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Bolzano 1942 I thank Dr Robert Lyman, United Kingdom for correction of information on this page .

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Bolzano			Ansaldo, Genoa	11.6.1930	31.8.1932	19.8.1933	damaged 13.8.1942, repair incomplete

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	10890
Displacement full, t	13665
Length, m	187.6 pp 196.9 oa
Breadth, m	20.6
Draught, m	6.80 mean deep
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 10 Yarrow-Ansaldo boilers
Power, h. p.	150000
Max speed, kts	36
Fuel, t	oil 2224
Endurance, nm(kts)	4432(16)
Armour, mm	belt: 70, bulkheads: 60 - 50, decks: 50 - 20, barbettes: 70 - 60, turrets: 80, CT: 100 - 40, communication tube: 70 - 60
Armament	4 x 2 - 203/53 Ansaldo 1929, 8 x 2 - 100/47 OTO 1928, 4 x 1 - 40/39 Vickers-Terni 1917, 4 x 2 - 13.2/76, 8 - 533 TT aw (beam, 12), 1 catapult, 3 seaplanes (P.6, M.41, Cant.25)
Complement	725

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Bolzano was built under the 1929-1930 programme and was the development of Trento class cruisers with increased speed. The hull with obviously expressed forecastle (as on Zara) instead of flush-deck ones, improved machinery, forced to 150000hp, new fore superstructure (as on Pola), new M1929 guns instead of M1924 on Trento became the basic differences.

Though machinery power was raised, the boilers number was shrank from 12 to 10 at the expense of larger steam output of each boiler. The general scheme of machinery arrangement basically repeated accepted on Trento (en echelon), but now the fore group included not 8, but 6 boilers. The second, aft group included, as before, 4 boilers in two rooms, but internal arrangement differed from predecessors. It has been called by necessity to place funnels on larger distance for transference of a catapult from a forecastle (where it was exposed to influence of waves on Trento class) to amidships.

Protection practically did not differ from accepted on Trento.

Bolzano became the fastest Italian "Washington" cruiser: on trials she reached 36.81kts at 173772hp power. Real (during daily service) speed also was appeared enough high: about 33kts.

13.8.1942 she was damaged by torpedo from British submarine Unbroken. Repair of battle damages it has been decided to combine with conversion to semi-aircraft carrier intended for carrying and launching of 12 Re.2000 fighters. Landing of aircrafts on the deck was not provided, after fulfilment of the task they should fly to nearest coastal airfields. For launch of aircrafts two catapults on forecastle were provided. Fighters were planned to store openly on the deck, thus all superstructures fwd from fore funnel were demounted, and the fore funnel was shared on two, moved to sides. All old armament was removed, assuming to change on 10 single 90mm/50 guns and 20 twin 20mm/65 MGs. After conversion displacement should be moderated to 9000/11800t. Actually conversion did not start.

Ship protection

70-mm main belt expanded between fore side of "A" and aft side of "Y" barbettes and closed by 60-mm upper and 50-mm (fwd) or 40-mm (aft) lower bulkheads. 50-mm flat main deck connected with upper edge of main belt. Ship ends outside the citadel were protected by 20-mm lower deck with 30-mm slopes. Barbettes and communication tube had 70-mm protection above and 60-mm below the upper deck. CT had 100-mm sides, 40-mm deck and 50-mm roof. Director had 80-mm sides and 60-mm roof.

Modernizations

1934: - 2 x 1 - 40/39

1937: - 2 x 2 - 100/47, 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 2 - 37/54 Breda 1932

1942: - 4 x 2 - 13.2/76; + 4 x 1 - 20/65 Breda 1940

Naval service

25.8.1941 Bolzano was torpedoed by British submarine Triumph and was 3 months under repair. 13.8.1942 she was again damaged by torpedo from British submarine Unbroken and ran aground. A month later she was salvaged and towed to La Spezia but repair (and planned conversion to semi-aircraft carrier) was incomplete. 9.9.1943 Bolzano was captured at La Spezia by Germans. She was sunk on 22 June 1944 in La Spezia by a British Chariot Mk I crew operating from the Italian destroyer Grecale. The two British crewmen of the Chariot were Sub Lieutenant Malcolm Causer RN and Able Seaman Harry Smith RN.

I thank Dr Robert Lyman, United Kingdom for correction of information on this page .