italian battleship second member class battleships served italian regia marina royal_navy world war keel laid october launched july service italian fleet august named italian victory world war sister ships completed war armed main battery millimeter guns triple turrets steam speed knots mph saw extensive service war participated november march damaged torpedoes times including engagement british submarine december escaped undamaged british raid taranto november spent early attempting attack british convoys malta fuel shortages italian fleet curtailed activity italian ships surrendered allies september italy withdrew war spent following years british control egypt war allocated war prize britain subsequently broken scrap description meters long overall beam draft designed standard displacement long tons violation long ton restriction combat loading displaced long tons ship powered geared steam turbines rated shaft horsepower steam provided oil fired yarrow boilers engines provided speed knots mph range nmi mph crew course career main armament consisted millimeter caliber model guns triple turrets turrets placed forward superfiring arrangement located aft secondary anti surface armament consisted model guns triple turrets amidships supplemented model guns single mounts guns old weapons primarily intended fire star shells equipped anti aircraft battery comprised model guns single mounts guns twin single mounts sixteen guns twin mounts radar detect surface targets range kilometers aircraft installed july ship protected main armored belt second layer steel thick main deck thick central area ship reduced critical areas main battery turrets thick lower turret structure housed barbettes thick secondary turrets thick faces conning tower thick sides fitted catapult stern equipped reconnaissance float planes fighters service history construction ordered construction program named battle decisive italian victory austro hungarian empire october november world war keel laid october day sister ship launched july major construction completed october fitting process greatly delayed repeated changes design shortages heavy armor plate begin sea trials moved venice october cleaned accumulated long fitting period drydock italy long accommodate ship size class october cleaning completed dockyard personnel flooded drydock conduct stability tests new battleship moved october trials began october trials included tests ship weaponry lasted march additional fitting work completed delivered april complete sent final fitting work escorted destroyers loaded shells main battery loading work main secondary guns lasted later day transferred taranto escorted destroyers joined fleet following month italy joined war britain france wasn august formally declared operational world war august september sortied italian force battleships cruisers thirty destroyers intercept british naval forces taking operation hats contact group poor aerial reconnaissance action occurred addition british aerial reconnaissance detected oncoming italian fleet able escape september fleet sortied attack british force reported leaving gibraltar british ships instead steamed south atlantic similar outcome resulted movement british operation september october battleships cruisers destroyers attempted intercept convoy carrying troops malta operation italian regia royal_air_force locate convoy british able evade italian fleet night november launched air raid harbor taranto torpedo bombers launched aircraft carrier attacked italian fleet waves italian base defended anti aircraft guns dozens smaller guns seven barrage balloons defenders possess radar caught surprise arrived wave struck followed second hour later undamaged attack battleships hit severely damaged morning taranto raid led italian fleet naples took role fleet flagship command admiral november operational italian battleships participated attempt intercept british operation white convoy malta forces contact november italian fleet attempt attack british convoy resulted known italians cruiser fourteen destroyers attempted catch convoy steaming malta british escort included aircraft carrier battleship battlecruiser renown italian aerial reconnaissance detected escorts exaggerated strength orders risk operational battleships equal stronger opponents broke engagement shortly began briefly engaged british cruisers slightly damaged light cruiser manchester engagement launched torpedo bombers successfully evaded torpedoes repeated british air attacks naples damaged cruiser prompted high command rest major warships fleet december returned naples days later high command concluded removing fleet allow british convoys alexandria reach malta relative ease night january british launched air raid bombers italian fleet naples aircraft failed hit slightly damaged near misses ships moved day providing cover operational battleship fleet service early february battleships destroyers attempted intercept force february route bombard genoa forces encounter italian fleet returned returned naples march days later led attempt attack british shipping greece company cruisers destroyers fleet supported 10th operation resulted engagement began italian 3rd division comprising class heavy cruisers commanded vice admiral encountered british 15th attempted maneuver east british cruisers distracted cruisers spotted battleship close trap immediately opened fire quickly found range inflicted splinter damage fled south main british fleet forward turret forced cease firing temporarily italian gunners quickly returned guns action resumed bombardment british cruisers poor visibility hampered accuracy gunners scored hits cruisers times course phase battle fired rounds main battery period battle torpedo bombers carrier arrived scene attack forced break engagement british cruisers action evaded torpedoes attack convinced mediterranean_fleet sea prompted end operation return port british launched air attacks italian fleet attempt slow including land based bombers greece crete later afternoon formidable launched second strike hit port aft italian anti aircraft gunners shot plane launched torpedo hit port propeller damaged shaft jammed port rudder disabled aft port pumps caused severe flooding long tons water entered ship gave degree list port forced stop minutes bomber dropped bomb landed near stern blast caused minor damage stern damage control parties great difficulty controlling reducing flooding use emergency hand pumps forward starboard counter flooded reduce list meantime engine room personnel able restart starboard shafts steering effected backup hand steering gear got underway able slowly increase speed knots mph starboard shafts italian fleet withdrawing formidable launched air strike attempt slow instead hitting italian battleship struck cruiser leaving dead water returned port cruisers destroyers detached protect cruisers destroyers sunk furious night action close range battleships reached taranto march repairs lasted july fully operational august later operations participated unsuccessful sortie intercept british forces august british intended launch air raid northern italian agents spain warned regia marina british operation departed gibraltar italian fleet positioned far south aerial reconnaissance failed locate british month later led attack allied convoy operation september company cruisers fourteen destroyers british hoped lure italian fleet attack powerful convoy escort centered battleships nelson prince wales ended contact british fleet located italian torpedo bombers hit nelson cancelled operation ordered fleet return port december participated operation escort convoy north_africa attempt broken british radio deception effort convinced italians british fleet area returning port following day torpedoed british submarine urge fired spread torpedoes hit port torpedo tore hole long caused metric tons long tons short tons water flood ship ship torpedo defense system successfully contained explosion took degree list port stern counter flooding compartment starboard abreast forward turret reduced list degree able steam power port returned taranto repairs lasted early june participated interception operation vigorous convoy malta alexandria cruisers destroyers sent attack convoy british quickly located approaching italian fleet launched air strikes early june wellington bombers attempt prevent reaching convoy aircraft scored hits battleships disable cruiser later sunk british submarine later morning air attack time occurred high level bombers scored hit near misses ship seriously damaged british strike arrived shortly italian german fighters arrived shot damaged afternoon concluded reach convoy dark broke operation return voyage british air attack succeeded fate november moved naples taranto response allied invasion north_africa route british submarine unsuccessfully attacked american air raid harbor december prompted italians withdraw fleet remained rest italy active participation war june badly damaged american air raid hit large bombs bow detonated bomb passed ship exploded hull causing structural damage damage forced transferred genoa repair work dockyard damaged attack september italy signed armistice allies ending active participation world war days later rest italian fleet sailed malta taken remainder war route air_force attacked italian fleet armed radio controlled bombs undamaged renamed hit damaged sister sunk attack remained malta september moved alexandria egypt great bitter lake suez_canal october battleships remained october permitted return italy went sicily moving october treaty peace italy signed february allocated war prize britain paid january stricken naval register february subsequently broken scrap active italian battleship war having participated offensive operations anti aircraft guns taken reused armament coastal artillery battery battery surrendered resistance september croatian war independence played pivotal role september battle helping defend city
Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto