Condottieri-class cruiser

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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 condottieri (military commanders) of Italian history.

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

:

Cadorna class:

Montecuccoli class:

Duca d'Aosta class:

Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi class:

Evolution

The first group, the four Giussanos, were built to counter the French large destroyers (contre-torpilleurs), the first being the 2,500 ton Le Fantasque-class, and therefore they featured very high speed, in exchange for virtually no armour protection.

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

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

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

The final pair, the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for good protection (their armour scheme was the same of the 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 ) were all lost by 1942, primarily to enemy torpedoes (with sunk by destroyers at the Battle of Cape Spada after being crippled by , and suffering a similar fate at in a night action of the Battle of Cape Bon, sunk by British submarine HMS Urge, and sunk by the British submarine 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 (torpedoed in August 1942 and sunk by an Allied bombing in December 1942).

After the end of the war, and were given to the Greek Navy and the Soviet Navy respectively as war reparations; Luigi Cadorna was quickly stricken, became a training ship, and the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi subclass served on in the Marina Militare until the 1970s, with becoming the first European guided missile cruiser in 1961.

Ships

List of Condottieri-class ships

Ship	Class	Builder	Laid down	Service
				Start	End
		Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente	29 March 1928	1 January 1931	13 December 1941
		Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente	16 April 1928	9 June 1931	13 December 1941
		Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente	21 June 1928	10 February 1932	19 July 1940
		Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia	31 October 1928	1 January 1931	1 April 1942
		Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste	19 September 1930	11 August 1933	May 1951
		Odero Terni Orlando, Muggiano	28 July 1930	29 April 1933	25 February 1941
		Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente	1 October 1931	30 June 1935	1 June 1964
		Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste	10 April 1931	7 August 1935	4 December 1942
		Odero Terni Orlando, Livorno	29 October 1932	13 July 1935	20 February 1959
		Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente	6 July 1933	16 January 1936	1965
		Odero Terni Orlando, Muggiano	28 December 1933	1 December 1937	January 1961
		Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste	28 December 1933	1 December 1937	1971

External links

• Condottieri light cruiser classes