKimberley and forced to run aground on Harmil island, where she was later wrecked by RAFBlenheim bombers. Kimberley took two hits on a boiler from coastal batteries, and had to be towed to Aden by HMS Leander.
Last mission
The destroyers remained at dock in Massawa until the very end of ground operations in East Africa. Their commander ordered them to steam out on 31 March 1941, for a naval bombardment against targets around the Suez canal, in a mission without return. Leone ran aground off Massawa, and was then destroyed by her sister ships. After being spotted and harassed by British aircraft, Pantera and Tigre reached the Arabian shores, where their crews scuttled them.[7]
↑ Jackson, Ashley (2006). The British Empire and the Second World War. Continuum International Publishing Group, p. 283. ISBN1-85285-417-0
Bibliography
Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-544-8.
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-459-4.
Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN0-7110-0002-6.
Gray, Randal, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-0-87021-907-8.
O'Hara, Vincent P. (2009). Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-648-3.
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. ISBN0-8317-0303-2.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Reviseded.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-85409-521-8.
Further reading
Cernuschi, Enrico (2022). "Esploratori of the Regia Marina, 1906—1939". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2022. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp.147–160. ISBN978-1-4728-4781-2.
The Turbine-class destroyer was a group of eight destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. The ships played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1937, supporting the Nationalists. All the ships of the class were lost during World War II.
The Folgore class were a group of four destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1930s. None of the ships survived World War II.
The Sauro class were a group of four destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1920s. They were based in the Red Sea Italian colony of Eritrea and all fought in World War II being sunk during the East African Campaign in 1941.
The Sella-class destroyers were a group of four destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. Two of these ships fought in World War II and both were sunk after the Italian capitulation to the Allies. The two other ships were sold to the Swedish Navy in 1940 and were scrapped in the late 1940s.
The Red Sea Flotilla was part of the Regia Marina Italiana based at Massawa in the colony of Italian Eritrea, part of Italian East Africa. During World War II, the Red Sea Flotilla was active against the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy from the Italian declaration of war on 10 June 1940 until the fall of Massawa on 8 April 1941.
The Mirabello class were a group of three destroyers(originally scout cruisers) built for the Regia Marina during World War I. Carlo Alberto Racchia was sunk by a mine in the Black Sea during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1920. The remaining two ships, obsolescent by 1938, were re-rated as destroyers and participated in World War II. Carlo Mirabello was also lost to a mine while escorting a convoy in 1941. The last surviving ship, Augusto Riboty, was reconfigured as a convoy escort in 1942–1943. The torpedo tubes were removed and depth charges and 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns added. She survived the war and was transferred to the Soviet Union as war reparations in 1946. The ship was scrapped five years later.
Strale was one of four Freccia-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1930s. Completed in 1932, she played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 supporting the Spanish Nationalists and served in World War II.
The Attack on Convoy BN 7 was a naval engagement in the Red Sea during the Second World War between a British force defending convoyed merchant ships and a flotilla of Italian destroyers. The Italian attack failed, with only one merchant ship being slightly damaged. After a chase, the British destroyer HMS Kimberley torpedoed the Italian destroyer Francesco Nullo which was beached on Harmil Island. Kimberley was hit, disabled by Italian shore batteries on the island and towed to safety by the cruiser HMS Leander.
Euro was one of eight Turbine-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina during the 1920s. She was named after Euro, weak winter easterly wind bringing rain and storms to the Mediterranean.
Libeccio was one of four Maestrale-class destroyer built for the Regia Marina in the early 1930s. Completed in 1934, she served in World War II.
Freccia was the lead ship of her class of four destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1930s. Completed in 1931, she served in World War II and previous conflicts.
Francesco Nullo was one of four Sauro-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. Completed in 1927, she served in World War II.
Cesare Battisti was one of four Sauro-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. Completed in 1927, she served in World War II.
Daniele Manin was one of four Sauro-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. Completed in 1927, she served in World War II.
Nazario Sauro was the lead ship of her class of four destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the 1920s. Completed in 1926, she served in World War II.
Pantera was one of three Leone-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1920s.
Tigre was one of three Leone-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1920s.
Leone was the lead ship of her class of three destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1920s.
Augusto Riboty was one of three Mirabello-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina during World War I.
Carlo Mirabello was one of three Mirabello-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina during World War I.
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Regia Marina 
