Italian battleship Littorio
Encyclopedia
Littorio was a Vittorio Veneto-class battleship
that served in the Regia Marina
during World War II
. She was named after the Lictor
("Littorio" in Italian), in ancient times the bearer of the Roman fasces
, which was adopted as the symbol of Italian Fascism
. She was later renamed Italia.
shipyards in Genoa
; she was launched in 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy entered in war against France and United Kingdom. After the war she was taken by the United States as war compensation, but was scrapped in 1948.
The Vittorio Veneto class was designed by General Umberto Pugliese, and was the first class of battleship to exceed the limits of the Washington Treaty
(35000 LT (35,561.8 t) of displacement).
on 11 November, during which she received three torpedo hits, which caused relatively minor damage requiring five months repairs.
After repairs, Littorio participated in the attack of the Allied convoy Albert on 27 September 1941. The convoy was transporting supplies to the island of Malta
. On 17 December, she took part in the First Battle of Sirte
. She was assigned to the distant covering force for the convoy M 42, which was bound for North Africa, carrying supplies for Rommel's
Afrika Korps
. Littorio, along with the rest of the distant covering force, engaged a British flotilla of surface raiders, and drove them off.
On 3 January 1942, Littorio was again tasked with convoy escort, in support of M 43. On 22 March, she participated in the Second Battle of Sirte
, as the flagship for an Italian force attempting to destroy a British convoy bound for Malta. During the battle, Littorio struck the destroyers and with her main guns, nearly destroying Kingston, which managed to limp back to Malta the following morning. Three months later, on 15 June, Littorio participated in the interception of the Vigorous
convoy to Malta. During the return to port, Littorio was struck by a torpedo dropped by a British Wellington
bomber, but the ship was able to return to port for repairs.
On 30 July 1943, after the fall of Benito Mussolini
, Littorio was renamed Italia. The Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces took place on 8 September, along with the rest of the Italian fleet she was formally surrendered to the Allies on the following day. During the steaming to the Allied port of Malta, the Italian fleet was attacked by German Dornier Do 217
s armed with Fritz X
radio-controlled bombs. During this attack Italia was hit on the starboard side underneath her fore main turrets, while its sister ship, the Italian flagship Roma
, was sunk after it was struck by two bombs. Italia was then stationed in the Great Bitter Lake
in Egypt
until the end of the war.
Littorio participated in 46 war missions, nine of which were enemy hunting and three were as an escort.
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
that served in the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was named after the Lictor
Lictor
The lictor was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium, the right and power to command; essentially, a bodyguard...
("Littorio" in Italian), in ancient times the bearer of the Roman fasces
Fasces
Fasces are a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, which is an image that traditionally symbolizes summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity"...
, which was adopted as the symbol of Italian Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. She was later renamed Italia.
Construction
Her keel was laid down in 1934 at the AnsaldoGio. Ansaldo & C.
Ansaldo was one of Italy's oldest and most important engineering companies, existing for 140 years from 1853 to 1993.-From foundation to World War I:...
shipyards in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |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....
; she was launched in 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy entered in war against France and United Kingdom. After the war she was taken by the United States as war compensation, but was scrapped in 1948.
The Vittorio Veneto class was designed by General Umberto Pugliese, and was the first class of battleship to exceed the limits of the Washington Treaty
Washington Treaty
The Treaty of Washington may refer to:* Treaty of Washington , between the U.S. and the Creek National Council * Treaty of Washington , two Indian nation treaties, between the U.S. and the Sac and Meskwaki , and the Iowa * Treaty of Washington , between the U.S...
(35000 LT (35,561.8 t) of displacement).
Actions
On 1 September 1940, Littorio participated in Operation Hats, followed by Operation MB 5 on 29 September. She was in Taranto harbor during the Battle of TarantoBattle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
on 11 November, during which she received three torpedo hits, which caused relatively minor damage requiring five months repairs.
After repairs, Littorio participated in the attack of the Allied convoy Albert on 27 September 1941. The convoy was transporting supplies to the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. On 17 December, she took part in the First Battle of Sirte
First Battle of Sirte
The First Battle of Sirte was fought between the British Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the Mediterranean campaign of the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte...
. She was assigned to the distant covering force for the convoy M 42, which was bound for North Africa, carrying supplies for Rommel's
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
. Littorio, along with the rest of the distant covering force, engaged a British flotilla of surface raiders, and drove them off.
On 3 January 1942, Littorio was again tasked with convoy escort, in support of M 43. On 22 March, she participated in the Second Battle of Sirte
Second Battle of Sirte
The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval engagement in which the escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta frustrated a much more powerful Regia Marina squadron. The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser, and 17 destroyers...
, as the flagship for an Italian force attempting to destroy a British convoy bound for Malta. During the battle, Littorio struck the destroyers and with her main guns, nearly destroying Kingston, which managed to limp back to Malta the following morning. Three months later, on 15 June, Littorio participated in the interception of the Vigorous
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
convoy to Malta. During the return to port, Littorio was struck by a torpedo dropped by a British Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bomber, but the ship was able to return to port for repairs.
On 30 July 1943, after the fall of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, Littorio was renamed Italia. The Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces took place on 8 September, along with the rest of the Italian fleet she was formally surrendered to the Allies on the following day. During the steaming to the Allied port of Malta, the Italian fleet was attacked by German Dornier Do 217
Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
s armed with Fritz X
Fritz X
Fritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternate names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, Kramer X-1, PC 1400X or FX 1400...
radio-controlled bombs. During this attack Italia was hit on the starboard side underneath her fore main turrets, while its sister ship, the Italian flagship Roma
Italian battleship Roma (1940)
Roma, named after two previous ships and the city of Rome, was the fourth Vittorio Veneto-class battleship of Italy's Regia Marina...
, was sunk after it was struck by two bombs. Italia was then stationed in the Great Bitter Lake
Great Bitter Lake
The Great Bitter Lake is a salt water lake between the north and south part of the Suez Canal. It is adjoined by the Small Bitter Lake . Before the Canal was built, their site was occupied by dry salt valleys. Together, the Bitter Lakes now have a surface area of about 250 km²...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
until the end of the war.
Littorio participated in 46 war missions, nine of which were enemy hunting and three were as an escort.