View source for List of battleships of Italy

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[[File:Italian battleship Roma (1940) starboard bow view.jpg|thumb|Battleship {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1940|2}} in 1940|upright=1.3]]

Starting in the 1890s, the Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy) began building a series of modern battleships. Early designs were marked by their small size, light armor, and high speed compared to contemporary foreign counterparts. The first [[pre-dreadnought]] battleship design, the {{sclass|Ammiraglio di Saint Bon|battleship|4}}, was constrained by budgetary limits imposed by the legislature. Two ships were ordered by the class's namesake, Admiral [[Simone de Pacoret Saint Bon]], though the design was also influenced by [[Benedetto Brin]], who replaced di Saint Bon as naval minister after his death. Brin designed the next pair of battleships, the {{sclass|Regina Margherita|battleship|4}}. These ships were larger than the preceding class, and were intended to challenge the Austro-Hungarian {{sclass|Habsburg|battleship|1}}s then under construction. Brin himself died during the construction process. [[Vittorio Cuniberti]] designed the next class of small pre-dreadnoughts, the {{sclass|Regina Elena|battleship|4}}, which were the fastest battleships in the world at the time of their completion.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|pp=343–344}}{{sfn|Hore|pp=78–81}} These ships all served in the [[Italo-Turkish War]] of 1911–1912, where they were primarily used to provide [[naval gunfire support]] for the Italian ground troops, as the [[Ottoman Navy]] largely confined itself to port.{{sfn|Beehler|pp=9, 27–29, 66–68, 74–76}}

By the time that the ''Regina Elena''s had been built in the early 1900s, the British battleship {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} had been completed, a revolutionary design that rendered all previous battleships obsolete. Therefore, a new [[dreadnought|dreadnought-type battleship]] was needed. The new ship was [[Italian battleship Dante Alighieri|''Dante Alighieri'']], and was designed by Rear Admiral [[Edoardo Masdea]].{{sfn|Preston 1972|p=175}} The Italian Navy built five further battleships to two similar designs: the {{sclass|Conte di Cavour|battleship|5}} and {{sclass|Andrea Doria|battleship|4}}es. These six dreadnoughts formed the core of the Italian fleet during [[World War I]], as a [[Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship|further four-ship class]] was cancelled.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|pp=259–260}} Both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian navies adopted cautious fleet policies and neither chose to risk their [[capital ship]]s in a major engagement; as a result, the Italian battle line spent the war in harbor and did not see combat.{{sfn|Halpern 1995|pp=141–142}} Nevertheless, the dreadnought [[Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci|''Leonardo da Vinci'']] was destroyed by a [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]] explosion in August 1916.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=157–158}} The pre-dreadnought [[Italian battleship Benedetto Brin|''Benedetto Brin'']] was also destroyed by an internal explosion in September 1915, and her sister [[Italian battleship Regina Margherita|''Regina Margherita'']] was sunk by a German mine in December 1916.{{sfn|Hocking|pp=79, 583}} The remaining battleships of the ''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' and ''Regina Elena'' classes were discarded after the end of the war.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|pp=343–344}}

In the [[interwar period]], the Italian Navy—along with the rest of the major naval powers—was limited by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]], which granted Italy parity with the French Navy.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=169–170}} The Italians had {{convert|70000|LT}} worth of battleship tonnage available for new vessels before they would reach their treaty limits, but they avoided new construction in the 1920s due to severe budgetary problems and to avoid a naval arms race with France.{{sfn|Garzke & Dulin|p=374}}{{sfn|Goldstein & Maurer|p=225}} These financial limitations also forced the Italians to scrap ''Dante Alighieri'' in 1928.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}{{sfn|Goldstein & Maurer|p=226}} Nevertheless, the ''Regia Marina'' decided to make use of its excess tonnage by the early 1930s, which resulted in the four {{sclass|Littorio|battleship|1}}s. Two were finished early in [[World War II]] and were used extensively to escort convoys during the [[North African Campaign]]. The third ship, [[Italian battleship Roma (1940)|''Roma'']], was finished in 1942, but was sunk in September 1943 by a German radio-controlled bomb when Italy surrendered to the Allies. The fourth ship, [[Italian battleship Impero|''Impero'']], was never finished and was instead sunk by American bombers and scrapped after the end of the war. The two surviving ships, [[Italian battleship Littorio|''Littorio'']] and [[Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto|''Vittorio Veneto'']], were surrendered to the Allies and were later broken up for scrap.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=174–178}} Of the surviving members of the ''Conte di Cavour'' class, ''Conte di Cavour'' was scrapped after the end of the war and ''Giulio Cesare'' was surrendered to the Soviet Union as war reparations. Only the two ''Andrea Doria''-class battleships survived in Italian service for any significant length of time after the conclusion of hostilities; both served as [[training ship]]s until the mid-1950s, when they too were broken up for scrap.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|pp=259–260}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 0 1em;"
|+ Key
|-
! scope="row" | Armament
| The number and type of the primary armament
|-
! scope="row" | Armor
| The thickness of the [[Armor belt|belt armor]]
|-
! scope="row" | Displacement
| [[Displacement (ship)|Ship displacement]] at full combat load
|-
! scope="row" | Propulsion
| Number of [[Drive shaft#Marine drive shafts|shafts]], type of propulsion system, and top speed/horsepower generated
|-
! scope="row" | Service
| The dates work began and finished on the ship and its ultimate fate
|-
! scope="row" | Laid down
| The date the [[keel]] began to be assembled
|-
! scope="row" | Commissioned
| The date the ship was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]]
|}
__TOC__
{{clear}}

==Pre-dreadnought battleships==
===''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' class===
[[File:Italian battleship Ammiraglio di Saint Bon.jpg|thumb|''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' underway]]
{{main|Ammiraglio di Saint Bon-class battleship|l1=''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon''-class battleship}}

The first of the Italian Navy's modern battleships, the ''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' class were smaller than their contemporaries due to limitations imposed by the Italian government and indecision in the naval design staff over what kind of battleship should be built. They were designed under the supervision of Admiral [[Simone di Pacoret Saint Bon]], the namesake of the [[lead ship]], and [[Benedetto Brin]]. Ultimately, the ships' small size, weak main battery, and slow speed made them ineffective capital ships, since they were not strong enough to engage foreign battleships, and too slow to catch cruisers.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}{{sfn|Hore|p=79}}

Both ships served in the active duty squadron early in their careers, and participated in the [[Italo-Turkish War]] of 1911–1912. They took part in the Italian offensives in [[North Africa]] and the island of [[Rhodes]], but did not see combat with the Ottoman fleet.{{sfn|Beehler|pp=9, 74–75}} They were reduced to harbor defense ships by the outbreak of [[World War I]], and spent the war in [[Venice]]. The ships were discarded shortly after the end of the war, both having been [[:wikt:stricken|stricken]] in 1920.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Ammiraglio di Saint Bon||2}}
| rowspan="2" | 4 × {{convert|10|in|abbr=on|0}} guns
| rowspan="2" | {{convert|9.8|in|abbr=on|0}}
| {{convert|10531|LT|lk=on|0}}
| rowspan="2" | 2 shafts, 2 [[triple-expansion steam engine]]s, {{convert|14000|ihp|abbr=on|lk=in|-2}}, {{convert|18|kn|abbr=on|lk=on}}
| 18 July 1893
| 24 May 1901
| rowspan="2" | Discarded, 1920
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Emanuele Filiberto||2}}
| {{convert|9940|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 5 October 1893
| 16 April 1902
|}

===''Regina Margherita'' class===
[[File:Regina Margherita.png|thumb|''Regina Margherita'' on sea trials in 1904]]
{{main|Regina Margherita-class battleship|l1=''Regina Margherita''-class battleship}}

The pattern of experimentation in Italian capital ship construction continued with the ''Regina Margherita'' class. The negative experience with the ''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' class convinced the constructors, led by Benedetto Brin, to design a larger battleship that could engage its foreign counterparts. The new class was designed specifically to counter the new {{sclass|Habsburg|battleship|1}}s of the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]]. For this purpose, the ships were armed with the {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} gun that had become standard for most pre-dreadnought battleships of the day. As was typical for Italian capital ships of the period, armor protection was reduced in order to secure high speed.{{sfn|Hore|pp=79–80}} Brin died during the construction process, and the Italian Navy named the second vessel after him.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}

The two ships also saw action in the Italo-Turkish War, alongside the ''Ammiraglio di Saint Bon'' class in the 3rd Division of the fleet. ''Benedetto Brin'' took part in the attack on [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] in October 1911, and both ships were involved in the campaign to seize Rhodes in the eastern [[Aegean Sea]].{{sfn|Beehler|pp=9, 66–68}} The ''Regina Margherita'' class had become obsolete by the outbreak of World War I and had been reduced to training ships. Both were lost during the war: ''Benedetto Brin'' to an internal explosion in [[Brindisi]] in September 1915, and ''Regina Margherita'' to a German [[naval mine|mine]] in December 1916.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Regina Margherita'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=343}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Regina Margherita||2}}
| rowspan="2" | 4 × {{convert|12|in|abbr=on|0}} guns
| rowspan="2" | {{convert|6|in|abbr=on|0}}
| {{convert|14093|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| rowspan="2" | 2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines, {{convert|20000|ihp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|20|kn|abbr=on}}
| 20 November 1898
| 14 April 1904
| Sunk, 1916
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Benedetto Brin||2}}
| {{convert|14737|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 30 January 1899
| 1 September 1905
| Destroyed, 1915
|}

===''Regina Elena'' class===
[[File:Italian battleship Regina Elena 17 May 1907.jpg|thumb|''Regina Elena'' 1907]]
{{main|Regina Elena-class battleship|l1=''Regina Elena''-class battleship}}

The final class of Italian pre-dreadnoughts were designed by [[Vittorio Cuniberti]], the naval architect whose projected design for the first [[dreadnought battleship|"all-big-gun" battleship]] would quickly make the ''Regina Elena'' class obsolescent. These ships sacrificed two of the 12-inch guns to obtain a powerful secondary battery of twelve {{convert|8|in|adj=on|0}} guns. Their high speed—the fastest of any battleship then built, including the revolutionary, [[steam turbine|turbine]]-powered {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}}—permitted them to also engage cruisers.{{sfn|Hore|p=81}}{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|pp=336, 344}}

All four ships served in the 1st Division of the Italian fleet during the Italo-Turkish War, and were the workhorses of the operations off North Africa and in the eastern Mediterranean.{{sfn|Beehler|pp=27–29, 74–76}} During World War I, the ships were primarily based in Brindisi, [[Taranto]], and [[Vlorë|Valona]];{{sfn|Halpern 2004|p=20}} they saw no action during the war due to the cautious fleet policies adopted by both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian navies.{{sfn|Halpern 1995|pp=141–142}} The ships remained in the Italian fleet for a few years after the war, but all were discarded and broken up for scrap by 1927.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Regina Elena'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1979|p=344}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Regina Elena||2}}
| rowspan="4" | 2 × 12&nbsp;in guns
| rowspan="4" | 9.8&nbsp;in
| rowspan="4" | {{convert|13914|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| rowspan="4" | 2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines, {{convert|20000|ihp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|22|kn|abbr=on}}
| 27 March 1901
| 11 September 1907
| rowspan="2" | Discarded, 1923
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Emanuele||2}}
| 18 September 1901
| 1 August 1908
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1907|2}}
| 20 September 1903
| 17 December 1908
| Discarded, 1927
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Napoli||2}}
| 21 October 1903
| 1 September 1908
| Discarded, 1926
|}

==Dreadnoughts==
===''Dante Alighieri''===
[[File:Italian battleship Dante Alighieri.jpg|thumb|''Dante Alighieri'' at high speed]]
{{main|Italian battleship Dante Alighieri|l1=Italian battleship Dante Alighieri''}}

''Dante Alighieri'' was the first dreadnought battleship built by the Italian Navy, and was designed by Rear Admiral [[Edoardo Masdea]]. Cuniberti's call for heavy artillery arranged to emphasize [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] fire led to the placement of four triple 12-inch gun turrets along the centerline.{{sfn|Preston 1972|p=175}} This allowed a broadside of all twelve guns, while the first generation of British dreadnoughts could only fire eight of their guns on the broadside.{{sfn|Preston 1985|pp=21–23}} ''Dante Alighieri'' was the first battleship to mount her main battery in triple turrets, though the Austro-Hungarian {{SMS|Viribus Unitis}} was completed first.{{sfn|Giorgerini|p=268}}

The ship had a very limited service life. At the outbreak of World War I, she was the [[flagship]] of the 1st Battle Squadron, based in Taranto. But due to the policy of restraint adopted by the Italian Navy, ''Dante Alighieri'' and the other battleships of the Italian fleet saw no action.{{sfn|Preston 1972|p=175}} Financial limitations in the post-war period forced the navy to scrap the ship to reduce the naval budget.{{sfn|Goldstein & Maurer|p=226}} The ship was accordingly stricken on 1 July 1928 and sold for scrap.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Dante Alighieri'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Dante Alighieri||2}}
| 12 × 12 in guns
| 10 in
| {{convert|21600|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 4 shafts, 4 [[steam turbine]]s, {{convert|32190|shp|abbr=on|lk=in}}, {{convert|22.83|kn|abbr=on|lk=on}}
| 6 June 1909
| 15 January 1913
| Discarded, 1928
|}

===''Conte di Cavour'' class===
[[File:RNConte di Cavour-Original.jpg|thumb|''Conte di Cavour'' as originally built]]
{{main|Conte di Cavour-class battleship|l1=''Conte di Cavour''-class battleship}}
The first design in the second generation of Italian dreadnoughts, the ''Conte di Cavour'' class was also designed by Edoardo Masdea. They were ordered in response to the French {{sclass|Courbet|battleship|1}}s. They remedied many of the deficiencies of the previous design; the most significant improvement was a dramatically more effective arrangement of the main battery. Ten guns were arranged in twin turrets superfiring over triple turrets forward and aft, and a third triple turret was placed [[amidships]].{{sfn|Giorgerini|pp=268–270, 272}} All thirteen guns could fire on the broadside, but the firing arcs for most of the guns were significantly improved.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}

The three ships had limited careers during World War I, and did not see action.{{sfn|Giorgerini|p=277}} On the night of 2/3 August 1916, ''Leonardo da Vinci'' was sunk by an internal explosion.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=157–158}} She was raised in 1919; the navy planned to repair and modernize her, but lacked sufficient funds,{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}} and she was sold in 1923.{{sfn|Preston 1972|p=176}} The two surviving ships were heavily rebuilt in the mid-1930s, and both saw action during [[World War II]]. On the night of 11/12 November 1940, both ships were attacked by British [[torpedo bomber]]s in the [[Battle of Taranto]]. ''Conte di Cavour'' was badly damaged, and had not been fully repaired when Italy surrendered in September 1943.{{sfn|Cernuschi & O'Hara|pp=81–93}} ''Giulio Cesare'' meanwhile escaped unscathed, and participated in the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento|battles of Cape Spartivento]] and [[First Battle of Sirte|First Sirte]] in November 1940 and December 1941, respectively.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=161–162}} After the end of the war, ''Conte di Cavour'' was scrapped,{{sfn|Brescia|p=59}} and ''Giulio Cesare'' was surrendered to the Soviet Union. Renamed ''Novorossiysk'', she was ultimately sunk in October 1955 by an old German mine left over from World War II. Her wreck was later salvaged in 1957 and broken up thereafter.{{sfn|McLaughlin|pp=419, 422–423}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Conte di Cavour'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=259}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Conte di Cavour||2}}
| rowspan="3" | 13 × 12 in guns
| rowspan="3" | 10&nbsp;in
| {{convert|24250|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|31278|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|22.2|kn|abbr=on}}
| 10 August 1910
| 1 April 1915
| Scrapped, 1947–1952
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Giulio Cesare||2}}
| {{convert|24801|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|30700|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|21.56|kn|abbr=on}}
| 24 June 1910
| 14 May 1914
| Ceded to the [[USSR]], 1948 destroyed in 1955 by a mine 
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Leonardo da Vinci||2}}
| {{convert|24677|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|32300|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|21.6|kn|abbr=on}}
| 18 July 1910
| 17 May 1914
| Sunk, 1916
|}

===''Andrea Doria'' class===
[[File:Italian battleship Andrea Doria.jpg|thumb|right|{{ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria|1913|2}} after her reconstruction in 1937]]
{{main|Andrea Doria-class battleship|l1=''Andrea Doria''-class battleship}}

Vice Admiral [[Giuseppe Valsecchi]] was responsible for the next battleship design, the ''Andrea Doria'' class. The class comprised two vessels—''Andrea Doria'' and ''Duilio''—and the design was based on the previous ''Conte di Cavour'' with minor modifications. These two ships were ordered in response to the French {{sclass|Bretagne|battleship|4}}.{{sfn|Giorgerini|p=278}} As with the ''Conte di Cavour''s, the two ''Andrea Doria''-class battleships were significantly modernized in the late 1930s along similar lines: the central turret was removed, the propulsion system was completely replaced with more efficient machinery, and the secondary battery was replaced with new turret-mounted guns.{{sfn|Roberts|p=284}}{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1970|p=16}}

The two ships entered service in 1916, and were based in Taranto with the rest of the main fleet for the duration of World War I. Both ships were involved in the [[Corfu incident]] in 1923. The ships' modernization work was completed after Italy entered World War II. ''Duilio'' was damaged at the Battle of Taranto, while ''Andrea Doria'' was not hit. Both ships were present at the First Battle of Sirte, though only ''Andrea Doria'' engaged British forces. The two ships survived the war, and were the only battleships the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] permitted Italy to retain after the conclusion of hostilities. They served in the Italian Navy for another decade until they were discarded in the mid-1950s.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=165–168}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Andrea Doria'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Andrea Doria||2}}
| rowspan="2" | 13 × 12 in guns
| rowspan="2" | 10 in
| {{convert|24729|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| rowspan="2" | 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|30000|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|21|kn|abbr=on}}
| 24 March 1912
| 13 March 1916
| rowspan="2" | Discarded, 1956
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Duilio||2}}
| {{convert|24715|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 24 February 1912
| 10 May 1915
|}

===''Francesco Caracciolo'' class===
[[File:Caracciolo class.jpg|thumb|Line-drawing of the ''Francesco Caracciolo'' class]]
{{main|Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship|l1=''Francesco Caracciolo''-class battleship}}

The next Italian battleship design represented a major qualitative step forward. The design was prepared by Rear Admiral [[Edgardo Ferrati]], and was intended to match the latest foreign battleships, such as the British {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|4}}. The new ships were to be armed with a main battery of eight {{convert|15|in|abbr=on|0}} guns and had a top speed of {{convert|28|kn}}, much faster than any contemporary design. The ''Francesco Caracciolo'' class was ordered in 1914; the lead ship was [[keel laying|laid down]] that year, and the other three vessels were laid down in 1915. After Italy entered World War I in May 1915, work slowed dramatically, as resources were diverted to more pressing needs. Work on the ships stopped completely by March 1916, and the three ships begun in 1915 were scrapped shortly after the end of the war.{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}} In 1919, the Italian Navy considered completing ''Francesco Caracciolo'' as an [[aircraft carrier]] similar to the British {{HMS|Argus|I49|6}} or as a [[floatplane]] carrier, but both proposals were too expensive for the cash-strapped navy. Ultimately, she was broken up for scrap in 1926.{{sfn|Cernuschi & O'Hara|pp=63, 67}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Francesco Caracciolo'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Fraccaroli 1985|p=260}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |''Francesco Caracciolo''
| rowspan="4" | 8 × {{convert|15|in|abbr=on|0}} guns
| rowspan="4" | {{convert|11.875|in|abbr=on}}
| rowspan="4" | {{convert|34000|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| rowspan="4" | 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|105000|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|28|kn|abbr=on}}
| 16 October 1914
| rowspan="4" |&nbsp;—
|Scrapped, 1926
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | ''Cristoforo Colombo''
| 14 March 1915
| rowspan="3" | Discarded, 1921
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | ''Marcantonio Colonna''
| 3 March 1915
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | ''Francesco Morosini''
| 27 June 1915
|}

===''Littorio'' class===
[[File:Roma56.jpg|right|thumb|CG rendering of {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1940|2}}]]
{{main|Littorio-class battleship|l1=''Littorio''-class battleship}}

The final group of Italian battleships was the ''Littorio'' class. These ships, which weighed in excess of {{convert|40000|LT}} [[standard displacement]], violated the naval arms limitation system created by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922.{{sfn|Stille|p=23}}{{sfn|Whitley|p=169}} The ships were armed with a battery of nine 15-inch guns in three triple turrets, and they incorporated a [[Pugliese torpedo defense system|novel underwater protection system]] designed by [[Umberto Pugliese]]. ''Littorio'' and ''Vittorio Veneto'' were laid down in 1934 and completed in early 1940; a second pair, ''Roma'' and ''Impero'', were laid down in 1938. ''Roma'' was finished in mid-1942, while ''Impero'' was not completed.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=289–290}}

The first two ships entered service in August 1940, shortly after Italy joined World War II. ''Littorio'' was badly damaged in the November 1940 raid on Taranto, and repairs lasted until March 1941. ''Vittorio Veneto'' was undamaged, and later that month took part in the Battle of Cape Spartivento. In March 1941, she was damaged by British torpedo bombers after the inconclusive [[Battle of Cape Matapan]]. Both ships were back in action for the First and [[Second Battle of Sirte]] in January and March 1942, respectively. By the end of the year, ''Roma'' was ready for service and replaced ''Littorio'' as the fleet flagship. After [[Benito Mussolini]] fell from power in July 1943, ''Littorio'' was renamed ''Italia''. During the Italian surrender in September 1943, ''Roma'' was hit by a pair of [[Fritz-X]] guided glide bombs; her ammunition magazines blew up in a tremendous explosion and she quickly sank. ''Italia'' was hit by one Fritz-X and was badly damaged. The United States and Britain received ''Italia'' and ''Vittorio Veneto'', respectively, in the peace treaty; both ships were scrapped in the late 1940s, as was the incomplete ''Impero''.{{sfn|Whitley|pp=172–178}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Summary of the ''Littorio'' class
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Ship{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armament{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Armor{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Displacement{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Propulsion{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Service{{sfn|Roberts|p=289}}
!
|- valign="top"
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Fate
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" |{{ship|Italian battleship|Littorio||2}}/''Italia''
| rowspan="4" | 9 × 15 in guns
| rowspan="4" | {{convert|11|in|abbr=on|0}}
| {{convert|45236|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| rowspan="4" | 4 shafts, 4 steam turbines, {{convert|128200|shp|abbr=on}}, {{convert|30|kn|abbr=on}}
| 28 October 1934
| 6 May 1940
| Scrapped, 1948–1955
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto||2}}
| {{convert|45029|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 28 October 1934
| 28 April 1940
| Scrapped, 1948–1951
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1940|2}}
| {{convert|45485|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 18 September 1938
| 14 June 1942
| Sunk, 1943
|- valign="center"
! scope="row" | {{ship|Italian battleship|Impero||2}}
| {{convert|45236|LT|abbr=on|0}}
| 14 May 1938
|&nbsp;—
| Scrapped, 1948–1950
|}

==See also==
* [[List of battleships]]
* [[List of ironclad warships of Italy]]
* [[List of ships of the line of Italy]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==References==
* {{cite book
  |last=Beehler
  |first=William Henry
  |title=The History of the Italian-Turkish War: September 29, 1911, to October 18, 1912
  |year=1913
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=United States Naval Institute
  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OWcoAAAAYAAJ
  |oclc=1408563
  |ref={{sfnref|Beehler}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Brescia
  |first=Maurizio
  |title=Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina 1930–45
  |year=2012
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |location=Annapolis
  |isbn=978-1-59114-544-8
  |ref={{sfnref|Brescia}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Cernuschi
  |first1=Ernesto
  |last2=O'Hara
  |first2=Vincent P.
  |author2-link = Vincent P. O'Hara
  |chapter=Taranto: The Raid and the Aftermath
  |pages=77–95
  |editor=Jordan, John
  |publisher=Conway
  |location=London
  |year=2010
  |title=Warship 2010 
  |isbn=978-1-84486-110-1
  |name-list-style=amp
  |ref={{sfnref|Cernuschi & O'Hara}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Fraccaroli
  |first=Aldo
  |author-link = Aldo Fraccaroli
  |title=Italian Warships of World War I
  |location=London
  |publisher=Ian Allan
  |year=1970
  |isbn=978-0-7110-0105-3
  |ref={{sfnref|Fraccaroli 1970}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Fraccaroli
  |first=Aldo
  |editor-last=Gardiner
  |editor-first=Robert
  |chapter=Italy
  |pages=334–359
  |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
  |year=1979
  |location=London
  |publisher=Conway Maritime Press
  |isbn=978-0-85177-133-5
  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
  |ref={{sfnref|Fraccaroli 1979}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Fraccaroli
  |first=Aldo
  |chapter=Italy
  |pages=252–290
  |editor1-last=Gardiner
  |editor1-first=Robert
  |editor2-last=Gray
  |editor2-first=Randal
  |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921
  |year=1985
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |isbn=978-0-85177-245-5
  | url-access = registration
  | url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_z3o0
  |name-list-style=amp
  |ref={{sfnref|Fraccaroli 1985}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Garzke
  |first1=William H.
  |last2=Dulin
  |first2=Robert O.
  |title=Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II
  |year=1985
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |isbn=978-0-87021-101-0
  |name-list-style=amp
  |ref={{sfnref|Garzke & Dulin}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Giorgerini
  |first=Giorgio
  |chapter=The Cavour & Duilio Class Battleships
  |pages=267–279
  |editor=Roberts, John
  |title=Warship IV
  |year=1980
  |publisher=Conway Maritime Press
  |location=London
  |isbn=978-0-85177-205-9
  |ref={{sfnref|Giorgerini}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Goldstein
  |first1=Erik
  |last2=Maurer
  |first2=John H.
  |title=The Washington Conference, 1921–22: Naval Rivalry, East Asian Stability and the Road to Pearl Harbor
  |year=1994
  |location=Hoboken
  |publisher=Taylor and Francis
  |isbn=978-0-7146-4559-9
  |name-list-style=amp
  |ref={{sfnref|Goldstein & Maurer}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Halpern
  |first=Paul G.
  |authorlink=Paul G. Halpern
  |title=A Naval History of World War I
  |year=1995
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |isbn=1-55750-352-4
  |ref={{sfnref|Halpern 1995}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Halpern
  | first = Paul G.
  | year = 2004
  | title = The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I
  | publisher = Indiana University Press
  | location = Bloomington
  | isbn = 978-0-253-34379-6
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Halpern 2004}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Hocking
  |first=Charles
  |title=Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During The Age of Steam
  |publisher=The London Stamp Exchange
  |location=London
  |year=1990
  |isbn=978-0-948130-68-7
  |ref={{sfnref|Hocking}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last=Hore
  | first=Peter
  | author-link = Peter Hore (historian)
  | title=The Ironclads
  | year=2006
  | location=London
  | publisher=Southwater Publishing
  | isbn=978-1-84476-299-6
  | url-access=registration
  | url=https://archive.org/details/ironcladsillustr0000hore
  |ref={{sfnref|Hore}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=McLaughlin
  |first=Stephen
  |title=Russian & Soviet Battleships
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |location=Annapolis
  |year=2003
  |isbn=978-1-55750-481-4
  |ref={{sfnref|McLaughlin}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Preston
  |first=Antony
  |author-link = Antony Preston
  |title=Battleships of World War I: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Battleships of All Nations 1914–1918
  |publisher=Galahad Books
  |location=New York
  |year=1972
  |isbn=978-0-88365-300-5
  |ref={{sfnref|Preston 1972}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Preston
  |first=Antony
  |chapter=Great Britain
  |pages=1–104
  |editor1-last=Gardiner
  |editor1-first=Robert
  |editor2-last=Gray
  |editor2-first=Randal
  |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921
  |year=1985
  |location=Annapolis
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |isbn=978-0-87021-907-8
  |name-list-style=amp
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Preston 1985}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last=Roberts
  | first=John
  | chapter=Italy
  | pages=280–317
  | editor1-last=Gardiner
  | editor1-first=Robert
  | editor2-last=Chesneau
  | editor2-first=Roger
  | title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946
  | publisher=Naval Institute Press
  | year=1980
  | isbn=978-0-87021-913-9
  | location=Annapolis  
  | name-list-style=amp
  | ref={{sfnref|Roberts}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  |last=Stille
  |first=Mark|title=Italian Battleships of World War II
  |year=2011
  |location=Oxford
  |publisher=Osprey Publishing
  |isbn=978-1-84908-831-2
  |ref={{sfnref|Stille}}
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last=Whitley
  | first=M. J.
  | author-link=Michael J. Whitley
  | title=Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia
  | publisher=Naval Institute Press
  | location=Annapolis
  | year=1998
  | isbn=1-55750-184-X
  | ref = {{sfnRef|Whitley}}
  }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/CorazzateeNavidaBattaglia.aspx Corazzate e Navi da Battaglia] Marina Militare website {{in lang|it}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}
{{Battleships}}
{{Italian navy ship types}}

[[Category:Battleships of Italy|*]]
[[Category:Lists of battleships|Italy]]
[[Category:Lists of ships of Italy|Battleships]]
[[Category:Italian Navy lists|Battleships]]