Spica-class torpedo boat

Torpedo boat Cassiopea
Class overview
Operators:	Regia Marina  Swedish Navy  Marina Militare
Succeeded by:	Ariete class
Built:	1934–37
In service:	1935–64
Completed:	32
Lost:	23
General characteristics
Type:	Torpedo boat
Displacement:	795 long tons (808 t) standard 1,020 long tons (1,040 t) full load
Length:	83.5 m (273 ft 11 in)
Beam:	8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)
Draught:	2.55 m (8 ft 4 in)
Installed power:	19,000 hp (14,200 kW)
Propulsion:	2 boilers, 2 steam turbines, 2 shafts
Speed:	34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h)
Complement:	116
Armament:	3 × 100 mm (3.9 in) 100/47 dual-purpose guns 9–11 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Breda 20/65 mod. 35 AA guns 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns 4 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes (2 × triple mounts) Up to 20 mines

The Spica class were a class of torpedo boats of the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) during World War II. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 could be built in unlimited numbers. Thirty-two ships were built between 1934 and 1937, thirty of which entered service with Italy and two which were transferred to the Swedish Navy in 1940. Although commonly referred to as torpedo boats, the Spica class were similar in design to destroyer escorts (their design was influenced by the Maestrale-class destroyer then in development) and were intended for anti-submarine duties, although they often had to fight aircraft and surface forces as well. The two units in Swedish service were classed as jagare (destroyers) until 1953, when re-classified as fregatter (frigates); twenty-three were lost during World War II.

Design

The design work started in 1932 and two propotypes, Spica and Astore, were built. The hull was 80 metres (260 ft) long and displacement was around 720 short tons (650 t) standard rather than the 600 short tons (540 t) permitted by the Washington treaty. Propulsion consisted of a two shaft geared turbine layout with two Yarrow–type boilers. The armament consisted of three 100/47 dual-purpose guns in single mountings in A, X and Y positions and three or four twin 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine guns—later replaced by 9 to 11 Breda 20/65 modello 35 20 mm cannons in various configurations. They also carried four 450 mm torpedo tubes, two for each side, which had a shorter range and a smaller warhead than the 533 mm ones in use on destroyers.

Aretusa (F 556) in service with the Marina Militare in the 1950s  Torpedo boat Cigno

Ships

Ship	Hull ltr.s[1]	Builder	Completed	Operational history
Airone	AO	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	10 May 1938	Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero by British cruiser HMS Ajax. She scored three hits from her main guns on the British cruiser before being disabled
Alcione	AC	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	10 May 1938	Sunk 11 December 1941 by submarine HMS Truant.
Aldebaran	AL	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	6 December 1936	Sunk on 20 October 1941 in the Saronic Gulf, by mines laid by submarine HMS Rorqual.
Altair	AT	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	23 December 1936	Sunk on 20 October 1941 in the Saronic Gulf, by mines laid by submarine HMS Rorqual.
Andromeda	AD	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	6 December 1936	Sunk 17 March 1941 at Valona, Albania, torpedoed by British bombers.
Antares	AN	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	23 December 1936	Sank Greek submarine Proteus 29 December 1940. Sunk 28 March 1943 at Livorno by US bombers.
Aretusa	AU	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	1 July 1938	Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1 August 1958.
Ariel	AE	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	1 July 1938	Sunk 12 October 1940 in the battle of Cape Passero by British cruiser HMS Ajax.
Astore	AS	BSN, Naples^A	30 May 1935	Sold to Sweden as Remus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958.
Calipso	CI	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	16 November 1938	Sunk 5 December 1940, by mines east of Tripoli.
Calliope	CP	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	28 October 1938	Shot down six British aircraft in different actions while escorting convoys to Libya.[2] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1 August 1958.
Canopo	CA	CT, Riva Trigoso^B	31 March 1937	Sunk 3 May 1941 by British bombers at Tripoli.
Cassiopea	CS	CT, Riva Trigoso^B	26 April 1937	Sank British destroyer HMS Pakenham in battle southeast of Marettimo island, on 16 April 1943, while escorting a transport ship to Tunis.[3] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959.
Castore	CT	CNR, Ancona^C	16 January 1937	Fought off a number of British motor boats and small vessels attempting to land at Tobruk as part of Operation Agreement. She later rounded up a number of British survivors from the sea. Sunk 2 June 1943 by Allied destroyers HMS Jervis and Vasilissa Olga while escorting a convoy of two small freighters, which reached destination safely.[4]
Centauro	CO	CNR, Ancona^C	16 June 1936	Sunk 4 November 1942, bombed in Benghazi harbour.
Cigno	CG	CNR, Ancona^C	15 March 1937	She was part of the screen of destroyers and torpedo boats escorting a four-freighter convoy to Tripoli on 26 May 1941,[5] when two Blenheim bombers were shot down.[6] Cigno rescued hundreds of Italian survivors after the Battle of Cape Bon, where she dodged four torpedoes launched by the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Isaac Sweers. Sunk in battle 16 April 1943 southeast of Marettimo island, by British destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Pakenham, while escorting a transport ship to Tunis. Pakenham was also sunk in the same engagement.[3]
Circe	CC	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	4 October 1938	Attempted to ambush a British convoy along with Vega south of Pantelleria on January 1941. Vega was sunk and the British cruiser HMS Bonaventure was damaged in the exchange of fire.[7] Sank submarines HMS Grampus, HMS Union, HMS P38 and HMS Tempest. Sunk by collision 27 November 1942.
Climene	CE	CNR, Ancona^C	24 April 1936	She took part in the shooting down of three Beaufort bombers and a Beaufighter while escorting a convoy between 20–21 August 1942.[8] Sunk 28 April 1943 by submarine HMS Unshaken.
Clio	CL	Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente	2 October 1938	Sank submarine HMS Triton in December 1940. She also participated in the battle of Skerki Bank, on 2 December 1942. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959.
Libra	LB	CNQ, Fiume^D	19 January 1939	Assisted her sister ship Lupo in the attack on the convoy AN 14 on the night of 31 January 1941.[9][10] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1964.
Lince	LC	CNQ, Fiume^D	1 April 1938	Along with Lupo, she landed troops during the reconquest of Kastelorizo, on February 1941. Sunk 28 August 1943 by submarine.HMS Ultor
Lira	LR	CNQ, Fiume^D	1 January 1938	Scuttled 9 September 1943, recovered by the Germans, and served as TA-49, sunk by bombing 4 November 1944.
Lupo	LP/LU^*	CNQ, Fiume^D	28 February 1938	Along with Libra, torpedoed the British tanker Desmoulea (8120 tn) in the Kasos straits on 31 January 1941 at the position 35°33′32″N 25°34′14″E / 35.55889°N 25.57056°E disabling her for the rest of the war.[11][10][9] The tanker was part of the convoy AN.14, and had departed Alexandria for Piraeus.[12] Captained by Francesco Mimbelli during the reconquest of Kastelorizo and the Battle of Crete, where she survived a battle against three cruisers and five destroyers, saving half of a small ships convoy. Sunk 2 December 1942 by destroyers HMS Jervis, Javelin, Janus and Kelvin while picking up survivors from the Italian cargo ship Veloce en route to Tripoli. Two other steamers, part of the same convoy, eventually reached home.
Pallade	PD	BSN, Naples^A	5 October 1938	Sunk 5 August 1942 by air attack in Naples.
Partenope	PN	BSN, Naples^A	26 November 1938	Scuttled 11 September 1943.
Perseo	PS	CNQ, Fiume^D	1 February 1936	Sunk 4 May 1943 by HMS Nubian, HMS Petard and HMS Paladin.
Pleiadi	PL	BSN, Naples^A	4 July 1938	Sunk 14 October 1941 by bombing in Tripoli harbour.
Polluce	PC	BSN, Naples^A	8 August 1938	Sank submarine HMS Grampus in June 1940, in company with Circe, Clio and Calliope. Sunk by torpedo bombers, 4 September 1942.
Sagittario	SG	CNQ, Fiume^D	8 October 1936	Successfully protected a German convoy of caïques during the Battle of Crete against a British squadron of three cruisers and four destroyers, inflicting minor damage to the destroyer HMS Kingston, according to Italian claims.[13][14] Sank British MTB-639 off Tunis, on 28 April 1943 whilst escorting a steamer off Kelibia. Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1964.
Sirio	SI	CNQ, Fiume^D	1 March 1936	She was the first Italian unit to spot the enemy in the battle of Cape Spartivento,[15] and on 16 February 1943 she detected by hydrophone[16] and fought off three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-62) while escorting a four-ship convoy south of Marettimo.[17] Survived the war and served in the post war Marina Militare. Decommissioned 1959.
Spica	SP	BSN, Naples^A	30 May 1935	Sold to Sweden as Romulus in 1940. Decommissioned 1958.
Vega	VG	CNQ, Fiume^D	12 October 1936	Shot down a Swordfish torpedo bomber off Sfax on December 1940, after two steamers she was escorting were torpedoed and lost.[18] Sunk by HMS Hereward 10 January 1941 in the strait of Sicily while attempting to ambush a British convoy to Malta.

Notes to table

• ^ Bacini e Scali Napoletani, Naples
• ^ Cantieri del Tirreno, Riva Trigoso
• ^ Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Ancona
• ^ Cantieri Navali del Quarnaro, Fiume
• ^ Relettered LU in 1938

See also

• Ariete-class torpedo boat, an enlarged version of the class

References

Notes

1. Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian warships of World War 2. London: Ian Allan.
2. "R. Torpediniera Calliope". digilander.libero.it/carandin. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
3. Sadkovich (1994), p. 326.
4. "RHS Vasilissa Olga (D 15)". uboat.net.
5. Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, May 1941, part 2 of 2". naval-history.net. British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day.
6. Shores, Cull & Malizia (1987), p. 223.
7. Woodman, Richard (2000). Malta Convoys, 1940-1943. London: Jack Murray Ltd. p. 113. ISBN 0-7195-5753-4.
8. Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1991). Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. London: Grub Street. pp. 522–524. ISBN 0-948817-16-X.
9. Biagini, Antonello; Frattolillo, Fernando (1989). Diario storico del Comando Supremo: 1.1.1941–30.4.1941 (in Italian). Rome: Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p. 233.
10. "La Marina Italiana costretta a passare all'offensiva—Gennaio–Marzo 1941". regiamarinaitaliana.it (in Italian).
11. Mattesini, Francesco (1998). L'operazione Gaudo e lo scontro notturno di Matapan (in Italian). Rome: Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare. p. 25.
12. Kindell, Don. "Naval Events, January 1941, part 2 of 2". naval-history.net. British and Other Navies in World War 2 Day-by-Day.
13. Green and Massignani (1998), p. 170.
14. Roberti, Vero (1977). Uno contro sei: Il contributo della Marina italiana alla conquista di Creta (in Italian). Mursia. p. 123.
15. Green and Massignani (1998), p. 117.
16. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2001). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943 (in Italian). Mondadori. p. 550. ISBN 8804405813.
17. Sadkovich (1994), p. 323.
18. Sadkovich (1994), p. 108.

Bibliography

• Sadkovich, James (1994). The Italian Navy in World War II. Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-28797-X.
• Admiralty Historical Section, Naval Staff History (1960). Naval Operations in the Battle of Crete (BR 1732 (2) Battle Summary No. 4). Britain: Admiralty.
• Brown, David (2002). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: November 1940–December 1941. Whitehall Histories II. London: Whitehall History in association with Frank Cass. ISBN 0-7146-5205-9.
• Director of Naval Construction (1952). H.M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action, 1939-1945. Britain: Admiralty.
• Green, Jack; Massignani, Alessandro (1998). The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940–1943. London: Chatam Publishing. ISBN 1-885119-61-5.
• Pack, S.W.C. (1973). The Battle for Crete. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-810-7.
• Roskill, S. W. (1957) [1954]. Butler, J. R. M., ed. War at Sea. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series I (4th ed.). London: HMSO. OCLC 881709135. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
• Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Malizia, Nicola (1987). Air War For Yugoslavia, Greece, and Crete 1940–41. London: Grub Street. ISBN 0-948817-07-0.
• Whitley, M.J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
• Fioravanzo; Pollina; Ricciardi; Gnifetti (1971). I cacciatorpediniere italiani, 1900–1971. Le navi d'Italia (in Italian) V. Rome: Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare.

External links

• History of the class on italie1935-45.com (in French)