Italian destroyer Zeffiro (1927)

Zeffiro

Company type	Destroyer
Industry	Naval military vessel
Founded	29 April 1925 (keel laid down)
Defunct	5 July 1940 (sunk)
Headquarters	Genoa-Sestri Ponente , Italy
Products	Warship (destroyer)

Template:Other ships

Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsZeffiro was among eight destroyers of the class constructed for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the late 1920s. Its name was inspired by Zeffiro, a westerly wind frequently experienced in the Mediterranean Sea. During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1937), the ship had a limited engagement, providing support to the Nationalist side.

Design and description

The Turbine class represented a larger, enhanced iteration of the earlier destroyers. These vessels measured an overall length of approximately 93.2 metres (306 ft), with a beam spanning 9.2 metres (30 ft) and an average draft near 3 metres (9.8 ft). Their displacement was around 1,090 tonnes (1,070 long tons; 1,200 short tons) under standard conditions and reached up to 1,700 tonnes (1,700 long tons; 1,900 short tons) when fully loaded. The crew complement included 12 officers alongside 167 enlisted sailors.

Propulsion was delivered by two geared Parsons steam turbines, each connected to a propeller shaft, powered by steam from three Thornycroft boilers. These turbines developed a total output of about 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW), enabling a service speed close to 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph). Notably, Zeffiro’s sister ships achieved speeds exceeding 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) during trials when lightly loaded. Fuel capacity allowed for an operational range of roughly 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) cruising at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

The primary armament consisted of four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns arranged in two twin turrets positioned fore and aft relative to the superstructure. Anti-aircraft defense featured two single-mounted 40 millimetres (1.6 in) AA guns amidships and one twin mount for 13.2 millimetres (0.52 in) machine guns manufactured by Breda Model 1931. The torpedo armament comprised six 533 millimetres (21.0 in) torpedo tubes arranged in two triple launchers amidships. Additionally, the class was capable of deploying up to 52 naval mines.

Construction and career

File:RIN Zeffiro being launched.jpg

Launching of Zeffiro at Genoa-Sestri Ponente in 1927

The keel of Zeffiro was laid down by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their Genoa-Sestri Ponente shipyard on 29 April 1925. She was subsequently launched on 27 May 1927 and finalized on 15 May 1928. Upon entering service, Zeffiro was assigned to the 1st Squadron of the I Destroyer Flotilla, based at La Spezia, alongside destroyers Espero, Ostro, and Borea. Between 1929 and 1932, the vessel conducted multiple training voyages throughout the Mediterranean Sea. During exercises in 1932, she was struck by a malfunctioning torpedo fired from Aquilone. In 1931, Zeffiro operated as part of the II Naval Division together with destroyers Euro, Espero, and Nembo, as well as the older cruiser Ancona. Following a reorganization in 1934, Zeffiro was once again grouped with Espero, Ostro, and Borea to form the 4th Destroyer Squadron within the II Naval Division.

Spanish Civil War

With the onset of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, both Kingdom of Italy and Nazi Germany supported General Franco’s Nationalists, while the Soviet Union actively aided the Republicans. Initially, Soviet supply efforts relied on Republican-held northern ports such as Bilbao and Santander, near the French border. However, after these ports fell in mid-1937, Soviet shipments had to be rerouted through Mediterranean harbors. Early in 1937, Italy and Germany deployed submarines in the Mediterranean with the aim to disrupt Republican maritime supply lines, though these attempts yielded limited results. On 3 August 1937, Franco urgently requested Mussolini to deploy the Italian fleet to block a large Soviet convoy departing from Odessa. Although the original plan involved only submarines, Mussolini was persuaded by Franco to engage surface vessels as well. Consequently, an Italian naval blockade was immediately established, deploying two light cruisers — Armando Diaz and Luigi Cadorna — along with eight torpedo boats and eight destroyers including Zeffiro, operating around the Strait of Sicily and Strait of Messina. During this blockade, Zeffiro undertook multiple patrols typically lasting three days, often alongside her sister ship Euro, but these missions did not achieve any significant success.

In September 1937, the Nyon Conference convened under the initiative of France and Great Britain to address submarine attacks on merchant vessels in the Mediterranean labeled as "underwater piracy." On 14 September, an accord was reached creating British and French patrol zones around Spain involving a fleet of sixty destroyers supported by air forces to counter submarine threats. Although Italy was not explicitly blamed, it was compelled to adhere to this agreement and cease its naval operations related to the blockade.

World War II

When Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940, Zeffiro was part of the 2nd Destroyer Squadron based in Taranto, alongside sister ships Espero, Ostro, and Borea.

On the night of 27 June 1940, departing Taranto at 22:45, Zeffiro embarked on its initial wartime operation together with Ostro and the squadron flagship Espero, under the command of Captain Enrico Baroni. Their mission involved transporting two anti-aircraft batteries equipped with a total of 10 Breda Model 35 guns, approximately 120 short tons (110 t) of ammunition (450,000 rounds), and 162 members of the Voluntary Militia for Territorial Security to Tobruk.

At 12:10 on 28 June 1940, roughly 50 mi (43 nmi; 80 km) west of Zakynthos, a British reconnaissance Short Sunderland aircraft detected the convoy. As the group entered the operational range of the British 7th Cruiser Squadron—which included light cruisers Liverpool, Orion, Neptune, Gloucester, and Sydney—Admiral John Tovey directed an interception. The Allied cruisers spotted the Italian formation at approximately 18:30, about 100 miles north of Tobruk, and at 18:36 Liverpool initiated fire from a distance of 22,000 yd (20,000 m) against the Italian flotilla, which was caught off guard. Shortly after, at 18:59, Orion also commenced firing from around 18,000 yd (16,000 m).

Although Italian destroyers theoretically possessed superior speed compared to the British cruisers, their age combined with the heavy cargo negated this advantage. Furthermore, a malfunction in the third boiler of Espero restricted its speed to only 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). Consequently, Captain Baroni chose to sacrifice his ship to enable Zeffiro and Ostro to escape, ordering them to break off engagement and head for Benghazi at maximum speed. Meanwhile, Espero deployed smoke screens and executed evasive maneuvers while engaging the division led by Liverpool with gunfire and launching three torpedoes targeting Orion.

As Liverpool and Gloucester concentrated their efforts on neutralizing Espero, the remaining cruisers attempted to maneuver around the smoke to pursue Zeffiro and Ostro. However, orders redirected them to focus solely on destroying Espero. Despite intensive gunfire, the Italian destroyer avoided hits through continuous zigzagging until 20:00 when her engine rooms sustained damage, immobilizing her.

During this engagement lasting approximately 130 minutes, the British 7th Squadron fired nearly 5,000 shells—including over 1,600 main caliber rounds—before sinking the Italian vessel. The Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney (D48) rescued 47 survivors out of a crew of 225; an additional thirty-six men escaped on rafts, but only six were later recovered alive by the Italian submarine Topazio nearly twenty days afterward. Captain Baroni perished aboard his ship and was awarded the Gold Medal of Military Valor (Medaglia d´oro al valor militare) posthumously.

On the morning following this battle, 29 June 1940, Zeffiro along with Ostro reached Benghazi before continuing onward to arrive at Tobruk on July 1.

A subsequent Italian convoy departed Augusta on 30 June 1940 bound for Tobruk carrying troops, supplies, ammunition, and fuel. This convoy comprised six cargo and passenger vessels escorted by six destroyers and four torpedo boats. The Royal Navy failed to intercept it largely due to extensive ammunition expenditure during their earlier clash. By 5 July 1940, seven Turbine-class destroyers were docked in Tobruk harbor alongside four torpedo boats, six freighters, and various auxiliary ships.

Between 10:00 and 11:15 that day, a Short Sunderland reconnaissance aircraft flew over Tobruk harbor at an altitude between 1,500 and 2,000 meters. Despite anti-aircraft fire directed against it, the plane confirmed a significant concentration of vessels in port. Later that afternoon, nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from 813 Naval Air Squadron launched from Sidi Barrani airfield heading towards Tobruk.

Although an air raid alarm sounded at 20:06, Italian forces did not detect the incoming Allied aircraft until they were already over the harbor at approximately 20:20. Most personnel from destroyers were aboard steamers Liguria and Sabbia except for crews assigned specifically to anti-aircraft defense. The attack began shortly thereafter and lasted about seven minutes, resulting in five Italian ships being sunk or damaged.

The British torpedo bombers faced no aerial resistance as they approached at low altitude—around 100 feet—and released torpedoes from distances between 400 and 500 meters almost point-blank. Zeffiro was targeted first by a plane piloted by Nicholas Kennedy; his torpedo struck near the bow adjacent to the ammunition storage area between the bridge and a 120 mm gun emplacement. The resulting explosion split Zeffiro in two sections causing it to sink within thirty minutes. Additionally, freighter Manzoni was hit, capsized, and sank; destroyer and steamer Serenitas sustained damage requiring them to be beached; while ocean liner Liguria was also struck but survived with damage. Two other planes attacked additional destroyers but failed to launch torpedoes due to intense anti-aircraft fire.

The air raid warning was lifted at 21:31 after all nine British aircraft had withdrawn from the area.

Casualties aboard Zeffiro numbered twenty-one crew members—ten killed outright, eleven missing—and twenty wounded.

External links

• Zeffiro (1927) Official Marina Militare website