Francesco Caracciolo Class

## Design

In 1913, Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel became the Chief of Staff of the *Regia Marina* (Royal Italian Navy). With tensions high in Europe and a naval arms race underway, he secured authorization for a huge new construction program, which called for four new battleships, three cruisers, and numerous other warships. Ordered in 1914, the *Francesco Caracciolo* class was the first type of super-dreadnought battleship designed by the *Regia Marina*. They were intended to match the new fast battleships being built in foreign navies, such as the British *Queen Elizabeth* class. Rear Admiral Edgardo Ferrati was responsible for preparing the designs. Ferrati originally called for a ship armed with twelve 381-millimeter guns and twenty 152-millimeter (6 in) secondary guns, but by the time he had finalized the design, he had reduced the main battery to eight guns and the secondary battery to twelve guns.

## Characteristics

The *Francesco Caracciolo* class was 201.6 m (661 ft) long at the waterline and 212 m (696 ft) long overall. The ships had a beam of 29.6 m (97 ft) and a draft of 9.5 m (31 ft). They would have displaced 31,400 metric tons (30,900 long tons) at normal loading and up to 34,000 t (33,000 long tons) at full load. They were to be equipped with two tripod masts.

The ships were to be powered by four Parsons steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by twenty oil-fired Yarrow boilers. The boilers were trunked into two large funnels. The turbines were rated at 105,000 shaft horsepower (78,000 kW), which was intended to provide a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). At a more economical speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), the ships were estimated to have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi).

*Francesco Caracciolo* and her sisters were to be armed with a main battery of eight 40-caliber Cannone navale da 381/40 guns in four twin gun turrets, all mounted on the centerline in superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. The guns fired 885-kilogram (1,951 lb) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 700 meters per second (2,300 ft/s) to a range of 19,800 meters (21,700 yd). The secondary armament of the ships would have consisted of a dozen 50-caliber Cannone navale da 152/50 (6 in) guns mounted in casemates clustered amidships. Their 50-kilogram (110 lb) projectiles had a muzzle velocity of 850 meters per second (2,800 ft/s). Anti-aircraft (AA) defense was to be provided by eight 45-caliber Cannone da 102/45 (4 in) guns and a dozen 40-millimeter (1.6 in) guns. The 102 mm guns fired a 13.75-kilogram (30.3 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 850 meters per second (2,800 ft/s). As was typical for capital ships of the period, the ships of the *Francesco Caracciolo* class were to be armed with eight torpedo tubes, either 450 mm (17.7 in) or 533 mm (21 in) in diameter.

Armor for the class consisted of Krupp cemented steel manufactured by Terni. The main belt armor was 303 mm (11.9 in) thick; horizontal protection consisted of a 50 mm (2 in) thick deck. The main conning tower had 400 mm (16 in) thick sides. The same level of protection was applied to the main battery turrets, while the secondary guns had 220 mm (8.7 in) of armor protection.

## Constuction

Shortages of steel slowed the construction of the ships, and after Italy entered World War I in May 1915, other classes of warships, particularly destroyers, submarines, and other light craft were needed to combat the Central Powers. As a result, work on the ships was suspended in March 1916. The hull of the *Francesco Caracciolo* had been 84.8 percent complete and 65 percent of the machinery had been assembled. *Marcantonio Colonna* was the next furthest along, 72.5 percent of the hull being completed and 35 percent of the machinery assembled. Work on the last two ships had not progressed significantly by the time work on them halted with the hulls being 15 percent and 25 percent complete. Work resumed on *Francesco Caracciolo* in October 1916,and she was commissioned in June of the next year. Work also resumed on her sisters *Marcantonio Colonna*, an*d Francesco Morosini* in December 1916. Post war it was decided that work would continue on the *Cristoforo Colombo* and constuction resumed in January 1919. In response to the Washington Naval Treaty, the *Regia Marina* decided to convert the ship into an aircraft carrier similar to the British HMS Eagle.

## Service History

Although they were the prides of the Italian fleet during the First World War the ships of the Francesco Caracciolo Class only saw action on one occasion. On June 12th 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Navy attempted to break the Otranto Barrage. Of the three commissioned ships in the class all were present with the Francesco Caracciolo serving as flagship. The eleven Italian capital ships present were challenged by 8 Austro-Hungarian battleships. After numerous losses on both sides the Austro-Hungarian fleet withdrew on the morning of the 13th. Both sides claimed victory. After this neither side was willing to attempt another decisive engagement.

The Class cruised in the eastern Mediterranean after the war, and all were involved in postwar disputes over control of various cities. *Colonna* was sent to provide a show of force during a dispute over control of İzmir in April 1919 and *Morosini* assisted in the suppression of Gabriele D'Annunzio's seizure of Fiume in November 1920. In 1920 *Caracciolo* replaced *Caio Duilio* in patroling the Black Sea after the İzmir affair. *Morosini* was present during the Corfu incident in 1923.

The three battleships of the class went into drydock in the late 1930s for extensive modernizations; this work lasted until April, May, and June 1940, respectively. By that time, Italy had entered World War II on the side of the Axis powers. On 31 August, the three ships, along with two of the newer battleships steamed with a force of ten cruisers and thirty-one destroyers to engage the Operation Hats convoy, but poor reconnaissance prevented the Italian force from engaging the British ships. The ships made another unsuccessful sortie to attack another Malta convoy on 29 September. All four ships in the class were present during the British attack on Taranto on the night of 11/12 November 1940. A force of thirty-nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bombers, launched from Hms Eagle and HMS *Illustrious*, attacked the ships moored in the harbor. *Francesco Caracciolo* and *Francesco Morosini* were undamaged in the raid, but *Marcantonio Colonna* was hit by a torpedo on her starboard side. She was grounded to prevent her from sinking in the harbor and temporary repairs were effected to allow her to travel to Genoa for permanent repairs, which began in January 1941. In February, she was attacked by the British Force H; several warships attempted to shell *Colonna* while she was in dock, two hits were scored delaying repair work to July. Repair work lasted until July 1941, when she rejoined the fleet at Taranto. While their sister was being repaired, *Francesco Caracciolo* and *Francesco Morosini* were transferred to Naples alongside the flagship *Vittorio Veneto*.

*Francesco Caracciolo* and *Francesco Morosini* sortied on 26 November and encountered British forces south of Sardinia. During the resulting Battle of Cape Spartivento, the two ships briefly engaged British battlecruisers *Anso*n and *Howe*, without scoring any hits. On the night of 8–9 January 1941, the Royal Air Force attacked Naples with heavy bombers, but failed to hit the ships. In February, *Vittorio Veneto*, *Francesco Caracciolo, Francesco Morosini, Andrea Doria* and *Giulio Cesare* attempted to attack what was believed to be a Malta convoy. The British squadron was in fact Force H, steaming to bombard Genoa. The two fleets did not make contact, however, and the Italians returned to port.

On 26 March 1941, *Francesco Caracciolo* and *Francesco Morosini* departed port to attack British convoys to Greece. Germany pressured the Italian Navy to begin the operation, under the impression that they had disabled two of the three battleships and both battlecruiser assigned to the British Mediterranean Fleet. This resulted in the Battle of Cape Matapan the following day, during which *Francesco Caracciolo* and *Francesco Morosini* again engaged British battlecruisers *Anso*n and *Howe*. The ships returned to Taranto on the 29th of March.

*Marcantonio Colonna* had rejoined the fleet by July 1941. On August 22nd 1941, she joined *Marcantonio Colonna,* *Francesco Morosini, Littorio,* and *Vittorio Veneto* in sorting to attack a convoy. They returned to port without encountering any British forces, however. On 26 September, the five battleships attempted to intercept the Operation Halberd convoy, but they broke off the operation without attacking the convoy.

In June 1943, a series of Allied air raids attacked La Spezia in an attempt to neutralize the five battleships. On 5 June, *Francesco Morosini* was hit by two large bombs that struck her stern. She was transferred to Trieste for repairs, which were not completed before the Armistice that ended Italian participation in the war. She was captured by facist forces. In September 1943, when Italy joined the allies, *Francesco Caracciolo,* and *Marcantonio Colonna* and a significant portion of the free Italian fleet left port to be refitted in Alexandria. While en route, German bombers laden with Fritz X radio-guided bombs attacked the formation. One hit *Francesco Caracciolo* in the bow forward the main battery turrets, causing serious damage. Two hit the Littoria Class battleship *Roma*; one passed through the ship and exploded under her keel, and the second hit near the forward magazines. The bomb detonated the magazines, causing a massive explosion that destroyed the ship with heavy casualties. Shortly after the fleet was attacked by facist forces led by the battleships, *Francesco Morosini, Giulio Cesare, Impero,* and *Lepanto*. After a lengthy fleet action the free Italian forces prevailed sinking *Francesco Morosini,* and *Lepanto* and damaging *Giulio Cesare,* and *Impero.*

In August 1944, *Francesco Caracciolo,* and *Marcantonio Colonna* sortied into the Gulf of Venice alongside *Italia*, and *Vittorio Veneto* in an attempt to neutralize remaining facist naval forces. The resulting Battle of Venice was a resounding success with allied forces sinking two battleships, and a heavy cruiser with only light damage in return. The ships were involved in patrols in the Mediterranean until the end of the war in Europe. The two ships were retained after the war serving in battlship division 1 alongside *Vittorio Veneto*, *Italia*, *Cristoforo Colombo*, Marco Polo, and *Leonardo Da Vinci*. The ships were decommissioned in August, and April 1953 and put in reserve. They were ordered to be scrapped in 1960 but funds were raised to preserve the *Francesco Caracciolo* in Taranto where she remains today.