An item reported that in mid-March 1951 the former Italian cruiser Duca d’Aosta was lying in the harbour of Nikolayev, Soviet Union [nowadays Ukraine]. She was still in the first stages of refitting at least for another year and now being painted with red lead with just a few labourers in board. The anti torpedo boat and aircraft armament was removed.
Note
1. The Italian light cruiser Emanuele Filiberto Duca d’Aosta 1932 which became the Kerch. Part of the Condottieri-class of the subclass Duca d’Aosta with as sistership Eugenio di Savoia. Laid down on 29 October 1932, launched on 22 April 1934, commissioned on 13 July 1935, ceded to Russia as war compensation in March 1949, handed over to Russia as the Z15 on 2 March 1949, renamed Stalingrad and later Kerch, stricken on 20 February 1959 and broken up in the 1960s.
Source
The report was published on www.archive.org, document number CIA-RDP82-00457R007400420007-1
