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REGIA MARINA / ITALIAN NAVY (ITALY)

TORPEDO SHIPS

SPICA torpedo boats (1935-1938)

Canopo 1940

Sirio 1954

Sagittario 1963

Project history: In the early thirties for replacement of out-of-date torpedo boats the decision to build a series of new ships of such type was accepted, thus their standard displacement was limited by 600t. It allowed to take advantage of an opening in total documents of the London Naval Conference of 1930 according to which the ships with displacement under 600t did not fall under limitations and could be built in any number. According to naval shipbuilding experts, to create something except coastal torpedo boat with low seaworthiness and low endurance, it was impossible. For Italy, whose interests have been centred on Mediterranean sea with its rather small distances and good weather conditions, the endurance and seaworthiness paled into insignificance. It is clear to use desire of Italians this opening for the renewal torpedo fleets, not spending on it precious contractual tonnage and having left it on rigorous destroyers.

It is interesting, that determination to build the 600t ships had, besides economic also political underlying reason as Italy, after France, did not ratify total documents of the London conference and formally had the full right not to follow any limitations.

First two torpedo boats laid down in 1933 structurally presented strongly moderated version of Freccia class destroyer with 100mm main guns and 450mm torpedoes. In total 32 ships were completed differing from each other by an arrangement of torpedo banks. On trials many have exceeded 37kts, however, after commission speed was significantly decreased at the expense of overload (to 630-670t design standard displacement it was added from 115-150t) and has averaged 30kts.

Successful from the point of view of an applied naval architecture design of 600t torpedo boat at the same time had doubtful practical value as approached for the decision of the majority of the tasks facing destroyer a little. For operations against enemy destroyers she has been too small and poorly armed. For torpedo attacks on enemy surface ships on the contrary, she was too large and had in side salvo only 2-4 weak 450mm torpedoes. Much in larger degree 600t torpedo boats approached for patrol and escort services, but also in this case their anti-aircraft and anti-submarine armaments were too weak.

Modernizations: 1939 - 1941, all survived: were armed with 3 x 1 - 100/47 OTO 1931/1937, 3 x 2 - 20/65 Breda 1935, 1 x 2 - 13.2/76, 2 x 2 - 450 TT, 2 DCT, 18 - 28 mines, hydrophone

1941 - 1942, all survived: + 2 DCT (40 DC at all)

1942 - 1943, all survived: - 1 x 2 - 13.2/76; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 1939

early 1950s, all survived: + radars, sonar

1952, Cassiopea: - 2 x 2 - 450 TT; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL

1952, Sirio: - 2 x 1 - 100/47, 2 x 2 - 450 TT; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog MK 10 ASWRL

1952, Clio, Libra; 1953, Aretusa, Calliope: - 1 x 1 - 100/47, 2 x 2 - 450 TT; + 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 10 ASWRL

1958, Sirio: - 1 x 1 - 100/47; + 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3

1958, Clio, Libra, Aretusa, Calliope: - 2 x 1 - 100/47; + 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 3

Naval service: Airone and Ariel 12.10.1940 were sunk by British cruiser Ajax E off Malta. Calipso 5.12.1940 was sunk on mines laid by British submarine Rorqual E off Tripoli. Andromeda 18.3.1941 was sunk by British aircraft at coast of Albania. Canopo was sunk 3.5.1941 by British aircraft at Tripoli. Pleiadi 31.5.1941 was wrongly damaged by Italian aircraft at Tobruk, towed off to Tripoli, 13.10.1941 hard damaged by British aircraft and was not repaired. Aldebaran and Altair 20.10.1941 were sunk by mines laid by British submarine Rorqual off Piraeus. Alcione 11.12.1941 was sunk by British submarine Truant N off Crete. Vega 10.1.1942 was damaged by gunfire of British cruiser Bonaventure off Pantelleria and sunk by a torpedo from British destroyer Hereward. Polluce 4.9.1942 was sunk by British aircraft N off Tobruk. Centauro 4.11.1942 was sunk by American aircraft at Bengasi. Circe 27.11.1942 was sunk at collision with auxiliary cruiser Citta di Tunisi at Sicily. Lupo 2.12.1942 was sunk by British cruisers Aurora, Argonaut and Sirius off Kirkenah. Cigno 16.4.1943 was sunk by gunfire and torpedoes of British destroyers Paladin and Pakenham W off Sicily. Climene 28.4.1943 was sunk by British submarine Unshaken W off Sicily. Perseo 4.5.1943 was sunk by British destroyers Nubian, Paladin and Petard at coast of Tunisia. Antares 28.5.1943 was sunk as result of American air raid to Leghorn. Castore was sunk 2.6.1943 by gunfire of British destroyer Jervis and Greek Vasilissa Olga off Calabria. Lince 4.8.1943 ran aground at Taranto and 28.8.1943 was finished by British submarine Ultor. Pallade 5.8.1943 was sunk by American aircraft at Naples. Lira was captured by German troops in September, 1943, renamed TA49 and sunk 4.11.1944 by Allied aircraft at La Spezia. Partenope was captured by German troops in September, 1943 and 11.9.1943 blown up at Naples.

Some ships after war were modernised as fast corvettes: Cassiopea (1950-1952), Sirio (1951-1952), Aretusa (1952-1953), Calliope (1952-1953), Clio (1951-1952), Libra (1950-1952). Sagittario in 1952-1953 was converted to armament trials ship.

Climene

Lupo 1941

Cassiopea 1953

Clio 1953

© Ivan Gogin, 2009-15