The Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928–1929 for the (Royal Italian Navy), named after Italian explorers. They fought in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Just one vessel, ''Nicoloso Da Recco'', survived the conflict.
Design
These ships were built for the
Regia Marina
The , ) (RM) or Royal Italian Navy was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy () from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the changed its name to '' Marina Militare'' ("Military Navy").
Origin ...
as a reply to the large ''contre-torpilleurs'' of the
''Jaguar'' and classes built for the
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
. These ships were significantly larger than other contemporary Italian destroyers and were initially classed as ''esploratori'' or scouts. They were re-rated as destroyers in 1938.
The main armament was a new model
/50 gun
A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...
[Campbell, pp. 335–338] in three twin turrets which allowed for 45° elevation. The
torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
launchers consisted of two triple banks, each unusually comprising two separated by one . Two
rangefinder
A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to Length measurement, measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, suc ...
positions were provided; one above the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
and one in the after
superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships.
Aboard ships and large boats
On water craft, the superstruct ...
.
Unit machinery was used comprising four
boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...
s in two widely spaced boiler rooms and two turbine rooms. The forward unit drove the port shaft and the aft unit drove the starboard shaft. Trials were run light and with overloaded machinery leading to speeds of up to which were not achievable under service conditions.
The ships were fast, but were found to lack stability and were rebuilt with clipper bows, increased beam and reduced superstructure in the late 1930s.
During the war the torpedoes were replaced by triple 21-inch tubes and extra
anti-aircraft guns
Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-bas ...
were added.
Ships
Notes
Bibliography
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* Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991). ''Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942''. Grub Street.
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Further reading
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External links
"Navigatori class" from Uboat.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Navigatori-class destroyer
Destroyer classes