Italian battleship Caio Duilio in 1948. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Caio Duilio |
| Builder: | Castellammare di Stabia |
| Laid down: | 24 February 1912 |
| Launched: | 24 April 1913 |
| Commissioned: | 13 June 1916 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, 1957 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | As built: 22,956 tons normal 24,729 tons full load As modernized: 26,434 tons normal 29,391 tons full load |
| Length: | 168.96 m (554.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 28.03 m (92.0 ft) |
| Draft: | 8.58 m (28.1 ft) |
| Propulsion: | As built: Steam turbine system 20 boilers 4 shafts 30,000 shp As modernized: Steam turbine system 8 Yarrow type boilers 2 shafts 75,000 shp |
| Speed: | As built: 21 knots (39 km/h) As modernized: 27 knots (50 km/h) |
| Complement: | As built: 1,233 As modernized: 1,485 |
| Armament: | As built: 13 × 305 mm (12 in) guns (Three triple and two double turrets) 16 × 152 mm (6 in) guns 13 × 76 mm (3 in) guns 6 × 76 mm anti-aircraft guns 3 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes As modernized: 10 × 320 mm (12.6 in) guns (Two triple and two double turrets) 12 × 135 mm (5.3 in) guns (Four triple turrets) 10 × 90 mm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns 15 × 37 mm anti-aircraft guns 16 × 20 mm anti-aircraft guns |
| Armor: | Belt: 254 mm Turrets: 280 mm Decks: 98 mm |
Caio Duilio was an Italian Andrea Doria-class battleship that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913. After completing sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 13 June 1916, in the middle of World War I.
The Caio Duilio and her sister ship managed to survive World War I without seeing any naval action. Following the war, extensive modernization took place to the battleships between April 1937 and October 1940. Among other changes, the number of 305 millimetres (12.0 in) guns was reduced to ten, and the remaining guns bored to 320/44 mm, to equal the caliber of the French Dunkerque-class battleships.
During World War II, Caio Duilio was docked in the southern Italian port of Taranto. She was damaged by a torpedo during the Battle of Taranto. She was towed to Genoa for repairs lasting six months, and narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941. In December 1941, Duilio participated in the First Battle of Sirte. She was placed on the reserve in 1942 because of fuel shortages. After the Armistice with the Allies in 1943, Caio Duilio was used as a training ship. Finally the 41-year-old dreadnought, now old and worn out, was scrapped at La Spezia in 1957.
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Caio Duilio was named after the Roman consul and admiral Gaius Duilius. The battleship was laid down at the Castellammare di Stabia naval shipyard in Naples on 24 February 1912. She was the second and last battleship of the Andrea Doria class to be constructed. Following exactly one year and two months of construction, Caio Duilio was launched from the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 24 April 1913. The battleship was finally commissioned into the Regina Marina over three years later on 13 June 1916, following Italy's entry into World War I.[1][2]
Prior to her extensive modernization from 1937 to late 1940, Caio Duilio weighed 22,956 tons. When she was fully loaded, the battleship weighed as much as 24,729 tons. Following her modernization, the battleship weighed 26,434 tons and 29,391 tons while fully loaded. The ship was 168.96 m (554.3 ft) in length. Her beam was 28.03 m (92.0 ft) while her draft was 8.58 m (28.1 ft). She had a crew of 1,233 men and officers when she was commissioned into the Regina Marina. Following her modernization, she had a crew of 1,485 men and officers.[2]
When she was first built, Caio Duilio was equipped with a steam turbine system and had 20 boilers and 4 shafts. This totaled to an output of 30,000 shaft horsepowershp. Following her modernization, the battleship was still equipped with a steam turbine system but had 8 Yarrow type boilers and 2 shafts whiched produced a total of 75,000 shaft horsepower. The battleship could travel with speeds up to 23 knots (43 km/h) when she was first built.[3] After she was modernized, Caio Duilio could travel as fast as 27 knots (50 km/h).[2]
Caio Duilio's main armarment when she was first built was 13 305 mm (12 in) guns in three triple and two double turrets. She was also equipped with 16 152 mm (6 in) guns, 13 76 mm (3 in) guns, 6 76 millimetres (3.0 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 3 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes. After her modernization, the battleship had 10 320 mm (12.6 in) guns located in two triple and two double turrets, 12 135 mm (5.3 in) guns in four triple turrets, 10 90 mm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, 15 37 millimetres (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 16 20 millimetres (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns.[2][3]
Caio Duilio was equipped with 254 millimetres (10.0 in) armor at the belt, while her turrets were plated with 280 millimetres (11 in) armor. The battleship's deck armor was 98 millimetres (3.9 in).[2]
Although the Caio Duilio was commissioned into the Regina Marina in 1916, she saw no action in World War I.[2] However after the war, extensive modifications took place to both the Caio Duilio and the Andrea Doria between April 1937 and October 1940. During this time a number of changes were made to the battleships including the number and caliber of their guns, their tonnage and the ships' propulsion.[4]
During World War II, Caio Duilio and her sistership were stationed in the port of Taranto. During the second wave of the British attack on the harbor, one aircraft hit the Caio Duilio with a torpedo making a large hole in her hull and flooding both forward magazines. The aircraft was later shot down by the heavy cruiser Gorizia.[5] Caio Duilio was then towed to Naples the next day along with the rest of the Italian fleet in order to protect them from further British attacks.[6] Due to the damage that she suffered, Caio Duilio was later towed to Genoa for repairs and spent the next six months out of action. During her repairs, the battleship narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941.
Upon returning to service in May 1941, Caio Duilio served as the flagship of several task groups that were assigned to protecting troop convoys to the Italian colony of Libya for the North Africa campaign. The battleship was at sea in December 1941 just before the First Battle of Sirte, but she never fired upon any enemy vessels nor participated in the battle to any great extent.[2]
In 1942, Caio Duilio returned to escorting convoys. Following three escorts, she participated in a failed sortie attempt that tried to intercept a British convoy heading to Malta. By mid 1942, oil shortages in Italy confined many ships, including Caio Duilio at their moorings and in port. She remained there until Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943. Following the armistice, both the Caio Duilio and her sistership traveled to Malta and were interned at the island for the remainder of the war.[2]
At the end of World War II, Caio Duilio has handed back to the Italian Navy. Caio Duilio then served as the Italian naval flagship from 1947 to 1949. She later served as a training vessel. In 1956, the battleship was removed from the navy and scrapped later that year, making her one of the longest-serving World War I dreadnoughts.[2]
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