Soldati-class destroyer


The Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Regia Marina during World War II. The ships were named after military professions. There were two batches; twelve ships were built in 1938–1939, and a second batch of seven ships were ordered in 1940, although only five were completed.
Ten ships of the class were lost during the war. Three of the survivors were transferred to the French Navy and two to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, while two served in the Italian post-war navy, the Marina Militare.

Design

In 1936, the Italian Regia Marina placed an order for twelve examples of a new destroyer design, the Soldati class. The design was essentially a repeat of the previous Oriani destroyer design, which was itself a development of the. The design featured an identical main gun armament of four 120 mm/50 calibre guns in two twin turrets, one forward and one aft, while torpedo armament was two triple torpedo tubes. A short 120 mm gun was mounted on a pedestal between the banks of torpedo tubes for firing starshell, while the anti-aircraft armament consisted of twelve Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun| machine guns. A single ship was completed with a fifth 120 mm 50 calibre gun replacing the starshell gun. The ships' powerplant, with two geared steam turbines driving two shafts and generating, and with one large funnel, was similar to that in the Oriani class and was sufficient to propel the destroyers to.
Orders for a second batch of seven destroyers were placed in 1940. All except one of these ships were to carry the five main gun armament of Carabiniere.

Construction and modifications

The first batch of ships were laid down in 1937, being completed between 1938 and 1939, with the second batch being laid down in 1940–1941, with five completing in 1942.
Four more of the first batch were modified in 1941–42 by replacing the starshell gun with a full power 120 mm gun. The anti-aircraft machine guns were gradually replaced by 20 mm cannon, with up to 10–12 being fitted by 1943. Five ships had the aft set of torpedo tubes replaced by two 54 cal. guns, while Fuciliere and Velite also had their starshell guns replaced by a further pair of 37 mm cannon. Fuciliere and Velite were fitted with Italian radar, while Legionario was fitted with a German radar.
The Germans captured Squadrista incomplete in September 1943, and transferred the ship, renamed TA33, to Genoa for completion as a fighter direction ship carrying a long-range Freya radar and German 105 mm and 20 mm guns, but she was sunk by Allied bombing in 1944.
The two destroyers remaining in Italian service after the war were rebuilt as anti-submarine escorts in 1953–1954, with their torpedo tubes removed and the anti-aircraft armament changed to six 40 mm/39 pom-pom guns.

Ships

Batch 1

ShipHull
ltr.s		BuilderNamesakeLaid downLaunchedCommissionedFate
APCNR AnconaAlpini2 May 193718 September 193820 April 1939Lost 19 April 1943 when it was bombed by USAAF aircraft in La Spezia Harbour.
AROTO, LivornoGunners15 February 193712 December 193714 November 1938Lost 13 October 1940, sunk by after being damaged at the Battle of Cape Passero the previous day. 122 survivors, the 132 casualties included the commanding officer, Captain Carlo Margottini. The wreck was discovered in 2017.
AIOTO, LivornoAscari11 December 193731 July 19386 May 1939Sank 24 March 1943 after striking three mines during a troop transport mission from Palermo to Tunis, 194 out of 247 crew, including CO Commander Mario Gerini, lost together with some 200–300 German troops.
AVOTO, LivornoAirmen16 January 193719 September 193731 August 1937Torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine on 17 December 1942 during an escort mission from Naples to Bizerte, 220 crew lost including CO Captain Ignazio Castrogiovanni, 30 survivors.
BGCNR PalermoBersaglieri21 April 19373 July 19381 April 1939Lost on 7 January 1943 after being bombed in Palermo harbour. 59 casualties.

CN OTO, LivornoBlackshirts21 January 19378 August 193730 June 1938Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations as Lovky. Retired 1960.
CBCT Riva TrigosoCarabinieri1 February 193723 July 193820 December 1938Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy, being decommissioned on 18 January 1965.
CZ OTO, LivornoCorazzieri7 October 193722 May 19384 March 1939Scuttled 9 September 1943 at Genoa following Italian Armistice. Raised by Germans but sunk by air raid 4 September 1944.
FCCNR AnconaFusiliers2 May 193731 July 193810 January 1939Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, serving as Lyogky. Retired 1960.
GEOTO, LivornoEngineers26 August 193727 February 193814 December 1938Sunk 1 March 1943 by USAAF bombing while in drydock in Palermo.
GNCNR PalermoGrenadiers5 April 193724 April 19381 February 1939Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy. Stricken 1 July 1958.
LNST Riva TrigosoLancers1 February 193718 December 193825 March 1939Capsized and sank 23 March 1942 in heavy storm following Second Battle of Sirte. 16 survivors including one who died later, the 226 casualties included the CO, Commander Costanzo Casana.

Batch 2