Cacciatorpediniere Classe Navigatori

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Navigatori class destroyers
Classificato Esploratore Leggero
The Navigatori class was ordered as scouts for the Italian Regia Marina as counterparts of the fast French super destroyers. Smaller than French Guepard and Jaguar classes, they carried the same armament and were faster.
The design was based on the earlier Leone class scouts as larger versions to permit these destroyers to operate whit the new fast light cruisers. They were designed to sustain a continuous speed of 38 knots. The ships were laid down in 1927-1928.

The twelve units were named after great explorers of the Renaissance and Modern Ages.

They were modified between 1930 and 1931, all ships received modifications to reduce topweight. The bridge lost one level, a pole mast sustituted by the tripod, less combustible was carried, etc.

On 1938 was decided to modificate sustancially the hull, being 1 meter longer; increasing the freeboard and modifying the shape of the bow to solve the definitively stability and seakeeping problems.
At the beginning of the war there were ten units modified but in the two others, Usodimare and Da Recco, were cancelled the modifications.

They fought in the World War Two, but suffered heavy losses during the conflict. Only one vessel survived, six ships were lost against other ships by gunfire in the escort duty.

Tarigo was lost in January 1941 by gunfire; in December 1941 Da Mosto was sunk by gunfire; Pessagno was sunk by submarine near the Libian coast in May 1942; Usodimare was lost by a friend submarine in June 1942; Da Verrazzano was sunk by submarine at the end of 1942; Malocello was lost by mine near Cape Bon in March 1943; the Pancaldo was sunk by air attack in April 1943; on Setember 1943 the Vivaldi was lost by German aircraft and the Da Noli by gunfire; Zeno was scuttled in September 1943; Pigafetta was sunk by air attack in January 1945. Da Recco was the only survivor of the entire class.

Technical data
Displacement: Standard: 2380 t - Full Load: 2657 t
Length: 107.7 m - Width: 10,20 m
Crew: 173 men
Machinery: Parsons geared turbines - HP: 55,000 - 4 Boilers
Max speed: 38 knots - Range: 2694 nautical miles at 15 knots
6 x 120/50 guns - 2 x 40mm AA guns - 4 x 12.7mm AA MGs - 6 x 21" torpedo tubes - 54 mines

Names of the class ships and hull codes

References
Wikipedia Cacciatorpediniere Classe Navigatori
La storia della REGIA MARINA ITALIANA nella seconda guerra mondiale di Andrea Piccinotti
Storie di Navi A.N.M.I.ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE MARINAI D'ITALIA
Destroyers, frigates and corvettes. By Robert Jackson
Warships of World War II Collins - Jane´s - Bernard Ireland

CLASSE NAVIGATORI