class battleship class battleships class battleships designed italian regia marina ordered ship class laid year ships laid armed main battery guns possessing speed knots mph ships class intended equivalent british queen elizabeth class completed material shortages shifting construction priorities outbreak world war lead ship launched proposals convert aircraft carrier considered budgetary problems prevented work sold italian shipping firm conversion merchant ship proved expensive broken scrap design admiral chief staff royal_navy secured authorization huge new construction program called new battleships cruisers numerous warships class type super dreadnought battleship designed intended match new fast battleships built foreign navies british queen elizabeth class rear admiral responsible preparing designs originally called ship armed millimetre guns secondary guns time finalized design reduced main battery guns secondary battery guns characteristics class long waterline long overall beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons normal loading long tons short tons combat load equipped masts ships powered parsons steam turbines steam provided oil fired yarrow boilers boilers large funnels engines rated shaft horsepower provided speed knots mph economical speed knots mph ships cruised nautical miles armament sisters armed main battery caliber guns twin gun turrets mounted centerline superfiring pairs fore aft secondary battery caliber guns mounted casemates amidships supplemented caliber guns anti aircraft defense provided typical capital ships period ships class armed torpedo tubes diameter armor class consisted krupp cemented steel manufactured main belt armor thick horizontal protection consisted thick deck main conning tower thick sides level protection applied main battery turrets secondary guns armor protection construction laid shipyard october laid march shipyard followed days later 14th shipyard genoa member class laid orlando shipyard june member class launched shortages steel slowed construction ships italy entered world war classes warships particularly destroyers submarines light craft needed combat result work ships suspended march long tons short tons steel built hull work stopped ship percent hull completed percent machinery assembled work ships progressed significantly time work halted heavy guns intended installed aboard monitor monitor received pair guns santo monitors equipped spare guns pair guns installed venice protect harbor work resumed october completed year regia marina considered converting flush deck aircraft carrier similar poor economic situation italy aftermath world war heavy expenses italian campaigns libya forced severe reductions naval budget result modern carrier conversion completed proposed converting carrier cheaper alternative expensive regia marina addition budgetary problems senior italian navy commanders agree shape post war faction advocated traditional surface battle fleet second believed fleet composed aircraft carriers torpedo boats submarines ideal faction led admiral argued balanced fleet core battleships carriers flexible option order secure budgetary space new construction drastically reduced number older ships service cancelled battleships class sold october shipping company firm planned convert merchant ship work deemed expensive temporarily outside naples time returned idea converting ship aircraft carrier going negotiations proposed limits regia marina long tons include converted new purpose built ships new conversion design prepared island superstructure italy chronic budgetary problems prevented navy building ships subsequently broken scrap starting fall ships dismantled shortly end war
Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship