Capitani Romani-class cruiser


The Capitani Romani class was a class of light cruisers acting as flotilla leaders for the Italian navy. They were essentially designed to outrun and outgun the large new French destroyers of the and classes. Twelve hulls were ordered in late 1939, but only four were completed, just three of these before the Italian armistice in 1943. The ships were named after prominent Ancient Romans.

Design

The Capitani Romani class were originally designed as scout cruisers for ocean operations, although some authors consider them to have been heavy destroyers. After the war the two units still in service were reclassified as flotilla leaders.
The design was fundamentally a light, almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament. The original design was modified to sustain the prime requirements of speed and firepower. Given their machinery development of, equivalent to that of the 17,000-ton cruisers of the, the target speed was over, but the ships were left virtually unarmoured. As a result, the three completed warships achieved during trials. The Capitani Romani-class vessels shipped a main battery of eight guns, with a rate of fire of eight rounds per minute and a range of. They also carried eight torpedo tubes. The wartime load dropped the operational speed by, depending on the source.

Operational history

Only Scipione Africano and Attilio Regolo saw combat.
Scipione Africano detected and engaged four British Elco motor torpedo boats during the night of 17 July 1943 enroute to Taranto, while passing the Messina straits at high speed off Punta Posso. She sank MTB 316 and heavily damaged MTB 313 between Reggio di Calabria and Pellaro. She laid down four minefields in the Gulf of Taranto and the Gulf of Squillace from 4 to 17 August, together with the old light cruiser.
Attilio Regolo was torpedoed by the submarine on 7 November 1942, and remained in drydock for several months with her bow shattered.

Ships

Four of the ships were scrapped before launch. Five were captured by the Germans in September 1943, still under construction. All five were sunk in harbour, one was raised and completed. Three were completed before the Italian armistice.
ShipNamesakeBuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletedOperational history
Marcus Atilius RegulusOTO, Livorno28 September 193928 August 194015 May 1942Commissioned in August 1942 and used as a mine-layer until seriously damaged by a torpedo in November. Ceded to France in 1948 renamed Châteaurenault.
Gaius MariusOTO, Livorno28 September 193917 August 1941—Captured by the Germans in La Spezia, with only the hull completed. Used as a floating oil tank and scuttled in 1944.
Nero Claudius DrususCdT, Riva Trigoso27 September 1939——Construction cancelled June 1940. Scrapped between 1941 and February 1942.
Emperor TiberiusOTO, Livorno28 September 1939——Construction cancelled June 1940. Scrapped between November 1941 and February 1942.
Lucius Cornelius SullaAnsaldo, Genoa12 October 193928 June 1941—Captured by the Germans in Genoa while fitting out; never completed. Sunk in an air raid in July 1944.
GermanicusNavalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia3 April 193926 July 1941—Captured by the Germans in Castellammare di Stabia while under completion, and scuttled by them on 28 September 1943. Raised and completed for the Italian Navy after the war. Renamed San Marco, she served as a destroyer leader until her decommission in 1971.
Emperor AugustusCNR, Ancona23 September 193928 April 1941—Captured by the Germans in Ancona while under completion; sunk in an air attack on 1 November 1943.
Lucius Aemilius Paullus MacedonicusAnsaldo, Genoa12 October 1939——Construction cancelled in June 1940. Scrapped between October 1941 and February 1942.
Pompey the GreatCNR, Ancona23 September 193924 August 19414 June 1943Renamed San Giorgio, served as a destroyer leader until 1963. Became a training ship in 1965. Decommissioned and scrapped in 1980.
Scipio AfricanusOTO, Livorno28 September 193912 January 194123 April 1943Ceded to France in 1948 and first renamed S7, then renamed Guichen. Scrapped 1979.
Emperor TrajanCNR, Palermo28 September 193930 November 1942—Sunk 3 January 1943 by British human torpedo attack while fitting out in Palermo.
Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaCDT, Riva TrigosoOctober 1939——Construction cancelled June 1940. Scrapped between July 1941 and August 1942.

Post-war French service

Attilio Regolo and Scipione Africano were transferred to France as war reparations. They were renamed Chateaurenault and Guichen respectively. The ships were extensively rebuilt for the French Navy by La Seyne dockyard with new anti-aircraft-focused armament and fire-control systems in 1951–1954. The ships were decommissioned in 1961.

General characteristics as rebuilt

Giulio Germanico and Pompeo Magno served in the post war Marina Militare, being renamed San Marco and San Giorgio respectively. Both ships were extensively rebuilt in 1951–1955 and fitted with American weapons and radar. Characteristics included:
San Marco was further rebuilt as a cadet training ship in 1963–1965 when she was fitted with new CODAG machinery. New guns replaced the 40 mm and 'X' 127 mm mounting. San Marco was decommissioned in 1971, San Giorgio following in 1980.