Navigatori-class destroyer

Navigatori-class destroyer
Destroyer Nicoló Zeno
Class overview
Operators:	Regia Marina Kriegsmarine
Preceded by:	Turbine-class destroyer
Succeeded by:	Freccia-class destroyer
Built:	1928-1929
In commission:	1929–1954
Completed:	12
Lost:	11
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	1,900 long tons (1,930 t) standard 2,650 long tons (2,693 t) full load
Length:	107 m (351 ft 1 in)
Beam:	10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draught:	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft geared turbines 4 boilers 50,000 hp (37,300 kW) 630 tons fuel oil
Speed:	38 knots (43.7 mph; 70.4 km/h)
Complement:	224
Armament:	• 6 × 120 mm (4.7 in) guns (3×2) • 2 × 40 mm pom-pom guns (2×1) • 8 × 13.2 mm machine guns • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes • 56 mines

The Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.

Design

These ships were built for the Regia Marina as a reply to the large contre-torpilleurs of the Jaguar and Guepard classes built for the French Navy. These ships were significantly larger than other contemporary Italian destroyers and were classed as esploratori or scouts.

The main armament was a new model 120 mm gun (Ansaldo 1926 pattern, 50 calibre) in 3 twin turrets which allowed for 45° elevation. The torpedo launchers consisted of two triple banks, each unusually comprising two 533 mm (21 in) separated by one 450 mm (18 in). Two rangefinder positions were provided; one above the bridge and one in the after superstructure.

Unit machinery was used comprising 4 boilers 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 43.5 knots which were not achievable under service conditions.

The ships were fast, but were found to lack stability and were rebuilt with a clipper bow, increased beam and reduced superstructure in the late 1930s.

During the war the torpedoes were replaced by triple 21 inch tubes and extra AA guns were added.

Ships

Ship	Named after	Builder	Commissioned	Operational History
Alvise da Mosto	Alvise Cadamosto	CNQ of Fiume	15 March 1931	Sunk by HMS Aurora and HMS Penelope near Tripoli, 1 December 1941
Antonio da Noli	Antonio da Noli	CT at Riva Trigoso	29 December 1929	Mined and sunk on 9 September 1943
Nicoloso da Recco	Nicoloso da Recco	CNR at Ancona	20 May 1930	She shot down three Beaufort bombers while escorting a two-freighter convoy on 21 June 1942 off Tunisia. The only destroyer of this class to survive the war, she was decommissioned on 15 July 1954
Giovanni da Verrazzano	Giovanni da Verrazzano	CNQ Fiume	25 September 1930	On 3 July 1942, while escorting three freighters from Taranto to Benghazi she shot down two Beaufort bombers along with the destroyers Euro and Turbine. Sunk 19 October 1942 by British submarine HMS Unbending.
Lanzerotto Malocello	Lanzerotto Malocello	Ansaldo at Genoa	18 January 1930	Lost on 24 March 1943 to a mine north of Cape Bon
Leone Pancaldo	Leon Pancaldo	CT of Riva Trigoso	30 November 1929	Bombed and sunk on 30 April 1943 near Tunisia.
Emanuele Pessagno	Emanuele Pessagno	CNR of Ancona	10 March 1930	Sunk by British submarine HMS Turbulent on 29 May 1942
Antonio Pigafetta	Antonio Pigafetta	CNQ of Fiume	1 May 1931	She rescued survivors from the Trento after the Italian cruiser was torpedoed and sunk by British submarine HMS Umbra during Operation Vigorous, on 15 June 1942. Captured by the Germans after the Italian armistice with the Allies, served as the TA44. Sunk on 21 February 1945
Luca Tarigo	Luca Tarigo	Ansaldo Genoa	16 November 1929	Sunk by British destroyers on 16 April 1941, but not before torpedoing and sinking the British destroyer HMS Mohawk. See Battle of the Tarigo Convoy.
Antoniotto Usodimare	Antoniotto Usodimare	Odera of Sestri Ponente	21 November 1929	Sank British submarine P38 on 25 February 1942. Sunk by submarine Alagi in a friendly fire incident on 8 June 1942
Ugolino Vivaldi	Ugolino Vivaldi	Odera, Sestri Ponente	6 March 1930	Sank British Submarine HMS Oswald on 1 August 1940. She led the close escort of a four-freighter convoy to Tripoli on 26 May 1941, when she and a screen of destroyers and torpedo boats shot down two Blenheim bombers. Bombed and sunk by German aircraft while attempting to reach internment in Spain following the Italian Armistice 10 September 1943
Nicolò Zeno	Nicolò Zeno	CNQ of Fiume	27 May 1930	Scuttled in Trieste on 9 September 1943 to prevent capture by the Germans following the Italian Armistice

References

• Whitley, M.H. (1988). Destroyers of World War II. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8. 
• Shores, Cull & Malizia (1991). Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-16-X
• "Navigatori class" from Uboat.net