Italian cruiser Alberto di Giussano

Alberto di Giussano

Company type	Warship
Industry	Naval military
Founded	April 27, 1930 (1930-04-27)
Headquarters	Genoa , Italy
Products	Cruiser warship

Alberto di Giussano

Alberto di Giussano, named in honor of the legendary medieval condottiero Alberto da Giussano, was an Italian Giussano-class cruiser that operated within the Regia Marina during World War II. The vessel was launched on 27 April 1930.

Throughout the 1930s, she engaged in routine peacetime fleet operations as part of the 2nd Squadron, including deployments related to the Spanish Civil War. By 10 June 1940, she was assigned to the 4th Cruiser Division within the 1st Squadron, alongside her sister ship Alberico da Barbiano. She took part in the Battle of Punta Stilo (also known as the Battle of Calabria) in July of that year. In August, she conducted a minelaying mission near Pantelleria and subsequently provided distant escort for troop and supply convoys bound for North Africa for the remainder of the year.

On 12 December 1941, Alberto di Giussano departed port together with her sister ship Alberico da Barbiano on a critical mission to transport gasoline to German and Italian mobile units engaged alongside the Afrika Korps. Both cruisers were loaded with jerrycans and metal containers filled with fuel, which were stowed openly on their decks. The decision to utilize these fast cruisers for such a perilous task was based on their speed serving as a defensive advantage. Despite this, on 13 December 1941, during the Battle of Cape Bon, they were intercepted by four Allied destroyers equipped with radar. Alberto di Giussano managed to fire only three salvos before being struck amidships by a torpedo and coming under heavy gunfire, which rendered her immobile. After an unsuccessful attempt to control the ensuing fire, the crew abandoned ship. The cruiser eventually broke apart and sank at 04:22 hours. Of the approximately 720 crew members aboard, 283 perished. Captain Giovanni Marabotto, commanding officer of the vessel, survived the ordeal.

Wreck

The remains of Alberto di Giussano were discovered in 2007 during the "Altair" expedition sponsored by Cressi. The wreck lies roughly one mile off Cape Bon’s coast at a depth ranging between 60 and 70 meters.

External links

• Alberto di Giussano Official Marina Militare website