Soldati class destroyer
Destroyer Artigliere |
| Class overview |
| Operators: |
Regia Marina
Marina Militare
French Navy
Soviet Navy |
| Built: |
1938–1943 |
| In commission: |
1939–1965 |
| Completed: |
19 |
| Lost: |
10 |
| General characteristics |
| Type: |
Destroyer |
| Displacement: |
1,620 long tons (1,650 t) standard
2,550 long tons (2,590 t) full load |
| Length: |
106.7 m (350 ft 1 in) |
| Beam: |
10.15 m (33 ft 4 in) |
| Draught: |
3.15 m (10 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: |
2 shaft Belluzzo or Parsons type turbines
3 Yarrow type boilers
48,000 hp (35,800 kW) |
| Speed: |
38 knots (44 mph; 70 km/h) |
| Range: |
2,200 nmi (4,100 km) at 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
| Complement: |
206 |
| Armament: |
• 4 × 120 mm (4.7 in) guns (2×2)
• 1 × 120 mm (4.7 in) starshell gun (replaced by 37 mm guns in some ships in 1942)
• 12 × 13.2 mm machine guns (replaced by 20 mm (0.79 in) guns)
• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes )
• 48 mines |
The Soldati class (also known as Camicia Nera class) were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy during World War II. The ships were named after military professions (Artigliere, for example, meaning "artilleryman"). There were two batches; twelve ships were built in 1938-39, and a second batch of seven ships were ordered in 1942, although only five were completed.
Ten ships of the class were lost during the war. Of the survivors three were transferred to the French Navy and two to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, while two served in the Italian post-war navy, the Marina Militare.
Design
This class were essentially a repeat of the Oriani destroyer design. The anti-aircraft armament was increased and a 120 mm starshell gun was installed amidships. In batch two, the starshell gun was replaced by a single full size 120 mm gun. Some ships were fitted with radar in 1942.
Ships
Batch 1
- Alpino - named after the Alpini military corps
- Built by CNR Ancona, completed 20 April 1939,
- Lost 19 April 1943 when it was bombed by the US Air Force in La Spezia Harbour.
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 14 November 1938
- Lost 13 October 1940, sunk by HMS York after being damaged at the Battle of Cape Passero the previous day.[1]
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 6 May 1939,
- Took part of the successful attack on Harpoon convoy in June 1942, lost on 24 March 1943 after hitting a mine.
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 31 August 1938,
- Lost on 17 December 1942; Sunk by the British submarine HMS Splendid (P228)
- Built by CNR Palermo, completed on 1 April 1939,
- Lost on 7 January 1943 after being bombed in Palermo harbour.
- Camicia Nera ("blackshirt"), renamed Artigliere after the fall of the Fascist regime in 1943 -
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 30 June 1938
- Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, served in the Black Sea as the Lovkiy (Ловкий), decommissioned in 1960.
- Built by CT Riva Trigoso, completed on 20 December 1938.
- She survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy (Marina Militare), being decommissioned on 18 January 1965.
- Corazziere ("cuirassier") -
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 4 March 1939,
- Scuttled during the Italian Armistice of 9 September 1943.
- Fuciliere' ("Fusilier") -
- Built by CNR Ancona completed 10 January 1939,
- Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, served in the Black Sea Fleet as the Liogkiy (Лёгкий), decommissioned in 1960.
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 14 December 1938.
- She was lost on 1 March 1943 when it was bombed by USAAF in Palermo Harbour.
- Granatiere ("grenadier") -
- Built by CNR Palermo, completed on 1 February 1939,
- Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy (Marina Militare), being decommissioned on 1 July 1958.
- Built by CT Riva Trigoso, completed 25 March 1939,
- Lost in a storm on 23 March 1942 following the Second Battle of Sirte, with five survivors in the crew.
Batch 2
- Built by CNR Ancona, completed 15 July 1942.
- Sunk on 17 January 1943 by British submarine United.
- Built by OTO Livorno, not completed, cancelled 1941.
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed on 16 May 1942,
- Sunk by mines of 9 January 1943.
- Legionario ("legionnaire") -
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed 1 March 1942,
- Survived the war, transferred to the French Navy as a war reparation served as the Duchaffault until June 1954.
- Mitragliere ("machine gunner") -
- Built by CNR Ancona, completed 1 February 1942,
- Survived the war, transferred to the French Navy as a war reparation, served as the Jurien de la Graviere until June 1954.
- Squadrista ("Fascist squad man") -
- Built by OTO Livorno, not completed.
- Built by OTO Livorno, completed on 31 August 1942,
- Survived the war, transferred to the French Navy as a war reparation, served as the Duperre until June 1954.
See also
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Soldati_class_destroyer_(1938) Soldati class destroyer (1938)] at Wikimedia Commons
References