Regia Marina: 4 Built 1936-37: Alfredo Oriani, Vittorio Alfieri, Giosuè Carducci, Vincenzo Gioberti The Oriani class were a near-repeat of the previous Maestrale, themselves derived from the Freccia and Folgore. They were the fourth series in this new design inaugurated in 1930, now representing sixteen modern destroyers for the Regia Marina. They formed the basis … Read more
Regia Marina – 8 destroyers: Giuseppe La Masa, Giacinto Carini, Benedetto Cairoli, Angelo Bassini, Nicola Fabrizi, Giuseppe La Farina, Agostino Bertani, Giacomo Medici. Built 1916-1919, ww1, ww2, cold war until 1958 The La Masa class were eight destroyers all ordered in 1916 at Odero Yard in two batches, six laid down in 1916 and two … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles (1932-35): Archimede, Galileo Ferraris, Galileo Galilei, Evangelista Torricelli The Archimede class were a four submarines built for the Regia Marina between 1930 and 1934. They were double hull Cavallini design, enlarged version of the Settembrini class with greater specs overall, notably range. They also had two 100 mm guns to maximize sorties against … Read more
Italy (1937-45)- 40 ASW corvettes: The Gabbiano-class corvettes were 59 vessels built for the Regia Marina in various yards during the Second World War, from a simple war-time design made for mass-production and dedicated to anti-submarine and escort. Of these, 49 were completed and many by and for the Germans. So they became also among … Read more
Oceanic Submersible (1927-41) Ettore Fieramosca was designed by Bernardis as a cruiser submarine capable initially to carry a seaplane in a waterproof hangar armed armed with a single 203 mm (8 in) gun, partly inspired by the French Surcouf under construction. The completed submarine was much smaller, and the prototype seaplanes tested were not impressive, … Read more
Coastal Submersibles: Giovanni Bausan, Marcantonio Colonna, Des Geneys, Vettor Pisani (1926-29) The Pisani-class submarines were built for the Regia Marina as a parallel development to the Mameli class, a new start for the Interwar Italian submarine arm. Four were built for this design by the Cantiere Navale Triestino, with a single hull but generally features … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles: Balilla, D. Millelire, A. Sciesa, E. Toti (1926-29) Laid down in 1925 and completed in 1928 (Sciesa 1929), these boats were designed by their builders to meet a Navy request for a cruiser submarine capable of operating in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean from Italy’s African colonies, necessitating a high endurance and … Read more
Oceanic Submersibles: Pier Capponi, Giovanni da Procida, Goffredo Mameli, Tito Speri (1926-29) The Mameli-class submarine were the first built for the Regia Marina post-First World War. These were designed by engineer Cavallini in Tosi Yard and became the prototype for future ocean-going Italian submarines in the interwar. Four were built, operational in 1927-29 after being … Read more
Scouts (cruisers): Leone, Tigre, Pantera (+Leopardo, Lince cancelled 1920) 1921-1941 The last “Esploratori” (scouts) were ordered in 1917 but built after WWI due to shortages, and largely inspired by the previous 1916 Mirabello class. They were almost an up-scaling with heavier guns, capable of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph). They were re-rated as destroyers … Read more
Scouts (Cruisers, then destroyers) Carlo Mirabello, Carlo Alberto Racchia, Augusto Riboty 1916-1951 The Mirabello class were a group of three scout cruisers built for the Regia Marina in WWI. Very active in the Adriatic, they survived it. Carlo Alberto Racchia hit a mine in the Black Sea during the Allied intervention (Russian Civil War) by … Read more
