Gabbiano class
Technical specifications | |
---|---|
Ship type : | corvette |
Displacement : | 670 ts standard 740 ts maximum |
Length: | 64.4 m |
Width: | 8.7 m |
Draft : | 2.8 m maximum |
Drive : | 2 Fiat M 407 diesel engines (3,500 kW ) 2 electric motors |
Fuel supply: | 70 t maximum |
Speed : | 18.5 kn maximum |
Range : | 3,450 nm at 10 kn |
Crew : | 110-112 |
Armament: | 1 x 100 mm gun 7 × 20-mm anti-aircraft - guns 2 × 450 mm torpedo tubes 10 Water bomb thrower |
The Gabbiano class (Eng. "Seagull class") was a corvette class of the Italian Navy . A total of 60 of these ships were commissioned during the Second World War . Their main task was escort and submarine hunting .
history
From 1940 the Regia Marina used various types of ships to protect escorts from Italy to North Africa, including destroyers and torpedo boats from the First World War. In 1941 it was decided to procure a large number of relatively easy and therefore quick to build corvettes. The well-armed Gabbiano-class corvettes, displacing around 700 tons, had a diesel engine, an electric motor and a sonar for submarine hunting.
The ships were built in five series or sub-classes by different Italian shipyards . Of the 60 planned units, 29 ships were put into service from 1942. By the armistice on September 8, 1943, three corvettes were lost. After that, the German Navy took over seven ships, and a further 21 were completed at the shipyards under German direction. Six more corvettes under construction could not be completed by the end of the war. The procurement of two units was canceled due to the war, two ships were only launched after the war. A total of 22 Gabbiano-class corvettes were taken over by the Marina Militare of the Republic of Italy after 1946 . 16 units were initially modified to take on mine clearance tasks. Major renovations and modernization work were carried out in the 1950s. Eleven ships then took on mainly anti -submarine tasks, the other eleven units specialized in air defense . In this form, they remained in service until the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were replaced by the Albatros and De Cristofaro class corvettes .
Subclasses
There was a deviation from the standard for the ship identifiers during the war. Italian destroyers, torpedo boats and other types of ships were identified by two large letters on the hull, which served as an abbreviation of the ship's name. In the case of the Gabbiano class, this system was dispensed with right from the start, which would have become too confusing given the many planned units. Instead, an alphanumeric code was used. The letter C for Corvetta was used , followed by numbers from 11 to 70. After the war, the abbreviation of the ship's name with two letters was used again due to the lower number of available ships. From 1953 the standardized NATO identification system was introduced, whereby the Gabbiano-class ships were given the letter F (for frigates and corvettes), followed by a number in the 500 range (reserved for Italy). In the list below, all three ship IDs used are given under the section "ID". If designations of the UJ 2222 model appear in the “whereabouts” section, they refer to the use as submarines by the German navy. The first two numbers refer to the respective naval association (here: 22nd U-Hunting Flotilla).
Gabbiano series
The twelve ships in this subclass were named after sea birds. The first four corvettes ( Gabbiano, Procellaria, Cormorano, Pellicano ) were built at the Cerusa shipyard in Voltri ( Genoa ), the remaining eight by Ansaldo in Genoa.
Surname | Identifiers | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Notes, whereabouts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gabbiano | C 11, GB, F 571 | January 14, 1942 | June 23, 1942 | October 3, 1942 | 1951, 1954/55 conversions, 1971 out of service |
Procellaria | C 12 | January 14, 1942 | September 4, 1942 | November 29, 1942 | Sunk by mine on January 31, 1943 off Cap Bon |
Cormorano | C 13, CO, F 575 | January 14, 1942 | November 17, 1942 | March 6, 1943 | Modifications in 1952 and 1954, out of service in 1971 |
Pellicano | C 14, PE, F 574 | September 15, 1942 | February 20, 1943 | April 15, 1943 | Conversions between 1952 and 1962, out of service in 1969 |
Cicogna | C 15 | June 15, 1942 | October 12, 1942 | January 11, 1943 | destroyed in Messina on July 24, 1943 |
Folaga | C 16, FO, F 576 | June 15, 1942 | November 13, 1942 | February 16, 1943 | Modifications in 1950 and 1953, out of service on August 1, 1965 |
Ibis | C 17, IB, F 561 | June 18, 1942 | December 12, 1942 | April 3, 1943 | 4 conversions between 1950 and 1955, out of service in 1971 |
Gru | C 18, GU, F 566 | July 6, 1942 | December 23, 1942 | April 29, 1943 | 3 conversions between 1951 and 1953, out of service in 1971 |
Tuffetto | C 51 | March 15, 1943 | August 25, 1943 | February 22, 1944 | UJ 2222, sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Marangone | C 52 | March 15, 1943 | September 16, 1943 | March 18, 1944 | UJ 2223, sunk near Elba on May 24, 1944 |
Strolaga | C 53 | March 15, 1943 | October 30, 1943 | April 18, 1944 | UJ 2224, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Ardea | C 54 | March 15, 1943 | January 8, 1944 | 1944 | UJ 2225, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
The corvette Cicogna sank the British submarine HMS Thunderbolt on March 14, 1943 off San Vito lo Capo . Gabbiano was involved in the sinking of the submarine HMS Sahib on April 24, 1943 . Ibis shot down a British de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito on August 25, 1943 .
Series antelope
This series of nine corvettes was named after mammals ( horn-bearers ). They were built by OTO in Livorno .
Surname | Identifiers | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Notes, whereabouts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
antelope | C 19 | January 20, 1942 | May 9, 1942 | November 11, 1942 | UJ 6082, sunk by USS Somers on August 15, 1944 |
Gazzella | C 20 | January 20, 1942 | May 9, 1942 | February 6, 1943 | ran into mine on August 5, 1943 off Asinara, sank |
Camoscio | C 21 | January 20, 1942 | May 9, 1942 | April 18, 1943 | UJ 6081, sunk by USS Endicott off Toulon on August 17, 1944 |
Capriolo | C 22 | June 3, 1942 | December 5, 1942 | - | UJ 6083, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Alce | C 23 | May 27, 1942 | December 5, 1942 | - | UJ 6084, sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Renna | C 24 | May 31, 1942 | December 5, 1942 | 1943 | UJ 6085, destroyed in Genoa on September 4, 1944 |
Daino | C 55 | March 1, 1943 | 1944 | 1944 | UJ 6087, self-sunk in Livorno on July 11, 1944 |
Cervo | C 56 | March 25, 1943 | 1944 | 1944 | UJ 6086, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Stambecco | C 57 | March 4, 1943 | - | - | UJ 6088, destroyed by air raid in Livorno in 1944 |
Ape series
These twelve units were named after insects . They were built by Navalmeccanica in Castellammare di Stabia near Naples.
Surname | Identifiers | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Notes, whereabouts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ape | C 25, AP, F 567, A 5328 | May 4, 1942 | November 22, 1942 | May 15, 1943 | 6 conversions between 1951 and 1965, out of service in 1979 |
Vespa | C 26 | May 4, 1942 | November 22, 1942 | September 2, 1943 | UJ 2221, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Lucciola | C 27 | June 22, 1942 | March 21, 1943 | - | self-sunk in September 1943 |
Grillo | C 28 | June 22, 1942 | March 21, 1943 | - | self-sunk in September 1943 |
Cicala | C 29 | September 30, 1942 | June 27, 1943 | - | self-sunk in September 1943 |
Calabrone | C 30 | October 1, 1942 | June 27, 1943 | - | self-sunk in September 1943 |
Cavalletta | C 31 | December 3, 1942 | - | - | Construction canceled |
Libellula | C 32 | December 3, 1942 | - | - | Construction canceled |
Crisalide | C 58, CR, F 547 | April 22, 1943 | December 8, 1947 | September 25, 1952 | Reconstruction from 1959 to 1960, out of service in 1972 |
Farfalla | C 59, F 548 | April 21, 1943 | January 4, 1948 | February 10, 1953 | 1971 out of service |
Maggiolino | C 60 | - | - | - | Construction canceled |
Cocciniglia | C 61 | - | - | - | Construction canceled |
Scimitarra series
The nine ships in this subclass were named after weapons. They were built by Breda in Marghera near Venice.
Surname | Identifiers | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Notes, whereabouts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scimitarra | C 33, SC, F 564 | February 24, 1942 | September 16, 1942 | May 10, 1943 | 5 conversions between 1949 and 1957, out of service in 1971 |
Baionetta | C 34, BA, F 578 | February 24, 1942 | October 5, 1942 | July 28, 1943 | 1971 out of service |
Colubrina | C 35 | March 14, 1942 | December 7, 1942 | January 14, 1944 | UJ 205, sunk in Šibenik on March 28, 1944 |
Spingarda | C 36 | March 14, 1942 | May 22, 1943 | May 6, 1944 | UJ 208, on November 1, 1944 against Zadar with UJ 202 (ex Melpomene ) and TA 20 sunk |
Carabina | C 37 | March 14, 1942 | May 22, 1943 | - | UJ 207, destroyed in an air raid in February 1944 |
Bombarda | C 38, BD, F 549 | August 21, 1943 | February 10, 1944 | October 30, 1944 | UJ 206, self-sunk on April 25, 1945, lifted, in service from 1951 to 1975 |
Scure | C 62 | October 20, 1942 | - | - | UJ 209, canceled |
Clava | C 63 | October 20, 1942 | - | - | UJ 210, canceled |
Zagaglia | C 64 | February 1, 1943 | - | - | UJ 211, canceled |
Artemide series
The total of 18 corvettes of the Artemis subclass were named after female deities of antiquity. The first ten ships were built by CRDA in Monfalcone , the remaining eight in Trieste
Surname | Identifiers | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Notes, whereabouts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Artemide | C 39 | March 9, 1942 | August 10, 1942 | October 10, 1942 | UJ 2226, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Persefone | C 40 | March 9, 1942 | September 21, 1942 | November 28, 1942 | UJ 2227, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Euterpe | C 41 | April 2, 1942 | October 22, 1942 | January 20, 1943 | UJ 2228, self-sunk in Genoa on April 24, 1945 |
Minerva | C 42, MI, F 562 | April 3, 1942 | November 6, 1942 | February 25, 1943 | 1969 out of service |
Urania | C 65, UR, F 570 | October 1, 1942 | April 21, 1943 | August 7, 1943 | 6 conversions between 1946 and 1961, out of service in 1971 |
Berenice | C 66 | October 1, 1942 | May 20, 1943 | September 1, 1943 | Sunk off Trieste on September 9, 1943 |
Egeria | C 67 | February 15, 1943 | July 3, 1943 | January 28, 1944 | UJ 201, sunk on February 29, 1944 |
Melpomene | C 68 | March 25, 1943 | August 29, 1943 | April 24, 1944 | UJ 202 on November 11, 1944 against Zadar with UJ 208 (ex Spingarda ) and TA 20 sunk |
Tersicore | C 69 | April 15, 1943 | October 16, 1943 | 1944 | UJ 203, destroyed on April 20, 1944 in Monfalcone |
Euridice | C 70 | July 1, 1943 | March 12, 1944 | 1944 | UJ 204, destroyed in Monfalcone on May 25, 1944 |
Driad | C 43, DR, F 568 | May 9, 1942 | October 7, 1942 | January 14, 1943 | 1966 out of service |
Danaide | C 44, DA, F 563 | May 9, 1942 | October 21, 1942 | February 27, 1943 | 4 conversions between 1952 and 1958, out of service in 1967 |
Pomona | C 45, PO, F 573 | May 16, 1942 | November 18, 1942 | April 4, 1943 | Reconstruction 1955/56, out of service 1964 |
flora | C 46, FL, F 572 | May 16, 1942 | December 1, 1942 | April 25, 1943 | 1969 out of service |
Sfinge | C 47, SF, F 579 | June 20, 1942 | January 9, 1943 | May 12, 1943 | 1975 out of service |
Chimera | C 48, CB, F 569 | June 20, 1942 | January 30, 1943 | May 26, 1943 | 1975 out of service |
Sibilla | C 49, SB, F 565 | June 26, 1942 | March 10, 1943 | June 5, 1943 | 1971 out of service |
Fenice | C 50, FE, F 577 | June 27, 1942 | March 10, 1943 | June 15, 1943 | 1964 out of service |
Euterpe was involved in the sinking of the British submarine HMS Sahib on April 24, 1943 . Together with the corvette Minerva, Euterpe sank the submarine HMS Saracen near Bastia on August 14, 1943 .
literature
- Erich Gröner, Dieter Jung, Martin Maass: The German warships 1815-1945, Vol. 8 / 1-2, river vehicles, Ujäger, outpost boats, auxiliary minesweepers, coastal protection associations, small combat units, dinghies, Bernard & Graefe, Munich 1993, ISBN 3-7637- 4808-3
- Zvonimir Freivogel: The Gabbiano-class corvettes, Simon Frey publishing house, Düsseldorf 2009, ISBN 3-938494-08-5