italian battleship named previous ships city rome fourth battleship italy royal_navy construction sister ship planned rising tensions world navy fear older pre world war battleships counter british french mediterranean fleets laid years ships class small improvements design including additional added bow commissioned june severe fuel shortage italy time prevented deployed instead sister ships bolster anti aircraft defenses italian cities role severely damaged twice june bomber raids repairs genoa july august deployed flagship admiral large battle group eventually comprised cruisers destroyers stated intent attacking allied ships approaching invade italy operation reality italian fleet sailing malta surrender following italy september armistice allies force specialist wing armed radio controlled bombs sighted force attack failed second dealt damage hit caused water flood boiler rooms engine room leaving ship propellers reduced power arc induced fires stern ship shortly bomb slammed ship detonated forward engine room causing catastrophic flooding explosion main turret magazines throwing turret sea sinking bow listing starboard capsized broke carrying men including background additional information class battleship italian leader authorize large naval old battleships class sent modernized year laid began preparing year naval building program include battleships aircraft carriers cruisers submarines smaller ships december admiral proposed things battleships class built attempt counter possible franco british alliance countries combined forces easily italian fleet postponed decision later authorized planning ships january december approved money appropriated named empire laid nearly years able incorporate design improvements bow noticeably redesigned additional construction modified basis experience finer end waterline equipped thirty caliber guns 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 knots mph crew completed 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 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 keel laid italian september launched june years fitting new battleship commissioned june arrived major naval base taranto august year assigned took training exercises moved bases including taranto naples year combat missions desperately short fuel fact end combat ready battleships navy fuel shortage caused modernized battleships removed service combined lack capable vessels escort capital ships combat potential virtually non existent sisters moved taranto naples november response allied invasion north_africa route battleships attacked british submarine hits december united_states launched major air raid naples attempt destroy italian fleet cruiser destroyed damaged attack destroyers days later transferred flagship remained half going operations time attacked times allied bomber groups attacks april hit american raid june severely damaged aircraft carrying armor piercing bombs damaged stationary battleships bombs suffered near hits bow starboard bomb hit ship passed hull exploding ship began taking water leaks frames area covering square feet flooding bow frame second bomb missed exploded water near hull leaks discovered area ranging frames approximately long tons short tons water entered ship damaged bombs raid june hit ship aft starboard rear main battery turret promptly flooded broken second landed atop rear turret little damage suffered heavy armor location attack seriously damage cause flooding sailed genoa repairs reached city july returned august repairs complete loss principal units italian fleet including cruisers destroyers sailed del captain flagship admiral september day proclamation italian armistice joined additional cruisers genoa fleet sailed deliberate diversion convince germans going attack allied ships sailing invade italy operation italian fleet actually intending break course steam british island malta surrender germany learned luftwaffe sent armed radio controlled bombs attack ships aircraft caught force trailed fleet time italian fleet open fire sighting trailing fleet distance impossible identify allied axis believed air cover promised allies attack spurred fleet action anti aircraft batteries onboard opened fire ships began maneuvers minutes hit starboard underneath fore main turrets hit frames bomb passed ship exploded beneath ships keel damaging hull allowing water flood engine room boiler rooms flooding caused propellers stop want power started large caused electrical fires aft half ship losing power speed began fall battle group slammed starboard frames likely detonated forward engine room sparking flames causing heavy flooding magazines main battery turret number fore port secondary battery turret putting pressure previously stressed hull seconds initial blast number turret blown massive explosion time turret magazines caused additional catastrophic flooding bow battleship began bow listing starboard ship quickly capsized broke according official conducted sinking ship crew sailed survived men going according naval historian cites research son admiral men staff aboard mistakenly included official inquiry men increased total number aboard total fatalities month service life sorties transfers bases combat covering tonnes long tons short tons fuel oil hours sailing wreck discovery sunken vessel found june underwater robot designed italian engineer discovered northern coast depth september memorial ceremony held italian frigate spot went naval officer time defence minister ceremony described dead sailors heroes found place history carried duty right end
Italian battleship Roma (1940)