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.
Dante Alighieri being launchedItalian battleship Dante Alighieri 1913Dante Alighieri rolling in heavy seas, during a cruise from the Azores to Spain, 1913Dante Alighieri performing gunnery exercises off Taranto, 1914Dante Alighieri performing gunnery exercises off Taranto, 1914Dante Alighieri sailing at full speed, ca. 1914Dante Alighieri in 1919Dante Alighieri photographed at Fiume on the Adriatic during the ship’s operations at that port, 20 May 1919 to 6 January 1921Dante Alighieri after being refitted, 1920sDante Alighieri, likely around 1920Dante Alighieri sometime during 1923 to 1927 following refit with a tripod foremastDante AlighieriItalian battleship Dante AlighieriDante AlighieriDante Alighieri, showing her 120 mm (4.7 inch) secondaries mounted in both casemates and powered turretsDante Alighieri, left, and the auxiliary ship Cortellazzo (former armoured cruiser Marco Polo), right, Fiume harbour, December 1920Dante Alighieri passes through Taranto’s Ponte GirevoleDante Alighieri in TarantoItalian battleship Dante Alighieri while it passes through Taranto’s Ponte GirevoleItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriItalian Battleship Dante AlighieriOne of the turbines made for the Italian battleship Dante Alighieri, built by the Stabilimento Meccanico of Sampierdarena (Ansaldo), 1910
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.
Trento being launchedTrento sailing through the Suez Canal on its way to the Far East, 9 February 1932Trento with destroyer Espero tied up next her, Shanghai, China. 1932Trento in the mid-1930’sTrento in Chinese portTrento in 1942Trento Gulf of Sirte March 22 1942TrentoTrentoSavoia-Marchetti S.55 landing on water near the Italian heavy cruiser TrentoTrentoTrentoTrentoTrentoTrentoTrento on Feb 21, 1942TrentoFront turrets of the Italian heavy cruiser Trento. In Genoa, May 1938Bridge and main batteries of Italian heavy cruiser RN Trento
Laid down in June 1925, was launched in October 1926, Trieste was the second of the Trento-class heavy cruisers built for the Regia Marina. Although claimed to comply with the Washington Treaty limit of 10,000 tons for cruisers, she actually displaced significantly more (at over 13,000 tons).
During the Second World War, Triest participated in the Battles of Cape Spartivento (November 1940) and Cape Matapan (March 1941). On 21 November 1941 while escorting a convoy, she was hit by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Utmost.
While moored in La Maddalena, Sardinia, Trieste came under attack from B-24 Liberator heavy bombers from the United States Army Air Forces on 10 April 1943. She received several hits at 13:45, and at 16:13 she capsized to starboard and sank in the shallow water.
The wreck was salvaged in 1950 and the machinery was found to be well preserved, due to leaking oil. The Spanish Navy purchased the hull, with plans to convert it to an aircraft carrier. However, rising costs caused the project to be cancelled in 1956.
Trieste under constructionTrieste after commissioningTrieste Stern soon after commissioningTrieste soon after commissioning in 1929Trieste soon after commissioningTrieste in 1931Trieste, in 1933Trieste leaving Taranto, circa mid 1930sTrieste after reconstruction of bridge and foremastTrento and Trieste alongside Genoa, May 1938Trieste from the cruiser Fiume, sometimes before WWIITrieste May 11 1939Trento and Trieste in Livorno, 1939Trieste looking forward starboard side. Photograph taken circa 1937-1939. An IMAM RO.43 Floatplane appears on the ship’s bow.Trieste in 1942Trieste in Messina during the trials of that harbour’s newly installed smoke-producing equipment, early 1941Trieste in VeniceHeavy cruisers of Italian Regia Marina (led by Trieste), presumably in 1940TriesteThe fore 203 mm turrets of the Italian heavy cruiser TriesteTriesteTriesteTriesteTriesteTriesteTrieste
