The Soldati class (also known as Camicia Nera class, meaning Blackshirt) were a group of destroyers built for the (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. The ships were named after military professions (Artigliere, for example, meaning gunner). 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 (15 calibre) 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 machine guns.Campbell 1985, pp. 335–338 Carabiniere was completed with a fifth 120 mm 50 calibre gun replacing the star shell 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 .Whitley 1988, p. 169.Roberts 1980, p. 301.

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,Whitley 1988, p. 169. with the second batch being laid down in 1940–1941, with five completing in 1942.

Four more of the first batch (Ascari, Camicia Nera, Geniere and Lanciere) were modified in 1941–1942 by replacing the star shell 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 (Carabiniere, Granatiere, Fuciliere, Legionario and Velite) had the aft set of torpedo tubes replaced by two 54 cal. guns, while Fuciliere and Velite also had their star shell guns replaced by a further pair of 37 mm cannon.Whitley 1988, pp. 170–171. 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.Smigielski 1995, p. 200.

Ships

Batch 1

+ Construction data for Batch 1 Ship Hull lettersFraccaroli 1968, pp. 59, 62 Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate AP CNR, Ancona 2 May 1937 18 September 1938 20 April 1939 Lost after bombing by USAAF aircraft in La Spezia Harbour, 19 April 1943 ARO.T.O., Livorno 15 February 1937 12 December 1937 14 November 1938 Lost 13 October 1940, sunk by after being damaged at the Battle of Cape Passero the previous day. The wreck was discovered in 2017. AI 11 December 1937 31 July 1938 6 May 1939 Sank 24 March 1943 after striking three mines AV 16 January 1937 19 September 1937 31 August 1937 Torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine on 17 December 1942 BG CNR, Palermo 21 April 1937 3 July 1938 1 April 1939 Lost after being bombed in Palermo harbour, 7 January 1943; (later Artigliere) CN (AR) O.T.O., Livorno 21 January 1937 8 August 1937 30 June 1938 Renamed Artigliere, 30 July 1943;Whitley 1988, p. 170. survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations as Lovky (); retired 1960 CB CT, Riva Trigoso 1 February 1937 23 July 1938 20 December 1938 Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy (Marina Militare), decommissioned, 18 January 1965 CZ (CR) O.T.O., Livorno 7 October 1937 22 May 1938 4 March 1939 Scuttled at Genoa following Italian Armistice, 9 September 1943; raised by Germans but sunk by air raid, 4 Sep 1944 FC CNR, Ancona 2 May 1937 31 July 1938 10 January 1939 Survived the war, given to the Soviet Navy as war reparations, serving as Lyogky (); retired 1960 GE O.T.O., Livorno 26 August 1937 27 February 1938 14 December 1938 Sunk by USAAF bombing while in drydock in Palermo, 1 March 1943Rohwer and Hümmelchen 1992, p. 197. GN CNR, Palermo 5 April 1937 24 April 1938 1 February 1939 Survived the war and served in the post war Italian Navy; stricken 1 July 1958 LN CT, Riva Trigoso 1 February 1937 18 December 1938 25 March 1939 Capsized and sank in heavy storm following Second Battle of Sirte, 23 March 1942

Batch 2 + Construction data for Batch 2 Ship Hull letters Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate BR CNR, Ancona 7 October 1940 23 March 1942 15 July 1942 Sunk 17 January 1943 by Whitley 1988, p. 171. Carrista CRO.T.O., Livorno 11 September 1941N/A Captured on slipway by Germans following Italian armistice; given prospective name TA34 but scrapped incomplete.Whitley 1988, p. 80. CA 23 January 1941 16 November 1941 16 May 1942 Sunk by mines laid by , 9 January 1943 LG 21 October 1940 16 April 1941 1 March 1942 Joined Allies 1943; transferred to France as war reparation, 15 August 1948; renamed Duchaffault; stricken 12 June 1954Smigielski 1995, p. 109. MT CNR, Ancona 7 October 1940 28 September 1941 1 February 1942 Interned Mahón, Mallorca 1943; to Allies 1944; to France as Jurien de la Gravière, 8 Aug 1948; stricken 12 June 1954 Squadrista SQO.T.O., Livorno 4 September 1941 12 September 1942 Captured incomplete by Germany, September 1943; towed to Genoa for completion as TA33; sunk while undergoing trials at La Spezia, 4 September 1944 VL 19 April 1941 31 August 1941 31 August 1942 Badly damaged by torpedo from submarine HMS P228, 21 November 1942; repaired and joined Allies, 1943; transferred to France as Duperré, 24 July 1948; stricken 1961

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

Soldati class on Uboat.net Soldati-class seconda serie Marina Militare website