SOLDATI class
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Nationality: |
Italy |
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| Type: | DD | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Class: | SOLDATI - 19 in class | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Launched: | 1937 - 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Displacement: | 1,820 tons | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Dimensions: (in feet and inches) |
350' x 33' 7" x 11' 6" | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Machinery: | 2-shaft Belluzzo (ships built by OTO - Parsons) geared turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers; 48,000 shp. Oil: 517 tons. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 38 knots | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Armament: |
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| Compliment: | 165 |
Ships in class:
| NAME | BUILDER | LAUNCHED | FATE |
| "First Group" | |||
| ALPINO (AP) | CNR, Ancona | September, 1938 | Sunk by air raid at La Spezia, 19 April 1943 |
| ARTIGLIERE (AR) | OTO, Leghorn | December, 1937 | Sunk by gunfire and torpedo by HM cruisers AJAX and YORK on 12 October 1940 |
| ASCARI (AI) | OTO, Leghorn | July, 1938 | Struck three mines laid by the British minelayer ABDIEL off Bizerta and sank on 31 July 1943 |
| AVIERE (AV) | OTO, Leghorn | September, 1937 | Torpedoed by British submarine SPLENDID off Bizerta and sunk on 17 December 1942 |
| BERSAGLIERE (BG) | CNR, Palermo | July, 1938 | Sunk by air raid at Palermo, 7 January 1943 |
| CAMICIA NERA (CN) | OTO, Leghorn | August, 1937 | Renamed ARTIGLIERE (AR) in July, 1943; to USSR, 21 February 1949 as Z12 and used as a training ship; discarded in 1958, and converted to a target ship in 1960; subsequent fate unknown |
| CARABINIERE* (CB) | CT, Riva Trigoso | July, 1938 | Converted to ASW vessel (D551) in 1953-4 (see Notes, below); stricken 1965 |
| CORAZZIERE (CZ, then CR) | OTO, Leghorn | May, 1938 | Scuttled at Genoa on 9 September 1943; refloated by German forces and repairs started; sunk by air raid on 4 September 1944 |
| FUCILIERE (FC) | CNR, Ancona | July, 1938 | To USSR, 17 January 1950 as Z20 and used as a training ship; discarded in 1958, and converted to a target ship in 1960; subsequent fate unknown |
| GENIERE (GE) | OTO, Leghorn | February, 1938 | Sunk by air raid at Palermo, 1 March 1943 |
| GRANATIERE (GN) | CNR, Palermo | April, 1938 | Converted to ASW vessel (D550) in 1953-4 (see Notes, below); stricken 1958 |
| LANCIERE (LN) | CT, Riva Trigoso | December, 1938 | Foundered in a storm 120nm east of Malta after the Second Battle of Sirte on 23 March 1942 |
| "Second Group" | |||
| BOMBARDIERE* (BR) | CNR, Ancona | March, 1942 | Torpedoed by British submarine UNITED off Marettimo and sunk on 17 January 1943 |
| CARRISTA* (CR) | OTO, Leghorn | --- | Captured incomplete by German forces in September, 1943 and renamed TA34; following "cannibalization" to repair damage to other ships in class, broken up on stocks |
| CORSARO* (CA) | OTO, Leghorn | November, 1941 | Struck two mines laid by the British minelayer ABDIEL off Bizerta and sank on 9 January 1943 |
| LEGIONARIO* (LG) | OTO, Leghorn | April, 1941 | To France, 15 July 1948 as DUCHAFFAULT but saw little active service; removed from the active list and scrapped in 1954 |
| MITRAGLIERE* (MT) | CNR, Ancona | September, 1941 | To France, 15 July 1948 as JURIEN DE LA GRAVIÉRE, but saw little active service; removed from the active list and scrapped in 1956 |
| SQUADRISTA* (SQ) | OTO, Leghorn | September, 1942 | Renamed CORSARO in July, 1943; captured incomplete by German forces in September, 1943 and renamed TA33; sunk by air raid at Genoa on 4 September 1944 |
| VELITE (VL) | OTO, Leghorn | August, 1941 | To France, 24 July 1948 as DUPERRÉ, but saw little active service; removed from the active list and scrapped in 1961 |
The letters in parentheses (XX) after their names are the two-letter identifiers each ship carried painted on their hulls. Builders: CNR = Cantieri Navali Riuniti; CT = Cantieri de Tirrero; OTO = Cantieri Odero Terni Orlando.
Notes:
Pleased with the success of the preceding MAESTRALE and ORIANI classed, the SOLDATI class were basically a repeat design; the 19 ships eventually ordered were the largest destroyer class ever ordered by the Italian Navy. Minor modifications to the hull gave an additional knot of speed. The design speed, reached on trials, was actually quite a bit faster than their "sea speed"; the SOLDATI class had a top operational speed of 34 to 35 knots. In the first group, a 4.7" 15 cal. starshell gun was mounted on the platform between the torpedo tubes, except for CARABINIERE, which carried a fifth 4.7" 50 cal. gun. This latter outfit was repeated in the second group, except for VELITE, which carried the starshell gun. During refits in 1941 and 1942, ASCARI, CAMICIA NERA, GENIERE and LANCIERE had their starshell gun replaced with a fifth 4.7" 50 cal. gun. The designed close range AA armament of 13.2mm MG was gradually replaced by single and twin 20mm guns. During 1942 and 1943, CARABINIERE, GRANATIERE, LEGIONARIO, FUCILIERE and VELITE had their after bank of TT replaced by one or two 37mm AA guns; FUCILIERE and VELITE also had their starshell gun replaced by a single 37mm AA gun. All had two additional DC throwers fitted, bringing the total to four.
The class saw extensive service in World War II, proving capable of efficient operation with the fleet and in company with torpedo boats, and of absorbing substantial damage without loss. Their main weakness, as with the majority of pre-war destroyers, was inadequate AA defense. Attempts were made to remedy this shortcoming, as per the notes above.
Seven of the class survived World War II; three were finally ceded to France as war prizes, while two more were ceded to the Soviet Union. CARABINIERE and GRANATIERE, retained by the Italian Navy, were rebuilt as fast ASW escort vessels in 1953-4; their TT were removed and their light AA weapons were replaced by six 40mm guns. They were subsequently re-rated as frigates. CARABINIERE was used as a trials ship for the Menon ASW mortar and was later used as a test bed for new Italian naval weapons; she was re-rated as an auxiliary experimental ship (A5314) after 1960.
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