Italian cruiser Carlo Alberto Racchia
Template:Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header= | Header caption=(as built) | Ship class=Mirabello-class destroyer | Ship displacement=*1,784 t (1,756 long tons) (normal)
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Ship length= 103.75 m (340 ft 5 in) | Ship beam= 9.74 m (31 ft 11 in) | Ship draught= 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in) | Ship propulsion=2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines | Ship power=*4 Yarrow boilers | Ship speed= 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) | Ship range= 2,300 nmi (4,300 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) | Ship complement=8 officers and 161 enlisted men | Ship armament=*1 × single 152 mm (6 in) gun
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Carlo Alberto Racchia was among a trio of Error: {{sclass}} missing required parameter: ship type (help) scout cruisers constructed for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) during the First World War. She participated in the Adriatic campaign and engaged in the largest surface battle of that operation, the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, in May 1917. Following the war, she struck a naval mine and sank in 1920.
In 1938, eighteen years after her sinking, the Regia Marina reclassified ships of the Mirabello class as destroyers.
Design and description
Conceived as scout cruisers (esploratori), these vessels were essentially enlarged destroyers of their era.[1] They measured an overall length of 103.75 metres (340 ft 5 in), had a beam spanning 9.74 metres (31 ft 11 in), and a mean draft of approximately 3.3 metres (10 ft 10 in).[2] Their standard displacement was around 1,784 tonnes (1,756 long tons), increasing to about 2,040 tonnes (2,010 long tons) when fully loaded. The crew consisted of 8 officers alongside 161 enlisted personnel.[3]
Propulsion was provided by two geared steam turbines manufactured by Parsons, each connected to a propeller shaft and powered by steam from four Yarrow boilers. These turbines produced a total output rated at 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW), enabling speeds up to 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph); during sea trials, Carlo Alberto Racchia achieved 35.4 knots (65.6 km/h; 40.7 mph) with an output of 43,190 shp (32,210 kW).[2] Fuel capacity allowed for a cruising range near 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[3]
The primary armament featured a single forward-mounted Cannone da 152 mm/40 A Modello 1891 naval gun positioned ahead of the superstructure. This was supported by seven Cannone da 102 mm/35 S Modello 1914 guns in individual mounts fitted with gun shields: one placed aft of the superstructure and six arranged amidships along the broadside.[4] For anti-aircraft defense, two single-mounted Cannone da 76 mm/40 Modello 1916 AA guns were installed.[2] Torpedo armament comprised four 450 mm tubes arranged in two twin mounts on each side of the vessel.[4] Additionally, Carlo Alberto Racchia had the capacity to deploy up to 100 naval mines.[2]
Modifications
The original gun was deemed excessively heavy for the vessels and its firing speed was inadequate, leading to its replacement during the ships' rearmament with eight Cannone da 102/45 S, A Modello 1917 guns. These were installed as single mounts positioned fore and aft of the superstructure, with additional guns on the broadside. Between 1920 and 1922, the 76 mm artillery was substituted by two Cannone da 40 mm (1.6 in)/39 anti-aircraft guns, each mounted singly. It remains unclear whether Carlo Alberto Racchia was equipped with these AA guns prior to her sinking.[2]
Construction and commissioning
The keel of Carlo Alberto Racchia was laid down on 10 December 1914 by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their shipyard in Sestri Ponente, within the Kingdom of Italy. The ship was launched on 2 June 1916 and officially entered service upon completion on 21 December 1916.
World War I
Following her commissioning, Carlo Alberto Racchia was assigned to the naval base at Brindisi, Italy. Throughout World War I, she operated primarily in the Adriatic Sea, engaging in the Adriatic campaign against forces from Austria-Hungary and the German Empire. Her activities mainly involved minor naval engagements between torpedo boats and providing support for Allied motor torpedo boat and aerial assaults targeting Central Powers positions.
The night spanning 14–15 May 1917 marked the commencement of the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, initiated by a dual-pronged offensive from the Austro-Hungarian Navy aimed at disrupting the Otranto Barrage in the Strait of Otranto. This operation sought to destroy armed fishing vessels known as naval drifters, which patrolled the anti-submarine barrier, as well as to divert attention by attacking an Italian convoy traveling from the Kingdom of Greece to the Principality of Albania. Upon receiving intelligence about this assault at 04:10 on 15 May, Carlo Alberto Racchia, along with the protected cruiser Marsala, scout cruiser Aquila, destroyers Impavido, Indomito, and Insidioso, plus the British Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Liverpool, prepared to sail from Brindisi. The group departed at 05:30, joined by British light cruiser HMS Dartmouth and two additional destroyers, converging with other Allied naval units en route to intercept Austro-Hungarian forces.
At approximately 07:45, Allied ships encountered Austro-Hungarian destroyers Balaton and Csepel. By 08:10, while Aquila and Italian destroyers maneuvered to engage these enemy vessels, Carlo Alberto Racchia, Dartmouth, Liverpool, and Marsala advanced towards the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro aiming to cut off their escape route. Opening fire at 08:15, Aquila and accompanying destroyers struck Balaton, causing damage. Shortly thereafter, at 09:05, Aquila sustained hits that left her immobilized. The arrival of Austro-Hungarian scout cruisers Helgoland, Novara, and Saida intensified the situation.
In response, Dartmouth, British light cruiser HMS Bristol, and Italian destroyers Antonio Mosto and Giovanni Acerbi positioned themselves between Aquila and the Austro-Hungarian ships, opening fire from roughly 8,500 metres (9,300 yd) at 09:30. The Austro-Hungarian cruisers withdrew northwestward while being pursued by British and Italian forces at distances ranging between 4,500 and 10,000 metres (4,900 to 10,900 yards), maintaining gunfire until reaching Cattaro at 12:05. There, Austro-Hungarian coastal artillery batteries provided cover as armored cruiser Sankt Georg and destroyers Tátra and Warasdiner sortied to support their retreating units. Following the battle's conclusion, Aquila was towed back to port for repairs.[5]
On 16 July 1917, Carlo Alberto Racchia sailed alongside her sister ship Augusto Riboty to provide distant escort for an aerial bombing mission targeting Durrës (referred to by Italians as Durazzo) on Albania's coast. This operation involved eighteen aircraft launching from Brindisi and Vlorë (known as Valona) in Albania.[6] Later that year, during the night of 4–5 October 1917, both Carlo Alberto Racchia and Aquila supported an air raid against Cattaro.[7]
On 2 October 1918, while British and Italian naval units bombarded Austro-Hungarian positions near Durrës, Carlo Alberto Racchia, battleship Dante Alighieri, scout cruisers Cesare Rossarol, Guglielmo Pepe, and Alessandro Poerio, along with destroyers Ippolito Nievo and Simone Schiaffino, provided protective cover for the bombardment force. Their role was to prevent any interference from Austro-Hungarian naval units stationed at Cattaro.[8]
By late October 1918, Austria-Hungary had effectively collapsed. The Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November 1918 and effective from 4 November, ended hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allied powers. Departing Brindisi shortly thereafter, Carlo Alberto Racchia and her sister ship Carlo Mirabello reached the island of Vis (called Lissa by Italians) at 09:00 on 9 November where they formally took control of it for Italy.[9] The war concluded two days later with the armistice signed on 11 November between the Allies and Germany.
Post-war
On 20 March 1920, Carlo Alberto Racchia departed from Taranto, Italy, heading towards Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire. Upon reaching Constantinople, she commenced patrol operations across the Bosporus and the Black Sea.
Following the end of World War I, Italian forces held approximately 14,000 Russian prisoners who had been captured by Austria-Hungary during the conflict. These Russian detainees were interned on the island of Asinara, located off the Sardinian coast. Prompted by the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian government resolved to repatriate these Russians to their homeland, then embroiled in the Russian Civil War, handing them over to the Bolsheviks. On 19 July 1920, Carlo Alberto Racchia set sail from Constantinople to escort a convoy consisting of the steamers Calvi, Melpomene, and Thalia, which were transporting the Russian prisoners towards Odessa.
At approximately 11:00 on 21 July 1920, while navigating roughly 9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi) southwest of Cape Fontana and about 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi) from Odessa, Carlo Alberto Racchia was struck amidships by a mine explosion—likely a remnant laid by the Ottoman Navy during World War I. This blast resulted in the deaths of ten crew members and wounded nine others. The vessel suffered critical damage and began to sink by the bow after roughly 40 minutes. The crew evacuated in an orderly manner before the ship settled in approximately 11 metres (36 feet) of water. Survivors were subsequently rescued by the steamer Calvi.
Efforts to salvage the wreck proved unsuccessful, leading to Carlo Alberto Racchia being officially removed from the naval registry by the Regia Marina in 1922.
Eighteen years post-sinking, in 1938, the Regia Marina reclassified vessels of the Mirabello class as destroyers.
External links
- Carlo Alberto Racchia official Marina Militare site
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