RM Duca degli Abruzzi (CL-1937)
The final groups of pre-war light cruisers were some of the best
ever produced. Think of the French
La Galissonnière, the British Edinburgh, he US Brooklyn, the Japanese Mogami,
these two Italian cruisers were right up there with the best of them. Just how
long all of these ships lasted in service is a testament to their production
qualities. The exception would be the Mogami class which had all been sunk.
Belfast on the Thames may be the last of this generation of cruisers left.
With these two cruisers, the Italian Navy would
like to have put the 5.3" AA system aboard. However, the twin mounting was too
big for mounting on the narrow hulls and the only way it may have happened is if
the 5.3" was produced as single mountings. So that is what was done. The Italian
Navy could see the war that was coming. Single 5.3" mountings would be good on
the smaller fleet destroyers.
The two Abruzzi class cruisers were in the thick of all the Mediterranean
battles. Both had been fitted as flagships and were used as such for all the
cruiser types, light, heavy and AA. Both cruisers had lucky wars in that they
survived to serve in the post-War Italian Navy. The
Giuseppe Garibaldi was converted to become
Italy's first guided missile cruiser.
The CLG conversion utilised triple 5.3" AA guns and then 76mm high speed
cannons. Provision had been made to carry four Poseidon missiles for nuclear
weapons, but this weapon system was never delivered to the Italian Navy.
| Displacement | 10,000 tons std 12,100 tons full load |
| Length | 614 ft |
| Breadth | 62 ft |
| Draught | 23 ft |
| Machinery | 2 shaft steam turbines, 100,000shp |
| Speed | 34 knots (in light conditions) 32 knots sea speed |
| Range | 4000 miles at 14 knots |
| Armour | 3" side, 1.5" deck, 3.5" turrets |
| Armament |
12 x 6" (4x3) 6 x 5.3" (6x1) 12 x 37mm (6x2) 16 x 20mm (16x1) |
| Aircraft | 2 |
| Torpedoes | 6 x 21" (2x3) |
| Complement | 640 |
| Notes |
Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi
|
