Vittorio Veneto was the second member of the that served in the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) during World War II. The ship's keel was laid down in October 1934, launched in July 1937, and readied for service with the Italian fleet by August 1940. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto during World War I, and she had three sister ships: , , and , though only "Littorio" and "Roma" were completed during the war. She was armed with a main battery of nine guns in three triple turrets, and could steam at a speed of .