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Friday 3 March 2017

Italy building huge battleships called Roma and Impero according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1938 no. 5

With thanks to Enrico for allowung us to pubish


The Roma

An item referred to the magazine Marine Rundschau dated June 1938 reporting that according to rumours the Italian battleships Roma (1) and Impero (2) had as dimensions 230 x 31,6 x 8,56 metres. The turbines supplied 150.000 hp allowing a speed of 30-32 knots. The armour belt had a thickness of 23-25,4cm. The main armament consisted of 3x3-38,1cm/15” guns.

Note
1. Of the Littorio-class consisting of the Roma, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto and the never completed Impero. Building ordered in 1937, laid down by Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico on 18 September 1938, launched on 9 June 1940, commissioned on 21 August 1942 and sunk after German aircraft attacks on 9 September 1943. Dimensions 240,7 x 32,9 x 9,6 metres or 790 x 108 x 31 feet. Wreck was discovered 19 miles off the Sardinian northern coast.
2. Of the Littorio-class consisting of the Roma, Littorio, Vittorio Veneto and the never completed Impero. Laid down by Ansaldo, Genoa=Sestri Ponente, Italy on 14 May 1938, launched on 15 November 1939, captured by Germans in 1943, used as target, sunk by Allied bombers in February 1945, stricken on 27 March 1947, salvaged in 1947 but never completed and broken up at Venice, Italy between 1948-1950. Dimensions 240,7 x 32,9 x 9,6 metres or 790 x 108 x 31 feet.