- Yes
- No
The Battleship Littorio was part of the Littorio Class, this new class of battleships was laid down in 1934 with the first two Battleships with the names of “Littorio” and “Vittorio Veneto” were later joined by two more, “Roma” and “Impero” set in 1938. The nucleus of the most beautiful, successful and powerful battleships of the “Regia Marina” since its foundation, therefore began to take shape on paper in 1932. The Ship Projects Committee was in fact charged with preparing the construction plans for two large battleships in which all the best qualities of a modern battleship were combined, both in terms of comparison with foreign units, both as regards the technique of materials and the most advanced construction concepts. After so many years of distance we can certainly say that the job was completed in an excellent way, also because, for a lucky one coincidentally, in those years engineer Umberto Pugliese reached the rank of Inspector General of Naval Engineering, to whom he was entrusted with the direction of the project, he had spent his entire career in the continuous improvement of studies related to the new ones shipbuilding. The first to be launched was the “Vittorio Veneto”, which went into the sea on 25 May 1937, the second to be launched was the “Litorrio” on 22 August 1937, two years later the “Roma” was launched, the Battleship “Impero” however was never finished. The Littorio represented with her sister ships the best of Italian heavy naval production of the Second World War, but during the course of several battles she failed to make an evident contribution, a circumstance due to the prudential and passive attitude of the military leaders of the navy, and starting from the end of 1942 it experienced a reduced military activity. After the surrender of 8 September 1943 the ship was interned by the Allies in the Bitter Lakes in Egypt, on her return to Italy in 1948 she was scrapped.
Specifications:
Crew: Officers: 92 - Petty Officers: 122- Second Chiefs and Sergeants: 134 - Seamen: 1506
Displacement:
Empty weight: 41.377 tons
Full load: 45.963 tons
Dimensions:
Length: 237.8 m - 224.5 m between stern and bow
Width: 32.9 m
Draft: 10.5 m
Protection Armor:
Vertical maximum 350 mm - horizontal in the center of the ship (in the thickest points) 207 mm
Command Tower: 260 mm
Large-caliber towers: 380 mm. (on the front)
Tower bases large caliber: 350 mm.
Medium caliber towers: 280 mm (on the front)
Tower bases medium caliber 150 mm
Engine System:
8 Yarrow type boilers, with sub-vertical water pipes with superheaters
4 Belluzzo turbine units with gearboxes
4 tripale propellers
Power:
about 130.000 HP in the normal full-speed pace
about 140.000 HP obtained by tests
Speed: 30 knots (55.6 km/h)
Autonomy:
4580 miles (7371 km) at 16 knots
3920 miles (6309 km) at 20 knots
1770 miles (2849 km) at 30 knots
Normal fuel supply: 3.700 tons
Maximum fuel supply: 4.210 tons
Armament:
9 Cannons OTO / Ansaldo 381/50 mm (3 trinated installations)
12 Cannons OTO / Ansaldo 152/55 mm (4 trinated installations)
4 Cannons Mod. 1891 120/40 mm for illuminating shooting
12 Cannons Mod. 1939 AA 90/50 mm
20 Cannons Breda AA 37 mm (8 twin and 4 single installations)
28 Cannons Breda Mod. 1935 AA 20 mm (14 twin installations)
Catapult with 3 aircraft (Reggiane Re.2000)
Photos:
Sources:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNIT_15-50_m1934.php
Battleships Littorio Class: Trinated Tower 381/50 mm (In Italian)