AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

Italian Battleship Littorio

Littorio

Italian Battleship Littorio

Littorio was the lead ship of her class of battleships (along with Vittorio Veneto and Roma and in incomplete Impero). Launched on 22 August 1937, she was commissioned into the Italian Regia Marina on 6 May 1940.

Littorio was badly damaged when struck by three torpedoes dropped by Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bombers during the Battle of Taranto on the night of 1 November 1940. Repairs lasted until 11 March 1941.

For the remainder of the Second World War, Littorio undertook convoy escort duties, while also attempting to intercept British convoys. She participated in the First and Second Battles of Sirte (17 December 1941 and 22 March 1942 respectively), causing severe damage to the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Havock and Kingston and minor damage to the light cruiser Euryalus during the later battle.

During the attempted interception of convoy Operation Vigorous, Littorio was hit on Number 1 Turret by a bomb dropped by a Consolidated B-24 Liberator on 15 June 1942. This caused only minor damage and the turret remained in operation. Shortly before midnight that evening, Littorio was struck by a torpedo dropped by a British Wellington bomber, causing some 1,500 long tons (1,500 t) of water to flood the ship’s bow. Her crew counter-flooded to correct the list. The ship was able to return to port for repairs that lasted until 27 August 1942.

Along with her two sisters, Littorio was moved to La Spezia in December 1942. On 19 June 1943 she was struck by three bombs during an American raid.

With the overthrow of the Mussolini Fascist Government, she was renamed Italia and moved to Malta to be interned for the remainder of the war. During transit to Malta, the fleet was attacked by Luftwaffe Dornier Do 271 bombers armed with Fritz X radio-controlled bombs. One Fritz X hit Italia just forward of turret no. 1; it passed through the ship and exited the hull, exploding in the water beneath and causing serious damage. Roma was meanwhile sunk in the attack.

Post war, Italia was allocated to the United States. Having no use for the battleship, she was sold for scrap and broken up at La Spezia.

Littorio Under Construction

Littorio at Sea

Taranto Raid and Repairs

Damage From Operation Vigorous

Damage suffered by the battleship Littorio on 15 June 1942, during Operation Vigorous
Damage suffered by the battleship Littorio on 15 June 1942, during Operation Vigorous

Armament

Littorio’s Aircraft

Scrapping

Italian Battleship Dante Alighieri

Italian Battleship Dante Alighieri

Italian Battleship Dante Alighieri

Launched on 20 August 1910, Dante Alighieri was the first Italian dreadnought battleship. Commissioned into the Regia Marina on 15 January 1913, she served as the flagship during World War One. Apart from Second Battle of Durazzo in 1918 Dante Alighieri saw no action during the war.

Although refitted in 1923, she was stricken from the navy list in 1928 and sold for scrap the following year.

Italian Heavy Cruiser Trento

Trento

Italian Heavy Cruiser Trento

The lead-ship of her class of two heavy cruisers, Trento was launched on 8 October 1927. She was commissioned into the Regia Marina on 3 April 1929.

During the Second World War, she took part in the Battles of Calabria (July 1940), Cape Spartivento (November 1940), and Cape Matapan (March 1941).

She was also present during the First and Second Battles of Sirte (December 1941 and March 1942), and at the latter she severely damaged the British destroyer HMS Kingston. Trento was also frequently tasked with escorting convoys to supply Italian forces in North Africa as well as interdicting British convoys to Malta. During one of the latter missions to attack the British Operation Harpoon convoy in June 1942, Trento was torpedoed twice, first by a Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber and then sunk by the submarine HMS Umbra with very heavy loss of life on 15 June 1942.