Condottieri-class cruiser

The first group, the four Giussanos, were built to counter the French large destroyers (contre-torpilleurs), the first being the 2,500 ton Le Fantasque-class, and therefore they featured very high speed, in exchange for virtually no armour protection.

The following two Cadornas retained the main characteristics, with minor improvements to stability and hull strength.

Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the Montecuccolis. About 2,000 tons heavier, they had significantly better protection, and upgraded power-plants to maintain the required high speed.

The two Duca d'Aostas continued the trend, thickening the armour and improving the power plant again.

The final pair, the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for good protection (their armour scheme was the same of the {{sclass|Zara|cruiser|0}} heavy cruisers) and for two more 6-inch /55 guns.

All ships served in the Mediterranean during World War II.

The ships of the first two subclasses (with the exception of {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi Cadorna||2}}) were all lost by 1942, primarily to enemy torpedoes (with {{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}} sunk by destroyers at the Battle of Cape Spada after being crippled by {{HMAS|Sydney|D48|6}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano||2}} suffering a similar fate at in a night action of the Battle of Cape Bon, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}} sunk by British submarine HMS Urge, and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Armando Diaz||2}} sunk by the British submarine HMS Upright) that led many authors (including Preston) to question their real value as fighting ships. The subsequent vessels fared considerably better with all surviving the war, except {{ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}} (torpedoed in August 1942 and sunk by an Allied bombing in December 1942).

After the end of the war, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Eugenio di Savoia||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}} were given to the Greek Navy and the Soviet Navy respectively as war reparations; Luigi Cadorna was quickly stricken, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}} became a training ship, and the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi subclass served on in the Marina Militare until the 1970s, with {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giuseppe Garibaldi|1936|2}} becoming the first European guided missile cruiser in 1961.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|author-link=Antony Preston (naval historian)|first=Antony|last=Preston|title=The World's Worst Warships|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|year=2002|isbn=0-85177-754-6}}
• {{cite book|last1=Whitley|first1=M.J.|title=Cruisers of World War Two : an international encyclopedia|date=1996|publisher=Arms and Armour|location=London|isbn=1854092251|edition=Reprinted}}

{{Commons category|Condottieri class cruisers}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051026104836/http://www.regiamarina.net/arsenals/ships_it/cruisers_light/crui_light_us.htm Condottieri light cruiser classes]

{{Condottieri class cruisers}}

{{WWII Italian ships}}

Category:Cruiser classes

Category:World War II cruisers of Italy

Category:Cruisers of the Regia Marina

Category:Cruisers of the Italian Navy