Soldati-class destroyer

Last updated
RN Artigliere.jpg
Artigliere
Class overview
NameSoldati class
Operators
Preceded by Oriani class
Succeeded by
Built1938–1943
In commission1939–1965
Planned19
Completed17
Cancelled2
Lost10
General characteristics (1st batch, as built)
Type Destroyer
Displacement
Length
  • 106.7 m (350 ft 1 in) (o/a)
  • 101.6 m (333 ft 4 in) (pp)
Beam10.15 m (33 ft 4 in)
Draught3.15–4.3 m (10 ft 4 in – 14 ft 1 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed34–35 knots (63–65 km/h; 39–40 mph)
Range2,340  nmi (4,330 km; 2,690 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement206
Armament

The Soldati class (also known as Camicia Nera class, meaning Blackshirt) were a group of destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. The ships were named after military professions (Artigliere, for example, meaning "artilleryman"). There were two batches; twelve ships were built in 1938–1939, and a second batch of seven ships were ordered in 1940, although only five were completed.

Contents

Ten ships of the class were lost during the war. Three of the survivors were transferred to the French Navy and two to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, while two served in the Italian post-war navy, the Marina Militare.

Design

In 1936, the Italian Regia Marina placed an order for twelve examples of a new destroyer design, the Soldati class. The design was essentially a repeat of the previous Oriani destroyer design, which was itself a development of the Maestrale class. The design featured an identical main gun armament of four 120 mm/50 calibre guns in two twin turrets, one forward and one aft, while torpedo armament was two triple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. A short (15 calibre) 120 mm gun [1] was mounted on a pedestal between the banks of torpedo tubes for firing starshell, while the anti-aircraft armament consisted of twelve 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns. A single ship (Carabiniere) was completed with a fifth 120 mm 50 calibre gun replacing the starshell gun. [1] The ships' powerplant, with two geared steam turbines driving two shafts and generating 48,000 shaft horsepower (36,000 kW), and with one large funnel, was similar to that in the Oriani class and was sufficient to propel the destroyers to 38 knots (70 km/h; 44 mph). [2] [3]

Orders for a second batch of seven destroyers were placed in 1940. All except one of these ships were to carry the five main gun armament of Carabiniere. [3] [nb 1]

Construction and modifications

The first batch of ships were laid down in 1937, being completed between 1938 and 1939, [2] with the second batch being laid down in 1940–1941, with five completing in 1942. [4]

Four more of the first batch (Ascari, Camicia Nera, Geniere and Lanciere) were modified in 1941–1942 by replacing the starshell gun with a full power 120 mm gun. [3] The anti-aircraft machine guns were gradually replaced by 20 mm cannon, with up to 10–12 being fitted by 1943. Five ships (Carabiniere, Granatiere, Fuciliere, Legionario and Velite) had the aft set of torpedo tubes replaced by two 37 mm (1.5 in) 54 cal. guns, while Fuciliere and Velite also had their starshell guns replaced by a further pair of 37 mm cannon. [3] [5] Fuciliere and Velite were fitted with Italian radar, while Legionario was fitted with a German radar. [5]

The Germans captured Squadrista incomplete in September 1943, and transferred the ship, renamed TA33, to Genoa for completion as a fighter direction ship carrying a long-range Freya radar and German 105 mm and 20 mm guns, but she was sunk by Allied bombing in 1944. [6]

The two destroyers remaining in Italian service after the war were rebuilt as anti-submarine escorts in 1953–1954, with their torpedo tubes removed and the anti-aircraft armament changed to six 40 mm/39 pom-pom guns. [7]

Ships

Batch 1

Construction data for Batch 1
ShipHull letters [8] Builder [2] Laid down [2] Launched [2] Commissioned [2] Fate
Alpino AP CNR, Ancona 2 May 193718 September 193820 April 1939Lost after bombing by USAAF aircraft in La Spezia Harbour, 19 April 1943 [2]
Artigliere AR O.T.O., Livorno 15 February 193712 December 193714 November 1938Lost 13 October 1940, sunk by HMS York after being damaged at the Battle of Cape Passero the previous day. [9] The wreck was discovered in 2017. [10]
Ascari AI11 December 193731 July 19386 May 1939Sank 24 March 1943 after striking three mines [2]
Aviere AV16 January 193719 September 193731 August 1937Torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine HMS Splendid on 17 December 1942 [3]
Bersagliere BG CNR, Palermo 21 April 19373 July 19381 April 1939Lost after being bombed in Palermo harbour, 7 January 1943; [3]
Camicia Nera (later Artigliere)CN (AR)O.T.O., Livorno21 January 19378 August 193730 June 1938Renamed Artigliere, 30 July 1943; [11] survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations as Lovky (Russian : Ловкий); retired 1960 [12]
Carabiniere CB CT, Riva Trigoso 1 February 193723 July 193820 December 1938Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy (Marina Militare), decommissioned, 18 January 1965 [2]
Corazziere CZ (CR)O.T.O., Livorno7 October 193722 May 19384 March 1939Scuttled at Genoa following Italian Armistice, 9 September 1943; raised by Germans but sunk by air raid, 4 Sep 1944 [2]
Fuciliere FCCNR, Ancona2 May 193731 July 193810 January 1939Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, serving as Lyogky (Russian : Лёгкий); retired 1960 [13]
Geniere GEO.T.O., Livorno26 August 193727 February 193814 December 1938Sunk by USAAF bombing while in drydock in Palermo, 1 March 1943 [2] [14]
Granatiere GNCNR, Palermo5 April 193724 April 19381 February 1939Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy; stricken 1 July 1958 [2]
Lanciere LNCT, Riva Trigoso1 February 193718 December 193825 March 1939Capsized and sank in heavy storm following Second Battle of Sirte, 23 March 1942 [2] [3]

Batch 2

Construction data for Batch 2
ShipHull letters [8] Builder [4] Laid down [4] Launched [4] Commissioned [4] Fate
Bombardiere BRCNR, Ancona7 October 194023 March 194215 July 1942Sunk 17 January 1943 by HMS United [4]
CarristaCRO.T.O., Livorno11 September 1941N/ACaptured on slipway by Germans following Italian armistice; given prospective name TA34 but scrapped incomplete. [4] [6] [nb 2]
Corsaro CA23 January 194116 November 194116 May 1942Sunk by mines laid by HMS Abdiel, 9 January 1943 [4]
Legionario LG21 October 194016 April 19411 March 1942Joined Allies 1943; transferred to France as war reparation, 15 August 1948; renamed Duchaffault; stricken 12 June 1954 [4] [16]
Mitragliere MTCNR, Ancona7 October 194028 September 19411 February 1942Interned Port Mahon, Majorca 1943; to Allies 1944; to France as Jurien de la Gravière, 8 Aug 1948; stricken 12 June 1954 [4] [16]
SquadristaSQO.T.O., Livorno4 September 194112 September 1942—Captured incomplete by Germany, September 1943; towed to Genoa for completion as TA33; sunk while undergoing trials at La Spezia, 4 September 1944 [4] [6]
Velite VL19 April 194131 August 194131 August 1942Badly damaged by torpedo from submarine HMS P228, 21 November 1942; repaired and joined Allies, 1943; transferred to France as Duperré, 24 July 1948; stricken 1961 [4] [16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Velite was completed with the starshell gun. [4]
  2. ↑ German naval historian Erich Gröner states that no TA number was allotted to Carrista by the Kriegsmarine. [15]

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Soldato-class destroyer Italian Regia Marina class of destroyers

The Soldato class was a class of destroyers of the Italian Regia Marina built by Ansaldo of Genoa prior to the First World War. Ten were built for the Regia Marina between 1905 and 1910, while an eleventh ship was built for China but purchased by Italy before completion. They served during the First World War, where one was lost, with the remaining ships sold for scrap in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Italian destroyer <i>Alpino</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Alpino was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in early 1939, she was one of the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Artigliere</i> (1937) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Artigliere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1938, she was one of the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Bersagliere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Bersagliere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in early 1939, she was one of the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Camicia Nera</i> Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Camicia Nera was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1938, she was the first ship of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service. In July 1943, due to the fall of the Fascist regime she was renamed Artigliere, a name formerly held by a sister ship that had been sunk 3 years earlier. She was transferred to the Soviet Navy as a war reparation in 1950, renamed Lyogkyy, and expended as a target in 1954.

Italian destroyer <i>Carabiniere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Carabiniere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1938, she survived World War II to be scrapped in 1978.

Italian destroyer <i>Corazziere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Corazziere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in mid-1939, she was the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Fuciliere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Fuciliere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in early 1939, she served in World War II.

Italian destroyer <i>Geniere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Geniere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1938, she was one of the first of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Granatiere</i> (1938) Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Grantiere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in early 1939, she was one of the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.

Italian destroyer <i>Bombardiere</i> Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Bombardiere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in mid-1942, she was part of the second batch of seven ships.

Italian destroyer <i>Corsaro</i> Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Corsaro was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in mid-1942, she was one of the second batch of seven ships.

Italian destroyer <i>Mitragliere</i> Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Mitragliere was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in early 1942, she was the first ship to be finished of the second batch of seven ships.

Velite was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in mid-1942, she was the last of the second batch of seven ships to be finished.

Italian destroyer <i>Grecale</i> Destroyer of the Regia Marina

Grecale was one of four Maestrale-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the early 1930s. Completed in 1934, she served in World War II. She survived the war and continued her service with Marina Militare until 1964.

Italian destroyer <i>Ascaro</i> Italian Soldato-class destroyer

Ascaro ("Askari") was a Soldato-class ("Soldier"-class) destroyer of the Italian Regia Marina. Commissioned in 1913, she served during World War I. Reclassified as a torpedo boat in 1921, she was stricken in 1930.

References

  1. 1 2 Campbell 1985, pp. 335–338
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Whitley 1988, p. 169.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Roberts 1980, p. 301.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Whitley 1988, p. 171.
  5. 1 2 Whitley 1988, pp. 170–171.
  6. 1 2 3 Whitley 1988, p. 80.
  7. ↑ Smigielski 1995, p. 200.
  8. 1 2 Fraccaroli 1968, pp. 59, 62
  9. ↑ "On This Day - 1940 Archives | Page 3 of 15".
  10. ↑ Deamer, Kacey (6 June 2017). "Sunken WWII Destroyer Found by Paul Allen's Research Company". LiveScience. Purch. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  11. ↑ Whitley 1988, p. 170.
  12. ↑ "Архив фотографий кораблей русского и советского ВМФ".
  13. ↑ "Архив фотографий кораблей русского и советского ВМФ".
  14. ↑ Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 197.
  15. ↑ Gröner 1990, p. 227.
  16. 1 2 3 Smigielski 1995, p. 109.

Bibliography

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