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Spica-class torpedo boat

The Spica class was a class of torpedo boats of the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 could be built in unlimited numbers. Thirty-two ships were built between 1934 and 1937, thirty of which entered service with Italy and two of which were sold to the Swedish Navy in 1940. The two units in Swedish service were classified as destroyers until 1953, then re-classified as corvettes. Although commonly referred to as torpedo boats due to their smaller displacement, the Spica class armament was similar to destroyers (their design was influenced by the Maestrale-class destroyer then in development) and were intended for anti-submarine operations but had to fight aircraft and surface forces. Twenty-three vessels were lost during the war.

Design

The design work started in 1932, and two prototypes, Spica and Astore, were built. The hull was 80 metres (260 ft) long, and displacement was around 720 short tons (650 t) standard rather than the 600 short tons (540 t) permitted by the Washington treaty. Propulsion consisted of a two-shaft, geared turbine layout with two Yarrow–type boilers.

The gun armament consisted of three 100 mm (4 in)/47 caliber dual-purpose guns in single mountings in 'A', 'X', and 'Y' positions and three or four twin 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns, later replaced by 6 to 11 Breda 20/65 modello 35 20 mm cannons in various configurations. (Lupo, for example, replaced her eight machine-guns by 1941 with three twin 20 mm guns; two abreast the bridge and one between the funnel and second main gun, leaving the former MG platform immediately abaft the funnel vacant.)

They also carried four 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes; two single tubes for each side in the first group, with later groups having varying configurations including a centreline twin and two single beam mounts, before settling on two centreline twin mounts in the last vessels. Some earlier ships were reportedly refitted with the all-centreline arrangement during the war. This weapon had a shorter range and a smaller warhead than the 533 mm (21 in) torpedoes in use on destroyers.

  • Aretusa (F 556) in service with the Marina Militare in the 1950s
    Aretusa (F 556) in service with the Marina Militare in the 1950s
  • Torpedo boat Cigno
    Torpedo boat Cigno

Ships

Notes to table:

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bacini e Scali Napoletani, Naples
  2. ^ a b Cantieri del Tirreno, Riva Trigoso
  3. ^ a b c d Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Ancona
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Cantieri Navali del Quarnaro, Fiume
  5. ^ Relettered LU in 1938

See also

Footnotes

Notes

  1. ^ Also claimed to Vega, that was escorting a small convoy further south attacked by nine aircraft
  2. ^ Also claimed to Clio, that successfully protected a convoy against a single-aircraft attack further north

Citations

  1. ^ Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian warships of World War 2. London: Ian Allan.
  2. ^ "H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action in WWII".
  3. ^ "Trentoincina - Torpediniera Aretusa". www.trentoincina.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  4. ^ "R. Torpediniera Calliope". digilander.libero.it/carandin. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  5. ^ a b Sadkovich (1994), p. 326.
  6. ^ "Battle of the Atlantic, January 1942". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  7. ^ "RHS Vasilissa Olga (D 15)". uboat.net.
  8. ^ Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, May 1941, part 2 of 2". naval-history.net. British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day. Archived from the original on 2011-08-23.
  9. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia (1987), p. 223.
  10. ^ Woodman, Richard (2000). Malta Convoys, 1940-1943. London: Jack Murray Ltd. p. 113. ISBN 0-7195-5753-4.
  11. ^ Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1991). Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. London: Grub Street. pp. 522–524. ISBN 0-948817-16-X.
  12. ^ Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola; Shores, Christopher (1999). Malta: The Hurricane Years. Grub Street. p. 99. ISBN 0948817062.
  13. ^ Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943 (in Italian). Mondadori. p. 456. ISBN 9788804501503.
  14. ^ a b Biagini, Antonello; Frattolillo, Fernando (1989). Diario storico del Comando Supremo: 1.1.1941–30.4.1941 (in Italian). Rome: Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p. 233.
  15. ^ a b "La Marina Italiana costretta a passare all'offensiva—Gennaio–Marzo 1941". regiamarinaitaliana.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2011-07-22.
  16. ^ Mattesini, Francesco (1998). L'operazione Gaudo e lo scontro notturno di Matapan (in Italian). Rome: Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p. 25.
  17. ^ Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, January 1941, part 2 of 2". naval-history.net. British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day.
  18. ^ Andreas (2012-12-14). "A costly Strike– No 107 Squadron 11 October 1941". The Crusader Project. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  19. ^ Andò, Elio; Bagnasco, Erminio (1976). La guerra navale in Mediterraneo. Intergest. p. 97.
  20. ^ Green and Massignani (1998), p. 170.
  21. ^ Roberti, Vero (1977). Uno contro sei: Il contributo della Marina italiana alla conquista di Creta (in Italian). Mursia. p. 123.
  22. ^ Green and Massignani (1998), p. 117.
  23. ^ Giorgerini, Giorgio (2001). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943 (in Italian). Mondadori. p. 550. ISBN 8804405813.
  24. ^ Sadkovich (1994), p. 323.
  25. ^ Sadkovich (1994), p. 108.

Bibliography

External links

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