Turbine-class destroyer

The Turbine-class destroyers were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding {{sclass|Sauro|destroyer|4}}. In an effort to improve their speed, they were lengthened and given more powerful propulsion machinery than the earlier ships. This provided more space for fuel oil which increased their endurance as well.

They had an overall length of {{convert|93.2|m|ft|0|sp=us}}, a beam of {{convert|9.2|m|ftin|sp=us}} and a mean draft of {{convert|3|m|ftin|sp=us}}.Whitley, p. 161 They displaced {{convert|1090|t|LT|sp=us|lk=on}} at standard load, and {{convert|1700|t|LT|sp=us|-1}} at deep load. Their complement was 12 officers and 167 enlisted men.

The Turbines were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by three Thornycroft boilers. The turbines were rated at {{convert|40000|shp|lk=on}} for a speed of {{convert|33|kn|lk=in}} in service,Roberts, p. 299 although the ships reached speeds in excess of {{convert|36|kn}} during their sea trials while lightly loaded.McMurtrie, p. 280 They carried {{convert|274|t|LT}} of fuel oil which gave them a range of {{convert|3200|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|14|kn}}.

Their main battery consisted of four 120 mm Italian naval gun#50-calibre Ansaldo 1926 guns in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure.Fraccaroli, p. 47 Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Turbine-class ships was provided by a pair of QF 2 pounder naval gun AA guns in single mounts amidships and a twin-gun mount for Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun. They were equipped with six {{convert|533|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|0}} torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships. The Turbines could carry 52 mines.

File:Borea (BR).jpg

During the Spanish Civil War, the Italians supported the Spanish Nationalists not only by assisting them with war supplies, but also through undercover operations against enemy shipping. In the course of these missions, the destroyer Ostro torpedoed and sank the Spanish Republican freighter {{SS|Conde de Abasolo}} on 13 August 1937,González Etchegaray, Rafael (1977). La Marina Mercante y el Trafico Maritimo en la Guerra Civil. Editorial San Martin, p. 416. {{ISBN|84-7140-150-9}} {{in lang|es}} while Turbine sank the Soviet cargo ship Timiryazev by the same means on 30 August, both of them off the coast of French Algeria.Rohwer, Jürgen and Monakov, Mikhail (2001). Stalin's ocean-going fleet: Soviet naval strategy and shipbuilding programmes, 1935-1953. Routledge, p. 66. {{ISBN|0-7146-4895-7}}

At the beginning of World War II, when Italy declared war against Britain and France, all eight ships of the Turbine class were based in Tobruk, Libya. They were tasked with mine laying duties and running supplies between Tobruk and Taranto. On 16 June 1940, Turbine sank the British submarine {{HMS|Orpheus|N46|6}} just off Tobruk.[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3396.html HMS Orpheus (N 46)] from u-boat.net

Turbine, Aquilone and Nembo took part in the shelling of the Egyptian port of Sollum on 14 June 1940. They repeated this action on 26 June.Rohwer, Jürgen and Hümmelchen, Gerhard (1992). Chronology of the war at sea 1939-1945: the naval history of World War two. Naval Institute Press, p. 24. {{ISBN|1-55750-105-X}}

On 28 June 1940, Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro were in convoy, heavily loaded down with cargo, when they were intercepted by a British task force of five ships. In the ensuing battle, {{HMAS|Sydney|1934|6}} sank Espero as it lagged behind to allow the other two destroyers to reach Benghasi and later Tobruk safely.Greene & Massignani, pp. 63–65

On 5 July 1940, British aircraft carrier {{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}} launched an attack on Tobruk harbor. Its Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers sank Zeffiro, and severely damaged Euro. Later that month, on 20 July, during another attack on Tobruk harbour, other Swordfish from HMS Eagle sank with torpedoes both Nembo and Ostro. On 17 September of the same year, Swordfish from {{HMS|Illustrious|R87|6}} attacked Benghazi harbor where Aquilone and Borea were berthed, and both were sunk.[http://www.naval-history.net/WW2CampaignsCarriers.htm Aircraft Carrier Warfare, 1939-41], from Naval-History.net Euro was part of the escort of the ill-fated Duisburg convoy, when her commander lost the opportunity of torpedoing the cruiser {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}} due to an error of identification. On 3 July 1942, while escorting three freighters from Taranto to Benghazi along with the {{sclass2|Navigatori|destroyer|2}} Da Verrazzano, Euro and Turbine shot down two Beaufort bombers.Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991). Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. Grub Street, p. 387. {{ISBN|0-948817-16-X}}

After Italy signed the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943, Euro participated in the Battle of Leros where she was sunk by German Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers during an air raid on 3 October 1943.[http://www.comandosupremo.com/1943.html Comando Supremo, Events of 1943] Turbine was seized by the Kriegsmarine and put into service in the Aegean Sea as a torpedo boat. On 19 June 1944, at Porto Lago, she was badly damaged by an explosion, which was thought to have been sabotage. She set in to the port of Salamis for repairs, but a US air strike on the port on 16 September sank her before they could be entirely completed.[http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/captured/torpedoboats/ta/ta14/index.html Kriegsmarine history page]

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Brescia|first=Maurizio|title=Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45|year=2012|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-544-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |date =1985 |location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn =0-87021-459-4}}
• {{cite book |last1=Fraccaroli |first1=Aldo |title=Italian Warships of World War II |date=1968 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Shepperton, UK |isbn=0-7110-0002-6}}
• {{cite book|last1=Greene|first1=Jack|last2=Massignani|first2=Alessandro|title=The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940–1943|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|year=1998| name-list-style=amp|isbn=1-86176-057-4}}
• {{cite book|last=Gustavsson |first=Hakan |title=Desert Prelude 1940-41: Early Clashes |year=2010 |publisher=Casemate Publishers |isbn= 978-8389450524}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=McMurtrie |editor1-first=Francis E. |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1937 |date=1937 |publisher=Sampson Low |location=London |oclc=927896922}}
• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Italy |last1=Roberts |first1=John|pages=280–317}}
• {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005|edition=Third Revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2|authorlink=Jürgen Rohwer}}
• {{cite book|first=M. J.|last=Whitley|title=Destroyers of World War 2: An International Encyclopedia |year=1988|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-85409-521-8 |authorlink=Michael J. Whitley}}

{{Commons category|Turbine class destroyer}}

• [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=559 Uboat.net: Turbine class destroyers]
• [http://www.steelnavy.com/RM%20Turbine.htm SteelNavy Ship Modeling: Turbine class] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016113519/http://www.steelnavy.com/RM%20Turbine.htm |date=16 October 2012 }}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}

{{Turbine class destroyer}}

{{WWII Italian ships}}

Category:Destroyer classes

Category:Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (National faction)

Category:Destroyers of the Regia Marina