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I've adopted some of these suggestions - and amended some parts for clarity/readability - that's been useful thank-you.

Okay, and last of the Italian battleships, a non fiction Littorio. 4/4

[4984 Roma - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine(s) output: 128,200 hp
.B Top Speed: 30 knots
.B Main armament: 9 x 15-inch (381mm), 12 x 6-inch (152mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 45,485 tons
.B Thickest armour: 13.75-inch (belt)
.P The Littorios were a class of four battleships that were laid down and
constructed for the Regia Marina in two groups. The two ships of Group 1 -
Littorio and Vittorio Veneto - were built between 1934 and 1940; both being
completed just before Mussolini's declaration of war on the United Kingdom and
France in June 1940. The two ships of Group II - Roma and Impero - were laid down
in 1938 but only Roma was completed before the Italian surrender to the Allies in
1943. Note: World In Flames also allows the Italian player the opportunity to
construct two "what if" ships of the class, and these vessels have been given the
names Lepanto and Italia.
.P These fast, handsome capital ships were built in response to the appearance of
the French Dunkerque-class. Design work began in the early thirties, and whether
the Littorios or the Dunkerques can be called the first of the fast battleships
is open to debate; the French ships carried a 13-inch main armament and are
sometimes referred to as battlecruisers. Either way, with a standard displacement
significantly over the 35,000 ton limit allowed by the Washington Naval Treaty,
the Littorios were, all round, the most powerful battleships in the Mediterranean
during World War II.
.P The Littorios main armament consisted of three triple 15-inch guns rather than
the 16-inch guns allowed by the Washington Treaty. The smaller gun was chosen for
these battleships because its design was already completed, and waiting for the
bigger gun would probably mean delaying the Littorios completion. Suitably
updated, this 15-inch gun achieved an impressive 46,800yds range. Secondary
armament was provided by four triple 6-inch guns and four single 4.7-inch guns.
Anti-aircraft (AA) defence came courtesy of twelve 3.5-inch, twenty 37mm and
sixteen 20mm guns. Their close-range AA weaponry was increased during the war. Up
to three aircraft could be carried.
.P The Littorios armour defence was not inferior to their contemporaries, with a
belt of 13.75-inches at its maximum and horizontal protection of over 6-inches.
However, one defensive measure that would prove a weakness was the Pugliese
underwater protection system, which was not a success and was unable to provide
the necessary level of anti-torpedo protection it was designed to give.
.P The ships exceeded both their designed horsepower output and their top speed
during trials. Even at their proposed 30 knots these ships were comfortably
faster than the Royal Navy battleships of the time, and this would give them an
advantage against the likes of the latter's Queen Elizabeth and R-class
battleships. While fast ships, the range of these vessels was limited, reflecting
the fact that the Regia Marina's expected area of operation was the
Mediterranean.
.P The difference between the Group 1 and Group II ships was minimal; the main
difference being that the latter group were slightly longer.
.P The background to the ships names was as follows: Littorio is the Italian word
for the Roman official that carried the Fasces, a symbol of the Roman Republic
that was adopted by Mussolini's fascists; Vittorio Veneto was named in honour of
the famous Italian victory over the Austro-Hungarian army in 1918; Roma was named
after the capital of Italy; and Impero is the Italian word for Empire, and
specifically the Italian Empire that Mussolini was so desperate to create. The
"what if" ships have been given names as follows: Lepanto, after the famous 16th
century naval victory over the Ottoman Empire, and Italia, after the country in
whose name she would have fought. Note: after the fall of Mussolini, Littorio was
re-named Italia due to the formers name being associated with the discredited
fascist party.
.P Roma was ready for service with the RM in June 1942; sadly for her, the RM was
not ready for Roma, and never would be....
.P Italy entered the war in June 1940, hopelessly unprepared for any war, let
alone the long drawn out, total war that the Second World War developed into.
Mussolini knew this all to well, but gambled his country's future on his belief
that, with France about to surrender to Hitler, the United Kingdom would have no
choice but to sue for peace quickly thereafter. If he failed to act decisively
then Italy would have no place at any peace conference; a conference at which the
spoils of war would be handed out to the victors. It was this greedy thinking that led
to Mussolini declaring war on the 10th June 1940.
.P The Italian navy was, on paper at least, probably the best equipped of the
three services to go to war at that time. Although the RM could initially only
deploy two battleships, these were recently modernised vessels. Within a few
months, two further modernised battleships would re-enter service, closely
followed by two brand new Littorio-class ships. With France out of the war, the
Italians could boast superior numbers of cruisers, particularly of the 8-inch
gunned heavy type. She also fielded a larger submarine force than the Royal Navy.
.P Unfortunately for Mussolini's plans, Italy lacked access to sufficient
quantities of oil to power this navy for any length of time. To compound this
problem, having declared war, the RM was not sufficiently selective about when to
send its battleships to sea. Thanks in part to woeful co-ordination with the Regia
Aeronautica, time and again the fleet would sail to intercept the British, but
have to turn back to port having found no sign of the enemy, or having found the
enemy strength to be greater than expected; thus wasting precious oil.
.P The poor management of this vital resource meant that by the middle of 1941,
most of the pre-war stocks of oil had been used up. The replacement fuel getting
through from the Romanian oilfields was insufficient to keep all RM ships in
operation and priority had to be given to the cruisers, destroyers and smaller craft
escorting the North African convoys. By the start of 1942, the fuel situation was so
critical that many older ships were laid up in port and became merely glorified AA batteries.
.P As a Littorio-class battleship, if any fuel could be spared for fleet
operations, Roma would have been at the head of the queue, however, so acute was
the situation by mid-1942, that Roma was never to see combat against the Allied
navies.
.P When Italy surrendered in September 1943, the three completed Littorios were
at La Spezia in northern Italy. From there it was intended that the fleet would
launch one last sortie in defence of the mainland. Whether such a desperate attack
would have ever been attempted is unknown, but as it turned out, the armistice was agreed
before any such orders could be given. Consequently Admiral Bergamini, aboard Roma, ordered
the three battleships, the cruisers di Savoia, d'Aosta and Montecuccoli, and two destroyer flotillas
to sail to Malta to surrender to the Allies.
.P In the afternoon of the 9th September, while sailing off Sardinia, German
aircraft spotted their former allies and launched an attack. Two waves descended
upon the Italian ships and the first was successfully beaten off without damage to
the fleet. But the second wave consisted of Dornier 217's that were fitted with FX1200
radio controlled bombs. These weapons were released from the bombers and then guided to
the target. Italia (ex-Littorio) was hit first but although she suffered severe flooding,
she was able to sail clear. Roma was not to be so lucky. She was hit first amidships,
the bomb piercing her side and then exploding within one of her engine rooms. She
was very quickly ablaze and these fires began to spread. Within minutes, a second
bomb exploded after entering the ship near her B turret. The blast ignited one of
her magazines and a huge explosion rocked the battleship and in the process
completely separated B turret from its mountings. This huge structure was thrown
into the air and fell into the sea such was the force of the blast. Fires were
now raging throughout the vessel and she was clearly beyond saving. Soon after, Roma broke in
two before disappearing beneath the waves along with 1,253 officers and crew.
.P Two destroyers were also lost that in this action, but the remaining ships made it to Malta, including
the cruisers Abruzzi, Garibaldi and Regolo that had sailed separately from the
main force.

Sorry bout the delay [X(]

[4984 Roma - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine(s) output: 128,200 hp
.B Top Speed: 30 knots
.B Main armament: 9 x 15-inch (381mm), 12 x 6-inch (152mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 45,485 tons
.B Thickest armour: 13.75-inch (belt)
.P The Littorios were a class of four battleships that were laid down and
constructed for the Regia Marina in two groups. The two ships of Group 1 -
Littorio and Vittorio Veneto - were built between 1934 and 1940; both being
completed just before Mussolini's declaration of war on the United Kingdom and
France in June 1940. The two ships of Group II - Roma and Impero - were laid down
in 1938 but only Roma was completed before the Italian surrender to the Allies in
1943. Note: World In Flames also allows the Italian player the opportunity to
construct two "what if" ships of the class, and these vessels have been given the
names Lepanto and Italia.
.P These fast, handsome capital ships were built in response to the appearance of
the French Dunkerque-class. Design work began in the early thirties, and whether
the Littorios or the Dunkerques can be called the first of the fast battleships
is open to debate; the French ships carried a 13-inch main armament and are
sometimes referred to as battlecruisers. Either way, with a standard displacement
significantly over the 35,000 ton limit allowed by the Washington Naval Treaty,
the Littorios were, all round, the most powerful battleships in the Mediterranean
during World War II.
.P The Littorios main armament consisted of three triple 15-inch guns rather than
the 16-inch guns allowed by the Washington Treaty. The smaller gun was chosen for
these battleships because its design was already completed, and waiting for the
bigger gun would probably mean delaying the Littorios completion. Suitably
updated, this 15-inch gun achieved an impressive 46,800yds range. Four triple
6-inch guns and four single 4.7-inch guns provided secondary armament.
Anti-aircraft (AA) defence came courtesy of twelve 3.5-inch, twenty 37mm and
sixteen 20mm guns. Their close-range AA weaponry was increased during the war.
Up to three aircraft could be carried.
.P The Littorios armour defence was not inferior to their contemporaries, with a
belt of 13.75-inches at its maximum and horizontal protection of over 6-inches.
However, one defensive measure that would prove a weakness was the Pugliese
underwater protection system, which was not a success and was unable to provide
the necessary level of anti-torpedo protection it was designed to give.
.P The ships exceeded both their designed horsepower output and their top speed
during trials. Even at their proposed 30 knots these ships were comfortably
faster than the Royal Navy battleships of the time, and this would give them an
advantage against the likes of the latter's Queen Elizabeth and R-class
battleships. While fast ships, the range of these vessels was limited, reflecting
the fact that the Regia Marina's expected area of operation was the
Mediterranean.
.P The difference between the Group 1 and Group II ships was minimal; the main
difference being that the latter group were slightly longer.
.P The background to the ships names was as follows: Littorio is the Italian word
for the Roman official that carried the Fasces, a symbol of the Roman Republic
that was adopted by Mussolini's fascists; Vittorio Veneto was named in honour of
the famous Italian victory over the Austro-Hungarian army in 1918; Roma was named
after the capital of Italy; and Impero is the Italian word for Empire, and
specifically the Italian Empire that Mussolini was so desperate to create. The
"what if" ships have been given names as follows: Lepanto, after the famous 16th
century naval victory over the Ottoman Empire, and Italia, after the country in
whose name she would have fought. Note: after the fall of Mussolini, Littorio was
re-named Italia due to the formers name being associated with the discredited
fascist party.
.P Roma was ready for service with the RM in June 1942; sadly for her, the RM was
not ready for Roma, and never would be....
.P Italy entered the war in June 1940, hopelessly unprepared for any war, let
alone the long drawn out, total war that the Second World War developed into.
Mussolini knew this all to well, but gambled his country's future on his belief
that, with France about to surrender to Hitler, the United Kingdom would have no
choice but to sue for peace quickly thereafter. If he failed to act decisively then
Italy would have no place at any peace conference, a conference at which the
spoils of war would be handed out to the victors. It was this greedy thinking that
led to Mussolini declaring war on the 10th June 1940.
.P The Italian navy was, on paper at least, probably the best equipped of the
three services to go to war at that time. Although the RM could initially only
deploy two battleships, these were recently modernised vessels. Within a few
months, two further modernised battleships would re-enter service, closely
followed by two brand new Littorio-class ships. With France out of the war, the
Italians could boast superior numbers of cruisers, particularly of the 8-inch
gunned heavy type. She also fielded a larger submarine force than the Royal Navy.
.P Unfortunately for Mussolini's plans, Italy lacked access to sufficient
quantities of oil to power this navy for any length of time. To compound this
problem, having declared war, the RM was not sufficiently selective about when to
send its battleships to sea. Thanks in part to woeful co-ordination with the Regia
Aeronautica, time and again the fleet would sail to intercept the British, but
have to turn back to port having found no sign of the enemy, or having found the
enemy strength to be greater than expected; thus wasting precious oil.
.P The poor management of this vital resource meant that by the middle of 1941,
most of the pre-war stocks of oil had been used up. The replacement fuel getting
through from the Romanian oilfields was insufficient to keep all RM ships in
operation and priority had to be given to the cruisers, destroyers and smaller craft
escorting the North African convoys. By the start of 1942, the fuel situation was so
critical that many older ships were laid up in port and became merely glorified AA batteries.
.P As a Littorio-class battleship, if any fuel could be spared for fleet
operations, Roma would have been at the head of the queue, however, so acute was
the situation by mid-1942, that Roma was never to see combat against the Allied
navies.
.P When Italy surrendered in September 1943, the three completed Littorios were
at La Spezia in northern Italy. From there it was intended that the fleet would
launch one last sortie in defence of the mainland. Whether such a desperate attack
would have ever been attempted is unknown, but as it turned out, the armistice was agreed
before any such orders could be given. Consequently Admiral Bergamini, aboard Roma, ordered
the three battleships, the cruisers di Savoia, d'Aosta and Montecuccoli, and two destroyer flotillas
to sail to Malta to surrender to the Allies.
.P In the afternoon of the 9th September, while sailing off Sardinia, German
aircraft spotted their former allies and launched an attack. Two waves descended
upon the Italian ships and the first was successfully beaten off without damage to
the fleet. But the second wave consisted of Dornier 217's that were fitted with FX1200
radio controlled bombs. These weapons were released from the bombers and then guided to
the target. Italia (ex-Littorio) was hit first but although she suffered severe flooding,
she was able to sail clear. Roma was not to be so lucky. She was hit first amidships,
the bomb piercing her side and then exploding within one of her engine rooms. She
was very quickly ablaze and these fires began to spread. Within minutes, a second
bomb exploded after entering the ship near her B turret. The blast ignited one of
her magazines and a huge explosion rocked the battleship and in the process
completely separated B turret from its mountings. This huge structure was thrown
into the air and fell into the sea such was the force of the blast. Fires were
now raging throughout the vessel and she was clearly beyond saving. Soon after, Roma broke in
two before disappearing beneath the waves along with 1,253 officers and crew.
.P Two destroyers were also lost that in this action, but the remaining ships made it to Malta, including
the cruisers Abruzzi, Garibaldi and Regolo that had sailed separately from the
main force.


I dislike the sentence:

If he failed to act decisively then Italy would have no place at any peace conference, a conference at which the spoils of war would be handed out to the victors.


Because of "any peace conference, a conference".


I would prefer:

If he failed to act decisively then Italy would have no place at any peace conference where the spoils of war would be handed out to the victors.

But I'm not going to be a fanatic about it.

Does anyone know where I can find detail for the Italian Fleet that sailed to intercept the Mediterranean Fleet on 31st August 1940 during the British Operation HATS?

I have sources that state 2, 4 or 5 battleships sailed and 7,8 or 13 cruisers![&:]

Any help would be appreciated [:)]

Regia Marina Italiana (both British and Italian during Operation HATS and M.B.3)

Click on British for Operation HATS and M.B.3.

Click on Italian for Operation BA, Bona and Toro.

Supermarina, having received news of some British activity on the 30th, the following day at 6:00 ordered the departure of:

9th Division ( battleships Littorio, Vittorio Veneto)
5th Division (battleships Cavour, Cesare, Duilio)
1st Division (Heavy Cruisers Pola, Zara, Fiume, Gorizia )
8th Division (Light cruisers Duca degli Abruzzi. Garibaldi )

and several destroyer squadrons for a total of 27 units.

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Regia Marina Italiana (both British and Italian during Operation HATS and M.B.3)

Click on British for Operation HATS and M.B.3.

Click on Italian for Operation BA, Bona and Toro.

Supermarina, having received news of some British activity on the 30th, the following day at 6:00 ordered the departure of:

9th Division ( battleships Littorio, Vittorio Veneto)
5th Division (battleships Cavour, Cesare, Duilio)
1st Division (Heavy Cruisers Pola, Zara, Fiume, Gorizia )
8th Division (Light cruisers Duca degli Abruzzi. Garibaldi )

and several destroyer squadrons for a total of 27 units.

Warspite1

Yes, I saw this site, but I have at least three sources that confirm the 13 cruisers figure. I suspect that the "missing" cruisers sailed as part of the 2nd Fleet but can find no detail. Some sources claim Cesare was there too - others that she was in port unable to sail - damn this is frustrating [:@]

Click on Italian for Operation BA, Bona and Toro.

Supermarina, having received news of some British activity on the 30th, the following day at 6:00 ordered the departure of:

9th Division ( battleships Littorio, Vittorio Veneto)
5th Division (battleships Cavour, Cesare, Duilio)
1st Division (Heavy Cruisers Pola, Zara, Fiume, Gorizia )
8th Division (Light cruisers Duca degli Abruzzi. Garibaldi )

6 cruisers
Operation BA 2 cruisers
Operation Bona 2 cruisers
Operation Toro 3 cruisers

Total - 13 cruisers

While there is no indication that Operation BA, Bona, or Toro were implemented there is documentation of the ships that left to intercept from Taranto. This would explain your problem with the number of cruisers.

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Click on Italian for Operation BA, Bona and Toro.

6 cruisers
Operation BA 2 cruisers
Operation Bona 2 cruisers
Operation Toro 3 cruisers

Total - 13 cruisers

While there is no indication that Operation BA, Bona, or Toro were implemented there is documentation of the ships that left to intercept from Taranto. This would explain your problem with the number of cruisers.

Warspite1

As far as I can tell:

Operation BA 2 was 1941
Operation Bona 2 cruisers was 1943
Operation Toro 3 cruisers would have been 1941

If I'm reading right then nothing to do with HATS

ORIGINAL: warspite1

As far as I can tell:

Operation BA 2 was 1941
Operation Bona 2 cruisers was 1943
Operation Toro 3 cruisers would have been 1941

If I'm reading right then nothing to do with HATS

But your other sources (I don't know which ones) may not have been as observent.

I have found one source that says 10 cruisers but doesn't give names or divisions/squadrons.



Naval History Net - August 1940 part 2 of 2 - Saturday, 31 August



Submarine PARTHIAN off Taranto sighted the Italian Fleet departing port at 0600.

Italian battleships LITTORIO, VENETO, CESARE, CAVOUR, DUILO departed Taranto with heavy cruisers POLA, ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA of the 1st Cruiser Division, light cruisers ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI of the 8th Cruiser Division, twenty seven destroyers.

Battleship CESARE suffered condenser problems and returned to Taranto, escorted by torpedo boats PLEIADI and PARTENOPE, arriving on 1 September.


2nd Fleet

Italian heavy cruisers TRENTO, BOLZANO, TRIESTE of the 3rd Cruiser Division and eight destroyers departed Messina.

Italian light cruisers EUGENIO, AOSTA, ATTENDOLO, MONTECUCCOLI of the 7th Cruiser Division and four destroyers departed Brindisi.

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

Naval History Net - August 1940 part 2 of 2 - Saturday, 31 August

Battleship CESARE suffered condenser problems and returned to Taranto, escorted by torpedo boats PLEIADI and PARTENOPE, arriving on 1 September.

2nd Fleet

Italian heavy cruisers TRENTO, BOLZANO, TRIESTE of the 3rd Cruiser Division and eight destroyers departed Messina.

Italian light cruisers EUGENIO, AOSTA, ATTENDOLO, MONTECUCCOLI of the 7th Cruiser Division and four destroyers departed Brindisi.

Warspite1

That's more like it [:)] - an answer for both Cesare and the 2nd Fleet.

On to the Italian cruisers now. Not sure of the numbers to be posted of this type but I suspect 4/5 will suffice. Anyway, here's the first:

[5010 Colleoni - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 95,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 36.5 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 6-inch (152mm), 6 x 3.9-inch (100mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 6,844 tons
.B Thickest armour: 1-inch (belt)
.P Five groups of light cruiser were built for the Regia Marina (RM) under
the headline name; the Condottieri type. The design was significantly altered
from group to group and each of the five groups was effectively a separate class.
.P The Condottieri's ultimately numbered twelve ships. Two vessels of a sixth
class were also ordered under the 1939-40 programme, but both were cancelled once
Italy entered the war in June 1940. World In Flames allows the Italian player to
build both of these "what if" vessels in addition to the dozen ships actually
built.
.P The first group of Condottieri's was known as the Giussano-class; the first
light cruiser type built by the Italians after the First world War. Four ships of
this group were built for the RM between 1928 and 1932.
.P These ships were designed to counter the large, fast, French destroyers then
being built. These "destroyer killers" were designed with speed being paramount,
and this speed was achieved at the cost of armour protection. The vertical
protection was limited to 1-inch armour that covered only the machinery and
magazine spaces, although a splinter bulkhead was also mounted inboard that
provided another 0.7-inch protection. Defence against horizontal threats was
provided by a 0.8-inch thick armoured deck.
.P The Giussano's main armament was provided by eight 6-inch guns mounted in four
twin turrets. Secondary armament was six 3.9-inch guns in six twin turrets and
anti-aircraft (AA) protection came from eight 37mm and eight 13.2mm guns. Three
of the class were capable of minelaying, only the name-ship was not fitted with
this equipment. Two twin torpedo tubes rounded off the weapons package. Two
aircraft could be carried.
.P Top speed was designed at just over 36 knots from their lightweight machinery,
and this was comfortably exceeded in trials. As with most RM ships, their range
was limited.
.P In order to achieve the designed speed, it was not just armour that was
sacrificed. In addition, the ships were known for their fragile structural
quality. Poor sea-worthiness and cramped, basic living quarters made for
unpleasant working conditions.
.P All four ships were named after famous Condottieri; the mercenary leaders that
were hired by the Italian city-states and the Papacy.
.P Bartolomeo Colleoni, to give the ship her full name, was the last of the first
group to be completed; only being ready for service in February 1932. Her war was
to be brief.
.P Her initial role, following the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, was
as part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, 2nd Cruiser Division which was tasked with
providing protection for some of the early minelaying operations. She also
provided the close escort for the first large scale convoy to North Africa on the
6th July (see Giuilo Cesare and Transport Counter 5035).
.P Her first and last major action came at the Battle of Cape Spada just over a
month into Italy's war. She and her sister Bande Nere were ordered to sail from
their base at Tripoli, Libya for Leros in the Dodecanese. British merchant ships
were reported to have left ports in Romania and would need to enter the eastern
Mediterranean on their journey home; the plan was that these two fast ships would
intercept the merchants, and the two cruisers, under the command of Rear-Admiral
Casardi, sailed on the 17th July.
.P Meanwhile, in the Aegean on patrol at that time, was the Australian cruiser
HMAS Sydney together with a destroyer escort. On the morning of the 19th, as the
Italians sped toward their target, the Italian cruisers came across four of the
British destroyers. The Royal Navy ships were some distance from Sydney and a
fifth destroyer, and Casardi, seeing only the enemy destroyers, went on the
attack.
.P As the Italian cruisers opened up with their 6-inch guns beyond the range of
the destroyers, the four British ships turned away, leading Casardi toward
Sydney. At 0730hrs, the Australian ship opened fire on the advancing Italian
vessels. Casardi ordered an immediate about turn, hoping to use his ships greater
speed to outrun Sydney. However, an hour after the Australian cruiser first began
firing, one of her shells hit Colleoni, damaging her steering gear. Further hits
soon caused her to stop dead in the water.
.P Colleoni continued to fight for as long as she was able, but two of the
destroyers, Ilex and Hyperion, were able to get close enough to launch torpedoes
and at 0900hrs Colleoni sank with the loss of 121 officers and men. Bande Nere
had been able to outrun her pursuers and was only lightly damaged in the action.

For organization of the Italian 2nd fleet I'm using Orbat's Regia Marina June 10, 1940.

[5010 Colleoni - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 95,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 36.5 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 6-inch (152mm), 6 x 3.9-inch (100mm) guns
.B Displacement (full load): 6,844 tons
.B Thickest armour: 1-inch (belt)
.P Five groups of light cruiser were built for the Regia Marina (RM) under
the headline name; the Condottieri type. The design was significantly altered
from group to group and each of the five groups was effectively a separate class.
.P The Condottieri's ultimately numbered twelve ships. Two vessels of a sixth
class were also ordered under the 1939-40 programme, but both were cancelled once
Italy entered the war in June 1940. World In Flames allows the Italian player to
build both of these "what if" vessels in addition to the dozen ships actually
built.
.P The first group of Condottieri's was known as the Giussano-class; the first
light cruiser type built by the Italians after the First world War. Four ships of
this group were built for the RM between 1928 and 1932.
.P These ships were designed to counter the large, fast, French destroyers then
being built. These "destroyer killers" were designed with speed being paramount,
and this speed was achieved at the cost of armour protection. The vertical
protection was limited to 1-inch armour that covered only the machinery and
magazine spaces, although a splinter bulkhead was also mounted inboard that
provided another 0.7-inch protection. A 0.8-inch thick armoured deck provided
defence against horizontal threats.
.P The Giussano's main armament was provided by eight 6-inch guns mounted in four
twin turrets. Secondary armament was six 3.9-inch guns in six twin turrets and
anti-aircraft (AA) protection came from eight 37mm and eight 13.2mm guns. Three
of the class were capable of minelaying, only the name-ship was not fitted with
this equipment. Two twin torpedo tubes rounded off the weapons package. Two
aircraft could be carried.
.P Top speed was designed at just over 36 knots from their lightweight machinery,
and this was comfortably exceeded in trials. As with most RM ships, their range
was limited.
.P In order to achieve the designed speed, it was not just armour that was
sacrificed. In addition, the ships were known for their fragile structural
quality. Poor sea-worthiness and cramped, basic living quarters made for
unpleasant working conditions.
.P All four ships were named after famous Condottieri; the mercenary leaders that
were hired by the Italian city-states and the Papacy.
.P Bartolomeo Colleoni, to give the ship her full name, was the last of the first
group to be completed; only being ready for service in February 1932. Her war was
to be brief.
.P Her initial role, following the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, was
as part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, 2nd Cruiser Division which was tasked with
providing protection for some of the early minelaying operations. She also
provided the close escort for the first large-scale convoy to North Africa on the
6th July (see Giuilo Cesare and Transport Counter 5035).
.P Her first and last major action came at the Battle of Cape Spada just over a
month into Italy's war. She and her sister Bande Nere were ordered to sail from
their base at Tripoli, Libya for Leros in the Dodecanese. British merchant ships
were reported to have left ports in Romania and would need to enter the eastern
Mediterranean on their journey home; the plan was that these two fast ships would
intercept the merchants, and the two cruisers, under the command of Rear-Admiral
Casardi, sailed on the 17th July.
.P Meanwhile, in the Aegean on patrol at that time, was the Australian cruiser
HMAS Sydney together with a destroyer escort. On the morning of the 19th, as the
Italians sped toward their target, the Italian cruisers came across four of the
British destroyers. The Royal Navy ships were some distance from Sydney and a
fifth destroyer, and Casardi, seeing only the enemy destroyers, went on the
attack.
.P As the Italian cruisers opened up with their 6-inch guns beyond the range of
the destroyers, the four British ships turned away, leading Casardi toward
Sydney. At 0730hrs, the Australian ship opened fire on the advancing Italian
vessels. Casardi ordered an immediate about turn, hoping to use his ships greater
speed to outrun Sydney. However, an hour after the Australian cruiser first began
firing, one of her shells hit Colleoni, damaging her steering gear. Further hits
soon caused her to stop dead in the water.
.P Colleoni continued to fight for as long as she was able, but two of the
destroyers, Ilex and Hyperion, were able to get close enough to launch torpedoes
and at 0900hrs Colleoni sank with the loss of 121 officers and men. Bande Nere
had been able to outrun her pursuers and was only lightly damaged in the action.

I am trying to get the intro's finalised for the Italian TRS and ASW counters and as many of these non-named counters done as possible. Please see below an example ASW Escort. Example TRS to follow:

1/2

[5024 ASW Escort - by Robert Jenkins]
.P When Benito Mussolini declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, no
branch of the Italian armed forces was truly prepared for the coming conflict.
The Regia Marina (RM) was arguably in a better state than either the army or air
force but it was hampered by a number of problems that were to limit their chances of taking
successful offensive action against the British Royal Navy. Ranking high amongst
these limitations was poor co-ordination between the navy and the air force, and
then, from mid-1941 onwards, a lack of oil that meant much of the battlefleet had
to lay idle in port.
.P However, offensive operations were not the main focus for the RM's surface
fleet during the war. Arguably, the top priority for the navy was to ensure that
the supply lines to Italy's North African empire, and later to troops fighting in
Greece, were kept open.
.P These tasks were given directly to the smaller ships of the RM; the
destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes and torpedo boats, with distant cover
typically provided by the battleship and cruiser squadrons. Where necessity
dictated, on some occasions the cargoes were carried by the escorts themselves;
sometimes with tragic results.
.P The escort vessels of the RM engaged on convoy escort duty faced a full range
of Allied attempts to stop them; submarines, aircraft and surface ships, and they
took considerable losses in carrying out their orders.
.P These ASW counters do not represent an individual convoy or any specific
ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have mixed values
reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ from one
convoy to the next.
.P The date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate in
any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that undertook the convoy
escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be ignored.
.P This counter looks at the Turbine-class destroyers and the Espero in
particular.
.B
.B Name: Espero
.B Engine(s) output: 40,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 36 knots
.B Main armament: 4 x 4.7-inch (120mm), 8 x 20mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 1,670 tons
.B Thickest Armour: n/a
.B The Turbine-class was made up of eight destroyers that were built for the
RM in the late twenties. They were essentially repeats of the earlier Sauro-
class, but were slightly longer and were given more powerful machinery in order
to boost speed to 36 knots.
.P Their main armament was four 4.7-inch guns fitted in two twin turrets, one
forward and one aft. Originally fitted with two 40mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns, early
in the war these were removed to allow the fitting of eight 20mm guns. They were
also fitted with depth charge launchers at this time. The two original 13.2mm
guns remained in place. The weapons package was completed by two triple torpedo
tubes.
.P The ships were designed with speed in mind and, as was usually the case with
Italian naval vessels, they comfortably exceeded their designed power and speed
during trials.
.P Also in keeping with many early post-World War I designs, these destroyers
were fragile and not noted for their sea-keeping qualities.
.P The eight ships were heavily involved in RM operations early in the war and no
less than six of the eight failed to survive beyond the end of 1940.
.P The story for this ASW Escort counter is slightly unusual in that the escorts
for this particular battle were also the cargo carriers. It is a story worth
recounting to honour the bravery of the Italian destroyer captain who sacrificed
his ship to ensure the remaining vessels under his command reached their
destination together with their precious cargoes.
.P The engagement that became known as the Battle of the Espero Convoy was fought
west of the island of Crete on the 28th June 1940, just over two weeks after
Italy declared war on the French and British.
.P The Italians wanted to send an AA unit with 162 men to Tobruk, Libya, as part
of the defensive measures at the port. Because the port was in range of British
bombers flying from Egypt, it was decided that destroyers be used to carry the
reinforcements, rather than more vulnerable merchant shipping.
.P Three fast destroyers of the Turbine-class: Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro,
commanded by Captain Baroni aboard Espero, were given the task of transporting
the reinforcements. The ships left port on the 27th June and headed for North
Africa.
.P Around this time, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet were at sea in force in
order to ensure the safe passage of three Egypt bound convoys. Amongst the fleet
were the five cruisers of Vice-Admiral Tovey`s 7th Cruiser Squadron; Liverpool,
Orion, HMAS Sydney, Gloucester and Neptune. When the Italian ships were spotted
by British reconnaissance aircraft, Tovey was ordered to detach his squadron and
intercept.
.P The three destroyers were taken completely by surprise when the British
sighted them at around 1830hrs on the 28th June. They were about 130 miles west
of Crete when shells began falling around them, having been fired at extreme
range from the British 6-inch guns. Baroni tried to use his speed advantage and
made smoke. Unfortunately, problems with Espero's machinery meant that she could
not manage more than 25-knots; this was considerably slower than Tovey's ships.
.P Realising this fact, Baroni ordered the Ostro and Zeffiro to withdraw at top
speed while Espero would try and keep the British occupied. Baroni bravely
manoeuvred his ship to try and get a torpedo attack against one of the cruisers.
This attack failed, although Espero did manage to hit Liverpool, albeit with
minimal damage.
.P The Royal Navy ships were not having it all their own way however, and they
had to expend an enormous amount of 6-inch ammunition in order to bring the
plucky destroyer to a halt; something they achieved around 2000hrs. It was left
ultimately to Sydney to finish her off with torpedoes and Espero sank shortly
thereafter. There were only 53 survivors and Baroni was not one of them. For
his actions that day Captain Baroni was posthumously awarded the highest honour
possible; the Medaglia d´oro al valor militare. Both Zeffiro and Ostro were able
to make good their escape and delivered their cargo the following day.

Nice.[&o]

You don't say how many 40mm AA guns she started with.

True...amendment and one or two others made. [:)]

Thank-you - rubbish sentence re-worded [:)]

And an example Italian TRS

2/2


[5036 Transport - by Robert Jenkins]
.P World in Flames uses two main types of naval transport counter: Transport
(TRS) and Amphibious (AMPH). The use of these counters depends to an extent on
what optional rules are being used. However, as a general rule, TRS represent the
tankers, freighters, troopships and other vessels that were employed in order to
keep armies fighting overseas, while AMPH represent the specialised shipping that
could land men and material on a hostile shore.
.P One of the little known stories of World War II is the bravery and sacrifice
of the Italian merchant navy in trying to keep supply lanes open, and some of
these stories are recounted within these TRS counters.
.P Benito Mussolini made his declaration of war on the British and French on the
10th June purely out of greed; he knew that the French were effectively beaten
and surmised that the British would quickly sue for peace once the French exited
the war. Mussolini realised that if he was right about how soon the war would be
over, he would have to get into the war quickly to ensure that Italy would be
seen by Germany as a co-belligerent and so share in the spoils of war.
.P But this haste to profit from the demise of Britain and France meant that the
practical concerns regarding Italy's situation were ignored. Aside from the wider
concerns; the armed forces were not ready, the stockpiling of strategic materials
was insufficient and the supply of further vital raw materials was not secure,
there were other important details that were overlooked.
.P For one thing, Mussolini had given insufficient notice to his merchant fleet
captains that war was about to be declared. As a result, a great many Italian
ships were outside of the Mediterranean on the 10th June and not all made it back
to Italy or to a neutral port once Italy had gone to war; in consequence the
Italians effectively lost over a third of their merchant fleet before a shot was
fired. This loss of precious shipping simply exacerbated another problem; how
to ensure supply lines were maintained for Axis troops overseas.
.P Despite the problems caused by the high command, the Italian merchant navy
kept the Axis armies fighting in North Africa from June 1940 to May 1943 when the
remaining troops were evacuated from Tunisia; the men of the merchant marine paid
a high price in doing so..
.P Note: the date on the back of these TRS counters do not relate to actual build
dates and should therefore be ignored.
.B
.B Name: SS Antonio Locatelli
.B Engine(s) output: Not Known hp
.B Top Speed: 10.5 knots
.B Main armament: Unknown
.B Gross Registered Tonnage: 5,754 tons
.B Thickest Armour: n/a
.P The Antonio Locatelli was built in the United States by the Western Pipe
and Steel company, having been constructed for the Italian shipping company,
Societa Anonima Co-operativa Di Navigazione Garibaldi. She was completed in 1920
and was used for general tramping purposes between Italy and Italian East Africa.
.P She was requisitioned for use by the Italian armed forces from the outset of
the war. Following Mussolini's decision to wage war on Greece in October 1940,
the Italians set up Maritrafalba Command, under Captain Pollachini. The role of
this command was to ensure that supplies were successfully transported across the
Adriatic from mainland Italy to Albania.
.P Antonio Locatelli was to be one of the earliest casualties of the new command.
She was the largest merchant vessel in a four-ship convoy that was being escorted
by the torpedo boat Fabrizi and the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III.
.P The convoy was sailing from Albania to Brindisi in the early morning of the
12th November. They were about twelve miles from Valona in the Strait of Otranto,
travelling west at a leisurely rate of knots when they were attacked by a British
cruiser and destroyer force. The attack came as a complete surprise. The British
force had been detached from a larger group that comprised the aircraft carrier
Illustrious, from which the air raid on the Italian Fleet at Taranto had earlier
been launched.
.P Two British and one Australian light cruiser and two destroyers efficiently
set about their task and soon had the four merchant ships - Locatelli, Premuda,
Capo Vado and Catalani - under fire. While Fabrizi's captain, Lt Barbini, bravely
steered his little ship towards the enemy to try and launch a torpedo attack, the
captain of Ramb III inexplicably withdrew.
.P Despite the best efforts of Barbini, by 0200hrs, half an hour after the start
of the battle, the British sailed for home, leaving in their wake four sunk or
sinking merchant ships. From Antonio Locatelli there were to be no survivors. The
Fabrizi survived the attack although was badly damaged and suffered 11 killed.

[5024 ASW Escort - by Robert Jenkins]
.P When Benito Mussolini declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, no
branch of the Italian armed forces was truly prepared for the coming conflict.
The Regia Marina (RM) was arguably in a better state than either the army or air
force but it was hampered by a number of problems that were to limit their chances of taking
successful offensive action against the British Royal Navy. Ranking high amongst
these limitations was poor co-ordination between the navy and the air force, and
then, from mid-1941 onwards, a lack of oil that meant much of the battlefleet had
to lay idle in port.
.P However, offensive operations were not the main focus for the RM's surface
fleet during the war. Arguably, the top priority for the navy was to ensure that
the supply lines to Italy's North African empire, and later to troops fighting in
Greece, were kept open.
.P These tasks were given directly to the smaller ships of the RM; the
destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes and torpedo boats, with distant cover
typically provided by the battleship and cruiser squadrons. Where necessity
dictated, on some occasions the cargoes were carried by the escorts themselves;
sometimes with tragic results.
.P The escort vessels of the RM engaged on convoy escort duty faced a full range
of Allied attempts to stop them; submarines, aircraft and surface ships, and they
took considerable losses in carrying out their orders.
.P These ASW counters do not represent an individual convoy or any specific
ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have mixed values
reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ from one
convoy to the next.
.P The date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate in
any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that undertook the convoy
escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be ignored.
.P This counter looks at the Turbine-class destroyers and the Espero in
particular.
.B
.B Name: Espero
.B Engine(s) output: 40,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 36 knots
.B Main armament: 4 x 4.7-inch (120mm), 8 x 20mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 1,670 tons
.B Thickest Armour: n/a
.B The Turbine-class was made up of eight destroyers that were built for the
RM in the late twenties. They were essentially repeats of the earlier Sauro-
class, but were slightly longer and were given more powerful machinery in order
to boost speed to 36 knots.
.P Their main armament was four 4.7-inch guns fitted in two twin turrets, one
forward and one aft. Originally fitted with two 40mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns, early
in the war these were removed to allow the fitting of eight 20mm guns. They were
also fitted with depth charge launchers at this time. The two original 13.2mm
guns remained in place. The weapons package was completed by two triple torpedo
tubes.
.P The ships were designed with speed in mind and, as was usually the case with
Italian naval vessels, they comfortably exceeded their designed power and speed
during trials.
.P Also in keeping with many early post-World War I designs, these destroyers
were fragile and not noted for their sea-keeping qualities.
.P The eight ships were heavily involved in RM operations early in the war and no
less than six of the eight failed to survive beyond the end of 1940.
.P The story for this ASW Escort counter is slightly unusual in that the escorts
for this particular battle were also the cargo carriers. It is a story worth
recounting to honour the bravery of the Italian destroyer captain who sacrificed
his ship to ensure the remaining vessels under his command reached their
destination together with their precious cargoes.
.P The engagement that became known as the Battle of the Espero Convoy was fought
west of the island of Crete on the 28th June 1940, just over two weeks after
Italy declared war on the French and British.
.P The Italians wanted to send an AA unit with 162 men to Tobruk, Libya, as part
of the defensive measures at the port. Because the port was in range of British
bombers flying from Egypt, it was decided that destroyers be used to carry the
reinforcements, rather than more vulnerable merchant shipping.
.P Three fast destroyers of the Turbine-class: Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro,
commanded by Captain Baroni aboard Espero, were given the task of transporting
the reinforcements. The ships left port on the 27th June and headed for North
Africa.
.P Around this time, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet were at sea in force in
order to ensure the safe passage of three Egypt bound convoys. Amongst the fleet
were the five cruisers of Vice-Admiral Tovey`s 7th Cruiser Squadron; Liverpool,
Orion, HMAS Sydney, Gloucester and Neptune. When British reconnaissance aircraft
spotted the Italian ships, Tovey was ordered to detach his squadron and
intercept.
.P The three destroyers were taken completely by surprise when the British
sighted them at around 1830hrs on the 28th June. They were about 130 miles west
of Crete when shells began falling around them, having been fired at extreme
range from the British 6-inch guns. Baroni tried to use his speed advantage and
made smoke. Unfortunately, problems with Espero's machinery meant that she could
not manage more than 25-knots; this was considerably slower than Tovey's ships.
.P Realising this fact, Baroni ordered the Ostro and Zeffiro to withdraw at top
speed while Espero would try and keep the British occupied. Baroni bravely
manoeuvred his ship to try and get a torpedo attack against one of the cruisers.
This attack failed, although Espero did manage to hit Liverpool, albeit with
minimal damage.
.P The Royal Navy ships were not having it all their own way however, and they
had to expend an enormous amount of 6-inch ammunition in order to bring the
plucky destroyer to a halt; something they achieved around 2000hrs. It was left
ultimately to Sydney to finish her off with torpedoes and Espero sank shortly
thereafter. There were only 53 survivors and Baroni was not one of them. For
his actions that day Captain Baroni was posthumously awarded the highest honour
possible; the Medaglia d´oro al valor militare. Both Zeffiro and Ostro were able
to make good their escape and delivered their cargo the following day.



[5036 Transport - by Robert Jenkins]
.P World in Flames uses two main types of naval transport counter: Transport
(TRS) and Amphibious (AMPH). The use of these counters depends to an extent on
what optional rules are being used. However, as a general rule, TRS represent the
tankers, freighters, troopships and other vessels that were employed in order to
keep armies fighting overseas, while AMPH represent the specialised shipping that
could land men and material on a hostile shore.
.P One of the little known stories of World War II is the bravery and sacrifice
of the Italian merchant navy in trying to keep supply lanes open, and some of
these stories are recounted within these TRS counters.
.P Benito Mussolini made his declaration of war on the British and French on the
10th June purely out of greed; he knew that the French were effectively beaten
and surmised that the British would quickly sue for peace once the French exited
the war. Mussolini realised that if he were right about how soon the war would
be over, he would have to get into the war quickly to ensure that Italy would be
seen by Germany as a co-belligerent and so share in the spoils of war.
.P But this haste to profit from the demise of Britain and France meant that the
practical concerns regarding Italy's situation were ignored. Aside from the wider
concerns; the armed forces were not ready, the stockpiling of strategic materials
was insufficient and the supply of further vital raw materials was not secure,
there were other important details that were overlooked.
.P For one thing, Mussolini had given insufficient notice to his merchant fleet
captains that war was about to be declared. As a result, a great many Italian
ships were outside of the Mediterranean on the 10th June and not all made it back
to Italy or to a neutral port once Italy had gone to war; in consequence the
Italians effectively lost over a third of their merchant fleet before a shot was
fired. This loss of precious shipping simply exacerbated another problem; how
to ensure supply lines were maintained for Axis troops overseas.
.P Despite the problems caused by the high command, the Italian merchant navy
kept the Axis armies fighting in North Africa from June 1940 to May 1943 when the
remaining troops were evacuated from Tunisia; the men of the merchant marine paid
a high price in doing so..
.P Note: the date on the back of these TRS counters do not relate to actual build
dates and should therefore be ignored.
.B
.B Name: SS Antonio Locatelli
.B Engine(s) output: Not Known hp
.B Top Speed: 10.5 knots
.B Main armament: Unknown
.B Gross Registered Tonnage: 5,754 tons
.B Thickest Armour: n/a
.P The Antonio Locatelli was built in the United States by the Western Pipe
and Steel company, having been constructed for the Italian shipping company,
Societa Anonima Co-operativa Di Navigazione Garibaldi. She was completed in 1920
and was used for general tramping purposes between Italy and Italian East Africa.
.P She was requisitioned for use by the Italian armed forces from the outset of
the war. Following Mussolini's decision to wage war on Greece in October 1940,
the Italians set up Maritrafalba Command, under Captain Pollachini. The role of
this command was to ensure that supplies were successfully transported across the
Adriatic from mainland Italy to Albania.
.P Antonio Locatelli was to be one of the earliest casualties of the new command.
She was the largest merchant vessel in a four-ship convoy that was being escorted
by the torpedo boat Fabrizi and the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III.
.P The convoy was sailing from Albania to Brindisi in the early morning of the
12th November. They were about twelve miles from Valona in the Strait of Otranto,
travelling west at a leisurely rate of knots when a British cruiser and destroyer force
attacked them. The attack came as a complete surprise. The British
force had been detached from a larger group that comprised the aircraft carrier
Illustrious, from which the air raid on the Italian Fleet at Taranto had earlier
been launched.
.P Two British and one Australian light cruiser and two destroyers efficiently
set about their task and soon had the four merchant ships - Locatelli, Premuda,
Capo Vado and Catalani - under fire. While Fabrizi's captain, Lt Barbini, bravely
steered his little ship towards the enemy to try and launch a torpedo attack, the
captain of Ramb III inexplicably withdrew.
.P Despite the best efforts of Barbini, by 0200hrs, half an hour after the start
of the battle, the British sailed for home, leaving in their wake four sunk or
sinking merchant ships. From Antonio Locatelli there were to be no survivors. The
Fabrizi survived the attack although was badly damaged and suffered 11 killed.

They were about twelve miles from Valona in the Strait of Otranto, travelling west at a leisurely rate of knots when a British cruiser and destroyer force attacked them.

This should be wriiten "leisurely rate" or "leisurely rate of (how many) knots".

Second of the Italian cruiser examples - a light cruiser of the Capitani Romani-class.

[5022 Claudio Tiberio - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 110,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 40 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 5.3-inch (135mm), 8 X 37mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 5,334 tons
.B Thickest armour: Light splinter protection only
.P The Capitani Romanis were planned as a class of twelve small, lightly
armoured, but very fast cruisers that were designed to fulfil the role of
"destroyer killers". They were designed in response to the appearance in the late
thirties of the powerful French destroyers of the Le Fantasque and Mogador-
classes.
.P Construction of these vessels only began in April 1939 and with Italy joining
the war alongside Germany in June of the following year, only four of the twelve
planned ships were ever completed; and only three of these were actually finished
before the end of the Second World War. World In Flames allows the Italian player
to build up to ten of these ships. Note: Ulpio Traiano and Claudio Druso are not
available for building.
.P At less than 4,000 tons, the Romanis were little more than large destroyers
themselves, with nothing but anti-splinter plating to protect the bridge and the
main armament.
.P The main armament consisted of eight 5.3-inch guns mounted in four twin
turrets, while the anti-aircraft (AA) armament was provided by eight 37mm guns
and a similar number of 20mm weapons. They carried both mines and depth-charges
and the weapons package was completed by two quadruple torpedo tubes.
.P A high speed was vital given that they were created primarily to counter the
fast French destroyer fleet, and the designed speed of 40 knots was exceeded.
.P The ships were all named after famous Romans; Claudio Tiberio being named in
honour of Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, more commonly known simply as Emperor
Tiberius.
.P Claudio Tiberio was laid down in September 1939, but work on her was halted
upon Italian entry into the war in June 1940. Her incomplete hull was broken-up
shortly after.

[5022 Claudio Tiberio - by Robert Jenkins]
.B Engine output: 110,000 hp
.B Top Speed: 40 knots
.B Main armament: 8 x 5.3-inch (135mm), 8 X 37mm guns
.B Displacement (full load): 5,334 tons
.B Thickest armour: Light splinter protection only
.P The Capitani Romanis were planned as a class of twelve small, lightly
armoured, but very fast cruisers that were designed to fulfil the role of
"destroyer killers". They were designed in response to the appearance in the late
thirties of the powerful French destroyers of the Le Fantasque and Mogador-
classes.
.P Construction of these vessels only began in April 1939 and with Italy joining
the war alongside Germany in June of the following year, only four of the twelve
planned ships were ever completed; and only three of these were actually finished
before the end of the Second World War. World In Flames allows the Italian player
to build up to ten of these ships. Note: Ulpio Traiano and Claudio Druso are not
available for building.
.P At less than 4,000 tons, the Romanis were little more than large destroyers
themselves, with nothing but anti-splinter plating to protect the bridge and the
main armament.
.P The main armament consisted of eight 5.3-inch guns mounted in four twin
turrets, while the anti-aircraft (AA) armament was provided by eight 37mm guns
and a similar number of 20mm weapons. They carried both mines and depth charges
and the weapons package was completed by two quadruple torpedo tubes.
.P A high speed was vital given that they were created primarily to counter the
fast French destroyer fleet, and the designed speed of 40 knots was exceeded.
.P The ships were all named after famous Romans; Claudio Tiberio being named in
honour of Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, more commonly known simply as Emperor
Tiberius.
.P Claudio Tiberio was laid down in September 1939, but work on her was halted
upon Italian entry into the war in June 1940. Her incomplete hull was broken-up
shortly after.



For all those wondering, “fulfil” is correctly spelled.