Italian carriers...

..the Regia Marina found itself on June 10th, 1940 without an aircraft carrier and, as a matter of fact, without naval aviation.

http://www.regiamarina.net/arsenals/ships_it/carrier_us.htm

After the Battle of Gavdo and Matapan , there was not any hesitation: the Regia Marina had to have an aircraft carrier. In July, the order was given for the conversion of the liner Roma to an aircraft carrier. This liner was chosen in virtues of several factors, which made it a better candidate that other ships.

The transformation work began immediately. The underwater part of the hull was modified with the installation of saddle-tanks to minimize the wake and allow for a better flow of the water around the hull, which was widened about 5 meters. The internal compartments were completely reorganized to allow for the installation for the hangar capable of hosting 30 to 40 planes, and the necessary shops and support systems.

The original four Parsons turbines, capable of 21.5 knots, were completely replaced. Instead were installed four turbines originally planned for the light cruisers "Capitani Romani" class made available by the cancellation of 4 of the original 12 vessels. Each turbine was capable of 50,000 HP, but on this installation they were limited to 37,500, also replaced were the propellers which were designed for this larger, but slower ship.

Armament was mostly designed for antiaircraft defense and included 8 135/45 guns and 12 65/64 on single mounts placed on the ledges to the side of the deck. Also, defense included 132 20/65 machine guns in 22 sextuple mounting distributed to the sides of the deck and in front and back of the island.The air wing consisted of 51 aircraft.

It was destine, however, that Italy would conclude the war without an aircraft carrier. In September 1943 the Aquila, now almost completed and for sea trials, was caught by the armistice in Genoa and was captured by the Germans. It was later damaged during an allied aerial bombardment on June 16th, 1944 and later sunk by Italian insidious weapons on April 19th, 1945. The relict was later rescued and scuttle after the war.

Aquila was not to be alone. In 1942 it was decided to transform into an aircraft carrier the Roma’s quasi-sister ship Augustus. This transformation was to be very limited. The Sparviero (this was the designated name) was scheduled to be a support carrier similar to the allied ships: continuos flight deck, no island, later exhaust, and armed with 6 152 mm and 4 102 mm guns placed to the side of the deck. The ship was to have a wing of about 20 planes.

The engine was to be the original diesel one, capable of 18 knots. Work began in November 1942, but was stopped by the armistice the following year at an earlier stage. Practically, the ship had been "shaven" down to the main deck, but none of the structure had been build. This transformation, like the one before, went up in smoke in the nebulous times of September 8th.

 

The R.N Aquila...

 

Quote from above...

"It was later damaged by Allied aerial bombardment on June 16th, 1944 and later sunk by Italian insidious weapons."

ROFL!

I've heard the Italian 'pig' described as all sorts of things, but insidious?

What a howler!.....

 

The Italians called them Mezzi insidiosi, it's another of those trick words that can get you in big trouble when translating.

 

Scusi...

Not able to speak Italian, so the thought did not occur to me....I still got quite a cackle out of it, no offence intended!

Grazzi!

 

And none taken , I've also had lots of fun with "litteral" translation results.

BTW the Italian navy persisted in it counless attempts to get a carrier, I can recall a round dozen of them but more seem to come out the archives all the time and finally made it very recently.

 

We had an Italian carrier arrive in Darwin for shore leave...

It was full of National service sailors, all with the same general complaint....that they didn't get paid enough! I don't think National service is particularly popular in Italy generally. The sailors spent a week in Darwin, and won quite a few hearts in the local bars and taverns. It seems that Italianos will never quite lose their reputation for amore', wherever they may be!

 

Conscription was abolished in Italy in 2005 before Cavour, the ship in the picture and Italy's official first aviation ship, was in service. In my age group draftees were paid 500 lire a day, enough for cigarettes not enough for a pizza and a beer, but today's volunteers are paid much better and Cavour should have a 100% volunteer crew.

The visiting ship could have been Garibaldi or one of the 3 sisters San Gorgio, San Marco, San Giusto, the first was officially an ASW cruiser, at the time of her building the navy could not operate fixed wing planes, and the other 3 are really LPDs, One was initially not a warship as she was not paid out of navy funds though she has always had a navy crew.

Garibaldi



San Giusto