 Torpedo boat Cassiopea |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: | _crowned.svg){kind=small} Regia Marina Swedish Navy |
| Built: | 1934–1937 |
| Completed: | 32 |
| Lost: | 23 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Torpedo boat |
| Displacement: | 795 long tons (808 t) standard 1,020 long tons (1,040 t) full load |
| Length: | 83.5 m (273 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 8.1 m (26 ft 7 in) |
| Draught: | 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 steam turbines, 2 shafts 19,000 hp (14,200 kW) |
| Speed: | 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h) |
| Complement: | 116 |
| Armament: | • 3 × 100 mm (3.9 in) guns • 10 × 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns • 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns • 4 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes • Up to 20 mines |
The Spica-class were a class of torpedo boats of the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 tons could be built in unlimited numbers. Thirty-two ships were built in total, between 1934 and 1937, thirty of which entered service with Italy and two which were transferred to Sweden in 1940. Although commonly referred to as torpedo boats, the Spica-class were similar in design to destroyer escorts and were used in anti-submarine duties, although they often had to battle aircraft and surface forces as well.
Twenty-three units were lost during World War II.
Contents |
Design
The design work started in 1932 and two propotypes; the Spica and Astore were built. The hull was 80 m long and displacement was around 720 tons standard rather than the 600 tons permitted by the Washington treaty. Propulsion consisted of a two shaft geared turbine layout with two Yarrow type boilers. The armament consisted of three 102mm guns in single mountings in A,X and Y positions. There were also four 450mm torpedo tubes.
Ships
| Ship | Builder | Completed | Operational History |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airone | Ansaldo, Genoa | 10 May 1938 | Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero by cruiser HMS Ajax |
| Alcione | Ansaldo, Genoa | 10 May 1938 | Sunk 11 December 1941 by submarine HMS Truant |
| Aldebaran | Ansaldo, Genoa | 6 December 1936 | Sunk 20 October 1941 by mines laid by submarine HMS Rorqual |
| Altair | Ansaldo, Genoa | 23 December 1936 | Sunk 20 October 1941 by mines laid by submarine HMS Rorqual |
| Andromeda | Ansaldo, Genoa | 6 December 1936 | Sunk 17 March 1941 |
| Antares | Ansaldo, Genoa | 23 December 1936 | Sank Greek submarine Proteus 29 December 1940. Sunk 28 March 1943 |
| Aretusa | Ansaldo, Genoa | 1 July 1938 | Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1 August 1958 |
| Ariel | Ansaldo, Genoa | 1 July 1938 | Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero by cruiser HMS Ajax |
| Astore | BS Napoletani | 30 May 1935 | Sold to Sweden as Remus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958 |
| Calipso | Ansaldo, Genoa | 16 November 1938 | Sunk 5 December 1940, by mines east of Tripoli |
| Calliope | Ansaldo, Genoa | 28 October 1938 | Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1 August 1958 |
| Canopo | CT Riva Trigoso | 31 March 1937 | Sunk 3 May 1941 |
| Cassiopea | CT Riva Trigoso | 26 April 1937 | Sank British destroyer HMS Pakenham in battle southeast of Marettimo island, on 16 April 1943.[1] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959 |
| Castore | CNR , Ancona | 16 January 1937 | Sunk 2 June 1943 by HMS Jervis and Vasilissa Olga while escorting a convoy of two small merchants, which reached destination safely.[2] |
| Centauro | CNR , Ancona | 16 June 1936 | Sunk 4 November 1942, bombed in Benghazi harbour |
| Cigno | CNR , Ancona | 15 March 1937 | Sunk in battle 16 April 1943 southeast of Marettimo island, by HMS Paladin and HMS Pakenham, the latter being also sunk in the same engagement.[1] |
| Circe | Ansaldo, Genoa | 4 October 1938 | Sank submarines HMS Grampus, HMS Union, HMS P38 and HMS Tempest. Sunk by collision 27 November 1942 |
| Climene | CNR , Ancona | 24 April 1936 | Sunk 28 April 1943, by submarine HMS Unshaken |
| Clio | Ansaldo, Genoa | 2 October 1938 | Sank HMS Grampus in 1940, and purportedly HMS Triton in December of the same year. She also participated in the battle of Skerki Bank, on 2 December 1942. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959 |
| Libra | CNQ Fiume | 19 January 1938 | Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1964 |
| Lince | CNQ Fiume | 1 April 1938 | Along with Lupo, landed troops during the reconquest of Kastelorizo, on February 1941. Sunk 28 August 1943 by submarine HMS Ultor |
| Lira | CNQ Fiume | 1 January 1938 | Scuttled 9 September 1943, repaired by the Germans, and served as the TA-49, sunk by bombing 4 November 1944 |
| Lupo | CNQ Fiume | 28 February 1938 | Along with Libra, torpedoed the British tanker Desmoulea (8120 tn) in the Kasos straits on 31 January 1941, disabling her for the rest of the war.[3][4] Captained by Francesco Mimbelli during the reconquest of Kastelorizo and the Battle of Crete, where she survived a battle against three cruisers and five destroyers, saving half of a small ships convoy. Sunk 2 December 1942 by destroyers HMS Jervis, Javelin, Janus and Kelvin while picking up survivors from Italian cargo ship Veloce en route to Tripoli |
| Pallade | BS Napoletani | 5 October 1938 | Sunk 5 August 1942 by air attack in Naples |
| Partenope | BS Napoletani | 26 November 1938 | Scuttled 11 September 1943 |
| Perseo | CNQ Fiume | 1 February 1936 | Sunk 4 May 1943 by HMS Nubian, HMS Petard and HMS Paladin |
| Pleiadi | BS Napoletani | 4 July 1938 | Sunk 14 October 1941 by bombing in Tripoli harbour |
| Polluce | BS Napoletani | 8 August 1938 | Sunk by torpedo bombers, 4 September 1942 |
| Sagittario | CNQ Fiume | 8 October 1936 | Successfully protected a German convoy of caiques during the Battle of Crete against a British squadron of three cruisers and four destroyers, slightly damaging destroyer HMS Kingston. Sank British MTB-639 off Tunis, on 28 April 1943 whilst escorting a steamer. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1964 |
| Sirio | CNQ Fiume | 1 March 1936 | Fought off three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-62) while escorting a four-ship convoy south of Marettimo on 16 February 1943.[5] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959 |
| Spica | BS Napoletani | 30 May 1935 | Sold to Sweden as Romulus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958 |
| Vega | CNQ Fiume | 12 October 1936 | Sunk by HMS Hereward 10 January 1941 |
Notes
- ^ a b Sadkovich, James: The Italian Navy in World War II, Greenwood Press, Westport, 1994, page 326. ISBN 031328797X
- ^ RHS Vasilissa Olga (D 15)
- ^ Mattesini, Francesco: L'operazione Gaudo e lo scontro notturno di Matapan. Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, 1998, page 25
- ^ www.regiamarinaitaliana.it
- ^ Sadkovich, page 323
References
- M.J Whitley, Destroyers of World War 2, 1988 Cassell Publishing ISBN 1 85409 521 8
- Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare: Le Navi d'Italia. V. I cacciatorpediniere italiani, 1900-1971 (Fioravanzo, Pollina, Ricciardi, Gnifetti). Rome, 1971. (Italian)
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