Italian battleship Conte di Cavour

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Conte di Cavour at speed in her original configuration
History
Kingdom of Italy
NameConte di Cavour
Namesake
Count Camillo Benso di Cavour
OperatorRegia Marina
Builder
Arsenale di La Spezia, La Spezia
Laid down10 August 1910
Launched10 August 1911
Completed1 April 1915
RefitOctober 1933–June 1937
Captured10 September 1943
FateScrapped, 1946
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type
dreadnought battleship
Displacement
Length176 m (577 ft 5 in) (o/a)
Beam28 m (91 ft 10 in)
Draft9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Installed power
Propulsion4 × shafts; 3 × steam turbines
Speed22.2 knots (41.1 km/h; 25.5 mph)
Range4,800 nmi (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement31 officers and 969 enlisted men
Armament
  • 3 × triple, 2 × twin
    305 mm (12 in) guns
  • 18 × single 120 mm (4.7 in) guns
  • 14 × single
    76.2 mm (3 in) guns
  • 3 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor
General characteristics (after reconstruction)
Displacement29,100 long tons (29,600 t) (deep load)
Length186.4 m (611 ft 7 in)
Beam28.6 m (93 ft 10 in)
Draft10.02 m (32 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range6,400 nmi (11,900 km; 7,400 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement1,260
Armament
Armor
  • Deck: 135–166 mm (5.3–6.5 in)
  • Barbettes: 130–280 mm (5.1–11.0 in)

Conte di Cavour was the

Corfu Incident in 1923 and spent much of the rest of the decade in reserve
. She was rebuilt between 1933 and 1937 with more powerful guns, additional armor and considerably more speed than before.

During

capsized a week later. Conte di Cavour was eventually scrapped
in 1946.

Description

The Conte di Cavour class was designed to counter the French

kW), Conte di Cavour failed to reach this goal on her sea trials, despite mildly exceeding the rated power of her turbines, reaching only 22.2 knots (41.1 km/h; 25.5 mph) from 31,278 shp (23,324 kW). The ships carried enough coal and oil[4] to give them a range of 4,800 nautical miles (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[2]

Armament and armor

Layout of the main armament

The

76.2-millimeter (3 in) guns; thirteen of these could be mounted on the turret tops, but they could also be positioned in 30 different locations, including some on the forecastle and upper decks. They were also fitted with three submerged 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, one on each broadside and the third in the stern.[6]

The Conte di Cavour-class ships had a complete waterline armor belt that had a maximum thickness of 250 millimeters (9.8 in) amidships, which reduced to 130 millimeters (5.1 in) towards the stern and 80 millimeters (3.1 in) towards the bow. They had two armored decks: the main deck was 24 mm (0.94 in) thick on the flat that increased to 40 millimeters (1.6 in) on the slopes that connected it to the main belt. The second deck was 30 millimeters (1.2 in) thick. Frontal armor of the gun turrets was 280 millimeters (11 in) in thickness and the sides were 240 millimeters (9.4 in) thick. The armor protecting their barbettes ranged in thickness from 130 to 230 millimeters (5.1 to 9.1 in). The walls of the forward conning tower were 280 millimeters thick.[7][8]

Modifications and reconstruction

Shortly after the end of World War I, the number of 76.2 mm low-angle guns was reduced to 13, all mounted on the turret tops, and six new 76.2 mm

rangefinders were upgraded, and the ship was equipped to handle a Macchi M.18 seaplane mounted on the amidships turret. Around the same time she was equipped with a fixed aircraft catapult on the port side of the forecastle.[10][11][12]

A diagram of the external side and top views of the battleship
Office of Naval Intelligence drawing of the Conte di Cavour class, January 1943

Conte di Cavour began an extensive reconstruction in October 1933 at the Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico shipyard in Trieste that lasted until June 1937.[13] A new bow section was grafted over the existing bow, which increased her overall length by 10.31 meters (33 ft 10 in) to 186.4 meters (611 ft 7 in) and her beam increased to 28.6 meters (93 ft 10 in). The ship's draft at deep load increased to 10.02 meters (32 ft 10 in).[11] All of the changes made increased her displacement to 26,140 long tons (26,560 t) at standard load and 29,100 long tons (29,600 t) at deep load. The ship's crew increased to 1,260 officers and enlisted men.[14] Two of the propeller shafts were removed and the existing turbines were replaced by two Belluzzo geared steam turbines rated at 75,000 shp (56,000 kW).[11] The boilers were replaced by eight Yarrow boilers. In service her maximum speed was about 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and she had a range of 6,400 nautical miles (11,900 km; 7,400 mi) at a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).[15]

Stern view of Conte di Cavour, about 1938

The main guns were bored out to

20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns in twin mounts.[10] The tetrapodal mast was replaced with a new forward conning tower, protected with 260-millimeter (10.2 in) thick armor.[17] Atop the conning tower there was a fire-control director fitted with two large stereo-rangefinders, with a base length of 7.2 meters (23.6 ft).[17]

The deck armor was increased during the reconstruction to a total of 135 millimeters (5.3 in) over the

Pugliese torpedo defense system; a large cylinder surrounded by fuel oil or water that was intended to absorb the blast of a torpedo warhead. It lacked enough depth to be fully effective against contemporary torpedoes. A major problem of the reconstruction was that the ship's increased draft meant that their waterline armor belt was almost completely submerged with any significant load.[18]

Construction and service

Conte di Cavour off Taranto, 1919

Conte di Cavour, named after the statesman

MAS torpedo boats, conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations. Meanwhile, Revel's battleships would be preserved to confront the Austro-Hungarian battle fleet in the event that it sought a decisive engagement.[22]

In 1919 she sailed to North America and visited ports in the United States as well as

King Victor Emmanuel III and his wife aboard Dante Alighieri on a state visit to Spain in 1924, and was placed in reserve upon her return until 1926, when, in April, she conveyed Mussolini on a voyage to Libya. The ship was again placed in reserve from 1927 until 1933, when she began her reconstruction.[23]

World War II

Conte di Cavour opening fire during the Battle of Calabria

Early in World War II, the Conte di Cavour and her sister took part in the

Vice Admiral Andrew Cunningham, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, attempted to interpose his ships between the Italians and their base at Taranto. Crews on the fleets spotted each other in the middle of the afternoon and the Italian battleships opened fire at 15:53 at a range of nearly 27,000 meters (29,000 yd). The two leading British battleships, HMS Warspite and Malaya, replied a minute later. Three minutes after she opened fire, shells from Giulio Cesare began to straddle Warspite which made a small turn and increased speed, to throw off the Italian ship's aim, at 16:00. At the same time, a shell from Warspite struck Giulio Cesare at a distance of about 24,000 meters (26,000 yd). Uncertain how severe the damage was, Campioni ordered his battleships to turn away in the face of superior British numbers and they successfully disengaged.[25] Repairs to Giulio Cesare were completed by the end of August and both ships unsuccessfully attempted to intercept British convoys to Malta in August and September.[26]

On the night of 11 November 1940, Conte di Cavour was at anchor in

list before settling to the bottom at 08:00 with an 11.5-degree list. Only her superstructure and gun turrets were above water by this time.[27]

Conte di Cavour had the lowest priority for

floating dry dock GO-12 on 12 July. The damage was more extensive than originally thought and temporary repairs to enable the ship to reach Trieste for permanent repairs took until 22 December.[28]

Her guns were operable by September 1942, but replacing her entire electrical system took longer so the navy took advantage of the delays and incorporated some modifications to reduce the likelihood of flooding based on lessons learned from the attack.

hulk. She was damaged in an air raid on 17 February 1945, and capsized on 23 February.[30] Refloated shortly after the end of the war, Conte di Cavour was scrapped in 1946.[31]

Notes

  1. ^ Giorgerini, p. 269
  2. ^ a b Fraccaroli, p. 259
  3. ^ Giorgerini, pp. 270, 272
  4. ^ Giorgerini, pp. 268, 272
  5. ^ Hore, p. 175
  6. ^ Giorgerini, pp. 268, 277–278
  7. ^ Giorgerini, pp. 270–272
  8. ^ McLaughlin, p. 421
  9. ^ a b Giorgerini, p. 277
  10. ^ a b c Whitley, p. 158
  11. ^ a b c Bagnasco & Grossman, p. 64
  12. ^ Bargoni & Gay, p. 18
  13. ^ Bargoni & Gay, p. 19
  14. ^ Brescia, p. 58
  15. ^ Bagnasco & Grossman, pp. 64–65
  16. ^ a b Bagnasco & Grossman, p. 65
  17. ^ a b Bargoni & Gay, p. 21
  18. ^ a b McLaughlin, pp. 421–422
  19. ^ Silverstone, p. 296
  20. ^ Preston, p. 176
  21. ^ a b Halpern, p. 150
  22. ^ Halpern, pp. 141–142
  23. ^ a b Whitley, pp. 158–161
  24. ^ "Bombardment of Corfu". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia: National Library of Australia. 1 October 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  25. ^ O'Hara, pp. 28–35
  26. ^ Whitley, p. 161
  27. ^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, pp. 81–85, 88
  28. ^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, pp. 88–92
  29. ^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 92
  30. ^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, pp. 92–93
  31. ^ Brescia, p. 59

References

Further reading

External links

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