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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.

Italian Heavy Cruiser Trieste

Trieste leaving Taranto, circa mid 1930s

Italian Heavy Cruiser Trieste

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.

Dornier Do 335s Evaluated by France

Dornier Do 335 V14 in French markings

Dornier Do 335s Evaluated by France

Post-war, France examined two Dornier Do 335 fighters, M14 Wk-Nr 230014 (a prototype for the B-2 series) and M17 Wk-Nr 230017, (a prototype for the B-6 nightfighter). M14 was flown to Bretigny and was then restored by the SNCASO factory in Surennes, before transferring to the Centre d’Essai en Vol (CEV) on 3 June 1946. The aircraft flew a number of times from 1947 until 4 March 1948. The M17 arrived at the CEV some months later and also flew during 1947 but was later damaged due to an undercarriage failure and not repaired.