Italian cruiser Giuseppe Garibaldi (1936)

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Company type	Warship
Industry	Naval military
Predecessor	Duca degli Abruzzi-class cruisers
Founded	1936 (1936)
Headquarters	Trieste , Italy
Products	Light cruiser, guided missile cruiser

Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser that operated under the Regia Marina during World War II. Following the conflict, she remained in service with the Marina Militare and underwent modernization. Constructed by CRDA at the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino shipyard in Trieste, the vessel was named in honor of the renowned Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.

After being taken out of active duty in 1956, Giuseppe Garibaldi was transformed into a guided missile cruiser between 1957 and 1961 at the shipyards located in La Spezia.

Design

The Duca degli Abruzzi-class represented the ultimate iteration of the Condottieri class series, featuring increased dimensions and enhanced armor protection compared to earlier models. Their firepower was augmented by the addition of two more 152 mm guns, and triple gun turrets replaced the twin turrets previously installed in the "A" and "Y" positions. Modifications to the propulsion system resulted in these vessels achieving a slightly reduced top speed relative to their forerunners.

1940

During the Battle of Calabria on 9 July, Giuseppe Garibaldi alongside her sister ship, Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi, initiated combat by firing the opening salvos. In this clash, fragments from a 6-inch shell launched by Giuseppe Garibaldi struck the British cruiser HMS Neptune, causing irreparable damage to her catapult and reconnaissance aircraft.

On 1 September, she participated in an operation aimed at intercepting the Hats convoy. Later, on 29 September, Giuseppe Garibaldi joined the Italian fleet in an unsuccessful sortie against Operation MB 5, a British mission that successfully delivered supplies to Malta. By 11 November, Giuseppe Garibaldi was moored at Taranto when British aircraft launched an air raid targeting the Italian fleet in harbor.

1941

Giuseppe Garibaldi took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan on 27 March under the command of Captain Stanislao Caraciotti. On 8 May, she was involved in an Italian naval attempt that failed to stop the Tiger convoy. Later that year, on 28 July, the cruiser sustained damage after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Upholder.

1942

On 3 January, Giuseppe Garibaldi served as an escort for Italian convoy M 43. Subsequently, on 7 March, she participated in Operation V 5 by protecting a substantial Axis convoy en route to Libya alongside another Condottieri-class cruiser, Eugenio di Savoia. On 14 June, she was engaged in the successful interception during Operation Vigorous, a Royal Navy effort to resupply Malta.

Following the armistice declared on 8 September 1943, Giuseppe Garibaldi operated in conjunction with Allied naval forces in the South Atlantic, countering potential German commerce raiders.

As a guided missile cruiser

File:Lanciogaribaldi.jpg

Launch of a Terrier missile

Following the conclusion of the war, the Italian Navy retained the vessel and carried out modernization efforts that involved modest modifications to its weaponry and installation of a radar. She was taken out of active service in 1953 and subsequently transformed into a guided missile cruiser.

The extensive rebuild took place at the La Spezia Arsenal beginning in 1957, culminating in 1961 when she was designated as the flagship of the Italian fleet. This overhaul featured a complete redesign of the superstructure, while the hull dimensions remained unchanged. Although some minor adjustments were made, a significant part of the reconstruction involved fitting four launchers intended for U.S.-developed UGM-27 Polaris nuclear ballistic missiles. However, these missiles were never supplied by the United States. As a result, Italy embarked on developing its own missile system, named Alfa. The ship retained its original propulsion machinery. The armament underwent a comprehensive upgrade: installing a RIM-2 Terrier missile launcher made Giuseppe Garibaldi the pioneering missile cruiser in Europe. Her former artillery was replaced by four 135 mm/45 guns arranged in two twin turrets, complemented by eight Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Type MMI AA guns. The electronic suite was enhanced with multiple radar systems and fire control equipment.

She was retired from service in 1971 and dismantled the following year.

References

• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen & Budzbon, Przemysław (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

External links

• Giuseppe Garibaldi (551) Marina Militare website