Etna
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Etna (ex-Taksin) | CRDA, Trieste | 23.9.1939 | 28.5.1942 | --- | captured incomplete by Germany 10.9.1943 | ||
| Vesuvio (ex-Naresuan) | CRDA, Trieste | 26.8.1939 | 6.8.1941 | --- | captured incomplete by Germany 10.9.1943 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
5900 |
|
Displacement full, t |
6533 |
|
Length, m |
141.0 pp 153.8 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
14.5 |
|
Draught, m |
5.95 mean deep |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
28 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 60, deck: 35 - 20, turrets: 20, CT: 60 |
|
Armament |
3 x 2 - 135/45 OTO/Ansaldo 1938, 10 x 1 - 65/64 Ansaldo-Terni 1939, 10 x 2 - 20/65 Breda 1935 |
| Sensors | FuMo 39 radar |
| Military load | troops, 600 m³ of cargo |
|
Complement |
580 |
Project history: Small cruisers, under names Taksin and Naresuan ordered by Thailand in Italy in 1938. Under an original design, they should have 5500t standard displacement, 30kts speed and armament consisted of 3 twin 152mm guns, 6 single 76mm AA guns, 4 twin 13.2mm MGs, 2 triple 533mm TTs and catapults for seaplanes. Interesting feature of these ships was that despite only one funnel, machinery had en echelon arrangement (from a bow aftward there were No1 and 2 boiler rooms, No1 engine room, No3 boiler room and No2 engine room).
The laying of cruisers has happened in the end of 1939, and in December, 1941 works were suspended, 6.8.1942 Italian Government confiscated both ships. Taksin and Naresuan were renamed Etna and Vesuvio respectively. The design was modified to AA cruiser. All armament was replaced by new, thus catapult and TTs were removed. Besides providing of air defence of escorts, on the new ships it was supposed to assign additional functions of fast cargo vessels. For this purpose 400m3 holds were provided.
By September, 1943 the ships were in 60-65% readiness. 10.9.1943 they were captured by Germans at Trieste, and in 1944 scuttled on shallow water in 1944, raised next year and BU in 1948.
Ship protection: Main deck had 35mm thickness between inner longitudinal splinter bulkheads and 20mm between these bulkheads and belt.
© Ivan Gogin, 2009-14