Oriani class destroyer

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The Italian Poeti class destroyer Oriani at full speed. Water-colour taken from the Regia Marina's official photo.
Class overview
Name:	Poeti
Operators:	Regia Marina
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer

The Oriani Class (also known as the Poeti class) were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyers, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament.

[edit] General characteristics

• Displacement: 1,559 tons standard, 2,470 tons full load
• Length: 106.7 m
• Beam: 10.15 m
• Draught: 3.42 m
• Machinery: 2 shaft Parsons type steam turbines, 3 Thornycroft type boilers, 48,000 hp (35,800 kW)
• Speed: 38 knots (70 km/h)
• Range: 2,190 nautical miles (4,060 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
• Armament:
  • 4 × 120 mm guns (2 × 2)
  • 4 × 37 mm guns (2 × 2)
  • 6 × 13.2 mm guns
  • 6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (2 × 3)
  • 56 mines
• Crew: 207

[edit] Ships

All four ships were built by OTO Livorno and named after poets:

• Alfredo Oriani (named after Alfredo Oriani): completed 15 July 1937, damaged in the Battle of Matapan, successfully attacked Harpoon convoy in June 1942. Escaped from La Spezia during the Italian Armistice in 1943 and was interned in Malta, given to the French Navy as a war reparation, where she served as the D'Estaing until 1954.
• Vittorio Alfieri (named after Vittorio Alfieri): completed 1 December 1937, sunk on 28 March 1941 in the Battle of Cape Matapan.
• Giosuè Carducci (named after Giosuè Carducci): completed 1 November 1937, Sunk 28 March 1941 in the Battle of Matapan.
• Vincenzo Gioberti (named after Vincenzo Gioberti): completed 27 October 1937, sunk on 9 August 1943 by the British submarine HMS Simoom.

[edit] References

• Whitley, M.H. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8. 

[edit] External links

• Page from Uboat.net