Artigliere-class destroyer

{{Infobox ship begin

| infobox caption =

}}

{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = File:Artigliere (D 553).jpg

| Ship caption = Artigliere

}}{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Artigliere class

| Builders = *Union Iron Works

Boston Navy Yard

| Operators = {{navy|Italy|navy-1947}}

| Class before = {{sclass2|Soldati|destroyer|4}}

| Class after = {{sclass|Fante|destroyer|4}}

| Total ships planned = 2

| Built range = 1939-1941

| Total ships on order =

| Total ships completed = 2

| Total ships active =

| In commission range = 1951-1975

| Total ships retired = 2

| Subclasses = *{{sclass|Benson|destroyer|4}}

{{sclass|Gleaves|destroyer|4}}

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

| Hide header =

| Header caption =

| Ship type = Destroyer

| Ship class =

| Ship displacement = *(Artigliere):

{{convert|1620|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
(Aviere):
{{convert|2500|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}

| Ship length = *(Artigliere):

{{Convert|347|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
(Aviere):
{{convert|376.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship beam = {{Convert|36|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship draft = *(Artigliere):

{{convert|17.4|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
(Aviere):
{{convert|13|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship depth =

| Ship hold depth =

| Ship propulsion = *4 × boilers, {{convert|50,000|shp|MW|abbr=on}}

2 × screws

| Ship speed = *(Artigliere):

{{convert|37.6|kn|lk=in}}
(Aviere):
{{convert|35|kn|lk=in}}

| Ship range = {{convert|6500|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|12|kn|abbr=on}}

| Ship complement = 276

| Ship armament =

4 × single 5"/38 cal guns
4 × twin 40 mm bofors
2 × single 40 mm bofors
2 × Depth charge tracks

| Ship sensors=*1 × AN/SPS-6 air-search radar

1 × AN/SPS-10 surface-search radar
1 × Mark 37 Director

| Ship armor =

| Ship notes =

}}

The Artigliere class was a class of two destroyers of the Italian Navy. They entered service in 1951, with the last one being decommissioned in 1975.

History

The Artigliere-class destroyers consisted of two former United States Navy destroyers, purchased by the Italian Navy in 1951 as part of its post-war reconstruction phase. These were the {{sclass|Benson|destroyer|4}} {{USS|Woodworth|DD-460|6}}, which became Artigliere,{{Cite web|title=Navi e Armatori - Approdi di Passione|url=https://www.naviearmatori.net/ita/foto-124909-4.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.naviearmatori.net}} and the {{sclass|Gleaves|destroyer|4}} {{USS|Nicholson|DD-442|6}}, which became Aviere.{{Cite web|title=Navi e Armatori - Approdi di Passione|url=https://www.naviearmatori.net/eng/foto-124935-4.html|access-date=2021-06-13|website=www.naviearmatori.net}} Although they were from two different US Navy classes, they had the same general characteristics, so much so that the class is often identified as the Livermore class.

The two ships of the class entered service together with the {{sclass|Aldebaran|frigate|3}}s as part of a naval upgrade program started in 1950, and although they dated back to the early 1940s, their four 127/38mm guns enhanced the artillery component of the Italian Navy. Surface naval vessels of the Italian Navy, at the same time were increasing their anti-aircraft capabilities. Along with weapons, the new electronic equipment for firing direction and air-naval surveillance also represented the starting point for personnel training on new generation systems that would later be adopted in a more widespread and generalized way.