Italian cruiser Duca degli Abruzzi
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | 28 December 1933 |
| Launched: | 21 April 1936 |
| Commissioned: | 1 December 1937 |
| Decommissioned: | January 1972 |
| Reconstructed: | 1953 |
| Fate: | reconstructed, scrapped 1972 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 11,350 tons standard,
11,735 tons full load |
| Length: | 171.1 - 187 m |
| Beam: | 18.9 m |
| Draught: | 6.9 m |
| Propulsion: | 6 boilers, 2 shafts, 100,000 hp |
| Speed: | 34 knots (62 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,125 miles at 13 knots |
| Complement: | 640 |
| Armament: | 10 152 mm / 55 caliber (6 in)
8 90 mm / 50 caliber 8 37 mm / 54 caliber 12 20 mm / 65 caliber 6 533 mm torpedo launchers 2 anti-submarines bombers |
| Aircraft: | 4 |
| Protection: | max 140 mm (vertical)
40 mm (horizontal) |
Luigi Di Savoia Duca Degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961. She was built by OTO La Spezia and named after Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian explorer and Admiral of World War I.
[edit] Design
The Duca degli Abruzzi class cruisers were the final version of the Condottieri class and were larger and better protected than their predecessors. The armament was also increased by two extra 6-inch guns, triple turrets replced twins in the A and Y positions. The machinery was also revised which led to these ships having a slightly slower maximum speed then their predecessors
[edit] Career
The ship was completed in 1937 and formed the 8th Cruiser division with her sister ship, she fought in the following actions:
- Battle of Calabria
- 1 September 1940: operation Hats
- Battle of Cape Matapan
- Operation Mincemeat
- Operation Halberd
Damaged by an aircraft torpedo on 22 November 1941 but repaired, Interned by the Allies after the Italian Armistice and served in the South Atlantic on blockade duty. Served in the post war Marina Militare until 1961.
[edit] References
- M.J. Whitley, Cruisers of World War Two, 1995 , Arms and armour Press ISBN 1-86019-874-0
