Citizendia

This article is about the Royal Navy of Italy. For other Royal Navies, see Royal Navy (disambiguation).
Regia Marina (RM)



Regia Marina Ensign. The Merchant Navy ships had a similar ensign, without the crown
Active1861-1946
CountryKingdom of Italy
AllegianceKingdom of Italy
TypeNavy
EngagementsThird Italian War of Independence
Seven Weeks War
Italo-Turkish War
World War I
Spanish Civil War
Italian invasion of Albania
World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Luigi Amedeo
Paolo Thaon di Revel
Inigo Campioni
Arturo Riccardi

The Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom The Third Italian War of Independence was a conflict which paralleled the Austro-Prussian War, and was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire The Austro-Prussian The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War (also known in Italy as guerra di Libia, "the Libyan war" and in Turkey as Trablusgarp Savaşı) was fought World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of The Italian invasion of Albania ( April 7 &ndash April 12, 1939) was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy Duke of the Abruzzi (Luigi Amedeo Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco ( January 29, 1873 &ndash March 18, 1933 Paolo Emilio Thaon di Revel Duca del Mare ( June 10, 1859 - March 24, 1948) was an Italian Admiral of the Royal Italian Inigo Campioni ( 14 November 1878 &ndash 24 May 1944) was an Admiral in the Italian Royal Navy ( Regia Marina) during Arturo Riccardi ( 30 October 1878 &ndash 20 December 1966) was an Italian admiral during World War II, serving as the Ministry of The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic, the Royal Navy changed its name as it was now the Navy of the Italian Republic (Marina Militare). Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Marina Militare (the Italian Navy) is one of the four branches of the military forces of Italy.

Contents

History

Regia Marina naval jack until the firs years of 1900.
Regia Marina naval jack until the firs years of 1900.

Origins

The Regia Marina was born on 17 March 1861 following the proclamation of the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom Just as the Kingdom was a unification of various states in the Italian peninsula, so the Regia Marina was formed from the navies of those states, though the main constituents were the navies of the former kingdoms of Sardinia and Naples. Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the The Regia Marina inherited a substantial number of ships, both sail- and steam-powered, and the long naval traditions of its constituents, especially those of Sardinia and Naples, but also suffered from some major handicaps.

Firstly, it suffered from a lack of uniformity and cohesion; the Regia Marina was a heterogenous mix of equipment, standards and practice, and even saw hostility between the officers from the various navies. These problems were compounded by the continuation of separate officer schools at Genoa and Naples, and not fully addressed until the opening of a unified Naval Academy at Livorno in 1881. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the "Leghorn" redirects here For the breed of chicken see Leghorn chicken. Secondly, unification occurred during a period of rapid advances in naval technology and tactics, as typified by the launch of La Gloire by France in 1858, and later by the appearance of, and battle between, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia in 1862. See also French ship ''Gloire'' for eponymous ships Design Monitor was one of three ironclad warships ordered by the U USS Merrimack becomes CSS Virginia When the Commonwealth of Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861 one of the important federal military bases threatened These innovations quickly made older warships obsolete. Italy did not possess the shipyards or infrastructure to build the modern ships required, but the then Minister for the Navy, Admiral Carlo di Persano, launched a substantial programme to purchase warships from foreign yards. Count Carlo Pellion di Persano ( 11 March 1806 - 28 July 1883) was an Italian admiral and politician who was commander of the

Battle of Lissa

The new navy's baptism of fire came on July 20, 1866 at the Battle of Lissa during the Seven Weeks War (also known as the Third Italian War of Independence). Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Battle of Lissa took place on 20 July 1866 in the Adriatic Sea near the island of Vis ( Italian: Lissa and was The Austro-Prussian The Third Italian War of Independence was a conflict which paralleled the Austro-Prussian War, and was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire The battle was fought against Austria and occurred near the island of Vis in the Adriatic sea. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Vis ( Greek: Issa) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, the furthest inhabited island This was one of the few fleet actions of the nineteenth century, and as a major sea battle that involved ramming, it had a profound, though with hindsight a detrimental, effect on warship design and tactics. A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships dating back to antiquity The Italian fleet, commanded by Admiral Persano mustered 12 ironclad and 17 wooden-walled ships, though only one, the Affondatore, was of the most modern turret ship design. Count Carlo Pellion di Persano ( 11 March 1806 - 28 July 1883) was an Italian admiral and politician who was commander of the An ironclad was a steam-propelled Warship of the later 19th century protected by Iron or Steel armor plates Affondatore was an Italian Ironclad warship of the 1860s She was an armoured turret-ship built in Millwall London for the Italian navy her name approximately Turret ships were a 19th century type of Warship, the earliest to have their Guns mounted in a revolving turret, instead of a Broadside arrangement Despite a marked disadvantage in numbers and equipment, superior handling by the Austrians under Admiral Tegetthoff resulted in a severe defeat for the Italians who lost 2 armoured ships and 640 men. Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff ( December 23, 1827 &ndash April 7, 1871) was an Austrian Admiral.

Before World War I

Following the defeat at Lissa the Regia Marina made significant advances towards recovery.

World War I

Italy built and maintained six Dreadnought battleships (Dante Alighieri as a prototype, Giulio Cesare, Conte di Cavour and Leonardo da Vinci of Cavour class, Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio of Doria Class), but they did not participate in major naval actions in World War I. Design In her day the Caio Duilio was as revolutionary in her design as the French La Gloire had been a decade before Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All For most of the war the Italian and Austro-Hungarian navies each kept a relatively passive watch over their counterparts. The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Italian fleet lost the pre-dreadnought battleship Benedetto Brin at Brindisi (27 September 1915) and the dreadnought Leonardo da Vinci at Taranto (2 August 1916) due to magazine explosion (although there were rumours of Austrian sabotage). Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina Italia) attacked with insidious weapons: MAS 21 and MAS 15 sank the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS Szent István in the Adriatic Sea on 10 June 1918; an early type of human torpedo (Mignatta) entered the harbour of Pula and sank the Austro-Hungarian flagship Viribus Unitis on 1 November 1918. Building Szent István was laid down on January 29, 1912 at Ganz & Company's Danubius yard at Fiume, (the only large Hungarian shipyard Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes were secret naval weapons of World War II. Pula (Pietas Iulia Pulj Istriot Pula; Pola is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria flagship is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels a designation given on account of being either the largest fastest newest most heavily armed or for publicity purposes the most well Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The battleship Teggetthoff (sister of the former two) was handed over to Italy as war prize in 1919. See also Tegetthoff class battleship List of ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy List of ship launches in 1912

Interwar period

During the interwar period, the Italian government decided to enhance its Royal Navy (Regia Marina) with a view to challenging the British Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Mediterranean Fleet redirects here For the Mediterranean Fleets of other countries see Mediterranean Fleet (disambiguation. In order to minimize contact with the more experienced British vessels, the Regia Marina based its strategy on fast ships with long-range artillery. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Accordingly it had new guns developed which had smaller calibers but longer ranges than their British counterparts; furthermore, in order to allow higher speeds, new Italian ships had designs with thinner armour (see, for example, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere). Actions Bande Nere took part to the Battle of Cape Spada ( 19 July 1940) in this occasion the light protection of the Condottieri

Spanish Civil War

Outside of assisting with deployments and patrols in support of the Italian Corps of Volunteer Troops (Corpo Truppe Volontarie), approximately fifty-eight Italian Navy submarines took part in hunting operations against Republican naval forces off of Spain. The Corps of Volunteer Troops ( Corpo Truppe Volontarie, or CTV was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support General Francisco These submarines were organized as the Submarine Legion (Sottomarini Legionari) and complimented German U-boat operations as part of Operation Ursula. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers

World War II

An alternate simplified version of the Italian crown was seen used on the the Regia Marina's ensign during the Fascist era and World War II.
An alternate simplified version of the Italian crown was seen used on the the Regia Marina's ensign during the Fascist era and World War II.

Mediterranean

When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) was the fourth largest navy in the world. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Italian Navy had a mix of modernized and new battleships. The Italian Navy challenged the Allies, mostly the British Royal Navy, for supremacy of the Mediterranean Sea. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Italian Navy's objectives were to:

Air support was provided by the Italian Air Force Auxiliary to the Navy (Aviazione Ausiliara per la Marina), the naval air service during wartime. The Air Force Auxiliary was in charge of all land-based aircraft, shore-based hydroplanes amongst of vessel-based aircraft, and hydroplanes of Italian Navy.

Italian warships had a general reputation as well-designed and good-looking. But some Italian cruiser classes were rather deficient in armour. All Italian warships lacked radar, although the lack of radar was partly offset by the fact that Italian warships were equipped with good rangefinder and fire-control systems. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target for the purposes of Surveying, determining focus in Photography, or Note the term " fire control " may also refer to means of stopping a fire such as sprinkler systems A fire-control system In addition, whereas Allied commanders at sea had discretion on how to act, Italian commanders were closely and precisely governed by Italian Naval Headquarters (Supermarina). This could lead to action being avoided when the Italians had a clear advantage (e. g. , During "Operation Hats" [1]. The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply Convoys to sustain the Mediterranean island of Malta during World War II. Italian Naval Headquarters was conscious that the British could replace ships lost in the Mediterranean, whereas Italian Navy resources were limited).

In November 1940, the British attacked the Italian naval base at Taranto. Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in The Battle of Taranto proved to be a very successful attack by carrier-borne aircraft carrying torpedoes against Italian battleships in harbor. The naval Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11 November 1940 &ndash 12 November 1940 during World War II An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with The modern torpedo (historically called an automotive automobile locomotive or fish torpedo is a self-propelled explosive Projectile weapon launched above or below This success provided one of the inspirations for the Japanese attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu.

The Allies gained the upper hand after several actions. A major defeat was inflicted on the Italian Royal Navy at Cape Matapan, where the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy intercepted and destroyed three heavy cruisers (Zara, Pola and Fiume; all of the same class) and two Poeti class destroyers in a night ambush, with the loss of over 2300 seamen. The Battle of Cape Matapan (Battle of Tenaro) was a World War II Naval battle fought off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece from The Royal Australian Navy ( RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Actions Zara participated to the Spanish Civil War, having an important role in the end of the independent Basque country The Allies had Ultra intercepts, which predicted the Italian movements, and radar, which enabled them to locate the ships and range their weapons at distance and at night. ULTra ("Urban Light Transport" is a Personal rapid transit system from Advanced Transport Systems Ltd a company based in Cardiff, Wales. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships The better air reconnaissance skills of the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and their close collaboration with surface units were other major causes of the Italian debacle. The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships

The most successful attack performed by the Italian Navy involved divers planting mines on British battleships in Alexandria harbour (19 December 1941). Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. HMS Queen Elizabeth and Valiant were sunk in shallow water, but were later raised and returned to active service almost two years later. History World War One She was launched on 16 October 1913 at Portsmouth, Hampshire, and entered service in January 1915 during World War I World War I The contract for the construction of the Valiant was given to The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited.

On the same night, Force K, comprising three cruisers and four destroyers based at Malta, which had accounted for the destruction of some 60,000 tons of Axis shipping in 1941, became stranded in an Italian minefield off Tripoli. Force K was a British Royal Navy Task force of the Second World War. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands A cruiser, HMS Neptune and a destroyer, HMS Kandahar were lost, three other ships were seriously damaged, and more than 900 men died. History During World War II, Neptune operated with a crew drawn predominantly from the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. HMS Kandahar (F28 was a K-class Destroyer of the Royal Navy. Named after the Afghan city of Kandahar and launched in 1939 Force K was put out of action and Malta's offensive capabilities were reduced to a minimum. Force K was a British Royal Navy Task force of the Second World War.

This sudden series of Allied disasters allowed the Italian Royal Navy to achieve naval supremacy in the central Mediterranean, her supply routes were almost untouched by the enemy for several months.

The Italian fleet also took advantage of the situation and moved onto the offensive, blocking or decimating at least three large Allied convoys bound for Malta. This led to a number of naval engagements, such as the Second Battle of Sirte, the Battle of Mid-June or Operation Harpoon (plus Operation Vigorous) and finally to Operation Pedestal, all of them favourable to the Axis. The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval battle between most of the escorting warships of a British convoy and the bulk of an Italian Navy ( Regia Marina) squadron In World War II, Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea In World War II, Operation Harpoon was one of two simultaneous Allied convoys sent to supply Malta in the Axis-dominated Mediterranean Sea Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy (MW-11 that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942 during the Second World War. Despite this activity, the only real success of the Italian Fleet was the aerial and surface attack on the Harpoon convoy, which sank several Allied warships and damaged others. Only two transports of the original six reached Malta. This was the only undisputed squadron-size victory for Italian surface forces in World War II.

However, this was only a brief happy time for the Axis. The oil and supplies brought to Malta, despite heavy losses, by Operation Pedestal in August and the Allied landings in North Africa, Operation Torch, in November, turned the fortunes of war against Italy. Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942 during the Second World War. Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast) was the British - American invasion of French North Africa in World War II After years of stalemate, the Axis forces were ejected from Libya and Tunisia in just six months, their supply lines harassed day after day by the overwhelming aerial and naval supremacy of the Allies.

The Italian Royal Navy performed well and bravely [1] in its North African convoy duties, but remained at a technical disadvantage. The Italian ships relied on a speed advantage, but could easily be damaged by shell or torpedo, due to their relatively thin armour. The fatal and final blow to the Italian Navy was a shortage of fuel, which forced her main units to remain at anchor for most of the last year of the Italian alliance with Germany.

Atlantic

From 10 June 1940, submarines of the Italian Navy took part in the Battle of the Atlantic alongside the U-Boats of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine). Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous Military campaign of World War II, (though some say it was a series of naval Military campaigns U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the The Italian submarines were based in Bordeaux, France. ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. While more suited for the Mediterranean Sea than the Atlantic Ocean, the 32 Italian submarines that operated in the Atlantic sank 109 Allied ships for a total of 593,864 tons. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose

Red Sea

From 10 June 1940, the Italian Navy's Red Sea Flotilla, based in Massawa, Eritria, posed a potential threat to Allied shipping between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea during the East African Campaign. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'' based in Massawa, Eritria, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa Massawa, formerly known as Mitsiwa ( Ge'ez ምጽዋ miṣṣiwa, Arabic مصوع maṣṣawaʿ Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought in East Africa during World War II. The threat was increased after the Italian conquest of British Somaliland in August 1940 allowed the Italians the use of the port of Berbera in British Somaliland. The Italian conquest of British Somaliland was a campaign in the Horn of Africa which took place in the summer of 1940 and was part of the East African Campaign Other names In Arabic, the month is called أغسطسص ʾUġusṭuṣ or آب ʾĀb; usage varies from place to place and Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. History The city was first described in the eighth chapter of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea written by a Greek merchant in the first century CE British Somaliland was a British Protectorate in the north part of the Horn of Africa. The threat disappeared when Italian East Africa fell in 1941. Italian East Africa ( Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI was a short-lived (1936-1941 Italian Colony in Africa consisting of Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Most of the Red Sea Flotilla was destroyed during the first months of war or when the port of Massawa fell in April 1941. April holidays and events National Poetry Month - in United States National Sexual Assault Awareness Month - in United Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, there were a few survivors. In February 1941, prior to the fall of Massawa, the colonial ship Eritrea and the auxiliary cruisers Ramb I and Ramb II broke out and sailed to Kobe, Japan. Overview February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Design Eritrea was constructed for duties as a typical "colonial ship" and was sometimes referred to as a " Sloop. Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact Details The Ramb I was built at Genoa by Ansaldo in 1937. It had a displacement of 3667 tons was oil powered and was capable of 18½ See also Italian Royal Navy - RN Ramb II Imperial Japanese Navy - Calitea II East African Campaign is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. While Ramb I was sunk by the New Zealand cruiser Leander off the Maldives, Eritrea and Ramb II made it to Kobe. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island History Leander was launched at Devonport on 13 July, 1929. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Leander The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching As the port of Massawa was falling, four submarines—Guglielmo, Gauleo Ferraras, Perla, and Archimede—sailed south from Massawa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and ultimately sailed to German occupied Bordeaux, France. The Cape of Good Hope ( Afrikaans: Kaap die Goeie Hoop, Kaap de Goede Hoop Cabo da Boa Esperança Persian Language: دماغه امید نیک The German occupation of France in World War II occurred during the period between May 1940 to December 1944 ( Gascon: Bordèu) is a port city in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. One or two Italian merchant ships from the Red Sea Flotilla made it to Vichy French-controlled Madagascar. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern

Black Sea

At German request, in May 1942, the Italian Navy deployed four 24 ton anti-submarine motorboats (Motoscafo Anti Sommergibile, MAS), six CD class submarines, five torpedo motorboats, and five explosive motorboats to the Black Sea. Motoscafo Armato Silurante ( Italian: "Torpedo Armed Motorboat" commonly abbreviated as MAS) was a class of fast torpedo armed vessel used by The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The vessels were transported overland to the River Danube at Vienna, Austria, and then to Constanca, Romania. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Constanţa (pronunciation in Romanian: /kon'stanʦa/ historical names Tomis, Κωνστάντια or Constantia, Köstence Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The flotilla had an active and successful campaign, based at Yalta and Feodonia. Yalta (Ялта Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. Eventually, they were transferred to the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) and ultimately captured by Soviet forces in Constanca in August 1944. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the Constanţa (pronunciation in Romanian: /kon'stanʦa/ historical names Tomis, Κωνστάντια or Constantia, Köstence

Lake Ladoga

The Italian Navy operated four Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs, or Motoscafo Armato Silurante, or MAS) on Lake Ladoga during the Continuation War (1941-1944). Motoscafo Armato Silurante ( Italian: "Torpedo Armed Motorboat" commonly abbreviated as MAS) was a class of fast torpedo armed vessel used by Lake Ladoga (Лáдожское Óзеро Ladozhskoye Ozero; Laatokka is a Freshwater Lake located in Republic of Karelia and Leningrad The Continuation War (Jatkosota Fortsättningskriget Советско-финская война ( 25 June 1941 &ndash 19 September 1944) German, and Italian vessels operated against Soviet gunboats, escorts and supply vessels during the Siege of Leningrad between June 21 and October 21, 1942. The Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade ( Russian: блокада Ленинграда ( transliteration: blokada Leningrada Ultimately the Italian vessels were turned over to the Finns.

Far East

The Italian Navy had a naval base in the concession territory of Tiensin in China. In International law, a concession is a territory within a Country that is administered by another entity than the State which holds Sovereignty ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The primary Italian vessels based in China were the mine-layer Lepanto and the gunboat Carlotto. During World War II, Italian supply ships, auxiliary cruisers, and submarines operated throughout the waters of the Far East. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Armed Merchantmen has come to mean merchant ships equipped with guns usually for defensive purposes either by design or after the fact The Italians also utilized Japanese-controlled port facilities like Shanghai, China, and Kobe, Japan. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

The auxiliary cruisers were merchant ships equipped with guns that, while still disguised to look like merchant ships, could be used for military purposes like destroying enemy merchant ships.

The Barbarigo, the Cappellini, the Giuliani, and the Torelli were converted by the Italians into "transport submarines" in order to exchange rare or irreplaceable trade goods with Japan. Operational service Italy After an action with British ships near Madeira in June 1940 she sought refuge in the Spanish port of Ceuta Submarines of the class, built by CRDA, launched 30 July 1939, commissioned 8 February 1940, sunk 28 October The name of the Cappellini was changed to Aquilla III.

The Armistice

In 1943, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed and the new Italian government agreed to an armistice with the Allies. The Armistice with Italy was an Armistice signed on September 3 and publicly declared on September 8, 1943, during World War II, between Under the terms of this armistice, the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) had to sail its ships to an Allied port. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Most sailed to Malta, but a flotilla from La Spezia headed towards Sardinia. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands La Spezia ( Spèsa in the local dialect of Ligurian) is a city in the Liguria region of northern Italy, at the head of La Spezia Sardinia (sɑrˈdɪnɪə Sardegna Sardigna or Sardinnya is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily) They were intercepted and attacked by German aircraft and the Roma was sunk by two hits from Fritz X guided glide-bombs. Fritz X was the most common name for a German air-launched Anti-ship missile, used during World War II. Among the 1600 sailors killed onboard the Roma was the Italian Naval Commander-in-Chief, Admiral (Ammiraglio) Carlo Bergamini. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Carlo Bergamini ( October 24 1888 &ndash September 9 1943) was an Italian admiral [2]

As vessels became available to the new Italian government, the Italian Co-Belligerent Navy was formed to fight on the side of the Allies. The Italian Co-Belligerent Navy ( Marina Cobelligerante Italiana) or Navy of the South ( Marina del Sud) or Royal Navy ( Regia Other ships were captured in port by the Germans or scuttled by their crews. Few Italian Royal Navy crews chose to fight for Mussolini's new fascist regime in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, RSI). The Italian Social Republic ( Italian: Repubblica Sociale Italiana or RSI) was a Puppet state of Nazi Germany led by the "Duce of the Mussolini's pro-German National Republican Navy (Marina Nazionale Repubblicana) hardly reached a twentieth the size attained by the co-belligerent Italian fleet. [2] In the Far East, the Japanese occupied the Italian concession territory of Tiensin. The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese Imperialist Qing Dynasty to the European imperial powers

There was little use for the surrendered Italian battleships and there was doubt about the loyalties of the crews. So these ships were interned in Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. In June 1944, the less powerful battleships (Andrea Doria, Caio Duilio and Giulio Cesare) were allowed to return to Augusta harbour in Sicily for training. Andrea Doria was an Andrea Doria class battleship of the Italian Regia Marina. Caio Duilio was an Italian ''Andrea Doria'' class Battleship that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II During the Battle of Punta Stilo on 9 July 1940 Giulio Cesare was hit by a 15 inch (381 mm shell as HMS ''Warspite'' set Augusta (Greek and Latin Megara Hyblaea; Medieval Augusta and Agosta; Austa in Sicilian Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The others (Vittorio Veneto and Italia—ex Littorio), remained at Ismaïlia in the Suez Canal until 1947. Construction Vittorio Veneto's keel was laid in 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937 Construction Her keel was laid down in 1934 at the Ansaldo shipyards in Genoa; she was launched in 1937 and her construction was completed in 1940 after Italy Ismaïlia (الإسماعيلية is the Capital of Al Isma'iliyah Governorate. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation After the war, the Giulio Cesare was passed to the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

In the Co-belligerency period, until "VE" (Victory in Europe) Day, Italian light cruisers participated in the naval war in the Atlantic Ocean with patrols against German raiders. Victory in Europe Day ( V-E Day or VE Day) was May 7 and May 8, 1945, the dates when the World War II Allies Smaller naval units (mainly submarines and torpedo boats) served in the Mediterranean Sea. In the last days of war, the issue of whether Italian battleships and cruisers should participate in the Pacific Ocean war was debated by the Allied leaders. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

Far East after the armistice

There were Italian Navy units in the Far East in 1943 when the new Italian government agreed to an armistice with the Allies. The reactions of their crews varied greatly. In general, surface units, mainly supply ships and auxiliary cruisers, either surrendered at Allied ports (Eritrea at Colombo, Ceylon) or, if in Japanese controlled ports, they were scuttled by their own crew (Conte Verde, Lepanto, and Carlotto at Shanghai). Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Ramb II was taken over by the Japanese in Kobe and re-named Calitea II. is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1

Four Italian submarines were in the Far East at the time of the armistice: Cagni, Cappellini (Aquilla III ), Giuliani, and Torelli. Operational service Italy After an action with British ships near Madeira in June 1940 she sought refuge in the Spanish port of Ceuta The crew of the Cagni heard of the armistice and surrendered at Durban, South Africa. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Cappellini, Giuliani, and Torelli and their crews were temporarily interned by the Japanese. Submarines of the class, built by CRDA, launched 30 July 1939, commissioned 8 February 1940, sunk 28 October The boats passed to German U-boat command and, with mixed German and Italian crews, they continued to fight against the Allies. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers

Even after the German surrender in May 1945, about twenty Italian sailors continued to fight with the Japanese. The Torelli was active until 30 August 1945, when, in Japanese waters, this last Fascist Italian unit shot down a B-25 Mitchell bomber of the United States Air Force. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

Ships

Pre-World War I

Battleships

For more details on this topic, see List of Italian sail battleships. This is a list of Italian carracks galleons and ships of the line of the period 1400-1858 Italy was formed in 1861 with the union of several states including the Two
For more details on this topic, see List of Italian steam battleships. This is a list of Italian battleships of the period 1860-1956 Pre-Dreadnoughts Terribile class Terribile (1861

World War I

Battleships

Cruisers

Destroyers

World War II

Aircraft carriers

Seaplane carriers

Battleships

Heavy cruisers

Light cruisers

Aviation & Transport Cruisers

Destroyers

For more details on this topic, see List of Italian destroyers. Construction and first years Built to a design by Chief Engineer (Tenente Generale del Genio Navale Edoardo Masdea, Conte di Cavour was based in Taranto World War II During the Battle of Punta Stilo on 9 July 1940 Giulio Cesare was hit by a 15 inch (381 mm shell as HMS ''Warspite'' set Italian aircraft carriers Aquila is considered the first aircraft carrier built for the Italian Navy, and the only one before ''Giuseppe Garibaldi'' Construction and first years Built to a design by Chief Engineer (Tenente Generale del Genio Navale Edoardo Masdea, Conte di Cavour was based in Taranto World War II During the Battle of Punta Stilo on 9 July 1940 Giulio Cesare was hit by a 15 inch (381 mm shell as HMS ''Warspite'' set Ships ''Andrea Doria'', launched in 1913 served mostly as an escort until interned after the armistice in 1943 ''Caio Duilio'' Andrea Doria was an Andrea Doria class battleship of the Italian Regia Marina. Caio Duilio was an Italian ''Andrea Doria'' class Battleship that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and Design The Littorio class's design was notable in several respects Construction Her keel was laid down in 1934 at the Ansaldo shipyards in Genoa; she was launched in 1937 and her construction was completed in 1940 after Italy Construction Vittorio Veneto's keel was laid in 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937 Last cruise and sinking On September 8 1943 Roma, together with most of the remaining Italian fleet set off from La Spezia to surrender History Built by Ansaldo of Genoa, she was laid down on 14 May 1938 and launched on November 15, 1939. Trento In June 1929 Trento began a cruise to South America which extended until 10 October 1929. Trento In June 1929 Trento began a cruise to South America which extended until 10 October 1929. Trento In June 1929 Trento began a cruise to South America which extended until 10 October 1929. Trento In June 1929 Trento began a cruise to South America which extended until 10 October 1929. Actions Zara participated to the Spanish Civil War, having an important role in the end of the independent Basque country The Condottieri class was a sequence of five different Light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina, although these classes show a clear line of evolution See also List of shipwrecks in 1940 Actions Bande Nere took part to the Battle of Cape Spada ( 19 July 1940) in this occasion the light protection of the Condottieri Design Duca d'Aosta was one of the fourth or Duca d'Aosta, class of Condottieri light cruisers Design Eugenio di Savoia was part of the fourth group of ''Condottieri'' light cruisers also known as Duca d'Aosta class Design The Duca degli Abruzzi class cruisers were the final version of the ''Condottieri'' class and were larger and better protected than their predecessors Design The Duca degli Abruzzi class cruisers were the final version of the ''Condottieri'' class and were larger and better protected than their predecessors Design Montecuccoli, which gives the name to its own sub-class was part of the third group of Condottieri class light cruisers Design Muzio Attendolo was part of the Montecuccoli sub-class which were the third group of Condottieri class light cruisers Design The design was fundamentally a light almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament This is a list of Destroyers of the Regia Marina and Marina Militare, sorted by era and class.

Leone class: 3 vessels - 2283 t, Leone, Pantera, Tigre

Navigatori class: 12 vessels - 2010 t, among which Alvise da Mosto, Antonio da Noli, Antonio Pigafetta, Antoniotto Usodimare, Emmanuele Pesagno, Giovanni da Verazzano, Lanceloto Malocello, Leone Pancaldo, Luca Tarigo, Nicoloso da Recco, Nicolo Zeno, Ugolino Vivaldi

Oriani or Poeti class: 4 vessels - 1950 t, Vittorio Alfieri, Giosué Carducci, Vincenco Gioberti, Alfredo Oriani

Soldati class: 12 vessels (divided into First Soldati or Camicia Nera and Second soldati class) - 1620 t, among which Alpino, Artigliere, Ascari, Aviere, Bersagliere, Carabiniere Corazziere, Fuciliere, Geniere, Granatiere, and Lanciere

Maestrale class: 4 vessels - 1449 t, Grecale, Libeccio, Maestrale, and Scirocco

Dardo class: 4 vessels - 1450 t, Dardo, Fraccia, Saetta, Strale

Mirabello class: 2 vessels - 1383 t, Carlo Mirabello, Augusto Riboti

Folgore class: 4 vessels - 1220 t, Baleno, Folgore, Fulmine, Lampo

Borea (Turbine) class: 8 vessels - 1092 t, Aquilone, Borea, Espero, Euro, Nembo, Ostro, Turbine, Zeffiro

Sauro class: 4 vessels - 1058 t, Cesare Battisti, Daniele Manin, Francesco Nullo, Nasario Sauro

Sella class: 2 vessels - 935 t, Quintino Sella, Francesco Crispi

Torpedo boats

Corvettes

Ces unités légères furent parmis les dernières mise en service par la Regia Marina. Ships Ships Ships Elles étaient spécifiquement conçues pour l'escorte, afin de lutter contre la présence considérable de submersibles Britanniques en méditerranée. Leur modèle était les navires Anglais de la classe Flower. Le design initial prévoyait une construction rapide et peu coûteuse.

De fait, 60 bâtiments ont étés programmés par l'amirauté, construits dans 5 chantiers différents. Ils furent lancés pour la plupart en 1942, mais certains en 1943, et d'autres ne furent jamais terminés. 47 entrèrent en service avant la capitulation Italienne, beaucoup servirent ensuite sous pavillon de la Kriegsmarine.

Ils étaient bien adaptés à leur terrain d'opération, avec 3000 nautiques, disposaient de moteurs auxiliaires électriques, favorisant l'écoute asdic, 10 à 16 mortiers ASM et des grenades ASM en râteliers de poupe. Leur DCA était efficace. 10 furent coulés durant les opérations, et les autres, terminés ou non, furent sabordés, sauf 17 navires qui survécurent au conflit et restèrent en service jusqu'en 1966-1972-75.

Submarines

Auxiliary cruisers

Major events

Austro-Prussian War

Battle of Lissa (1866)

World war I

Mediterranean campaign

World War II

See also

References

  1. ^ Blitzer, Wolf; Garibaldi, Luciano. Mare Nostrum ( Latin for Our Sea) was a Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea. The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese Imperialist Qing Dynasty to the European imperial powers Century of War. pag 151. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. New York, 2001. ISBN 1-58663-342-2
  2. ^ Page 100, "The Armed Forces of World War II", Andrew Mollo, ISBN 0-517-54478-4

External links

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