Serie III Town Class Destroyer
The more outward-looking Italian Navy of the 1930s had started the design of a new ship that was a blend of light cruiser and destroyer that eventually emerged as the so-called Town class vessels. The first four vessels were built in 1938 and followed by another four in 1939. These ships were large, powerful and seaworthy vessel, well suited to extended operations.
These initial vessels were followed by another quartet, the Serie II which were similar in capabilities but with revised superstructure and above decks arrangement.
The next vessels to be built were the Serie III which were more specialised Air Defence vessels. These traded in the anti-surface capabilities inherent of the 152/53 and mounted the new 127/64 in four twin mounts, distinctive from the sighting hoods on the left hand side of the mountings. Alongside the new medium-calibre mountings were increased light anti-aircraft guns and new fire control directors.
The experience gained with the previous ships lead to another revision of the upperdeck arrangement in order to improve seakeeping and firing arcs for the anti-aircraft weapons. The underwater hullform and machinery arrangement was kept the same as the previous vessels. The increase in topweight caused by the addition of new sensors and additional light anti-aircraft weapons resulted in the removal of the torpedo armament - a loss that was not particularly felt. The resulting two ships were well-regarded in service, the much larger superstructure resulting in much larger accomodation spaces than usual in the Navy at that time.
Serie III Town Class Destroyer, laid down 1942 (Engine 1938)
Displacement:
4,134 t light; 4,496 t standard; 5,210 t normal; 5,782 t full load
Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
(512.64 ft / 492.13 ft) x 49.21 ft x (16.73 / 17.98 ft)
(156.25 m / 150.00 m) x 15.00 m x (5.10 / 5.48 m)
Armament:
8 - 5.00" / 127 mm 64.0 cal guns - 67.24lbs / 30.50kg shells, 500 per gun
Dual purpose guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1938 Model
4 x Twin mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
2 raised mounts - superfiring
24 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm 54.0 cal guns - 1.66lbs / 0.75kg shells, 4,000 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1938 Model
5 x Quad mounts on sides, evenly spread
4 raised mounts
1 x Quad mount on centreline, forward deck centre
1 double raised mount
16 - 0.98" / 25.0 mm 77.0 cal guns - 0.54lbs / 0.24kg shells, 4,000 per gun
Anti-air guns in deck mounts, 1938 Model
14 x Single mounts on sides, evenly spread
2 x Single mounts on sides aft
2 double raised mounts
Weight of broadside 586 lbs / 266 kg
Armour:
- Belts: Width (max) Length (avg) Height (avg)
Main: 1.42" / 36 mm 344.49 ft / 105.00 m 9.84 ft / 3.00 m
Ends: Unarmoured
Main Belt covers 108 % of normal length
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.42" / 36 mm 1.42" / 36 mm 1.42" / 36 mm
2nd: 0.79" / 20 mm 0.79" / 20 mm -
3rd: 0.39" / 10 mm - -
- Armoured deck - multiple decks: 0.79" / 20 mm For and Aft decks
- Conning towers: Forward 2.76" / 70 mm, Aft 0.00" / 0 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 58,000 shp / 43,268 Kw = 33.04 kts
Range 3,000nm at 24.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 1,286 tons
Complement:
306 - 398
Cost:
£2.517 million / $10.067 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 195 tons, 3.7 %
Armour: 481 tons, 9.2 %
- Belts: 195 tons, 3.7 %
- Armament: 76 tons, 1.5 %
- Armour Deck: 192 tons, 3.7 %
- Conning Tower: 18 tons, 0.3 %
Machinery: 1,588 tons, 30.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 1,706 tons, 32.7 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 1,076 tons, 20.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 165 tons, 3.2 %
- Hull below water: 10 tons
- Hull above water: 10 tons
- On freeboard deck: 25 tons
- Above deck: 120 tons
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
4,200 lbs / 1,905 Kg = 67.2 x 5.0 " / 127 mm shells or 0.9 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.15
Metacentric height 2.2 ft / 0.7 m
Roll period: 13.8 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 71 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.39
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.41
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck,
a normal bow and large transom stern
Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.450 / 0.465
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 25.47 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 60 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
Fore end, Aft end
- Forecastle: 20.00 %, 29.86 ft / 9.10 m, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m
- Forward deck: 20.00 %, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m
- Aft deck: 45.00 %, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m
- Quarter deck: 15.00 %, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m, 20.01 ft / 6.10 m
- Average freeboard: 20.80 ft / 6.34 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 117.4 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 199.9 %
Waterplane Area: 16,047 Square feet or 1,491 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 114 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 60 lbs/sq ft or 295 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.67
- Longitudinal: 2.07
- Overall: 0.75
Caution: Hull subject to strain in open-sea
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily
10t = D3 sonar
10t = Scaricabombe
14t = 8 x DC Throwers + 50 W100 charges
10t = Diesel Emergency Generator
30t = AIRONE-2 Air Search Radar
10t = GUFO-4 Surface Search Radar
5t = Radio Beacon
20t = 2 x GDR.101
66t = 6 x Quadruple 37/54 mountings (18t ea - 1.75t per gun)