Condottieri class cruiser

Condottieri class cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli at Venice
Class overview
Operators:	Regia Marina
Subclasses:	Giussano class Cadorna class Montecuccoli class Duca d'Aosta class Duca degli Abruzzi class
Built:	1928–1937
In commission:	1931–1972
Completed:	12
Lost:	6
Retired:	6
General characteristics
Type:	Light cruiser
Displacement:	5,323–11,350 tonnes (5,239–11,171 long tons) standard 7,113–11,735 tonnes (7,001–11,550 long tons) full load
Length:	169.3–187 m (555–610 ft)
Beam:	15.5–18.9 m (51–62 ft)
Draught:	5.2–6.9 m (17–23 ft)
Propulsion:	2 geared turbines 6 boilers 95,000–110,000 hp (71–82 MW)
Speed:	34–37 knots (63–69 km/h; 39–43 mph)
Complement:	507–640
Armament:	8 or 10 × 152 mm (6 in)/53 cal. guns
Aircraft carried:	2–4 × reconnaissance floatplanes

The Condottieri class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina (Italian Navy), although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships were named after military commanders (condottieri) of Italian history.

Each class is known after the first ship of the group:

Giussano class:

• Alberto da Giussano
• Alberico da Barbiano
• Bartolomeo Colleoni
• Giovanni dalle Bande Nere

Cadorna class:

• Luigi Cadorna
• Armando Diaz

Montecuccoli class:

• Raimondo Montecuccoli
• Muzio Attendolo

Duca d'Aosta class:

• Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta
• Eugenio di Savoia

Duca degli Abruzzi class:

• Duca degli Abruzzi
• Giuseppe Garibaldi

Evolution

The first group, the four Di Giussanos, were built for speed, with virtually no armour and a large power plant - equivalent to that of the heavier Trento class. The two Cadornas retained the main characteristics, with minor changes.

Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the Montecuccolis. Heavier ships, with significantly better protection, and uprated power-plants to maintain the required high speed. The two Duca d'Aostas continued the trend, thickening the armour and increasing the power plant again.

The final pair, the Duca degli Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for further armour and extra guns for main and secondary batteries.

References

• Preston, Anthony (2002). The World's Worst Warships. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-754-6. 

External links

• Condottieri light cruiser classes