Author: Daemon93 (WoWS EU supertester)
Seb: Check the History Section to see the other articles from this series!
PREMIUM SHIPS: DESTROYERS
Tier II: Audace
Story
Originally she was the Japanese destroyer Kawakaze, built in the UK. In 1916 the unit was transferred to Italy(originally renamed Intrepido and then Audace). The differences with the original design lies in the armament which used standard issue for the RM: the 102/35 as primary armament and the 450 mm torpedo tubes. This unit was quite active in WWI, supporting most of the MAS sorties against the Austro-Hungarian fleet. She was the first Italian ship to reach Trieste after the end of WWI and, with the highest authorities on board, she greeted the Austrian war prizes. Between the wars she was re-rated as torpedo boat and modified to radio control the target ship San Marco. When WWII started she was assigned at Pola used at first as training ship and then, after a refit, as AA escort. After the Armistice she was at Venezia and tried to sail southwards but, due problems in the engine, she had to sail back to be captured by the Germans. Renamed TA20 she was used by the Germans until being sunk by the British on 1/11/1944
Technical data
Standard displacement: 922 tons
Full load displacement: 1170 tons
Length: 83.9 m(water line), 87.5 m(overall length)
Beam: 8.3 m
Draught: 2.5 m(normal load), 2.89 m(full load)
Installed power: 22000 hp
Maximum speed: 30 knots
Armament: 7×1 102/35, 2×1 40/39, 2×1 6.5/80, 2×2 450 mm TT
Tier III: Aquila
Story
Designed by Pattison, Naples, as a new destroyer class for Romania(Mărăşti-class) back in 1913. Due to WWII the four ships of the class were requisitioned by the RM and renamed(Aquila, Falco, Nibbio and Sparviero). The original primary armament was five 120/45 in two double and one single but it was changed in three 152/40 in three singles. Only three were completed before the end of WWI(Aquila, Nibbio and Sparviero) but they saw little action. After WWI they got the originally planned primary armament and then two of them(Nibbio and Sparviero) were finally given to Romania(renamed Mărăşti and Măraşeşti). Aquila and Falco were at the end given to Nationalist Spain and renamed Melilla and Ceuta respectively.
Technical data
Standard displacement: 1594 tons
Full load displacement: 1760 tons
Length: 94.3 m(water line), 94.7(overall length)
Beam: 9.5 m
Draught: 3.6
Installed power: 40000 hp
Maximum speed: 34 knots
Armament: 2×2 120/45, 1×1 120/45, 2×1 76/40, 2×1 6.5/80, 2×2 450 mm TT
NOTE: I considered the original armament which was eventually refitted although the WWI armament can be taken into consideration as well
Tier IV: Turbine(1942)
Story
Turbine was another step forward in the development of the previous designs(Sauro/Sella), although not as extensive as the step forward between Curtatone and Sauro/Sella. What makes Turbine better over the previous designs is improved engines and much better anti aircraft armament. With this class starts also the trade off: during WWII this class, as many others which followed, sacrificed one rack of torpedoes for more anti aircraft guns, usually two 37/54 in single mounts. Eight ships of this class were built: Turbine, Aquilone, Borea, Espero, Euro, Nembo, Ostro and Zefiro. All but two(Turbine and Euro) were lost in 1940: Aquilone was lost while sailing to Tripoli due to a mine on 17/9/1940, Borea was sunk by a bomb while in port at Bengasi that same day, Espero was sunk while escorting a convoy towards Libya on 28/6/1940, Zeffiro was during a British attack on Tobruk on 5/7/1940 Nembo and Ostro were sunk in a similar attack on 19/7/1940. The two surviving ships had different fates after the Armistice: Turbine got captured by the Germans(renamed TA 44) and sunk at Salamis on 15/9/1944 while Euro remained under Italian control and got sunk in the battle of Leros on 1/10/1943.
Technical data
Standard displacement: 1220 tons
Full load displacement: 1670
Length: 91.3 m(water line), 93.2 m(overall length)
Beam: 9.2 m
Draught: 3 m
Installed power: 40.000 hp
Maximum speed: 36 knots
Armament: 2×2 120/45, 2×1 37/54, 4×2 20/65, 1×2 13.2/76, 1×3 533 mm TT
NOTE: I considered the 1942 configuration to make her different from Sella/Sauro.
Premuda(ex Dubrovnik): to be updated
VIII: Spalato(ex Split)
Story
This destroyer was originally the Yugoslavian Split, captured in 1941 and totally redesigned by Italy. The destroyer was launched in July 1943 but not completed(Split was finally completed only in 1959, 20 years after being laid down). I placed this ship here for two simple reasons: she is the remake of a foreign design and the redesign itself is complicated to place. Spalato is something in between the pre-WWII Soldati II as originally design and the war time design of Medaglie d’Oro, sort of blending the two together. She was fast as the pre-WWII designs, armed with only three torpedo tubes but with the same artillery armament as the final series of Medaglie d’Oro.
Technical data
Standard displacement: 2040 tons
Full load displacement: 2500 tons
Length: 114.8 m(water line), 121 m(overall length)
Beam: 12 m
Draught: 3.48 m(normal), 3.75 m(full load)
Installed power: 55000 hp
Maximum speed: 38 knots
Armament: 5×1 135/45, 10×1 37/54, 4×2 20/65, 3×1 533 mm TT
