Italian destroyer Pontiere
| Company type | Destroyer, later torpedo boat |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval military vessel |
| Founded | 11 February 1910 |
| Headquarters | Genoa , Italy |
| Products | Naval warship |
Pontiere, meaning "Bridgeman," was a Soldato-class -class destroyer serving in the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). She was commissioned in 1910 and took part in operations during {{nowrap:World War I}}. Later, in 1921, she was redesignated as a torpedo boat before being removed from the naval register in 1929.
Design
The propulsion system of Pontiere consisted of two vertical triple-expansion steam engines powered by three Thornycroft water-tube boilers, generating approximately 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW). These engines drove a pair of propeller shafts, enabling the vessel to achieve speeds up to 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph). Her fuel storage included 65 tonnes (64 long tons) of fuel oil, which provided an operational range of about 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) when cruising at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). Armament comprised four quick-firing 76 mm/40 caliber guns and three torpedo tubes measuring 450 mm in diameter.
Construction and commissioning
The keel of Pontiere was laid on 18 November 1905 at the Gio. Ansaldo & C. shipyard located in Genoa, Italy. She was subsequently launched on 3 January 1910 and reached completion by 11 February 1910. The destroyer officially entered service with the navy during the year 1910.
Service history
Assigned to the 4th Division of the 2nd Squadron,[1] Pontiere ran aground on a rock near Sardinia on 14 September 1911. The vessel was subsequently salvaged, underwent repairs in Taranto, and was relaunched on 1 November 1913.[2][3] This incident occurred just fifteen days prior to the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War,[4] causing Pontiere to miss the entire conflict due to extensive repair work.
With the onset of World War I in 1914 and Italy’s entry into the war alongside the Allies through its declaration against Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915, Pontiere—commanded by Capitano di corvetta (Corvette Captain) Mancini—served as the flagship of the 4th Destroyer Squadron based at Brindisi. This squadron also included her sister ships Alpino, Ascaro, Carabiniere, Fuciliere, and the destroyer Zeffiro.[5] On 29 May 1915, Pontiere, along with Alpino and sister ship Corazziere, supported a group of destroyers consisting of Artigliere, Bersagliere, Garibaldino, and Lanciere as they bombarded the Adria Werke chemical plant in Monfalcone, a key site producing poison gases.[5] A subsequent bombardment on the same target occurred on 7 June 1915.[5]
At 19:00 on 8 June 1916, Pontiere departed from Vlorë (referred to as Valona by Italians) in the Principality of Albania, escorting alongside the protected cruiser Libia and destroyers Espero, Impavido, and Insidioso. Their mission was to safeguard the armed merchant cruiser Principe Umberto and troopship Romagna, which were transporting the Italian Royal Army’s (Regio Esercito) 55th Infantry regiment comprising 2,605 soldiers back to Italy. Shortly after departure, the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-5 struck Principe Umberto with two torpedoes in the stern. The ship sank rapidly approximately 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) southwest of Cape Linguetta, resulting in the loss of 1,926 out of the 2,821 personnel onboard—the deadliest naval catastrophe of World War I in terms of casualties. The escort vessels managed to rescue survivors but failed to locate or retaliate against U-5.[5]
By 11 February 1917, under a new commander named Cappelli, Pontiere, along with Alpino, Carabiniere, Fuciliere, torpedo boats 19 OS, 20 OS, 21 OS, and 22 OS, plus six French airplanes provided escort and support for two French and three Italian seaplanes conducting reconnaissance over the Austro-Hungarian Navy base at Pula.[5]
During the night spanning 13–14 August 1917, Pontiere departed from Venice alongside Carabiniere and destroyers Animoso, Ardente, Audace, Francesco Stocco, Giovanni Acerbi, Giuseppe Cesare Abba, Giuseppe Sirtori, and Vincenzo Giordano Orsini to intercept an Austro-Hungarian flotilla composed of destroyers Dinara, Reka, Sharfschutze, Streiter, and Velebit together with six torpedo boats. These enemy vessels had recently supported an aerial assault by thirty-two aircraft targeting Venice’s fortress area; this raid resulted in damage to San Giovanni e Paolo Hospital with fourteen fatalities and approximately thirty injuries. Only Vincenzo Giordano Orsini briefly engaged with the Austro-Hungarian ships before they withdrew.[5]
On 24 September 1917, Pontiere, together with Carabiniere and Zeffiro, set sail from Venice intending to intervene in a skirmish between Italian coastal torpedo boats 9 PN, 10 PN, 11 PN, and 12 PN against four Austro-Hungarian Navy destroyers. The engagement concluded once Italian aircraft intervened, prompting the Austro-Hungarian vessels to retreat before any direct confrontation with the Italian destroyers occurred.[6]
By late October of 1918, Austria-Hungary was effectively collapsing. The signing of the Armistice of Villa Giusti on 3 November came into force on 4 November that year, terminating hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allied forces. The First World War concluded a week later following an armistice between the Allies and the German Empire on 11 November 1918.
Post-World War I
On 1 July 1921, Pontiere underwent reclassification, being designated as a torpedo boat. She was officially removed from the naval register on 1 July 1929 and was dismantled thereafter.
References
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. (reprinted from Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute with additions)
- 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 (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.