Fiume was the second of the Zara-class heavy cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina (along with her sisters Zara, Pola and Gorizia). She was launched on 27 April 1930 and commissioned on 23 November 1931.
During the Second World War, Fiume was engaged with convoy escort and intercepting British convoys. She participated in the Battle of Calabria (July 1940) and the Battle of Cape Spartivento (November 1940). During the Battle of Cape Matapan, Fiume, Zara and four destroyers were ordered to protect Pola which had been disabled by a torpedo. During the night, they were surprised by a force of three British battleships (HMS Warspite, Valiant and Barham). All three heavy cruisers and two of the destroyers were sunk.
Fiume, under constructionFiume under constructionFiume in drydock 1930sFiume undergoing speed trialsFiume shortly after her entry into service in 1931Fiume in Taranto 1933Fiume launching a seaplane in 1935Cierva C.30A autogyro from a flight deck built on the stern of the Italian heavy cruiser RN Fiume (then making 16 knots), 6 January 1935Fiume in Venice 1937-39Gorizia and Fiume in Venice, 1937Fiume 5 May 1938Fiume 5 May 1938Fiume 5 May 1938Fiume, Zara, and Pola moored at Naples, May 1938Heavy cruisers Fiume, Gorizia, Zara and Pola in the battle near Punta Stilo, July 9, 1940Conte di Cavour, left, and the heavy cruiser Fiume, right, sometime between 1937 and 1940Fiume prepares to launch her IMAM Ro.43 floatplane with battleship Conte di Cavour in the backgroundFiumeFiumeFiumeFiume in the gulf of NaplesFiumeFiumeFiumeFiumeFiume, before her loss at Matapan, and the only one that shows her camouflage scheme
Gorizia was the third member of the Zara-class heavy cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina. Launched on 28 December 1930, she was commissioned on 31 December 1931. As with her sisters (Zara, Fiume and Pola) she was nominally within the 10,000 ton limit of the Washington Treaty, however she displaced significantly more than this.
On the 19th of August 1936 while steaming from Tangiers to Italy Gorizia suffered an explosion in her forward aviation fuel tank causing significant damage. She altered course for Gibraltar where temporary repairs were made before returning to Italy.
During World War Two, Gorizia took part in the Battles of Calabria on (9 July 1940), Cape Spartivento (27 November 1940). During the British attack on Taranto during the night of 11/12 November 1940, but was not targeted although her anti-aircraft guns shot down a British bomber. She was undergoing regular maintenance during the Battle of Cape Matapan where her three sisters were sunk.
An Allied air attack on the port of Messina on 21 November 1941 caused extensive damage to Gorizia’s superstructure from bomb splinters, though she nevertheless sortied that day to escort a convoy to North Africa. On 16 and 17 December, while on another convoy escort mission, she took part in the First Battle of Sirte against a force of British light cruisers and destroyers.
On 22 March 1942, she took part in the Second Battle of Sirte, where she was heavily engaged with British light cruisers and destroyers although she did not suffer any damage. While at the port of La Maddalena on 10 April 1943, Gorizia was attacked by US and hit three times causing serious damage. Gorizia entered dry dock on 4 May 1943 for repairs and was still there when Italy surrender in September. Although seized by Germany, no further use was made of her due to her condition. She was floated out of the dry dock and anchored in the harbour. On the night of 21–22 June 1944, British and Italian frogmen used Chariot manned torpedoes to infiltrate the harbor to sink Gorizia and Bolzano to prevent the Germans from using them as blockships; while the commandos did sink Bolzano, they were unsuccessful with Gorizia. She remained afloat and heavily listing in April 1945, when Allied forces liberated La Spezia. Judged to be too badly damaged to repair, the postwar navy decided to discard the ship. She was accordingly stricken from the naval register on 27 February 1947 and broken up for scrap
Gorizia on trialsGorizia at La Spezia 1932Gorizia at Tangiers, in late August 1936, showing damage to her bow due to an explosion in the aviation fuel tankGorizia on May 5, 1938Gorizia 1940Amidships view of the Italian heavy cruiser Gorizia, September 1940Heavy cruisers Fiume, Gorizia, Zara and Pola in the battle near Punta Stilo, July 9, 1940Gorizia February 1942Gorizia steaming at 30 knots just before the second battle of Sirte, on 22 March 1942Gorizia anchored in Messina, 23 March 1942GoriziaGorizia 100m AA gunsGoriziaGoriziaGoriziaGorizia The wreck of GoriziaThe wreck of GoriziaGorizia abandoned at the end of the war
Pola was the forth and last of the Zara-class cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina. Unlike her three sisters (Zara, Gorizia and Fiume), she was completed as a flag ship, with a larger conning tower for the admiral and his staff. Launched on 5 December 1931, she was commissioned into the Italian Navy on 31 December 1932.
During The Second World War, she participated in the battles of Calabria (July 1940) and Cape Spartivento (November 1940). During the Battle of Cape Matapan (27-29 March 1941), Pola was disabled by an aerial torpedo. Zara and Fiume were sent to help and escort her to port. During the night, the cruisers were surprised by the British Royal Navy fleet, centred on the battleships HMS Warspite, Valiant and Barham. The battleships overwhelmed Zara, Fiume and two destroyers. The British considered towing Pola to Alexandria, but the proximity to Italian airfields and the approaching dawn prevented this. Instead, she was sunk by torpedoes from the destroyers HMS Jervis and Nubian.
Pola on the building ways at Odero-Terni-Orlando, LeghornLaunch of the Italian heavy cruiser Pola, Odero-Terni-Orlando shipyard, Leghorn, 5 December 1931Launch of Pola in Livorno 1931Pola on sea trialsPola and Zara in Venice 1933Pola 203 mm turrets of the heavy cruiser PolaPolaHeavy cruisers Fiume, Gorizia, Zara and Pola in the battle near Punta Stilo, July 9, 1940Italian heavy cruiser PolaItalian heavy cruiser PolaItalian heavy cruisers, likely on 30 July or 1 August 1940 during an escort mission, as seen from the flagship Pola 203 mm turrets of the heavy cruiser Pola 203 mm turrets of the heavy cruiser PolaTwo Italian admirals under the aft 203 mm turrets of the heavy cruiser Pola the engraving of her motto I dare any deed 203 mm turrets of the heavy cruiser PolaGrand Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel on the deck of the Italian heavy cruiser Pola, before a ceremony onboard on 6 July 1933100mm guns on the Italian heavy cruiser PolaIMAM Ro.43 on the bow’s catapult of Italian Navy’s heavy cruiser Pola
