Italian cruiser Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi

RN Duca degli Abruzzi
History
Italy
Laid down	28 December 1933
Launched	21 April 1936
Commissioned	1 December 1937
Decommissioned	January 1972
Out of service	1953 refit
Fate	Scrapped 1972
General characteristics
Displacement	11,350 tons standard 11,735 tons full load
Length	171.1 - 187 m
Beam	18.9 m
Draught	6.9 m
Propulsion	6 boilers 2 shafts 100,000 hp
Speed	34 knots (62 km/h)
Range	4,125 miles at 13 knots
Complement	640
Armament	10 152 mm / 55 caliber (6 in) 8 90 mm / 50 caliber 8 37 mm / 54 caliber 12 20 mm / 65 caliber 6 533 mm torpedo launchers 2 anti-submarines bombers
Armour	Max 140 mm (vertical) 40 mm (horizontal)
Aircraft carried	4

Luigi 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. She was built by OTO La Spezia and named after Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian explorer and Admiral of World War I.

Design

The Duca degli Abruzzi class cruisers were the final version of the Condottieri class and were larger and better protected than their predecessors. The armament was also increased by two extra 152 mm guns, triple turrets replaced twins in the A and Y positions. The machinery was also revised which led to these ships having a slightly slower maximum speed than their predecessors

Career

The ship was completed in 1937 and formed the 8th Cruiser division with her sister ship, she fought in the following actions:

• Battle of Calabria
• 1 September 1940: operation Hats
• Battle of Cape Matapan
• Operation Mincemeat
• part of the fleet that attempted to intercept a convoy (Operation Halberd) headed for Malta.

Damaged by an aircraft torpedo on 22 November 1941 but repaired, it was interned by the Allies after the Italian Armistice and served in the South Atlantic on blockade duty. Duca degli Abruzzi served in the post war Marina Militare until 1961.

References

• Whitley, M.J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two. Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 1-86019-874-0.