Allied Warships

Battleships

Littorio class

2 ships


The battleship IT Italia of the Italian Navy.

Technical information

TypeBattleship
Displacement43835 BRT 
Length224.05 m 
Complement80 officers + 1750 men 
Armament9 15" guns (3x3)
12 6" guns (4x3)
12 3.5" AA guns (10x1)
20 37mm AA (8x2, 4x1)
28 20mm AA
3 aircraft, 1 catapult 
Max speed31 knots
Engines8 Yarrow boilers, Belluzzo geared turbines, 4 shafts 
Power130000 HP 
Notes on class

The class was composed of 4 units. Littorio was renamed Italia after the fall of fascism on 25 July 1943. Her and Vittorio Veneto reached Malta on 9/9/43, Littorio being damaged by a Fritz-X radio guided bomb on the way, at which time sister ship Roma was sunk with heavy loss of life. Note: As Roma did not serve under Allied control she is not included here

The 4th unit was named Impero, she was suspended in 1941 when she was still a long way from completion and scrapped post-war.

Neither ship which reached Malta was used by the Allies, both were sent to the Suez area and moored in the Great Bitter Lake, remaining there well past the end of the war. The Peace Treaty allocated one each to the UK and the US, both refused delivery and they were scrapped in Italy between 1948-50.

 


All ships of the Littorio class


Italian Navy Italian Navy (more on Italian Navy)

Italia
Vittorio Veneto


2 Battleships of the Littorio class.

See all Battleship classes.



Italian Battleships 1928-1957

Wayne Scarpaci

Books dealing with this subject include:

Italian Battleships 1928-1957, Wayne Scarpaci, 2009



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