They constitute the last of the five classes of cruisers in the series Condottieri. Excellent units among the best similar of their era.
These ships, which, sacrificing speed, had, compared to the previous ones, an improvement in armour as well as additional guns for the secondary batteries, found wide use during the Second World War, participating in the Battle of Punta Stilo and the Battle of Cape Matapan. After the armistice of Cassibile, they were deployed in the Atlantic, taking part in patrol actions alongside the Allies.
Il Garibaldi (opening photo) has a great history: in addition to having participated in the Second World War It was the first European guided missile cruiser. The first surface unit in the world to be equipped for the launch of ballistic missiles and the first large Italian unit of the post-war period. In its new configuration, which was assigned the serial number 551, served for ten years, as the command headquarters unit of the naval squadron. The light cruisers, according to the London Naval Treaty of 1930, were cruisers with guns of 6.1 inches (155 mm) or smaller, while those with guns up to 8 inches (203 mm) were defined heavy cruisers. Today, in the world, two light cruisers are preserved as museum ships: the American USS Little Rock of the class “Cleveland” its English HMS Belfast of the class “Town”, anchored in Buffalo and London respectively.
Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi
The unit was named after the explorer Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, Duke of the Abruzzi who died in 1933. In the same year its construction began in the OTO shipyards in La Spezia.
This unit found extensive use during the Second World War, as part of the 8th Cruiser Division within the 1sta battle squadron based in Taranto, as Admiral Legnani's flagship.
In the early stages of the conflict, on 9 July 1940, she took part in the battle of Punta Stilo. In March 1941, she took part in the battle of Cape Matapan, which ended disastrously for the Italian forces, with the loss of three heavy cruisers of the class. "Zara" and two destroyers of the class “Poets”. After the German conquest of Greece and Crete, it was relocated with its twin Garibaldi and with the Duke of Aosta at Navarino in Greece, for the protection of merchant traffic in the Eastern Mediterranean from possible attacks by British surface units which could use the port of Haifa.
Returned to Italy at the end of 1942, it underwent major maintenance work, during which a radar type was also embarked. Fu.Mo. 25 German made.
After the armistice he reached Malta, surrendering to the Allies according to the armistice clauses and during the co-belligerence he was deployed in the Atlantic, taking part in patrol actions.
Together with the twin Garibaldi, Cadorna and Montecuccoli, constituted the endowment of cruisers granted to the Navy by the peace treaty. Duca degli Abruzzi he was called the cruiser of exiles, as it transported the Italian royals into exile. First, King Vittorio Emanuele III left for exile in Alexandria, Egypt with the title of Count of Pollenzo, after having signed in Naples the formal act of abdication in favor of his son Umberto II, and subsequently Queen Maria Josè to Portugal.
Between 1951 and 1953, she underwent radical modernization works. In October 1954, the ship was present at the return of Trieste to Italy.
In 1961, the unit was decommissioned, handing over the role of fleet flagship to its sister ship. Garibaldi returned to the team after completing the transformation work.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Its construction began on 28 December 1933 in the San Marco shipyard in Trieste. On 9 July 1940, it took part in the battle of Punta Stilo, during which it hit the cruiser HMS Neptune of the Royal Navy, damaging both its catapult and its reconnaissance aircraft Swordfish embarked on the unit.
The following September 29, the Garibaldi took part in the attack on the English convoy MB 5 bound for Malta. The English forces were attacked by Italian torpedo bombers, but this time too the attack by the naval surface forces did not materialize and the English completed the mission since the units of the Royal Navy were unable to establish contact. The Garibaldi was then present, moored in the Mar Piccolo, on the night of Taranto on 11/12 November 1940, from which it emerged unscathed.
In 1941 she took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan. On 31 January 1943, she was hit by bomb fragments in Messina, causing casualties on board.
After the armistice of 8 September 1943, he reached Malta with the rest of the naval squadron, surrendering to the Allies. During the co-belligerence he was deployed in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic, where he took part together with the Duke of Aosta, for patrolling actions against German pirate ships. Placed in reserve in 1953, demolition work began in 1954.
Subsequently, starting from 1957, the unit was started to be rebuilt/converted into a missile cruiser. The rebuilt works were carried out at the Arsenale della Spezia and were completed in 1961.
Garibaldi was decommissioned on 20 February 1971 due to the economic constraints that, in the early 70s, threatened the future of the Italian Navy. It was officially decommissioned on 16 November 1976.
Photo: web