Soldati - class destroyer The " Soldati " class ( also known as " Camicia Nera " class , meaning Blackshirt ) were a group of destroyer s built for the Italian Navy during World War II . The ships were named after military professions ( " Artigliere " , for example , meaning " artilleryman " ) . There were two batches ; twelve ships were built in 1938 - 39 , and a second batch of seven ships were ordered in 1942 , although only five were completed . Ten ships of the class were lost during the war . Of the survivors three were transferred to the French Navy and two to the Soviet Navy as war reparations , while two served in the Italian post - war navy , the Marina Militare . Design . In 1936 , the Italian Regia Marina placed an order for twelve examples of a new destroyer design , the " Soldati " class . The design was essentially a repeat of the previous " Oriani " destroyer design , which was itself a development of the Maestrale class destroyer s . The design featured an identical main gun armament of four 120 mm 50 calibre guns in two twin turrets , one forward and one aft , while torpedo armament was two triple torpedo tubes . A short ( 15 calibre ) 120 mm gun was mounted on a pedestal between the banks of torpedo tubes for firing starshell , while the anti - aircraft armament consisted of twelve 13 . 2 mm machine guns . A single ship ( " Carabinare " ) was completed with a fifth 120 mm 50 calibre gun replacing the starshell gun . The ships ' powerplant , with two geared steam turbines driving two shafts and generating , and with one large funnel , was similar to that in the Orinai class and was sufficient to propel the destroyers to . Orders for a second batch of seven destroyers were placed in 1940 . All except one of these ships were to carry the five main gun armament of " Carabinare " . Construction and modifications . The first batch of ships were laid down in 1937 , being completed between 1938 and 1939 , with the second batch being laid down in 1940 – 1941 , with five completing in 1942 . Four more of the first batch ( " Ascari " , " Camicia Nera " , " Geniere " and " Lanciere " ) were modified in 1941 – 42 by replacing the starshell gun with a full power 120 mm gun . The anti - aircraft machine guns were gradually replaced by 20 mm cannon . with up to 10 – 12 being fitted by 1943 . Five ships ( " Carabiniere " , " Granatiere " , " Fuciliere " , " Legionario " and " Velite " ) had the aft set of torpedo tubes replaced by two 37 mm cannon , while " Fuciliere " and " Velite " also had their star shell guns replaced by a further pair of 37 mm cannon . " Fuciliere " and " Velite " were fitted with Italian radar , while " Legionario " was fitted with a German radar . The Germans captured " Squadrista " incomplete in September 1943 , and transferred the ship , renamed " TA33 " to Genoa for completion as a fighter direction ship carrying a long - range Freya radar and German 105 mm and 20 mm guns , but was sunk by Allied bombiing in 1944 . The two destroyers remaining in Italian service after the war were rebuilt as anti - submarine escorts in 1953 – 54 , with their torpedo tubes removed and the anti - aircraft armament changed to six 40 mm guns .