User:DeltaSquad833/Italian battleship Francesco Caracciolo (1920)

	Francesco Caracciolo being launched on 12 May 1920
History
Kingdom of Italy
Name	Francesco Caracciolo
Namesake	Francesco Caracciolo
Builder	Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia
Laid down	16 October 1914
Launched	12 May 1920
Stricken	2 January 1921
Fate	Scrapped, 1926
General characteristics
Class and type	Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship
Displacement	34,000 t (33,000 long tons) (full load)
Length	212 m (696 ft) (loa)
Beam	29.6 m (97 ft 1 in)
Draft	9.5 m (31 ft 2 in)
Installed power	20 × Yarrow boilers; 105,000 shp (78,000 kW);
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 4 × steam turbines
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Armament	4 × twin 381 mm (15 in) guns; 12 × single 152 mm (6 in) guns; 8 × single 102 mm (4 in) guns; 12 × single 40 mm (1.6 in) guns; 8 × 450 or 533 mm (17.7 or 21.0 in) torpedo tubes;
Armor	Belt: 303 mm (11.9 in); Turrets: 400 mm (15.7 in); Conning tower: 400 mm (15.7 in); Deck: 50 mm (2 in);

Francesco Caracciolo was a Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship of the Regia Marina. The ship was named after Francesco Caracciolo, an 18th-century Italian admiral.

Development and design edit

Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel authorized a huge new construction program, which called for four new battleships, three cruisers, and numerous other warships after becoming the Chief of Staff.^[1] Francesco Caracciolo class was the first type of super-dreadnought battleship designed by the Regia Marina.^[2] They were intended to match the new fast battleships being built in foreign navies.

They were 201.6 m (661 ft) long at the waterline and 212 m (696 ft) long overall. The ships had a beam of 29.6 m (97 ft) and a draft of 9.5 m (31 ft). They would have displaced 31,400 metric tons (30,900 long tons) at normal loading and up to 34,000 t (33,000 long tons) at full load. They were to be equipped with two tripod masts.^[3]

Construction and career edit

Francesco Caracciolo was laid down on 16 October 1914, but construction was halted in March 1916 due to the shortage of steel, continuing in October 1919. While construction was in progress Regia Marina made plans to convert her into an aircraft carrier but, after World War I, the cost was excessive. A conversion to a seaplane carrier was proposed by Ansaldo shipyard but was still too expensive.^[4] Under the command of Admiral Giovanni Sechi, all of her sisters were cancelled.

On 12 May 1920, she was launched by Regio Cantieri di Castellammare di Stabia at Castellammare di Stabia. Navigazione Generale Italiana shipping company bought her on 25 October of the same year to convert her to a merchant ship. This was found to be too costly, and the ship was temporarily mothballed at Baiae Bay off Naples.^[5]^[3]

Regia Marina returned to the idea of converting her to an aircraft carrier during the Washington Naval Conference, with an all-new design already planned. The budget was not available, so she was finally stricken on 2 January 1921 and scrapped in 1926.^[3]^[6]

Gallery edit

Francesco Caracciolo being readied for launch on 30 May 1920.
Admiral Francesco Caracciolo, ship's namesake.

References edit

^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 62
^ Sandler, p. 102
^ ^a ^b ^c Gardiner & Gray, p. 260
^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 63
^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 64
^ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 67

External links edit

Category:Francesco Caracciolo-class battleships Category:Ships built in Italy Category:1920 ships

[1] Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 62

[2] Sandler, p. 102

[GG2603-3] Gardiner & Gray, p. 260

[CO63-4] Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 63

[CO64-5] Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 64

[6] Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 67

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Francesco Caracciolo-class battleships
Francesco Caracciolo Marcantonio Colonna Cristoforo Colombo Francesco Morosini
Preceded by: Andrea Doria class Followed by: Littorio class
List of battleships of Italy