The Ships of Battlegroup: Italy Roma (BB)

Displacement	41,650 tons	Belt Armor	13.8 inches
Overall Length	786 feet	Deck Armor	6.4 inches
Beam	107.8 feet	Main Turret Armor	13.8 inches
Speed	30 knots	Main Guns	9 × 15″

Laid down on September 18, 1938, launched on June 9, 1940 and commissioned on June 14, 1942, the ship carried its main armament in three triple turrets; two centerline superfiring turrets forward and one aft. The planned four ship class included sister ships Vittorio Veneto, Littorio and the never-completed Impero and was designed to answer the French Dunkerque class battlecruisers. The smaller 15 inch guns were substituted for the Treaty-allowed 16 inch guns in an attempt to stay near the Treaty limit of 35,000 tons though the guns were designed for the extraordinary range of 46,000 yards.

Built later than her two sister ships, Roma was a bit different in various details and slightly larger. “Roma” is, of course, the Italian version of “Rome”, Italy’s capital. The Italian Navy in World War II had some good ships but timid leadership and many technical shortcomings. The Italian Navy was dependent on their German allies for fuel oil and could only sortie when the Germans gave them enough oil to do so. Even on their newest battleships, they had few radar sets, old fashioned fire control and a communications system so bad that the Allies, via their Ultra radio intercepts and decryptions, sometimes had a better idea of an Italian naval squadron’s location than its assigned air cover from the Italian Air Force. Roma did not see much action between her commissioning and Italy’s surrender. Struck by two German radio controlled FX-1400 bombs on her way to Malta and Allied control, the ship broke in two and sank following the explosion of her forward magazines with the loss of over 1200 crewmen.

For near contemporary foreign battleships, see: King George V, North Carolina, Richelieu and Washington .

Where did we get all these fascinating historical tidbits and factoids? See the Bibliography for the culprits.