Italian cruiser Armando Diaz

Armando Diaz was a light cruiser of the Condottieri class and the sister-ship of the Luigi Cadorna. She served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was built by OTO, La Spezia, and named after Armando Diaz, an Italian Field Marshal of World War I.

History
Italy
Name: Armando Diaz
Ordered: 29 October 1929
Builder: Odero Terni Orlando, La Spezia
Laid down: 28 July 1930
Launched: 10 July 1932
Commissioned: 29 April 1933
Fate: Sunk by HMS Upright, 25 February 1941
General characteristics
Class and type: Condottieri-class cruiser
Displacement:
  • 5,406 t (5,321 long tons) standard
  • 7,194 t (7,080 long tons) full load
Length: 169.3 m (555 ft 5 in)
Beam: 15.5 m (50 ft 10 in)
Draught: 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 Parsons geared turbines
  • 6 Yarrow boilers
  • 95,000 hp (70,841 kW)
Speed: 36.5 knots (42.0 mph; 67.6 km/h)
Range: 3,088 nmi (5,719 km) at 16 kn (18 mph; 30 km/h)
Complement: 507
Armament:
Armour:
Aircraft carried: 2 aircraft
Aviation facilities: 1 catapult

She was launched on 29 April 1933 and served in the Mediterranean after her completion. From 1 September 1934 until February 1935 she made a cruise to Australia and New Zealand.

During the Spanish Civil War she served in the western Mediterranean and was based at Palina and Melilla.

In July 1940, she was present at the Battle of Calabria, also called the battle of Punta Stilo. In October she took part in a mission to Albania, and in December she came under direct orders of Supermarina (Naval Headquarters) for special duties in connection with the protection of traffic to Albania from January 1941. However, the following month an important supply convoy to Tripoli required her use for cover, in company with the light cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and some destroyers.

In the course of this operation the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine HMS Upright off the island of Kerkennah in the early hours of 25 February. It took the Italian cruiser only six minutes to sink after her magazine detonated, with the loss of 484 men.[1]

Wreck

The wreck of Armando Diaz was located around 2009-2010. The ship lies on her port side in less than 50 meters of water, with her bow blown off. Her aft turrets are still in place, their guns buried in the bottom.[2]

Citations
  1. "HMS Upright, submarine". www.naval-history.net. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  2. http://esstre.pl/wrecks/CR/armandodiaz.php

References
  • Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
  • Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0002-6.
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-141-6.
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