The Francesco Caracciolo-class battleships were designed for the Italian Regia Marina in 1912–1913 and ordered in 1914; the first ship of the class, Francesco Caracciolo, was laid down that year. The other three ships, Cristoforo Colombo, Marcantonio Colonna, and Francesco Morosini were all laid down in 1915. Armed with a main battery of eight 381 mm (15.0 in) guns and possessing a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph), the four ships of the class were the equivalent to the British Queen Elizabeth-class battleships. Due to material shortages and shifting construction priorities after the outbreak of World War I in 1914, they weren't completed until the early-to-mid 1920s.
Specifications[]
- Type: Battleship
- Service Period: 1924-194X
- Characteristics:
- Length: 696 feet (212.14 meters)
- Beam: 97 feet 1 inch (29.6 meters)
- Draft: 31 feet 2 inches (9.5 meters)
- Displacement: 30,893 (Standard); 33,036 tons (Full Load)
- Propulsion: 20 × boilers, 4 × Parsons steam turbines, 4 × shafts, 105,000 shp (78,000 kW)
- Range: 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 kilometers) at 10 knots (18 km/)
- Speed: 28 knots (51.86 km/h)
- Crew: 1,700 (96 officers and 1,604 enlisted)
- Armament:
- 8 × 381mm/40-caliber Model 1914 naval guns (4x2)
- 12 × 152mm/45-caliber Model 1911 naval guns (12x1)
- 8 × 102mm/45-caliber Model 1917 (8x1)
- 12 × 40mm/39-caliber Model 1915 (12x1)
- Armour:
- Belt: 303 mm (11.93 in)
- Turrets: 400 mm (15.75 in)
- Conning tower: 400 mm (15.75 in)
- Deck: 50 mm (1.97 in)
Unit Run[]
| Ship Name | Builders | Launch | Commission– Decommission |
Fate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM Francesco Caracciolo | Castellamare Navy Yard, Castellamare di Stabia | December 12th, 1920 | November 27th, 1924 - | ||
| RM Marcantonio Colonna | Oderi Setri Ponete Shipyards, Genova | February 9th, 1921 | January 16th, 1925 - | ||
| RM Cristoforo Colombo | Ansaldo Shipyards, Genoa | March 28th, 1921 | February 2nd, 1925 - | ||
| RM Francesco Morosini | Orlando Shipyard, Livorno | July 31st, 1921 | June 4th, 1925 - |