Italian destroyer Carlo Alberto Racchia
| Company type | Scout cruiser (esploratore) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval ship |
| Founded | 2 June 1916 (launched) |
| Defunct | 21 July 1920 (sunk) |
| Fate | Sunk by mine |
| Headquarters | Sestri Ponente , Kingdom of Italy |
| Products | Warship (Mirabello-class scout cruiser) |
| Hide header= | Header caption=(as built) | Ship class=Mirabello-class destroyer | Ship displacement=*1,784 t (1,756 long tons) (standard load)
|
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 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) | Ship complement=8 officers and 161 enlisted personnel | Ship armament=*1 × single 152 mm /40 gun
|
Carlo Alberto Racchia was among three Error: {{sclass}} missing required parameter: ship type (help)-class scout cruisers constructed for the Italian Regia Marina during World War I. She participated in the Adriatic campaign of that conflict and was involved in the largest surface engagement of the campaign, the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, occurring in May 1917. Postwar, she was lost after striking a mine in 1920.
In 1938, eighteen years following her sinking, the Regia Marina officially reclassified all ships of the Mirabello class as destroyers.
Design and description
Conceived as scout cruisers (esploratori), these vessels were essentially larger destroyers tailored for reconnaissance roles.[1] Their overall length measured 103.75 metres (340.4 ft), with a beam spanning 9.74 metres (32.0 ft) and an average draft of 3.3 metres (11 ft).[2] The displacement was 1,784 tonnes (1,756 long tons) at standard load and increased to 2,040 tonnes (2,010 long tons) when fully loaded. The crew complement comprised eight officers alongside 161 enlisted sailors.[3]
Propulsion was provided by a pair of Parsons geared steam turbines, each connected to a propeller shaft and powered by steam from four Yarrow boilers. These turbines generated an output rated at 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW), enabling a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph); during sea trials, Carlo Alberto Racchia attained 35.4 knots (65.6 km/h; 40.7 mph) powered by 43,190 shp (32,210 kW).[2] Fuel capacity allowed for an operational range of approximately 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) cruising at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[3]
Armament consisted primarily of one forward-mounted Cannone da 152 mm /40 A Modello 1891 naval gun situated ahead of the superstructure. This main battery was supplemented by seven Cannone da 102 mm /35 S Modello 1914 guns in single mounts fitted with gun shields—one positioned aft of the superstructure and six arrayed amidships along the broadside.[4] Anti-aircraft defense was ensured through two Cannone da 76 mm /40 Modello 1916 AA guns installed singly.[2] Offensive capabilities included four torpedo tubes arranged in two twin mounts placed one on each broadside.[4] Additionally, Carlo Alberto Racchia had the capacity to deploy up to one hundred naval mines.[2]
Alterations
The original gun was deemed excessively heavy for the vessels and exhibited an inadequate rate of fire, leading to its replacement during the ships' rearmament. They were equipped with eight Cannone da 102/45 S, A Modello 1917 guns, arranged as single mounts positioned fore and aft of the superstructure, with additional units on the broadside. The initial 76 mm artillery pieces were substituted between 1920 and 1922 by two Cannone da 40 mm (1.6 in)/39 anti-aircraft guns mounted singly. It remains unclear whether Carlo Alberto Racchia was fitted with these AA guns prior to her loss.[2]
Construction and Commissioning
The keel of Carlo Alberto Racchia was laid down by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their Sestri Ponente, Kingdom of Italy shipyard on 10 December 1914. The vessel was launched on 2 June 1916 and reached completion and commissioning status on 21 December 1916.
World War I
Upon entering service, Carlo Alberto Racchia was assigned to Brindisi, Italy. Throughout World War I, she operated in the Adriatic Sea, engaging in the Adriatic campaign against forces of Austria-Hungary and the German Empire. Her role mainly involved participating in minor naval engagements between torpedo boats and supporting Allied motor torpedo boat and aerial operations targeting Central Powers’ positions.
During the night spanning 14–15 May 1917, the Battle of the Strait of Otranto commenced when the Austro-Hungarian Navy launched a dual-pronged offensive against the Otranto Barrage in the Strait of Otranto. This operation aimed to destroy armed fishing vessels known as naval drifters patrolling the anti-submarine barrier formed by the barrage, and simultaneously served as a diversion to attack an Italian convoy traveling from the Kingdom of Greece to the Principality of Albania. Upon receiving news at 04:10 on 15 May, Carlo Alberto Racchia, alongside the protected cruiser Marsala, scout cruiser Aquila, destroyers Impavido, Indomito, Insidioso, and British Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Liverpool, prepared to sail from Brindisi. By 05:30, this group departed Brindisi joined by British light cruiser HMS Dartmouth and two additional destroyers, coordinating with other Allied naval units to intercept Austro-Hungarian forces.
At 07:45, the Allied fleet encountered Austro-Hungarian destroyers Balaton and Csepel. While Aquila and Italian destroyers maneuvered to engage these vessels at 08:10, Carlo Alberto Racchia, along with Dartmouth, Liverpool, and Marsala, advanced toward the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro intending to block enemy withdrawal routes. Engagement commenced at 08:15 with Aquila and Italian destroyers opening fire on Balaton and Csepel. During combat, Balaton incurred damage, and shortly after, at 09:05, Aquila was struck and rendered immobile. Austro-Hungarian scout cruisers Helgoland, Novara, and Saida approached Aquila. In response, Dartmouth, British light cruiser HMS Bristol, and Italian destroyers Antonio Mosto and Giovanni Acerbi positioned themselves between Aquila and enemy ships, commencing fire at approximately 09:30 from a distance near 8,500 metres (9,300 yd). The Austro-Hungarian cruisers withdrew northwestward while British and Italian units pursued them within ranges spanning 4,500 to 10,000 metres (4,900 to 10,900 yards), maintaining gunfire until reaching Cattaro at 12:05. There, enemy vessels sought refuge under coastal artillery batteries supported by armored cruiser Sankt Georg and destroyers Tátra and Warasdiner, which sortied to engage. Following battle conclusion, Aquila was towed back for repairs.[5]
On 16 July 1917, Carlo Alberto Racchia set sail alongside her sister ship Augusto Riboty to provide distant escort for an aerial bombing mission targeting Durrës (referred to as Durazzo by Italians). The operation involved eighteen aircraft departing from Brindisi and Vlorë (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 directed at Cattaro.[7]
On 2 October 1918, while British forces alongside other Italian ships conducted shore bombardments against Austro-Hungarian positions at Durrës, Carlo Alberto Racchia, battleship Dante Alighieri, scout cruisers Cesare Rossarol, Guglielmo Pepe, and Alessandro Poerio, as well as destroyers Ippolito Nievo and Simone Schiaffino, provided protective cover for the bombardment group. Their mission was to thwart any intervention attempts by Austro-Hungarian naval units stationed at Cattaro.[8]
By late October 1918, Austria-Hungary's collapse was imminent. The signing of the Armistice of Villa Giusti on 3 November led to cessation of hostilities effective from 4 November 1918 between Austria-Hungary and the Allies. Departing from Brindisi shortly thereafter, Carlo Alberto Racchia together with sister ship Carlo Mirabello arrived at the island of Vis, known as Lissa in Italian nomenclature, at 0900 hours on 9 November to formally take possession on behalf of the Kingdom of Italy.[9] The war concluded two days later following the armistice signed between Allies and Germany on 11 November 1918.
Post-war
On 20 March 1920, Carlo Alberto Racchia departed from Taranto, Italy, heading toward Constantinople within the Ottoman Empire. Upon reaching Constantinople, she commenced patrol operations in the Bosporus and the Black Sea.
Following the end of World War I, Italian forces took custody of approximately 14,000 Russian soldiers who had been captured by Austria-Hungary during the conflict. These prisoners were interned on the island of Asinara, located off the coast of Sardinia. Acting on a proposal from the Italian Socialist Party, the Italian government resolved to repatriate these Russian troops back to Russia, then engulfed in the turmoil of the Russian Civil War, and hand 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 carrying the Russian prisoners bound for 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 rocked amidships by a mine detonation, believed to be a remnant mine possibly laid by the Ottoman Navy during World War I. The blast resulted in the deaths of 10 crew members and wounded nine others, inflicting critical damage on the vessel. The crew abandoned ship in an orderly manner, and around 40 minutes later, Carlo Alberto Racchia sank bow-first 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 the removal of Carlo Alberto Racchia from the naval register by the Regia Marina in 1922.
In 1938, eighteen years post-sinking, the Regia Marina reclassified vessels of the Mirabello class as destroyers.
External links
- Carlo Alberto Racchia official Marina Militare site
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