View source for Condottieri-class cruiser

{{Short description|Class of Italian light cruisers}}
{{no footnotes|date=January 2013}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| sclass = 2
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Italian cruiser Montecuccoli.jpg
| Ship caption = Condottieri-class cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}} at [[Venice]]
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = Condottieri class
| Builders =
| Operators = *{{navy|Kingdom of Italy|name=''Regia Marina''}}
* {{navy|Greece}}
* {{navy|Soviet Union}}
| Class before =
| Class after =
| Subclasses = *''Giussano'' class
* ''Cadorna'' class
* ''Montecuccoli'' class
* ''Duca d'Aosta'' class
* ''Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi'' class
| Cost =
| Built range = 1928–1937
| In service range =
| In commission range = 1931–1971
| Total ships building =
| Total ships planned =
| Total ships completed = 12
| Total ships cancelled =
| Total ships active =
| Total ships laid up =
| Total ships lost = 6
| Total ships retired = 6
| Total ships preserved =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption =
| Ship type = [[Light cruiser]]
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|5323|–|11350|t|LT|0}} standard
* {{convert|7113|-|11735|t|LT}} full load
| Ship length = {{convert|169.3|–|187|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|15.5|–|18.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship height =
| Ship draught = {{convert|5.2|–|6.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *2 geared turbines
* 6 boilers
* {{convert|95000|–|110000|hp|MW|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|37|kn|abbr=on}}
| Ship range =
| Ship complement = 507
| Ship armament = * 8 [[152 mm /53 Italian naval gun Models 1926 and 1929|{{convert|152|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}/53 cal. guns]]
| Ship armour =
| Ship armor =
| Ship aircraft = 2–4 × reconnaissance [[floatplane]]s
| Ship aircraft facilities =
| Ship notes =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header =
| Header caption = (''Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi''-class)
| Ship type =
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|11350|t|LT|0|abbr=on}} standard
* {{convert|11735|t|LT|abbr=on}} full load
| Ship length = {{convert|187|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|18.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship height =
| Ship draught = {{convert|6.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *2 geared turbines
* 6 boilers
* {{convert|110000|hp|MW|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship speed = {{convert|34|kn|abbr=on}}
| Ship range =
| Ship complement = 640
| Ship armament = 10 [[152 mm /55 Italian naval gun Models 1934 and 1936|{{convert|152|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}/55 guns]]
| Ship armour =
| Ship armor =
| Ship aircraft = 4 × [[IMAM Ro.43]] reconnaissance [[floatplane]]s
| Ship aircraft facilities =
| Ship notes =
}}
|}
The '''Condottieri class''' was a sequence of five [[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 ''[[Condottiero|condottieri]]'' (military commanders) of Italian history.

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

{{sclass|Giussano|cruiser|4}}:
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}}

''Cadorna'' class:
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi Cadorna||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Armando Diaz||2}}

''Montecuccoli'' class:
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}}

''Duca d'Aosta'' class:
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Eugenio di Savoia||2}}

''Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi'' class:
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi||2}}
* {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giuseppe Garibaldi|1936|2}}

==Evolution==
The first group, [[Giussano-class cruiser|the four ''Giussano''s]], were built to counter the French large destroyers (''contre-torpilleurs''), the first being the 2,500 ton [[Le Fantasque-class destroyer|''Le Fantasque''-class]], and therefore they featured very high speed, in exchange for virtually no armour protection.

The following two ''Cadorna''s retained the main characteristics, with minor improvements to stability and hull strength.

Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the ''Montecuccoli''s. About 2,000 tons heavier, they had significantly better protection, and upgraded power-plants to maintain the required high speed.

The two ''Duca d'Aosta''s continued the trend, thickening the armour and improving the power plant again.

The final pair, the ''Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi''s completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for good protection (their armour scheme was the same of the {{sclass|Zara|cruiser|0}} heavy cruisers) and for two more 6-inch /55 guns.

==Service==
All ships served in the Mediterranean during World War II.

The ships of the first two subclasses (with the exception of {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi Cadorna||2}}) were all lost by 1942, primarily to enemy torpedoes (with {{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}} sunk by destroyers at the [[Battle of Cape Spada]] after being crippled by {{HMAS|Sydney|D48|6}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano||2}} suffering a similar fate at in a night action of the [[Battle of Cape Bon (1941)|Battle of Cape Bon]], {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}} sunk by British submarine [[HMS Urge]], and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Armando Diaz||2}} sunk by the British submarine [[HMS Upright|HMS ''Upright'']]) that led many authors (including Preston) to question their real value as fighting ships. The subsequent vessels fared considerably better with all surviving the war, except {{ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}} (torpedoed in August 1942 and sunk by an Allied bombing in December 1942).

After the end of the war, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Eugenio di Savoia||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}} were given to the [[Greek Navy]] and the [[Soviet Navy]] respectively as [[war reparations]]; ''Luigi Cadorna'' was quickly stricken, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}} became a [[training ship]], and the ''Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi'' subclass served on in the ''[[Marina Militare Italiana|Marina Militare]]'' until the 1970s, with {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giuseppe Garibaldi|1936|2}} becoming the first European [[guided missile cruiser]] in 1961.

==Ships==

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
|+ List of Condottieri-class ships
|-
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Ship
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Class
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Builder
! scope="col" rowspan=2 | Laid down
! scope="col" colspan=2 | Service
|-
! scope="col" | Start
! scope="col" | End
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberto di Giussano||2}}
| rowspan=4 | {{sclass|Giussano|cruiser|4}}
| [[Gio. Ansaldo & C.|Ansaldo]]
| 29 March 1928
| 1 January 1931
| 13 December 1941
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Alberico da Barbiano||2}}
| Ansaldo
| 16 April 1928
| 9 June 1931
| 13 December 1941
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Bartolomeo Colleoni||2}}
| Ansaldo
| 21 June 1928
| 10 February 1932
| 19 July 1940
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni delle Bande Nere||2}}
| Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia
| 31 October 1928
| 1 January 1931
| 1 April 1942
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi Cadorna||2}}
| rowspan=2 | {{sclass|Cadorna|cruiser|4}}
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico
| 19 September 1930
| 11 August 1933
| May 1951
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Armando Diaz||2}}
| Odero Terni Orlando
| 28 July 1930
| 29 April 1933
| 25 February 1941
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Raimondo Montecuccoli||2}}
| rowspan=2 | {{sclass|Montecuccoli|cruiser|4}}
| Ansaldo
| 1 October 1931
| 30 June 1935
| 1 June 1964
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Muzio Attendolo||2}}
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico
| 10 April 1931
| 7 August 1935
| 4 December 1942
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta||2}}
| rowspan=2 | {{sclass|Duca d'Aosta|cruiser|4}}
| Odero Terni Orlando
| 29 October 1932
| 13 July 1935
| 20 February 1959
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Eugenio di Savoia||2}}
| Ansaldo
| 6 July 1933
| 16 January 1936
| 1965
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi||2}}
| rowspan=2 | {{sclass|Duca degli Abruzzi|cruiser|4}}
| Odero Terni Orlando
| 28 December 1933
| 1 December 1937
| January 1961
|-
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giuseppe Garibaldi|1936|2}}
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico
| 28 December 1933
| 1 December 1937
| 1971
|}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|author-link=Antony Preston (naval historian)|first=Antony|last=Preston|title=The World's Worst Warships|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|year=2002|isbn=0-85177-754-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Whitley|first1=M.J.|title=Cruisers of World War Two : an international encyclopedia|date=1996|publisher=Arms and Armour|location=London|isbn=1854092251|edition=Reprinted}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Condottieri class cruisers}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051026104836/http://www.regiamarina.net/arsenals/ships_it/cruisers_light/crui_light_us.htm ''Condottieri'' light cruiser classes]

{{Condottieri class cruisers}}
{{WWII Italian ships}}

[[Category:Cruiser classes]]
[[Category:Condottieri-class cruisers| ]]
[[Category:World War II cruisers of Italy]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the Regia Marina]]
[[Category:Cruisers of the Italian Navy]]