Capitani Romani class cruiser
Encyclopedia
Capitani Romani was a class of light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s of the Italian navy
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
. They were essentially designed to out-run and out-gun the large new French destroyers of the Fantasque
Le Fantasque class destroyer
The Fantasque class of six large, very fast destroyers was ordered under the French naval programme of 1930...
and Mogador
Mogador class destroyer
The Mogador-class large destroyers of the French navy were laid down in 1935 and commissioned in 1939. They were extremely fast, very large destroyers intended to act as scouts for the two fast Dunkerque-class battleships...
classes. Twelve hulls were ordered in late 1939, but only four were completed, just three of these before the Italian armistice in 1943. The ships were named after prominent Ancient Romans.
Design
The Capitani Romani were originally classed as Esploratori Oceanici ("ocean scouts"), although some authors consider them to have been heavy destroyers.The design was fundamentally a light, almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament. The original design was modified to sustain the prime requirements of speed and firepower. Given their machinery development of 93,210 kW, equivalent to that of the 17,000 ton cruisers of the Des Moines class
Des Moines class cruiser
The Des Moines class cruisers were a group of U.S. Navy heavy cruisers, commissioned in 1948–1949. They were the last of the all-gun heavy cruisers, exceeded in size in the American navy only by the cruisers.-Description:...
, the target speed was over 40 knots (78 km/h), but the ships were left virtually unarmoured. As a result, the three completed warships achieved 43 knots (84 km/h) during trials. The Capitani Romani shipped a main battery of eight 135 mm guns, with a rate of fire of six rounds per minute and a range of 19,500 m. They also carried eight 533 mm torpedo tubes. The wartime load dropped the operational speed to 36 knots (71 km/h).
Action
Only Scipione Africano saw combat. Equipped with the Italian-developed EC.3 Gufo radar, she detected and engaged four British Motor Torpedo BoatMotor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s lurking five miles ahead during the night of 17 July 1943, while passing the Messina
Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina is the narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Ionian Sea, within the central Mediterranean...
straits at high speed. She sank MTB 316 and heavily damaged MTB 313 on the position 38°9′33.82"N 15°37′23.68"E. A dozen British seamen lost their lives in this action. Attilio Regolo was torpedoed by on 7 November 1942, and remained in drydock for several months with her bow shattered. She was interned in Port Mahon
Mahon
Mahón is a municipality and the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca , located in the eastern part of the island. Mahon has the second deepest natural harbor in the world: 5 km long and up to 900m. wide...
after the Italian capitulation.
Ships
Four of the ships were scrapped before launch. Five were captured by the Germans in September 1943, still under construction. All five were sunk in harbour, one was raised and completed. Three were completed before the Italian armistice.- Attilio Regolo, named after Marcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius RegulusMarcus Atilius Regulus , a general and consul in the ninth year of the First Punic War...
, built by OTO Livorno, completed May 1942. Commissioned in August and used as a mine-layer until seriously damaged by a torpedo in November. Ceded to France in 1948 renamed Chateaurenault. - Caio Mario, named after Gaius MariusGaius MariusGaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman. He was elected consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his dramatic reforms of Roman armies, authorizing recruitment of landless citizens, eliminating the manipular military formations, and reorganizing the...
, built by OTO Livorno, launched 17 August 1941; captured in La SpeziaLa SpeziaLa Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
by the Germans, with only the hull completed. Used as a floating oil tank and scuttled in 1944. - Claudio Druso, named after Nero Claudius DrususNero Claudius DrususNero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander. He was a fully patrician Claudian on his father's side but his maternal grandmother was from a plebeian family...
, built by CdT Riva Trigoso, construction cancelled June 1940. Scrapped 1941-1942. - Claudio Tiberio, named after the Emperor TiberiusTiberiusTiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, built by OTO Livorno, construction cancelled June 1940. Scrapped between November 1941 and February 1942. - Cornelio Silla, named after Lucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius SullaLucius Cornelius Sulla Felix , known commonly as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He had the rare distinction of holding the office of consul twice, as well as that of dictator...
, built by Ansaldo Genoa, launched 28 June 1941; captured in GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
by the Germans while fitting out; never completed. Sunk in an air raid in July 1944. - Giulio Germanico, named after GermanicusGermanicusGermanicus Julius Caesar , commonly known as Germanicus, was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and a prominent general of the early Roman Empire. He was born in Rome, Italia, and was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle...
, built by Castellamare shipyard, launched 20 July 1941; captured by the Germans in Castellammare di StabiaCastellammare di StabiaCastellammare di Stabia is a comune in the province of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento.-History:...
, almost completed. Scuttled by the Germans on 28 September 1943; raised and completed by the Italians after the war. Renamed San Marco, she served as a destroyer leader until her decommission in 1971. - Ottaviano Augusto, named after the Emperor AugustusAugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, built by CNR Ancona, launched 31 May 1942; captured in AnconaAnconaAncona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
by the Germans while being completed; sunk in an air attack on 1 November 1943. - Paolo Emilio, named after Lucius Aemilius Paulus MacedonicusLucius Aemilius Paulus MacedonicusLucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus was a two-time consul of the Roman Republic and a noted general who conquered Macedon putting an end to the Antigonid dynasty.-Family:...
, construction cancelled in June 1940. built by Ansaldo Genoa, Scrapped between October 1941 and February 1942. - Pompeo Magno, named after Pompey the GreatPompeyGnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, built by CNR Ancona, launched 24 August 1941, completed. Renamed as San Giorgio, served as a destroyer leader until 1963. Became a training ship in 1965 and decommissioned and scrapped in 1980. - Scipione Africano: named after Scipio AfricanusScipio AfricanusPublius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
, built by OTO Livorno, launched January 12, 1941 and completed on April 23, 1943. Ceded to France in 1948 and first renamed S7, then renamed Guichen. Scrapped 1979. - Ulpio Traiano, named after the Emperor TrajanTrajanTrajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
, built by CNR Palermo, Launched 1941; not completed. Sunk in PalermoPalermoPalermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
by British human torpedoHuman torpedoHuman torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
attack in 1943. - Vipsanio Agrippa, named after Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman statesman and general. He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant and defense minister to Octavian, the future Emperor Caesar Augustus...
, built by CDT Riva Trigso, construction stopped June 1940. Scrapped 1941-1942.
French post-War service
The Attilo Regolo and Scipione Africano were transferred to France as war reparations. They were renamed Chateaurenault and Guichen respectively. The ships were extensively rebuilt for the French Navy by La Seyne dockyardSociété Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
The Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée was a French shipbuilding company. The 'Société des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée' was founded in 1853 by Philip Taylor, while a new company, the 'Nouvelle' société, was founded in 1856. It had shipyards in La Seyne-sur-Mer,...
with new anti-aircraft-focussed armament and fire-control systems in 1951-54. The ships were decommissioned in 1961-61.
General characteristics as rebuilt
- Displacement
- Length
- Beam
- Draught
- Machinery - unchanged
- Armament
- 6 – 105 mm guns (three twin turrets of German origin)
- 10 – 57 mm guns (5 twin turrets
- 12 – 550 mm torpedo tubes
- Sensors: Radar DRBV 20 A, DRBV 11, DRBC 11, DRBC 30, Sonar
- Crew: 353
Post-war Italian service
The Guilio Germanico and Pompeo Magno served in the post war Marina MilitareMarina Militare
The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...
, being renamed San Marco and San Giorgio respectively. Both ships were extensively rebuilt in 1951-55 and fitted with American weapons and radar. Characteristics included:
- 6 127 mm guns in twin turrets fitted in A, X and Y positions, with anti-aircraft capability
- a Menon Anti submarine mortar fitted in B position
- fitting of 20 40mm Bofors AA gunsBofors 40 mm gunThe Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
- SPS-6 and SG-6B radar, SQS-11 sonar and the Mk37 fire control system for the 5 inch guns
San Marco was further rebuilt as a cadet training ship in 1963-65 when she was fitted with new CODAG machinery. New 76mm guns replaced the 40mm and X 5 inch mounting. San Marco was decommissioned in 1971, San Giorgio following in 1980.