Sauro class (1927)
_crowned.svg){kind=small} Sauro class |
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 The Nazario Sauro , the lead ship of the class
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| Ship type : | Destroyer (it .: cacciatorpediniere) |
| Units: | 4 built on 2 shipyards: Odero , Sestri Ponente Cantieri del Quarnaro , Fiume |
| Keel laying : | February to October 1924 |
| 1. Launch : | August 15, 1925 Daniele Manin |
| 1. Commissioning: | September 23, 1926 Nazario Sauro |
| Use until: | April 3, 1941 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Displacement : | 1,260 ts standard 1,575 ts maximum |
| Length: | 90.16 m over all 89.6 m (waterline) |
| Width: | 9.20 m |
| Draft : | 2.90 m |
| Drive : | 3 Thornycroft - boilers 2 Parsons turbines with single transmission 36,000 hp (26,800 kW ) |
| Speed : | 35 kn (65 km / h ) |
| Fuel supply: | 260 t fuel oil |
| Range : | 2,600 nm at 12 kn |
| Crew : | 156 to 204 |
| Armament: | 4 × 120 mm L / 45 guns (2 × 2) 2 × 40 mm L / 39 pom pom 6 * 533 mm torpedo tube (2 × 3) up to 52 sea mines possible |
The Sauro-class was a destroyer- class of the Italian Navy . The class consisted of four destroyers that entered service in 1926/1927. The standard displacement was given as 1040 ts, but was actually over 1200 ts. When they were taken down, all of them exceeded the required speed of 35 knots (kn), but fully equipped they rarely reached 31 knots. The strength of the hulls was insufficient and required repairs.
During the Second World War, the four destroyers were stationed in Massaua in Eritrea and were lost there until 1941.
Construction and technology
The class consisted of four destroyers, which were built from 1924 in two pairs at the shipyards of Cantieri del Quarnaro in Fiume and Cantieri Odero in Sestri Ponente and were delivered in 1926/27. During the test runs, the Francesco Nullo was the fastest ship in the class with a speed of 37.4 knots. The ships were an enlarged version of the Sella class with two 120 mm twin guns of the more modern version, Model 1924, when they were completed. This form of main armament was to remain the armament of the destroyers of the Italian Navy until World War II; only the 120 mm cannons used were further developed. Compared to their predecessors, the destroyers of the Sauro class had six instead of four torpedo tubes (triplet instead of twin sets), a longer hull, 0.6 meters more in width and improved bridges.
In 1933, the ships received new fire control stations over the bridge, which, however, were unfavorable for the ships' center of gravity. In 1935 the ships were converted for use in the tropics. The facilities for air conditioning the destroyers reduced the drive power, reduced the possible maximum speed and the driving range.
Calls
After their commissioning in the spring of 1927, the four destroyers formed the "III Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere", which was formed with the "4th Squadriglia Cacciatorpediniere" from the Sella class. Season "in La Spezia stationed" 2. Destroyer Flotilla ”, whose flotilla leader was the Pantera of the Leone class . From May 25 to June 2, 1928, Nazaro Sauro and Francesco Nullo accompanied the formation flight of 61 flying boats initiated by Italo Balbo over more than 2800 km around the western Mediterranean from Orbetello via Elmas , Pollensa , Los Alcázares , Porto de los Alfaques near Tarragona and Berre near Marseille back to Orbetello ( Crociera aviatoria del Mediterraneo Occidentale under Francesco de Pinedo ). The two destroyers followed the machines along the entire route to help the seaplanes with difficulties.
After the conversion for colonial services in the Red Sea in 1935, Francesco Nullo and the sister ship Daniele Manin were used there for the first time. They formed the “Divisione Navale in Africa Orientale” with the light cruisers Bari and Taranto , the reconnaissance cruisers Tigre and Pantera , the torpedo boat Audace and two submarines. Between 1936 and 1938, the Sauro- class destroyers were used to observe and covertly participate in Italy in the Spanish Civil War . From 1939 onwards, the four destroyers formed the “3rd”, which operated from the Eritrean port of Massaua until the start of the war . Destroyer Squadron ".
When Italy entered the war in June 1940, the three ships of the Leone class were still in Massaua as “5. Destroyer Squadron ”stationed next to two older torpedo boats, four gunboats, seven submarines and five older speedboats. Multiple attempts at night to attack British convoys passing by were unsuccessful. The destroyers mostly looked in vain for British or Greek ships. While initially only one pair expired, two pairs were usually used from September onwards. There were also submarines at sea on search trips. A skirmish with the British security forces occurred for the first time during the advance on 20/21. October 1940 with Pantera and Leone as well as Francesco Nullo and Nazaro Sauro . Pantera found convoy BN 7 , which comprised 32 merchant ships and was secured by the New Zealand cruiser Leander , the destroyer Kimberley , three sloops ( Auckland , the Australian Yarra and the Indian Indus ) and two minesweepers . According to the Italian plan, the large Leone-class destroyers should pull the convoy security on themselves and the two small destroyers of the Sauro-class then attack the convoy with torpedoes. Pantera opened fire on the convoy's ships, which were moving away due to a change of course, but only scored fragmentation hits on a lifeboat. The sloops Auckland and Yarra, who were securing the attacked area, returned the artillery fire. Pantera fired two torpedoes at each of these, which the sloops could avoid. The fastest ships of the British association, Leander and Kimberley, rushed to the attacked area in poor visibility and intervened in the battle. Sauro tried to carry out the planned torpedo attack and first came within torpedo range to Leander . Her torpedo missed the cruiser, which briefly took it under fire, but with the prevailing visibility did not spot it after two minutes. Pantera , Leone and Sella retreated because of the precise fire of the Leander . The British cruiser broke off chase to secure the convoy. The Francesco Nullo had not been able to follow the Sauro because of a defect in the steering gear. She should go close to the African coast and walk back alone. The destroyer came across the Leander , which scored a few hits on the destroyer, but then left its pursuit to the Kimberley , which had meanwhile arrived in the combat area .
On the night of February 3, 1941, there was yet another combat contact when Pantera , Tigre and Sauro discovered and attacked convoy BN 14 . Its 39 merchant ships were used by the cruiser Caledon , the destroyer Kingston and the Sloops Indus and Shoreham . Sauro fired several torpedoes at the convoy, believed he had scored at least one hit, and then turned away. The other two ships did not receive the message , a little later Pantera also sighted the convoy and also shot torpedoes, Tigre did not discover the British unit. On the march back, Sauro met the Kingston , but avoided a fight, as did the two other, warned destroyers.
Whereabouts
The destroyer Francesco Nullo was stranded on the island of Harmil in October 1940 after the attack on convoy BN 7 in pursuit by the British destroyer Kimberley and then finally sunk by British planes the following day.
The remaining three ships were to carry out an attack on the British base of Port Sudan together with the two remaining Leone-class destroyers before the impending conquest of Massauas . They were prior to reaching their goal of the April 3, 1941 Blenheim -Bombern the Royal Air Force used and on land Fairey Swordfish attacked the Nazario Sauro and Daniele Manin sunk. The Cesare Battisti had lost contact with the unit early on due to machine problems and then tried to reach the Arabian coast, where the ship sank itself and the crew went ashore to be interned if necessary. Some of the crew almost died of thirst, as they only found an Arab settlement a few days later.
units
| Surname | Identifier | Shipyard | Keel laying | Launch | in service | Whereabouts |
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| Cesare Battisti | BT | Odero, Genoa | February 9, 1924 | December 11, 1926 | 04/13/1927 | self-sunk on April 3, 1941 |
| Daniele Manin | MA | Quarnaro, Fiume | 10/9/1924 | 06/15/1925 | 1.03.1927 | sunk on April 3, 1941 |
| Francesco Nullo | NL | Quarnaro, Fiume | 10/9/1924 | 11/14/1925 | 04/15/1927 | sunk on October 21, 1940 |
| Nazario Sauro | SU | Odero, Genoa | February 9, 1924 | 05/12/1926 | 09/23/1926 | sunk on April 3, 1941 |
The ships were named after Cesare Battisti , Daniele Manin , Francesco Nullo and Nazario Sauro , personalities of the Italian unification movement .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Crociera Mediterraneo Occidentale
- ^ Rohwer: Sea War. 20-21 October 1940, Red Sea
- ^ Rohwer: Sea War. February 2/3, 1941, Red Sea ( Memento of the original from November 12, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. inconclusive, with Leone instead of Sauro
- ^ Rohwer: Sea War. 1-10 April 1941, Red Sea / East Africa
literature
- MJ Whitley: Destroyer in World War II. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1995, ISBN 3-613-01426-2 (Original: Destroyers of World War Two. Arms & Armors Press, London), pages 154-155.