Ariete class Torpedo boat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Ariete class torpedo boats were a group of destroyer escorts built for the Italian Navy during World War II. They were enlarged versions of the Spica class torpedo boats and designed to escort convoys to North Africa. Sixteen ships were ordered but only one was completed by the time of the armistice. This ship the Ariete escaped and survived the war. Most of the other ships were completed by the Germans, entered service with the Kriegsmarine as Torpedoboot Ausland and were sunk.

[edit] General Characteristics

Displacement: 745 tons standard, 1,110 tons full load
Length: 83.5 m
Beam: 8.62 m
Draught: 3.15 m
Machinery: 2 shaft geared steam turbines, 2 boilers 22,000 hp
Speed: 31.5 knots
Range:
Armament
- 2 - 100mm guns (2x1)
- 10 - 20mm guns
- 6 - 450mm torpedo tubes
- 20 mines
Crew 158

[edit] Ships

Italian Name	German number	Builder	Launched	Fate
Alabarda	TA 42	CRDA Trieste	7 May 1944	Sunk 21 March 1954 Ref
Ariete	n/a	Ansaldo, Genoa	6 March 1942	Escaped after the Armistice and interned by the Allies, transferred as reparation to Yugoslavia 1949
Arturo	TA 24	Ansaldo, Genoa	27 March 1943	Sunk 18 March 1945 Ref
Auriga	TA 27	Ansaldo, Genoa	15 April 1943	Lost 9 June 1944 Ref
Balestra	TA 47	CNQ Fiume		not completed damaged by air raid on slipway Ref
Daga	TA 39	CRDA Trieste	15 july 1943	Sunk 16 October 1944 Ref
Dragone	TA 30	Ansaldo, Genoa	14 August 1943	Sunk 15 June 1944 ref
Eridano	TA 29	Ansaldo, Genoa	12 July 1943	Sunk 18 March 1945 ref
Fionda	TA 46	CNQ Fiume		Lost 20 February 1945 ref
Gladio	TA 37	CRDA Trieste	15 June 1943	7 October 1944 ref
Lancia	TA 41	CRDA Trieste	7 May 1944	Sunk 17 February 1945 Ref
Pugnale	TA 40	CRDA Trieste	1 August 1944	Scutted 4 May 1945 Ref
Rigel	TA 28	Ansaldo, Genoa	22 May 1943	Sunk 9 June 1944 Ref
Spada	TA 38	CRDA Trieste	1 July 1943	Sunk 13 October 1944 Ref
Spica	TA 45	CNQ Fiume		Lost 13 April 1945 Ref
Stella Polare	TA 36	CNQ Fiume	11 July 1943	Sunk 18 March 1944 Ref