Italian Heavy Cruiser Bolzano

Bolzano was a heavy cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina. Based on the Trento-class and sometimes considered part of that class, Bolzano was launched on 31 August 1932 and commissioned on 19 August 1933.

Not long after Italy’s entry into World War Two, Bolzano took part in the Battle of Calabria (9 July1940) where she was hit by three 6″ shells fired by HMS Neptune. This damaged was repaired and on the night of 11/12 November 1940, she was at Taranto when the British launched an attack on the Italian fleet. As she did not fire on the attacking aircraft her position was not revealed and she received no damage.

Bolzano took part in the Battles of Cape Spartivento (26 November 1940) and Cape Matapan (27-29 March 1941). She then undertook convoy escort to and from North Africa. During a convoy escort in July 1941 she was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Triumph. After repairs, she resumed convoy duty in November 1941.

On 11 August 1942 while attempting to intercept a British convoy, she was torpedoed by the submarine HMS Unbroken. The torpedo started a fire which threatened to spread to the forward magazine. The crew flooded to area to prevent a detonation and then grounded her to prevent the ship sinking. First towed to Naples for temporary repairs, she was later transferred to La Spezia. At this stage of the war, Italy was unable to repair the ship and she was still at La Spezia when Italy surrendered in September 1943.

On the night of 21–22 June 1944, a team of British and Italian frogmen—Italy having re-entered the war on the side of the Allies—entered La Spezia using Chariot manned torpedoes to sink Bolzano and Gorizia to prevent the Germans from sinking them as blockships. They succeeded in sinking Bolzano but Gorizia remained afloat. In September 1949, salvage workers raised the ship and she was subsequently broken up for scrap.