Giussano-class cruiser
{{Short description|Italian light cruiser subclass (1931–1942)}}
{{Refimprove|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image = File:Olasz könnyűcirkáló.jpg |Ship caption = Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name = Giussano class |Builders = |Operators = {{navy|Kingdom of Italy}} |Class before = |Class after = |Subclasses = |Built range = 1928–1930 |In commission range = 1931–1942 |Total ships building = |Total ships planned = |Total ships completed = 4 |Total ships cancelled = |Total ships active = |Total ships laid up = |Total ships lost = 4 |Total ships retired = |Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header = |Header caption = |Ship type = Cruiser |Ship displacement = *{{Convert|6570|t|LT}} standard
|Ship length = {{Convert|169.3|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam = {{Convert|15.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship draft = {{Convert|5.3|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion = {{convert|95,000|hp|kW|abbr=on}} |Ship speed = *{{Convert|37|kn|km/h mph|lk=in}}
|Ship range = {{Convert|3800|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{Convert|18|kn|km/h mph|abbr=on}} |Ship complement = 507 |Ship sensors = |Ship EW = |Ship armament = *8 × 152 mm /53 Italian naval gun Models 1926 and 1929 in 4 twin mountings
|Ship armor = *Decks: {{Convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft = 2 × CANT 25AR (later Ro.43) seaplanes |Ship aircraft facilities = 1 × catapult launcher |Ship notes = }} |
The Alberto di Giussano class of light cruisers were a sub-class of the {{sclass2|Condottieri|cruiser|4}} built before World War II for the Italian Regia Marina, to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. They were designed by general Giuseppe Vian and were named after Condottieri (military commanders) of the Italian Mediaeval and Renaissance periods.
Between the World Wars, the world powers started a rush to gain the supremacy on the seas. In 1926, France started to produce the {{sclass|Le Fantasque|destroyer|4}} of destroyers, which were superior in displacement and firepower to other destroyers of that period. To counter the French menace, the Regia Marina decided to produce a new class of cruiser that would be of intermediate size between the new French destroyer class and cruisers. The Italian ships equated to the British {{sclass|Leander|cruiser (1931)|0}} cruisers.
There were 4 ships, all laid down in 1928: {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano||2}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano||2}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}}.
Meant to hunt down and overwhelm the big French destroyers, the emphasis on firepower and speed resulted in these ships being virtually unprotected against gunfire and underwater threats; this was a major factor in all four ships being sunk by torpedoes.
Ships
class="wikitable"
|+ Ships of the Alberto di Giussano class{{cite book |last1=Gay |first1=Franco |last2=Gay |first2=Valerio |title=The Cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |year=1987 |isbn=0-85177-453-9}}{{cite book |last=Fraccaroli |first=Aldo |title=Italian Warships of World War 2 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=London |year=1968 |isbn=0-7110-0002-6}} ! Ship !class=unsortable| Builder !style="line-height:1.2em;"| Laid down ! Launched ! Completed !class=unsortable| Fate | |
{{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano | 2}}
| 16 April 1928 | 23 August 1930 | 9 June 1931 |rowspan=2| Sunk 13 December 1941, by a group of Royal Navy and Dutch destroyers during the Battle of Cape Bon. |
{{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano | 2}}
| Ansaldo, Genoa | 29 March 1928 | 27 April 1930 | 5 February 1931 |
{{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni | 2}}
| Ansaldo, Genoa | 21 June 1928 | 21 December 1930 | 10 February 1932 | Sunk 19 July 1940, during the Battle of Cape Spada. |
{{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere | 2}}
| R. C. di Castellammare di Stabia | 31 October 1928 | 27 April 1930 | 27 April 1931 | Sunk 1 April 1942, torpedoed by British submarine {{HMS|Urge|N17|6}} while off Stromboli. |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |last1=Cernuschi |first1=Enrico |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2022 |date=2022 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford|pages=147–160 |isbn=978-1-4728-4781-2 |chapter=Esploratori of the Regia Marina, 1906—1939}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Di Giussano class cruiser}}
{{Condottieri class cruisers}}
{{WWII Italian ships}}