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Italian aircraft carrier Sparviero

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Sparviero
Company typeAircraft carrier project
IndustryNaval shipbuilding
PredecessorAugustus (ocean liner)
Founded1926
FounderNavigazione Generale Italiana
Defunct1951
FateDismantled after incomplete conversion and scuttling
Headquarters
Genoa
,
Italy
ProductsAircraft carrier (conversion project)

Overview

Sparviero (Italian for Sparrowhawk) was an Italian aircraft carrier project initiated during World War II for the Regia Marina. Originally constructed in 1926 as the ocean liner MS Augustus for Navigazione Generale Italiana, the vessel became part of the newly formed Italian Line following the merger of Navigazione Generale Italiana with Lloyd Sabaudo and Cosulich Line. Conversion efforts to transform the ship into an aircraft carrier commenced in 1942 under the name Falco, but this refit was never finalized, and the ship was not commissioned into the Regia Marina. Dismantling began in 1947 and concluded by 1951.

Construction and Specifications

Built by Ansaldo in Genoa, the vessel was launched on 13 December 1926 as the ocean liner Augustus. The ship had a displacement of 30,418 tons, measuring 232.5 meters in length with a beam of 29.4 meters and a draught of 7.39 meters. Powered by diesel engines delivering 28,000 horsepower, it could reach speeds up to 20 knots. The ship's capacity included accommodation for 1,420 personnel, including 107 officers.

Military Conversion

In 1941, the vessel was renamed first to Falco and subsequently to Sparviero. The Royal Italian Navy initiated its conversion into an escort carrier in 1942; however, this process remained incomplete due to Italy's surrender in 1943. The planned armament included eight 135/45 mm guns, twelve 65/64 mm guns, and twenty-two machine guns of 20/65 mm caliber. Armor protection consisted of vertical plating up to 70 mm and horizontal plating up to 80 mm. The carrier was intended to operate a complement of forty-six aircraft, including fighters and torpedo bombers.

Later History

Following Italy’s armistice in 1943, control of the ship passed to the National Republican Navy of the Italian Social Republic. In 1944, German forces seized the vessel and subsequently scuttled it as a blockship. Raised after the war in 1947, it was ultimately scrapped by 1951.

As MS Augustus

Main article: MS Augustus (1926)

The MS Augustus, along with her sister vessel, was a combined ocean liner and cruise ship constructed in 1927 for Navigazione Generale Italiana. She was launched in December 1926 at the Ansaldo Shipyard and was christened by Edda Mussolini, daughter of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. After the merger that formed the new Italian Line, the ship was transferred there. When Italy entered World War II in 1940, both Augustus and her sister ship Roma halted all passenger operations and were laid up. Subsequently, the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) initiated plans to convert these vessels into aircraft carriers, beginning with their seizure in 1941.

As Sparviero

In 1936, a proposal was made to convert the 30,418 GRT ocean liner Augustus into an auxiliary aircraft carrier. Although initially abandoned, this initiative was revived in 1942.

During that year, the passenger liner Augustus was first renamed Falco and later changed to Sparviero. The project was based on designs developed by Colonel Luigi Gagnotto of the Naval Engineers, and conversion work commenced in September 1942 at the Ansaldo Shipyards in Genoa.

The transformation involved removing the existing superstructure. The ship was to be outfitted with a single hangar serviced by two elevators, topped by a flight deck that extended to within 45 meters (148 ft) of the bow. The primary artillery would be installed along the sides of the forecastle at hangar deck level and at the stern. Notably, there was no island superstructure planned; exhaust from the diesel engines would be vented laterally below the flight deck level.[1]

The flight deck was designed to be narrow. The air group was intended to consist of either 34 fighters or a combination of 16 fighters and 9 torpedo bombers.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] The propulsion system was to remain as originally installed, with diesel engines providing an estimated top speed of 20 knots.[2]

Armament plans included six 152 mm guns and four 102 mm guns, supplemented by numerous anti-aircraft machine gun emplacements.

File:RN Sparviero affondato a Genova.jpg
Wreck of Sparviero in Genoa, 1944

Conversion efforts began in September 1942 at the Ansaldo Shipyard in Genoa. Aside from dismantling the superstructure, minimal progress occurred before Italy’s surrender in September 1943.[1] Shortly thereafter, the hull was seized by the newly formed National Republican Navy of the Italian Social Republic, a German puppet regime. Later, German forces took control of the vessel and deliberately sank it on 5 October 1944 to obstruct access to Genoa’s port. Post-war salvage operations recovered the wreckage, which was ultimately dismantled for scrap in 1951.

Similar to Sparviero, the Italian aircraft carrier Aquila, converted from Augustus' sister ship SS Roma, was scuttled and dismantled before its aircraft carrier conversion could be completed.

These two conversions represented Italy’s final attempts to construct aircraft carriers until work recommenced in 1981 with Giuseppe Garibaldi.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Italian aircraft
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Sparviero

Bibliography

External links

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