A letter of the German naval attache in Japan dated Tokyo, Japan 24 June 1938 reported recently the Italian cruiser Montecuccoli (1) visited durig several weeks Japanese harbours. The Tokyo Asahi newspaper published now an item reporting that on 23 Juni Mussolini decided to sent in the near future another two cruisers namely the Eugenio di Savoia (2) and Duca d’Aosta.(3) Commander-in-Chief of the 7th Naval Division would be vice admiral Somili (?, 4) would depart on 31 August from Naples first visting South America arriving at Yokohama on 22 January 1939. From there were Nagasaki, Jinsen, Dairen and other harbours to be visited.(5)
Notes
1. Raimondo Montecuccoli, part of Of the Condottieri-class Raimondo Montecuccolici sub-class light cruisers, laid down by Ansaldo, Genoa, Italy on 1 October 1931, launched on 2 August 1934, commissioned on 30 June 1935, decommissioned on 1 June 1964 and broken up.
2. Part of Condottieri or Duca d’Aosta-class. Laid down by Ansaldo, Genoa, Italy on 6 July 1933, launched on 16 March 1935, commissioned on 16 January 1936, handed over to Greece in 1950, renamed Elli, commissioned in June 1951, decommissioned in 1965 and broken up in 1973
3. The Emanuele Filiberto Duca d’Aoasta, part of Condottieri-class, laid down by O.T.O., Livorno on 29 October 1932, launched on 22 April 1934, commissioned on 13 July 1935, handed over on 2 March 1949 to the Soviet Union, commissioned on 30 March 1949, renamed Z15-Stalingrad-Kerch and stricken on 20 February 1959 to be broken up.
4. Odoardo Somigli (12 August 1892 La Spezia–24 February 1967 Rome).
5. The voyage started in 1938 but after visiting the Caribbean and South America cut shorted due the changing world political situation and both ships returned at La Spezia, Italy in March 1939. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf dated 6 November 1938 reported their departure from Naples, Italy on 5 November. The intention was also to visit the Dutch East Indies.
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment