REGIA MARINA : THE ITALIAN NAVY

Italy at the start of WW2 faced essentially 3 scenarios : war against France, war against Britain, war against both. In all 3, it was essential to keep open sea communications to Libya and the Italian possessions in the Dodecanese islands. Regia Marina – the Italian royal navy – enjoyed the benefits of a central position in all cases, but was bottled up in Mare Nostrum (the Mediterranean name in Latine, « Our Sea ») if it ever went to war against Britain, and perhaps also against France as access to Gibraltar implied sailing along French controlled Algerian coast.

Left with a strong navy at the end of WW1, Italy saw its naval power steadily decline until a few years before WW2. This was due to the restrictions of the treaty of Washington, budgetary constraints, and the lack of regard Il Duce had for his naval arm.  It did not take long before competent Admiral THAON di REVEL was replaced at the head of the Regia Marina by more pliable officers. For a time, prior to the Ethiopian Invasion, it was far from certain Italy would be a threat to Western Powers : in 1934, it resolutely sided with France and opposed the attempted nazi takeover of Austria. The sanctions it was subjected to brought out a reversal of Mussolini’s positions in this matter, and the Spanish Civil War cemented Italy’s alliance with the Third Reich.

BATTLESHIPS

Italy never owned a carrier in WW2, on the assumption that its central position awarded it of air control over surrounding sea expanses. This was never the case, as cooperation with the Italian Air Force never reached a satisfactory level. The « barber shop stripes » on the Italian bows are a recognition device designed chiefly to prevent Italian airmen from bombing their own ships… At the start of the war, Italy had 4 dreadnoughts , 2 of the Cavour Class, 2 of the Andrea Doria class.

Extensively rebuilt and upgraded in 1937, Andrea Doria was a fast ship, toting 10 x 320 mm guns. It was moderately armored, but fairly fast (26 kt). Undamaged at Taranto, she took part in but one combat, in the inconclusive action of the 1st battle of the Gulf of Sirte under the command of Admiral Iachino. She saw escort duty and was eventually interned in Malta after Italy’s surrender.

VITTORIO VENETO

Second ship of the Littorio class, launched in 1937 & commissioned in 1940, she was at the apex of battleship technoly at the time, in a class shared by the French Richelieu and the German Bismarck : fast, well armed and armored, she could have posed the Royal Navy the same kind of problems posed by the Bismarck and the Tirpitz. This was not to be, not out of an excess of pusillanimity, but because Axis fuel resources needed to be husbanded : fuel for Rommel’s panzers first, the remainder for naval operations. Vittorio Veneto saw action at Cape Spartivento, and came close to inflicting a defeat on the Mediterranean squadron, and at Matapan, where, as admiral IACHINO’s flagship , she was torpedoed by a Swordfish biplane. Repaired, she was once more torpedoed by HM submarine Urge in December 1941. She was interned after Italy’s surrender.

HEAVY CRUISERS

Fast, well gunned & armored, the Zaras were well-balanced ships, equivalent to any European competitor, and superior to the French ones. Launched around 1930, they sported 8 x 203mm guns in their main battery, and 16 x 100 mm guns as secondary armament but no torpedoes.

She took part in most of the surface engagements in the Med. Damaged by an Allied air raid in 1943, the ship under repairs was seized by the Germans, but deemed beyond repair. Eventually broken up in 1947.

She served throughout 1940, possibly destroying a turret on HMS Berwick at Cape Teulada. Hit by a Swordfish torpedo at Cape Matapan, she lost propulsion. Her fellow cruisers, Zara & Fiume were surprised and destroyed by Bristish battleships in their rescue attempt. Pola herself was latter finished .

LIGHT CRUISERS

Well armed & extremely fast, but poorly armored (their armor being equivalent to that of a Panzer II), the Giussano class light cruisers suffered from a poor conception, as they had but a single steam main, leading to possible immobilization of the ship if hit.. The risk was deemed negligible, but nevertheless happened to Colleoni at Cape Spada. Banda Nere was the last to be sunk, by a torpedo from HMS Urge in March 1942.

The Abruzzi class light cruisers were an improvement of the Condottieri class, they were as fast, as armored and slightly better gunned (10 x 152mm to 9) than their French La Galissionnière class equivalents. Garibaldi took part in the battles of Calabria & Matapan, took a torpedo hit in July 41, and eventually was interned  in Malta after Italy’s surrender.

One of the Condottieri class cruisers, Duca d’Aosta was a lucky ship that never took a hit throughout the war. As fast, but less armored and gunned as the French La Galissonniere, she took part in the battles of Calabria and Sirte, and various attempted intercepts of British convoys to Malta. She was eventually was interned  in Malta after Italy’s surrender.

DESTROYERS

A class of 8 built in the second half of the Twenties, the Turbines, named after winds, were somewhat outdated at the outbreak of WW2. Moderately fast for Destroyers (33 kt) they were lightly armed (2x2 x 120mm guns and 2 x triple torpedo mounts). All were sunk in action.

A numerous class of 17 ships, the Soldati were well armed and relatively fast (35 kt). A real workhorse of the Regia Marina, they took part in most naval actions in the Mediterranean. At least 10 were sunk in action. Armed with 5 x 120mm guns, and 2 triple torpedo mounts.