Indomito-class destroyer

The Indomito class was designed by Luigi Scaglia of Societa Pattison of Naples. The boats were the first large destroyers of the Règia Marina and the first fitted with steam turbines. The Indomito class were the first in the progression of Italian destroyers to be called either tre pipe or tre canne for their three funnels.Fraccaroli, pp. 268–269Future destroyers, until the 1921–22 {{sclass2|Generali|destroyer|4}}, were also called tre pipe or tre canne. See: Fraccaroli, p. 268

The ships were {{convert|237|ft|11|in|m}} at the waterline ({{convert|239|ft|6|in|m}} overall) with a beam of {{convert|24|ft|m}} and a draft of {{convert|7|ft|11|in|m}}. They had twin shafts driven by two Tosi steam turbines that were fired by four Thornycroft boilers. The drivetrain was designed for a power output of {{convert|16000|hp}} to move the ships at {{convert|30|knots|lk=in}}, but had a maximum output of {{convert|17620|shp}} which propelled the ships at {{convert|35.79|knots|km/h}}.

As built, the ships were armed with one QF 4.7-inch Gun Mk I–IV gun, four QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun guns, and two {{convert|17.7|in|mm|-1|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes. In 1914 they were augmented with an additional two torpedo tubes. During World War I, guide rails for laying up to ten mines were added to the ships. Later wartime changes replaced all the guns with five Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 and a single QF 2-pounder naval gun AA gun. Oil capacity was also increased during the war from {{convert|100|MT|ST}} to {{convert|128|MT|ST}} in order to increase endurance, but the increased weight had the opposite effect: slowing the ships and reduced their endurance.

File:Impetuoso.jpg

All of the Indomito class saw action during World War I, with two of the ships, {{ship|Italian destroyer|Impetuoso|1913|2}} and {{ship|Italian destroyer|Intrepido|1912|2}}, sunk during the war. The remaining four ships all survived the war and were reclassified as torpedo boats in 1929. The remaining four ships were stricken 1937–38. {{ship|Italian destroyer|Insidioso||2}}, however, was reinstated on 1 March 1941. Reduced to two funnels and rearmed, she served as a target ship, a convoy escort, and served in an anti-submarine warfare role. She was scuttled by her crew on 10 September 1943 at Pola, but was raised by the Germans who commissioned her as Wildfang on 8 November. Wildfang, the last surviving member of the Indomito class, was sunk by U.S. aircraft on 5 November 1944 after just under one year of German service.

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• {{cite book|last=Fraccaroli|first=Aldo|chapter=Italy|pages=252–290|editor1-last=Gray|editor1-first=Randal|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|location=Annapolis |publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=978-0-87021-907-8}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Indomito class destroyer}}
• [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/EFGHI/indomito01.aspx Indomito-class destroyer (1910)] Marina Militare website

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{{Indomito class destroyer}}

{{WWI Italian ships}}

Category:Destroyer classes

Category:Destroyers of the Regia Marina

Category:World War I destroyers of Italy