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Italian Battleship Conte Di Cavour

Conte di Cavour

Italian Battleship Conte Di Cavour

The lead ship of her class of three dreadnought battleships (along with Giulio Cesare and Leonardo da Vinci), Conte Di Cavour was launched om 10 August 1911 and commissioned into the Italian Regia Marina on 1 April 1915. She saw no action during World War One.

During World War Two, she took part in the Battle of Calabria on 9 June 1940 when, along with Giulio Cesare she engaged elements of the British Mediterranean Fleet. The Italian fleet retired when Giulio Cesare was hit by a shell from HMS Warspite.

While in Taranto, Conte Di Cavour was struck by a torpedo during the British night attack of 11/12 November 1940. She was grounded to prevent her sinking the next morning. She was still undergoing repairs at Trieste on 8 September when Italy surrendered to the Allies. Although captured by the Germans they made no attempt to continue the repairs. She was damaged in an air raid on 17 February 1945, and capsized on 23 February. Refloated shortly after the end of the war, Conte di Cavour was scrapped in 1946.

In Service

Post Re-fit

Damage Caused at Taranto

Armament

Italian Heavy Cruiser Bolzano

Bolzano

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.

Under Construction

In Service

Armament

Interior

Aircraft

Torpedo Damaged Caused by HMS Unbroken

Letov S-328 in Czech Service

Letov S-328

Letov S-328 in Czech Service

Initially developed for a Finnish requirement for a two seat biplane reconnaissance, the Letov S-28 first flew in 1929. Although not taken up by the Finish Air Force, Czechoslovakia bought 12 production Letov S-128s. These were followed by 4 S-228s for Estonia which were delivered in 1932. Production then shifted to the main S-328 version. A total of 470 of all versions were built.

Following the Sudetenland Crisis and the splitting of Czechoslovakia, the new state of Slovakia inherited a large number of S-328s while Germany took control of the rest. Some of these and new built machines were sold to Bulgaria.

Letov S-328s of the Czech Air Force

Letov S-328 Floatplane

Letov S-328 on Skis

Letov S-328 Internal Structure

Letov S-328 Crashes