Italian destroyer Zeffiro (1927)

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For other ships with the same name, see Italian ship Zeffiro.
Zeffiro in mid-1930s
History
Kingdom of Italy
NameZeffiro
NamesakeZeffiro, westerly wind
BuilderAnsaldo, Genoa
Laid down29 April 1925
Launched27 May 1927
Sponsored byLena Bucci
Completed15 May 1928
IdentificationZF
FateSunk, 5 July 1940
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeTurbine-class destroyer
Displacement
Length93.2 m (305 ft 9 in)
Beam9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Draught3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 3
    Thornycroft boilers
  • 40,000 
    kW
    )
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range3,200 nmi (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement179
Armament
  • 2 × twin
    120 mm (4.7 in) guns
  • 2 × single
    AA guns
  • 1 × twin
    13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns
  • 2 × triple 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 52 mines

Zeffiro was one of eight Turbine-class destroyer built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during the 1920s. She was named after a westerly wind, Zeffiro, common in summer in the Mediterranean. The ship played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1937, supporting the Nationalists.

Design and description

The Turbine-class destroyers were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding

deep load. Their complement was 12 officers and 167 enlisted men.[2]

The Turbines were powered by two

kW) for a speed of 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) in service,[3] although Zeffiro's sister ships reached speeds over 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) during their sea trials while lightly loaded.[4] They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).[1]

Their

13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) machine guns. They were equipped with six 533-millimeter (21 in) torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships.[3] The Turbines could carry 52 mines.[2]

Construction and career

Launch of Zeffiro in Genoa-Sestri Ponente in 1927

Zeffiro was

laid down by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their Genoa-Sestri Ponente shipyard on 29 April 1925, launched on 27 May 1927 and completed on 15 May 1928.[1] Upon her completion Zeffiro, together with Espero, Ostro and Borea, was assigned to the 1st Squadron of the I Destroyer Flotilla based at La Spezia.[5] Between 1929 and 1932 she carried out several training cruises in the Mediterranean.[6] In 1932 during the training exercises she was hit by a defective torpedo launched by Aquilone.[6] In 1931 Zeffiro together with Euro, Espero and Nembo as well as old cruiser Ancona were part of II Naval Division.[7] In 1934 after another reorganization Zeffiro as well as Espero, Ostro and Borea were again reunited, now forming the 4th Destroyer Squadron, part of II Naval Division.[8]

Spanish Civil War

After the Civil War started in Spain in July 1936, both

Odessa.[9] Originally, only submarines were supposed to be used, but Mussolini was convinced by Franco to use Italian surface ships too against the Soviets. The Italian blockade was put into effect immediately, with two light cruisers, Armando Diaz and Luigi Cadorna, eight torpedo boats and eight destroyers, including Zeffiro, being deployed in and around the Strait of Sicily and Strait of Messina.[9] Zeffiro participated in several patrols, which normally lasted three days, often paired with her sister Euro, but none of her missions were successful.[9]

In September 1937 the Nyon Conference was called by France and Great Britain to address the "underwater piracy" conducted against merchant traffic in the Mediterranean. On 14 September an agreement was signed establishing British and French patrol zones around Spain (with a total of 60 destroyers and airforce employed) to counteract aggressive behavior by submarines. Italy was not directly accused, but had to comply with the agreement and suspend the maritime operations.

World War II

At the time of the Italian entrance into World War II on 10 June 1940, Zeffiro together with sister ships Espero, Ostro and Borea formed 2nd Destroyer Squadron based at Taranto.

On 27 June 1940 Zeffiro sailed from

Breda Model 35 cannons in all), 120 short tons (110 t) of ammunition (450,000 rounds) and 162 members of the Voluntary Militia for Territorial Security.[10]

On 28 June 1940 at 12:10, about 50 

posthumously awarded the Medaglia d´oro al valor militare.[14]

On the morning of 29 June 1940 Ostro and Zeffiro arrived in Benghazi before proceeding to Tobruk where they arrived on July 1.[14]

Another Italian convoy sailed to Tobruk on 30 June 1940 from Augusta carrying troops, supplies, ammunition and fuel. The convoy consisted of six cargo and passenger ships and was escorted by 6 destroyers and 4 torpedo boats.[15] The Royal Navy failed to intercept this convoy, in large part due to the large ammunition expenditure in their previous confrontation. On 5 July 1940 there were seven Turbine-class destroyers berthed in Tobruk harbor together with four torpedo boats, six freighters and several auxiliary vessels.[15] Between 10:00 to 11:15 a Short Sunderland reconnaissance plane overflew the harbor at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 meters and despite the anti-aircraft fire opened against it, confirmed the presence of numerous ships in the harbor. In the late afternoon a group of nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of 813 Naval Air Squadron took off from the airfield in Sidi Barrani and headed towards Tobruk.[16] The air alarm was sounded at 20:06 but the Italians failed to detect the Allied aircraft until they were already over the harbor at 20:20.[15] Destroyers had most of their personnel on board steamers Liguria and Sabbia with exception of dedicated air defense crews.[17] The attack commenced a few minutes later, and lasted only seven minutes and resulted in five Italian ships being sunk or damaged.[15] Not encountering any aerial opposition, British torpedo bombers attacked from low altitude (around 100 feet), and released their torpedoes from 400–500 meters away, almost point-blank.[17] Zeffiro was attacked first by a plane piloted by Nicholas Kennedy, whose torpedo hit Zeffiro in the bow, around the ammunition depot, between the bridge and a 120 mm cannon.[17] The explosion broke the ship into two and sank it half an hour later. Freighter Manzoni was also hit, capsized and sank, while Euro and steamer Serenitas were hit, and had to be beached, and the ocean liner Liguria was hit and damaged. Two planes also attacked other destroyers, but failed to launch their torpedoes due to intense anti-aircraft fire.[16] The air alarm was canceled at 21:31, and by that time all nine British planes were far away.

There were 21 casualties among Zeffiro's crew, 10 killed and 11 missing, and 20 wounded.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Whitley, p. 161
  2. ^ a b c Fraccaroli, p. 47
  3. ^ a b Roberts, p. 299
  4. ^ McMurtrie, p. 280
  5. ^ Pier Paolo Ramoino. "La Regia Marina Tra le due Guerre Mondiali" (PDF). p. 74. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  6. ^ a b Destroyer Zeffiro
  7. ^ Pier Paolo Ramoino. "La Regia Marina Tra le due Guerre Mondiali" (PDF). p. 75. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  8. ^ Pier Paolo Ramoino. "La Regia Marina Tra le due Guerre Mondiali" (PDF). p. 84. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  9. ^ a b c Mattesini, Francesco. "Il Blocco Navale Italiano nella Guerra di Spagna (Agosto - Settembre 1937)". Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  10. ^ O'Hara, p. 32
  11. ^ Green & Massignani, p. 63
  12. ^ a b c d O'Hara, p. 33
  13. ^ Green & Massignani, p. 65
  14. ^ a b c d O'Hara, p. 34
  15. ^ a b c d Gustavsson, pp.95-96
  16. ^ a b Brown, pp. 38–39
  17. ^ a b c d Franco Prosperini in Storia Militare No. 208 (January 2011), pp.4-10.

Bibliography

External links

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