During World War I, the Caio Duilio was used very little and did not get into combat situations.
modification
Even before the major renovations in 1937-40, the Caio Duilio had already been modernized several times, for example in 1925 it received a launch catapult for seaplanes. In 1937-40, the 305 mm turret was removed from amidships, and the 305 mm guns on the remaining four turrets were reamed to 32 cm caliber. The newly developed Pugliese torpedo defense system was installed to protect against torpedoes . Thus, as with the Andrea Doria , a largely new ship was developed.
Second World War
In November 1940 the Caio Duilio was hit by British bombs in the port of Taranto and had to be towed to Genoa for repairs. There she narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombed by British warships in February 1941. Then she intercepted enemy convoys or escorted Italian convoys. In 1942 she was then sent to the reserve. After the capitulation of Italy in 1943, she was used as a training ship until 1956 and then broken up in La Spezia .
literature
Robert Jackson: 101 warships: legendary models from the First World War to the present day. Tosa-Verlag, Vienna 2009, ISBN 978-3-85003-337-4 .