Italian cruiser Augusto Riboty

Augusto Riboty

Company type	Scout cruiser, later destroyer
Industry	Naval military vessel
Founded	5 May 1917
Headquarters	Kingdom of Italy
Products	Naval warship

Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsAugusto Riboty was one of a trio of -class scout cruisers constructed for the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) during the First World War. Commissioned in 1917, she served through the Adriatic theater during the conflict and was present in Split amid the postwar disturbances between 1918 and 1920. In 1938, she was redesignated as a destroyer. Throughout the Second World War, Augusto Riboty was Italy’s most actively deployed destroyer, engaging in Mediterranean operations on behalf of Fascist Italy from 1940 until 1943, then continuing service with the Allied-aligned Italian Co-Belligerent Navy until 1945. The vessel was dismantled in 1951.

Design and description

Conceived as esploratori or scout cruisers, these ships were essentially larger iterations of the destroyers built contemporaneously. Their overall length measured 103.75 meters (340 ft 5 in), with a beam spanning 9.74 meters (31 ft 11 in) and an average draft of 3.3 meters (10 ft 10 in). The standard displacement stood at approximately 1,784 tonnes (1,756 long tons), increasing to about 2,040 tonnes (2,010 long tons) when fully loaded. The crew complement comprised eight officers alongside 161 enlisted sailors.

Propulsion was provided by a pair of Parsons geared steam turbines, each connected to its own propeller shaft, powered by steam from four Yarrow boilers. These turbines were rated at a combined output of 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW), enabling a design speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph); during trials, Augusto Riboty achieved a speed slightly exceeding this at 35.03 knots (64.88 km/h; 40.31 mph) with an output of 38,962 shp (29,054 kW). Fuel capacity allowed for a maximum operational range near 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) cruising at .

The main armament featured a single forward-mounted Cannone da 152 mm/40 A Modello 1891 naval gun positioned ahead of the superstructure. Supplementing this were seven Cannone da 102 mm/35 S Modello 1914 guns installed singly with protective shields—one aft of the superstructure and six arrayed along the midships broadside. Air defense was furnished by two single-mounted Cannone da 76 mm/40 Modello 1916 anti-aircraft guns. Offensive torpedo capability consisted of four tubes arranged in two twin mounts on either side amidships. Additionally, Augusto Riboty had capacity for deploying up to 120 naval mines, exceeding that of her sister ships which carried up to 100 mines each.

Alterations

The original gun was deemed excessively heavy for the vessels, and its firing speed was insufficient, leading to its replacement during the ships' rearmament. They were equipped with eight Cannone da 102/45 S, A Modello 1917 guns, positioned as single mounts both at the fore and aft of the superstructure, with the remainder placed along the sides. Between 1920 and 1922, the 76 mm guns were substituted with two Cannone da 40 mm (1.6 in)/39 anti-aircraft guns, each installed in a single mount.

Construction and commissioning

Augusto Riboty was constructed by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their Sestri Ponente shipyard in the Kingdom of Italy, with her keel laid on 27 February 1915. She was launched on 24 September 1916 and subsequently completed and commissioned as a scout cruiser on 5 May 1917.

World War I

Based in Brindisi, Italy, Augusto Riboty conducted operations within the Adriatic Sea throughout World War I, participating in the Adriatic campaign. On 16 July 1917, she sailed alongside her sister ship Carlo Alberto Racchia to provide distant cover for an aerial bombing mission targeting Durrës (referred to as Durazzo by Italians) along the coast of the Principality of Albania. This raid involved 18 aircraft launching from Brindisi and Vlorë (known to Italians as Valona) in Albania.

On 10 March 1918, a task force comprising the destroyer Antonio Mosto towing motor torpedo boat MAS 100, and destroyer Ippolito Nievo towing MAS 99, embarked on a planned attack against Portorož (Italian: Portorose), located on Austria-Hungary's coast. This operation was backed by Augusto Riboty, serving as flagship for operation commander Contrammiraglio (Counter Admiral) Guido Biscaretti di Ruffia, alongside sister ship Carlo Mirabello, scout cruisers Alessandro Poerio and Cesare Rossarol, destroyers Giacinto Carini and Pilade Bronzetti, plus a French destroyer squadron led by Casque. Despite reaching Portorož's vicinity, adverse weather conditions forced postponement of the raid. Subsequent attempts on 16 March and again on 8 April were similarly aborted—after aerial reconnaissance confirmed the port was unoccupied during the final approach.

At 18:10 on 12 May 1918, Pilade Bronzetti towing MAS 99, and Ippolito Nievo towing MAS 100, departed Brindisi accompanied by Augusto Riboty and Carlo Mirabello for an assault on the roadstead at Durrës. Approximately ten nautical miles from Durrës, at 23:00, both motor torpedo boats released their towlines and entered the harbor. At 02:30 on 13 May, MAS 99 launched a torpedo strike against the steamer Bregenz, which sank shortly thereafter with a casualty count of 234. The ensuing Austro-Hungarian counterattack was intense; however, all Italian vessels returned safely to Brindisi.

By late October 1918, Austria-Hungary had effectively collapsed. The Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November and enacted on 4 November, ceased hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allies of World War I. Departing Brindisi on that day, Augusto Riboty reached the island of Lastovo (Italian: Lagosta) at 14:00 to claim it for the Kingdom of Italy. The war concluded a week later with the armistice between the Allies and the German Empire on 11 November. Throughout the conflict, Augusto Riboty participated in fifty-two missions.

Interwar period

On 27 December 1918, Augusto Riboty was deployed to Split—referred to as Spalato by Italians—located on the Dalmatian coast, where clashes had erupted between Italians and Slavs during the local unrest. While stationed there, she operated under directives from the Italian military governor of Dalmatia, Ammiraglio (Admiral) Enrico Millo, tasked with distributing free provisions and aid to the inhabitants, with particular focus on supporting and safeguarding the Italian community. Additionally, she was responsible for recording the prevailing ethnic tensions and violent confrontations between Italians and Slavs in central Dalmatia. Her presence provoked significant displeasure among officials of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), who organized a protest demonstration upon her arrival at the pier. The atmosphere remained highly charged throughout her deployment, as Italian forces progressively took control of Dalmatian territories promised to Italy under the Treaty of London, with the border near Split—although the city itself was not included in Italy's allotment. Marcello Roddolo, the Italian consul aboard Augusto Riboty, noted that Italian troops advancing toward the post-armistice borders led Yugoslav forces to fear an imminent occupation of Split itself, which Serbian units would likely resist militarily. After being relieved by the protected cruiser Puglia, Augusto Riboty departed Split on 12 January 1919, thereby avoiding the peak period of violence that persisted until 1920.

During the 1920s, Augusto Riboty underwent updates to her weaponry, which included replacing her original 152/40 mm gun with a 102/35 Mod. 1914 piece. She also received two Vickers-Armstrong QF 2-pounder 40 mm automatic cannons, new hydrophone equipment, and gear for deploying depth charges. Between 17 May and 2 November 1923, her commanding officer was Capitano di navio (Ship-of-the-Line Captain) Giuseppe Cantù, who later rose to the rank of ammiraglio di squadra (squadron admiral). Following his tenure, command passed to Capitano di navio Umberto Bucci from 4 November 1923 until 21 February 1925.

By 1938, Augusto Riboty had been reclassified as a destroyer. However, due to increasing obsolescence—her top speed had declined to approximately 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and she lacked a modern fire-control system—the Regia Marina planned to retire her from service by 1940.

Fascist Italy (1940–1943)

The onset of World War II occurred in September 1939 with Nazi Germany initiating the invasion of Poland. Fascist Italy entered the conflict on the side of the Axis powers by launching its attack on France on 10 June 1940. At that time, the Augusto Riboty was stationed at Brindisi alongside Carlo Mirabello within the local destroyer division. The commencement of hostilities led the Regia Marina to maintain Augusto Riboty in active service. Throughout the Adriatic campaign and the wider Battle of the Mediterranean, she primarily fulfilled escort responsibilities along maritime routes in the southern Adriatic and the Ionian Sea, safeguarding convoys traveling between Italy, the Italian protectorate of Albania, and the Kingdom of Greece. Additionally, she conducted operations within the central Mediterranean's Strait of Sicily.

During blackout conditions at Brindisi on 27 September 1940, Augusto Riboty collided with the destroyer Nicolò Zeno.

On 5 October 1940, departing from Durrës, Augusto Riboty escorted the steamers SS Carnia and SS Olimpia. En route, the British submarine HMS Triton launched a torpedo attack against Olimpia in the Adriatic Sea at coordinates , resulting in damage to the vessel.

Later that same month, both Augusto Riboty and Carlo Mirabello were temporarily assigned to the Forza Navale Speciale (Special Naval Force). Under the command of Ammiraglio di squadra (Squadron Admiral) Vittorio Tur, this unit included light cruisers such as Bari (Tur's flagship) and Taranto, torpedo boats including Altair, Andromeda, Angelo Bassini, Antares, Aretusa, as well as destroyers like Giacomo Medici and Nicola Fabrizi, supported by tankers Garigliano, Sesia, and Tirso. The plan involved landing elements of the Royal Army's 47th Infantry Division "Bari" and a battalion from the Regia Marina′s Regiment "San Marco" on Corfu on 28 October 1940 — coinciding with Italy's invasion of Greece that marked the start of the Greco–Italian War — but due to adverse weather conditions, this amphibious assault was postponed multiple times: initially to 30 October, then 31 October, followed by 2 November, before ultimately being cancelled after Italian forces struggled on the Greek front. Consequently, the 47th Infantry Division "Bari" was redeployed to combat operations in Epirus, while merchant vessels proceeded to disembark troops at Vlorë (referred to by Italians as Valona) in Albania.

On December 18, 1940—amid ongoing hostilities in the Greco-Italian War—Augusto Riboty, alongside light cruisers Eugenio di Savoia and Raimondo Montecuccoli, as well as destroyers Antonio Pigafetta, Emanuele Pessagno, and Nicoloso da Recco, conducted artillery bombardments against Greek positions near Corfu. On March 1, 1941 she joined Andromeda in another shelling operation targeting Greek coastal defenses.

Throughout convoy escort missions in 1941,Augusto Riboty engaged enemy submarines on three separate occasions: July 18 in the Adriatic Sea; August 5 near Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea; and October 25 off Patras.

In 1942,Augusto Riboty underwent an upgrade which saw two 102 millimetres (4.0 in) guns removed and replaced with a single automatic cannon of forty millimeters. A further refit occurred in 1943: her four remaining 102 millimetres (4.0 in) guns were retained while three forty-millimeter automatic cannons were substituted with six twenty-millimeter ones; additionally her depth-charge loadout was increased.

On February 5, 1943,Augusto Riboty was escorting the fuel-laden tanker Utilitas from Taranto to Palermo when around seven o’clock in the morning it was struck by a torpedo launched by British submarine HMS Turbulent. The tanker sank near Capo Zafferano east of Palermo.

Under command of Tenente di vascello (Ship-of-the-line lieutenant) Nicola Ferrone on February 15, 1943 at eleven-twenty hours,Augusto Riboty departed Palermo accompanied by torpedo boats Monsone and Sirio plus corvettes Antilope and Gabbiano to escort steamers SS Alcamo, SS Chieti to Bizerta, and SS Frosinone. However engine failure forced her to turn back toward Trapani eight hours later. Despite an assault from Allied motor torpedo boats during this mission,the remainder of the convoy arrived safely.

While performing escort duties in the Gulf of Taranto on April 3, 1943,Augusto Riboty survived a torpedo attack from an Allied submarine that narrowly missed her but resulted in damage to tanker Regina.

Co-Belligerent Navy Service (1943–1945)

Following the Kingdom of Italy's announcement of an armistice with the Allied forces on 8 September 1943, Italy shifted allegiance in the conflict. This shift triggered Nazi Germany to initiate Operation Achse, aimed at forcibly disarming Italian military units and occupying regions of Italy not yet controlled by the Allies. On the morning of 12 September 1943, the destroyer Augusto Riboty departed from Taranto alongside submarines Atropo, Jalea, and Fratelli Bandiera, setting course for Malta. Arriving on 13 September, Augusto Riboty docked at St. Paul's Bay later that day and surrendered to Allied forces in accordance with the armistice terms. Subsequently, she relocated to Marsa Scirocco, Malta, where she remained moored. On 6 October 1943, Augusto Riboty departed Malta in company with torpedo boats Ariete and Orione, six submarines, and two smaller craft to return to Italian waters.

During the remainder of World War II in Europe, Augusto Riboty operated under the banner of the Italian Co-belligerent Navy, supporting Allied efforts until May 1945. Her duties included escorting convoys for the U.S. Navy and facilitating the transfer of personnel and supplies to the battleships Italia and Vittorio Veneto, both interned at the Great Bitter Lake within the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Having participated in 365 missions and covering approximately 70,350 nautical miles (130,288 km; 80,957 mi), Augusto Riboty earned distinction as the most actively deployed Italian destroyer during World War II. In recognition of her extensive service spanning both World Wars I and II, she was honored with the Bronze Medal of Military Valor.

Postwar Period

After the establishment of the Italian Republic in 1946, the nation's navy transitioned from being known as Regia Marina (Royal Navy) to Marina Militare ("Military Navy"). According to provisions within the Paris Peace Treaties signed on 10 February 1947, Augusto Riboty was slated for transfer to the Soviet Union. However, due to her advanced age and deteriorated condition, she was declined by the Soviet Navy. Consequently, the Marina Militare repurposed her as a floating pontoon at Taranto. The vessel was officially decommissioned in February 1950, removed from naval records on 1 May 1950, and dismantled for scrap in 1951.

Distinctions and Decorations

File:Valor militare bronze medal BAR.svg Bronze Medal of Military Valor

Further reading

• Brescia, Maurizio. Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
• Dodson, Aidan, and Serena Cant. Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after Two World Wars. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing, 2020. ISBN 978-1-5267-4198-1.
• Favre, Franco. La Marina nella Grande Guerra. Le operazioni navali, aeree, subacquee e terrestri in Adriatico. (Italian language).
• Fraccaroli, Aldo. Italian Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan, 1970. ISBN 0-7110-0105-7.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo. Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan, 1968. ISBN 0-7110-0002-6.
• Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8.
• Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books, 1980. Chapter: Italy by John Roberts, pp. 280–317. ISBN 0-8317-0303-2.
• Rohwer, Jürgen. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Third Revised Edition. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2005. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Whitley, M. J. Destroyers of World War 2: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1988. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.

External resources

• Augusto Riboty at the official Marina Militare website
• Photograph of Augusto Riboty from 1942 on Italian Wikipedia