The Condottieri
class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiserA light cruiser is a warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armoured cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armour in the same way as an armoured cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
classes of the Regia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
, although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to gain predominance in the Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
. The ships were named after military commanders (condottieri
) of Italian history.
Each class is known after the first ship of the group:
Di Giussano
classThe Di Giussano class light cruisers were built before World War II for the Italian Regia Marina, to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. They were designed by general Giuseppe Vian and were named after military commanders of the Italian Mediaeval and Renaissance periods.Between the two...
:
Alberto da Giussano
Alberico da BarbianoAlberico da Barbiano was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after Alberico da Barbiano, an Italian condottiero of the 14th century....
Bartolomeo ColleoniBartolomeo Colleoni was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. It was named after Bartolomeo Colleoni, an Italian military leader of the 15th century....
Giovanni dalle Bande NereGiovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, named after the homonymous 16th century condottiero and member of the Medici family, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II...
Cadorna
class:
Luigi CadornaLuigi Cadorna was an Italian light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was launched on 30 September 1931. This ship was named after Italian Field Marshall Luigi Cadorna who was commander in Chief of the Italian Army during World War I.During her early service she did...
Armando DiazArmando Diaz was a light cruiser of the and the sister-ship of the . She served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was built by OTO, La Spezia, and named after Armando Diaz, an Italian Field Marshal of World War I....
Montecuccoli
class:
Raimondo MontecuccoliRaimondo Montecuccoli was a Condottieri class light cruiser serving with the Italian Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war and served in the post-war Marina Militare until 1964.-Design:...
Muzio AttendoloMuzio Attendolo was a light cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina, which fought in World War II. She was sunk in Naples by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces on 4 December 1942...
Duca d'Aosta
class:
Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'AostaEmanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta was an Italian light cruiser of the fourth group of the , that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war, but was ceded as war reparation to the Soviet Navy in 1949...
Eugenio di SavoiaEugenio di Savoia was a Condottieri class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war but was given as a war reparation to the Hellenic Navy in 1947...
Duca degli Abruzzi
class:
Luigi Savoia Duca degli AbruzziLuigi di Savoia Duca Degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961...
Giuseppe Garibaldi
The first group, the four Di Giussano
s, were built for speed, with virtually no armour and a large power plant - equivalent to that of the heavier Zara
class.
Discussion
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The Condottieri
class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiserA light cruiser is a warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armoured cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armour in the same way as an armoured cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
classes of the Regia MarinaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
, although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to gain predominance in the Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
. The ships were named after military commanders (condottieri
) of Italian history.
Each class is known after the first ship of the group:
Di Giussano
classThe Di Giussano class light cruisers were built before World War II for the Italian Regia Marina, to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea. They were designed by general Giuseppe Vian and were named after military commanders of the Italian Mediaeval and Renaissance periods.Between the two...
:
Alberto da Giussano
Alberico da BarbianoAlberico da Barbiano was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after Alberico da Barbiano, an Italian condottiero of the 14th century....
Bartolomeo ColleoniBartolomeo Colleoni was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. It was named after Bartolomeo Colleoni, an Italian military leader of the 15th century....
Giovanni dalle Bande NereGiovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian Condottieri class light cruiser, named after the homonymous 16th century condottiero and member of the Medici family, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II...
Cadorna
class:
Luigi CadornaLuigi Cadorna was an Italian light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was launched on 30 September 1931. This ship was named after Italian Field Marshall Luigi Cadorna who was commander in Chief of the Italian Army during World War I.During her early service she did...
Armando DiazArmando Diaz was a light cruiser of the and the sister-ship of the . She served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was built by OTO, La Spezia, and named after Armando Diaz, an Italian Field Marshal of World War I....
Montecuccoli
class:
Raimondo MontecuccoliRaimondo Montecuccoli was a Condottieri class light cruiser serving with the Italian Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war and served in the post-war Marina Militare until 1964.-Design:...
Muzio AttendoloMuzio Attendolo was a light cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina, which fought in World War II. She was sunk in Naples by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces on 4 December 1942...
Duca d'Aosta
class:
Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'AostaEmanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta was an Italian light cruiser of the fourth group of the , that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war, but was ceded as war reparation to the Soviet Navy in 1949...
Eugenio di SavoiaEugenio di Savoia was a Condottieri class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war but was given as a war reparation to the Hellenic Navy in 1947...
Duca degli Abruzzi
class:
Luigi Savoia Duca degli AbruzziLuigi di Savoia Duca Degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961...
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Evolution
The first group, the four Di Giussano
s, were built for speed, with virtually no armour and a large power plant - equivalent to that of the heavier Zara
class. The two Cadorna
s retained the main characteristics, with minor changes.
Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the Montecuccoli
s. Heavier ships, with significantly better protection, and uprated power-plants to maintain the required high speed. The two Aosta
s continued the trend, thickening the armour and increasing the power plant again.
The final pair, the Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for further armour and extra guns for main and secondary batteries.
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