Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Vittorio Veneto

1940 WORLD WAR 2

Vittorio Veneto History

From 1934 to 1942, the Italian Navy (Regia Marina) financed the construction of a new four-man class of battleships called the Littorio class, consisting of Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Roma and Impero. Of the four planned, only three were completed in the construction of the Imperial, launched in 1939, and Italy's focus shifted to escort warships.

The rest of the class made important contributions to Italian naval operations in World War II, and each managed to play their part in the conflict. For Vittorio Veneto, his military service was relentless, as he was repeatedly severely damaged by Allied fighter jets.

The Vittorio Veneto was commissioned on June 10, 1934, and on October 28 of the same year, the builders laid the keel. She was launched on July 25, 1937, and officially commissioned on April 28, 1940.

It is named after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (October-November 1918), the victory of Italy over Austria-Hungary in World War I. [ /p]

The main guns of the Vittorio Veneto were traditionally arranged as three turrets, two in front of the central superstructure and one behind the central superstructure. The main mast is the highest projection of the warship and is also the service bridge. The stern mast arranges the twin pipes in the middle of the boat. The foredeck area is largely unobstructed, as is the stern area. At the very end of the boat is a crane for the recovery of seaplanes, of which up to three can be transported.

The launch of these aircraft is via a catapult above the tail, which allows the aircraft to provide an eye to the sky and help improve firing accuracy. The entire crew numbered up to 1,950 people. Armor protection on the main belt reaches 14 inches, her deck is covered with 6.4 inch plates, her turret is 13.7 inches high, and her conning tower is 10 inches. The vessel's dimensions include a length of 780 feet, a beam of 108 feet and a draft of 31 feet.

Displacement is 41,376 tonnes (short) under normal load and up to 46,000 tonnes (short) at full load.

Her machine was run by 8 Yarrow boilers that powered 4 steam turbines driving 4 shafts under the boat with 128,000 shaft horsepower. Under ideal conditions, the top speed reaches 30 knots and the range is up to 3,920 miles. Crew stores also limit the ship's endurance.

Armament is the key to the success of most battleships, at the heart of which are the 9 x 15 in (381 mm)/50 caliber main guns spread over three three-armed turrets. This was supported by a 4 x 6 in (152 mm)/55 caliber gun in a three-armed turret.

Carry a 4 x 4.7 in (120 mm)/40 caliber gun to illuminate targets in low light combat. (37 mm) /54 caliber guns (dual and single turrets) and 10 x .79" (20 mm) guns in dual turrets.

In June 1940, the Italians went to war on the side of the Axis, and in August, Vittorio Veneto was forced to serve. From 31 August to 2 September, the battleship was used in patrol operations in hopes of striking a British convoy from Gibraltar to Alexandria, Egypt. At this stage of the war, the Italian navy had a distinct advantage in firepower and overall presence in Mediterranean waters - certainly enough to threaten British action after the fall of France. The battleships and their escorts encountered no enemy during this period, which ended in October.

On 10-11 November, the British carried out a famous air raid on the Italian naval base at Taranto. The resulting attack damaged three Italian battleships, but the Veneto Vittorio remained largely unaffected. The ship was named the flagship of the Italian fleet upon its arrival in Naples.

Their next action came in November 1940, when the Italians again faced the British at the Battle of Cape Spartevento near Sardinia. The Italians could only use their two battleships, including the Vittorio, along with six heavy cruisers and fourteen destroyers, against the massive British army consisting of an aircraft carrier and several other warships of varying abilities.

The outcome of the battle was inconclusive, with both sides claiming that only one battleship was damaged.

Vittorio was present during the Battle of Cape Matapan, near Greece, 27-29 March 1941. A combined Australian-British force of one aircraft carrier and three battleships engaged an Italian force of six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and seventeen destroyers. Three torpedoes fired from HMS Formidable's Fairey Swordfish biplane bombers eventually landed near Vittorio, although only one hit directly, the one on the port outboard propeller. The sea began to flood her compartment, which gave the ship a noteworthy list. Still, the battleship was able to advance and retreat safely.

It underwent repairs in Taranto from late March to July 1941 and was not reopened until August. The battle cost the Italians 2,400 soldiers, three heavy cruisers, two destroyers, and a severely damaged Vittorio.

After the repair, Vittorio's fortunes did not improve. While in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Calabria, she was targeted by the Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Urge. The submarine fired a total of three torpedoes in her direction, one of which managed to find Vittorio's port side.

The hull was torn apart and flooding ensued, forcing the Italian battleship to Taranto for repairs, and she did not enter the war until early 1942.

In June 1942, the Vittorio joined other Italian warships to intercept an Allied convoy aimed at Alexandria. American bombers successfully engaged the Italian warships in the melee, although Vittorio reported no serious damage. In November, the battleship sailed from Naples to Taranto and survived a torpedo attack by HMS Umbra. The Italian fleet was then transferred to La Spezia to defend against Allied air raids, although the battleship was hit by Allied bombs during an air raid on 5 June 1943, which severely damaged her again.

The warship was then sent to Genoa for repairs. After Italy surrendered in September 1943, Vittorio was transferred to Malta to surrender, but was attacked by German warplanes on the way.

Vittorio arrived in Malta and stayed until 14 September 1943. She was sent to Alexandria and later moved to the Suez Canal, where she was put on hold until October 1946.

When she was again allowed to enter Italian waters, she was handed over to Britain as a trophy and removed from the Naval Register on 1 February 1948. Subsequently, her hull was sold for scrap between 1948 and 1950, officially ending her naval history.

Some of her guns were used as shore batteries in Yugoslavia and survived the 1990s.