Italian battleship Caio Duilio
Encyclopedia
Caio Duilio was an Italian
that served in the Regia Marina
during World War I
and World War II
. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius
. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913. After completing sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 13 June 1916, in the middle of World War I.
The Caio Duilio and her sister ship managed to survive World War I without seeing any naval action. Following the war, extensive modernization took place to the battleships between April 1937 and October 1940. Among other changes, the number of 305 millimetres (12 in) guns was reduced to ten, and the remaining guns bored to 320/44 mm
, to equal the caliber of the French s.
During World War II, Caio Duilio was docked in the southern Italian port of Taranto. She was damaged by a torpedo during the Battle of Taranto
. She was towed to Genoa
for repairs lasting six months, and narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941. In December 1941, Duilio participated in the First Battle of Sirte
. She was placed on the reserve in 1942 because of fuel shortages. After the Armistice with the Allies in 1943, Caio Duilio was used as a training ship. Finally the 41-year-old dreadnought
, now old and worn out, was scrapped at La Spezia
in 1957.
. The battleship was laid down at the Castellammare di Stabia
naval shipyard in Naples on 24 February 1912. She was the second and last battleship of the Andrea Doria class to be constructed. Following exactly one year and two months of construction, Caio Duilio was launched from the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 24 April 1913. The battleship was finally commissioned into the Regina Marina over three years later on 13 June 1916, following Italy's entry into World War I.
system and had 20 boilers and 4 shafts. This totaled to an output of 30,000 shaft horsepowershp. Following her modernization, the battleship was still equipped with a steam turbine system but had 8 Yarrow type boilers and 2 shafts whiched produced a total of 75,000 shaft horsepower. The battleship could travel with speeds up to 23 knots (45 km/h) when she was first built. After she was modernized, Caio Duilio could travel as fast as 27 knots (53 km/h).
tubes. After her modernization, the battleship had 10 320 mm (12.6 in) guns
located in two triple and two double turrets, 12 135 mm (5.3 in) guns in four triple turrets, 10 90 mm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, 15 37 millimetres (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 16 20 millimetre (0.78740157480315 in) anti-aircraft guns.
, while her turret
s were plated with 280 millimetres (11 in) armor. The battleship's deck
armor was 98 millimetres (3.9 in).
, one aircraft hit the Caio Duilio with a torpedo making a large hole in her hull and flooding both forward magazines. The aircraft was later shot down by the heavy cruiser Gorizia. Caio Duilio was then towed to Naples the next day along with the rest of the Italian fleet in order to protect them from further British attacks. Due to the damage that she suffered, Caio Duilio was later towed to Genoa
for repairs and spent the next six months out of action. During her repairs, the battleship narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941.
, but she never fired upon any enemy vessels nor participated in the battle to any great extent.
In 1942, Caio Duilio returned to escorting convoys. Following three escorts, she participated in a failed sortie attempt that tried to intercept a British convoy heading to Malta
. By mid 1942, oil shortages in Italy confined many ships, including Caio Duilio at their moorings and in port. She remained there until Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943. Following the armistice, both the Caio Duilio and her sistership traveled to Malta and were interned at the island for the remainder of the war.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
that served in the Regia Marina
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius
Gaius Duilius
Gaius Duilius was a Roman politician and admiral involved in the First Punic War.Not much is known about his family background or early career, since he was a novus homo, meaning not belonging to a traditional family of Roman aristocrats. He managed, nevertheless, to be elected consul for the year...
. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913. After completing sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 13 June 1916, in the middle of World War I.
The Caio Duilio and her sister ship managed to survive World War I without seeing any naval action. Following the war, extensive modernization took place to the battleships between April 1937 and October 1940. Among other changes, the number of 305 millimetres (12 in) guns was reduced to ten, and the remaining guns bored to 320/44 mm
320 mm Model 1934 naval gun
The 320 mm naval gun was the main battery gun used to modernize Italy's World War I battleships for service during World War II. The guns were manufactured by boring out and relining the battleships' original 12"/50 built-up guns and modifying the turrets to increase elevation above the...
, to equal the caliber of the French s.
During World War II, Caio Duilio was docked in the southern Italian port of Taranto. She was damaged by a torpedo during the Battle of Taranto
Battle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
. She was towed to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
for repairs lasting six months, and narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941. In December 1941, Duilio participated in the First Battle of Sirte
First Battle of Sirte
The First Battle of Sirte was fought between the British Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the Mediterranean campaign of the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte...
. She was placed on the reserve in 1942 because of fuel shortages. After the Armistice with the Allies in 1943, Caio Duilio was used as a training ship. Finally the 41-year-old dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
, now old and worn out, was scrapped at La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
in 1957.
Construction
Caio Duilio was named after the Roman consul and admiral Gaius DuiliusGaius Duilius
Gaius Duilius was a Roman politician and admiral involved in the First Punic War.Not much is known about his family background or early career, since he was a novus homo, meaning not belonging to a traditional family of Roman aristocrats. He managed, nevertheless, to be elected consul for the year...
. The battleship was laid down at the Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia is a comune in the province of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento.-History:...
naval shipyard in Naples on 24 February 1912. She was the second and last battleship of the Andrea Doria class to be constructed. Following exactly one year and two months of construction, Caio Duilio was launched from the Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 24 April 1913. The battleship was finally commissioned into the Regina Marina over three years later on 13 June 1916, following Italy's entry into World War I.
General characteristics
Prior to her extensive modernization from 1937 to late 1940, Caio Duilio weighed 22,956 tons. When she was fully loaded, the battleship weighed as much as 24,729 tons. Following her modernization, the battleship weighed 26,434 tons and 29,391 tons while fully loaded. The ship was 168.96 m (554.3 ft) in length. Her beam was 28.03 m (92 ft) while her draft was 8.58 m (28.1 ft). She had a crew of 1,233 men and officers when she was commissioned into the Regina Marina. Following her modernization, she had a crew of 1,485 men and officers.Propulsion
When she was first built, Caio Duilio was equipped with a steam turbineSteam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
system and had 20 boilers and 4 shafts. This totaled to an output of 30,000 shaft horsepowershp. Following her modernization, the battleship was still equipped with a steam turbine system but had 8 Yarrow type boilers and 2 shafts whiched produced a total of 75,000 shaft horsepower. The battleship could travel with speeds up to 23 knots (45 km/h) when she was first built. After she was modernized, Caio Duilio could travel as fast as 27 knots (53 km/h).
Armarment
Caio Duilios main armarment when she was first built was 13 305 mm (12 in) guns in three triple and two double turrets. She was also equipped with 16 152 mm (6 in) guns, 13 76 mm (3 in) guns, 6 76 millimetres (3 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 3 450 mm (18 in) torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
tubes. After her modernization, the battleship had 10 320 mm (12.6 in) guns
320 mm Model 1934 naval gun
The 320 mm naval gun was the main battery gun used to modernize Italy's World War I battleships for service during World War II. The guns were manufactured by boring out and relining the battleships' original 12"/50 built-up guns and modifying the turrets to increase elevation above the...
located in two triple and two double turrets, 12 135 mm (5.3 in) guns in four triple turrets, 10 90 mm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, 15 37 millimetres (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns, and 16 20 millimetre (0.78740157480315 in) anti-aircraft guns.
Armor
Caio Duilio was equipped with 254 millimetres (10 in) armor at the beltBelt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
, while her turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s were plated with 280 millimetres (11 in) armor. The battleship's deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
armor was 98 millimetres (3.9 in).
World War I
Although the Caio Duilio was commissioned into the Regina Marina in 1916, she saw no action in World War I. However after the war, extensive modifications took place to both the Caio Duilio and the Andrea Doria between April 1937 and October 1940. During this time a number of changes were made to the battleships including the number and caliber of their guns, their tonnage and the ships' propulsion.Attack at Taranto
During World War II, Caio Duilio and her sistership were stationed in the port of Taranto. During the second wave of the British attack on the harborBattle of Taranto
The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, flying a small number of obsolescent biplane torpedo bombers from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea...
, one aircraft hit the Caio Duilio with a torpedo making a large hole in her hull and flooding both forward magazines. The aircraft was later shot down by the heavy cruiser Gorizia. Caio Duilio was then towed to Naples the next day along with the rest of the Italian fleet in order to protect them from further British attacks. Due to the damage that she suffered, Caio Duilio was later towed to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
for repairs and spent the next six months out of action. During her repairs, the battleship narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941.
World War II
Upon returning to service in May 1941, Caio Duilio served as the flagship of several task groups that were assigned to protecting troop convoys to the Italian colony of Libya for the North Africa campaign. The battleship was at sea in December 1941 just before the First Battle of SirteFirst Battle of Sirte
The First Battle of Sirte was fought between the British Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the Mediterranean campaign of the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, southeast of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte...
, but she never fired upon any enemy vessels nor participated in the battle to any great extent.
In 1942, Caio Duilio returned to escorting convoys. Following three escorts, she participated in a failed sortie attempt that tried to intercept a British convoy heading to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. By mid 1942, oil shortages in Italy confined many ships, including Caio Duilio at their moorings and in port. She remained there until Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943. Following the armistice, both the Caio Duilio and her sistership traveled to Malta and were interned at the island for the remainder of the war.