Capitani Romani-class cruiser

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Scipione Africano
Class overview
NameCapitani Romani class
Operators
SubclassesSan Giorgio class
Built1939–1942
In commission1942–1980
Planned12
Completed4
Cancelled8
Scrapped4
General characteristics
TypeLight cruiser
Displacement
Length142.2 m (466 ft 6 in) (overall)
Beam14.4 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draught4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph)[1]
Range4,350 nmi (8,060 km; 5,010 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement418
Sensors and
processing systems		EC-3/ter Gufo radar
Armament
  • 4 × twin
    DP guns
  • 8 × single
    AA guns
  • 4 × twin
    20 mm (0.8 in)
    AA guns
  • 2 × quadruple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 70 × mines
Armour

The Capitani Romani class was a

ancient Romans (Capitani Romani (lit. Roman Captains)).[3]

Design

The Capitani Romani class were originally designed as scout cruisers for ocean operations ("ocean scout", esploratori oceanici), although some authors consider them to have been heavy destroyers.[4] After the war the two units still in service were reclassified as flotilla leaders (caccia conduttori).

The design was fundamentally a light, almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament. The original design was modified to sustain the prime requirements of speed and firepower. Given their machinery development of 93,210 kW (125,000 hp), equivalent to that of the 17,000-ton cruisers of the

DP guns, with a rate of fire of eight rounds per minute and a range of 19,500 m (21,300 yd). They also carried eight 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes. The wartime load dropped the operational speed by one to five knots (1.9 to 9.3 km/h; 1.2 to 5.8 mph), depending on the source.[2][5]

Operational history

Main article: Operation Scylla

Only Scipione Africano and Attilio Regolo saw combat.

Scipione Africano detected and engaged four British

Reggio di Calabria and Pellaro.[7][8][9] She laid down four minefields in the Gulf of Taranto and the Gulf of Squillace from 4 to 17 August, together with the old light cruiser Luigi Cadorna.[10]

Attilio Regolo was torpedoed by the submarine

bow shattered.[11]

Ships

Four of the ships were scrapped before launch. Five were captured by the Germans in September 1943, still under construction. All five were sunk in harbour, one was raised and completed. Three were completed before the Italian armistice.[3]

Construction data
Ship Namesake Builder [5]
Laid down[5]
 Launched[12] Completed [12] Operational history [12]
Attilio Regolo [it
]
Marcus Atilius Regulus
 O.T.O., Livorno 28 September 1939 28 August 1940 15 May 1942 Commissioned in August 1942 and used as a mine-layer until seriously damaged by a torpedo in November. Ceded to France in 1948 renamed Châteaurenault.
Giulio Germanico Germanicus
Navalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia
 3 April 1939 26 July 1941 19 January 1956 Captured by the Germans in Castellammare di Stabia while under completion, and scuttled by them on 28 September 1943. Raised and completed for the Italian Navy after the war. Renamed San Marco, she served as a destroyer leader until her decommission in 1971.
Pompeo Magno
 		Pompey the Great CNR, Ancona 23 September 1939 24 August 1941 4 June 1943 Renamed San Giorgio, served as a destroyer leader until 1963; decommissioned and scrapped in 1980
Scipione Africano Scipio Africanus O.T.O., Livorno 28 September 1939 12 January 1941 23 April 1943 Ceded to France in 1948 and first renamed S7, then renamed Guichen; scrapped 1979
Uncompleted Capitani Romani–class cruisers
Ship Namesake Builder [5]
Laid down[5]
 Launched[12] Operational history [12]
Caio Mario Gaius Marius O.T.O., Livorno 28 September 1939 17 August 1941 Captured by the Germans in La Spezia, with only the hull completed; used as a floating oil tank and scuttled in 1944
Claudio Druso Nero Claudius Drusus Cantiere del Tirreno, Riva Trigoso 27 September 1939 — Construction cancelled June 1940, scrapped between 1941 and February 1942
Claudio Tiberio Emperor Tiberius O.T.O., Livorno 28 September 1939 — Construction cancelled June 1940; scrapped between November 1941 and February 1942
Cornelio Silla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
 Ansaldo, Genoa 12 October 1939 28 June 1941 Captured by the Germans in Genoa while fitting out; sunk in an air raid in July 1944
Ottaviano Augusto Emperor Augustus CNR, Ancona 23 September 1939 28 April 1941 Captured by the Germans in Ancona while under completion; sunk in an air attack on 1 November 1943
Paolo Emilio Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus Ansaldo, Genoa 12 October 1939 — Construction cancelled in June 1940, scrapped between October 1941 and February 1942
Ulpio Traiano Emperor Trajan CNR, Palermo 28 September 1939 30 November 1942 Sunk 3 January 1943 by British human torpedo attack while fitting out in Palermo
Vipsanio Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Cantiere del Tirreno, Riva Trigoso October 1939 — Construction cancelled June 1940; scrapped between July 1941 and August 1942

Post-war French service

D606 Chateaurenault, the former Attilio Regolo

Attilio Regolo and Scipione Africano were transferred to France as war reparations. They were renamed

Guichen respectively. The ships were extensively rebuilt for the French Navy by La Seyne dockyard with new anti-aircraft-focused armament and fire-control systems in 1951–1954. The ships were decommissioned in 1961.[3]

General characteristics as rebuilt
  • Displacement
  • Length
  • Beam
  • Draught
  • Machinery - unchanged
  • Armament
    • 6 – 105 mm guns (three twin turrets of German origin)
    • 10 – 57 mm guns (5 twin turrets)
    • 12 – 550 mm torpedo tubes
  • Sensors: Radar DRBV 20 A, DRBV 11, DRBC 11, DRBC 30, Sonar
  • Crew: 353

Post-war Italian service

San Marco, formerly Giulio Germanico, in 1959

Giulio Germanico and Pompeo Magno served in the post war

Marina Militare, being renamed San Marco (D 563) and San Giorgio (D 562) respectively and reclassified as destroyers. Both ships were extensively rebuilt in 1951–1955 and fitted with American weapons and radar.[3]
Characteristics included:

General characteristics as rebuilt
  • Six
    127 mm (5 in) guns
    in twin turrets fitted in 'A', 'X' and 'Y' positions, with anti-aircraft capability
  • a Menon anti-submarine mortar fitted in 'B' position
  • fitting of 20
    40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors AA guns
  • SPS-6 and SG-6B radar, SQS-11 sonar and the Mk37 fire control system for the 127 mm guns

San Marco was further rebuilt as a cadet

CODAG machinery. New 76 mm (3 in) guns replaced the 40 mm and 'X' 127 mm mounting. San Marco was decommissioned in 1971, San Giorgio following in 1980.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ "Pompeo Magno—Incrociatore leggero". Almanacco storico navale. Marina Militare.
  2. ^ a b Gardiner & Brown (2004), p. 65.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bishop (2002), p. 489.
  4. ^ Sadkovich, p. 132
  5. ^ a b c d e Whitley, p. 142
  6. ^ De Pellegrini Dai Coi, Maurizio (January 2012). "Scipione: posto di combattimento". Rivista Marittima (in Italian). Marina Militare: 28–40.
  7. ISBN 1-86176-067-1
    .
  8. ^ Fioravanzo, Giuseppe (1970). Le azioni navali in Mediterraneo dal 1° aprile 1941 all'8 settembre 1943 (in Italian). Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. pp. 468–469.
  9. ISBN 978-8879804318
    .
  10. ^ Cocchia, Aldo (1966). La Marina italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale, volume 18. Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p. 397.
  11. ISBN 0-405-13031-7
    .
  12. ^ a b c d e Fraccaroli, pp. 37, 40
  13. ^ "San Giorgio (D 562)". Marina Militare. Retrieved 23 February 2021.

Bibliography

External links

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