Italian destroyer Bersagliere (1906)

Bersagliere

Company type	Military ship
Industry	Naval warfare
Founded	5 June 1907
Headquarters	Genoa , Italy
Products	Destroyer warship

Template:Otherships

Bersagliere, named after a member of the Bersaglieri—the renowned Italian sharpshooter infantry—was the first vessel of the ("Soldier") class destroyers operated by the Italian Regia Marina ("Royal Navy"). Commissioned in 1907, she actively participated in both the Italo-Turkish War and World War I before being removed from service in 1923.

Design

The propulsion system of Bersagliere consisted of two vertical triple-expansion steam engines powered by three Thornycroft water-tube boilers, generating an estimated output of 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,474 kW) to drive a pair of propeller shafts. Upon completion, her top speed was recorded at approximately 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph). Initially, she carried 95 tonnes (93 long tons) of coal, enabling a range near 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) cruising at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), and around 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) at a higher speed of 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph). Subsequently, her fuel system was modified to utilize fuel oil, with a capacity of 65 tonnes (64 long tons). Armament included four quick-firing 76 mm/40 calibre guns alongside three 450 mm torpedo tubes.

Construction and commissioning

The keel of Bersagliere was laid on 13 July 1905 at the Gio. Ansaldo & C. shipyard located in Genoa, Italy. She was launched on 2 October 1906 and reached completion on 13 August 1907. The vessel was officially commissioned into service on 5 June 1907.

1907–1911

In the summer of 1907, Bersagliere conducted training exercises with her crew. Following the catastrophic earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Messina, Sicily, and Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland on 28 December 1908, Bersagliere, together with her sister ship Artigliere and the battleship Vittorio Emanuele, arrived at Messina on 30 December to provide assistance in relief efforts.

Italo-Turkish War

The Italo-Turkish War commenced on 29 September 1911 when the Kingdom of Italy declared war against the Ottoman Empire. At this time, Bersagliere was stationed at Taranto as part of the 4th Division of the 2nd Squadron, alongside her sister ships Garibaldino, Granatiere, and Lanciere. Throughout the conflict, she supported Italy’s invasion of Ottoman Libya in autumn 1911 before being deployed to reinforce Italian naval forces in the Red Sea. Subsequently, she operated in the Aegean Sea, returned to the Red Sea, and later served in the Dodecanese islands. The war concluded with an Italian victory on 18 October 1912.

1915

With World War I underway since 1914, Italy entered the conflict by declaring war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915. At that point, Bersagliere, commanded by Capitano di fregata Lubelli, was assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Squadron based at Brindisi. This squadron included destroyers such as Artigliere, Garibaldino, Lanciere, and their sister ship Corazziere. In the early hours of 24 May 1915, Bersagliere and Corazziere operated off Grado to support a raid conducted by the destroyer Zeffiro against an Austro-Hungarian border post on Porto Buso island within the Grado Lagoon. While Zeffiro launched its assault, both Bersagliere and Corazziere provided covering fire against Austro-Hungarian naval forces and shelled enemy positions.

On 29 May 1915, a group consisting of Artigliere, Bersagliere, Garibaldino, and Lanciere bombarded the Adria Werke chemical plant in Monfalcone, which produced poison gases for warfare. Support was provided by Corazziere along with sister ships Alpino and Pontiere. This bombardment was repeated on 7 June 1915.

On 3 July 1915, Bersagliere was assigned to the 3rd Group of the 4th Naval Division, also known as the "Cagni" Division. Throughout 1915 and into 1916, she participated in coastal defense missions and escorted convoys bound for Albania. In a specific operation at 01:00 on 6 July 1915, she departed Venice with her squadron heading toward Porto Buso before proceeding toward Savudrija Point (Punta Salvore) on Istria’s northern coast to conduct an offensive reconnaissance sweep. The patrol did not encounter enemy vessels and returned toward Venice. Around 04:30, approximately thirty nautical miles east of Chioggia, they were scheduled to meet with the armored cruiser Amalfi and another destroyer squadron led by the destroyer Impavido. The plan involved a combined sweep of the Gulf of Venice searching for Austro-Hungarian ships; however, en route, the cruiser Amalfi was torpedoed by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-26 and sank within ten minutes.

1916–1918

On 23 February 1916, Bersagliere, commanded by Capitano di frgatta Del Buono, accompanied Corazziere and Garibaldino in escorting a convoy of 12 steamers and two tugs to Durrës (referred to by Italians as Durazzo) along the Albanian coastline. The following day, 24 February, Bersagliere, together with the auxiliary cruisers Città di Catania and Città di Siracusa, as well as the destroyers Ardito and Irrequieto, commenced shelling advancing Austro-Hungarian forces poised to seize Durrës. In subsequent days, these units also targeted Austro-Hungarian artillery installations situated on Sasso Bianco mountain within the Dolomites near Durrës.

Throughout 1917, Bersagliere was active in the Tyrrhenian Sea, continuing operations into early 1918. On 8 January 1918, she assumed escort responsibilities from Lanciere at Savona, Italy, protecting the large passenger steamers San Giovanni and San Guglielmo, which had departed Genoa en route to New York City. The convoy was directed to remain close to the Italian shoreline and was approximately 800 meters from Loano in the Gulf of Genoa when the German submarine U-63 launched an attack, torpedoing and sinking San Guglielmo at coordinates 44°07′N 008°18′E.

Later in 1918, Bersagliere operated in the Dodecanese region. By late October of that year, Austria-Hungary had effectively collapsed. The Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November 1918 and enacted on 4 November, ended hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allied forces. The conclusion of World War I followed shortly after with the armistice between the Allies and the German Empire on 11 November 1918.

Post-World War I

Following the conclusion of World War I, Bersagliere served in patrol roles and was utilized as a training vessel. On 1 July 1921, she was reclassified as a torpedo boat. Subsequently, she was placed in reserve status and decommissioned in 1923. The ship was officially removed from the naval register on 5 July 1923 and later dismantled for scrap.

Notes

Bibliography

• Beehler, W. H. (1913). The History of the Italian-Turkish War, September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912 (PDF). Annapolis, Maryland: William H. Beehler. (originally published in Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute with supplementary material)
• Favre, Franco. La Marina nella Grande Guerra. Le operazioni navali, aeree, subacquee e terrestri in Adriatico (in italiano).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1970). Italian Warships of World War I. Ian Allan. p. 67. ISBN 0711001057.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1985). "Italy". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 252–290. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8.