Battleship Roma

Battleship Roma was a powerful war vessels used by the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) during World War II. It was a Littorio class battleship, featuring nine 15-inch (381mm) naval guns. She was built at the Trieste Yard by C.R.D.A., being launched on June 9, 1940. She was commissioned on June 14, 1942. In December, 1942, she would become the flagship of the Regia Marina.

Like her three sisters of the class, Roma main duty was to escort German and Italian cargo ships carrying armament and other military equipment to supply the Afrika Korps and Italians troops fighting in North Africa. While she and her sister Vittorio Veneto were moored at La Spezia naval base, they were attacked by American B-17 bombers on June 5, 1943. During this air raid both Italian battleships were damaged but not impaired.

Roma would be hit again twice during the night of June 23-24. Having been repaired at Genoa, she returned to service again. Along with Vittorio Veneto and Italia battleship, and three Regia Marina's cruisers, Roma sailed from La Spezia to Malta right after the armistice with the Allies had been signed. When the Germans found out about this betrayal, they launched an air raid to attack the Italians warships. Roma would be hit by two radio-controlled Fritz-x bombs dropped by Dorniers Do-217 bombers. Several hours later she would sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. She had broken into two pieces before going down. It was September 9, 1943.

Specifications

Type: Littorio Class Battleship

Length: 240.68 m (789 ft, 8 in)

Beam: 32.82 m (107 ft, 8 in)

Displacement: 46,215 tons (full loaded)

Draft: 9.6 m (31 ft, 6 in)

Power Plant: 4 steam Belluzo geared turbines, with 4 screw propellers, which were supplied by 8 Yarrow boilers, delivering 128,200 HP

Speed: 30 knots

Range: 9,000 nautical miles

Armament: nine 15-in (381mm) naval guns, which were set up in three triplet turrets; twelve 6-in (152mm) guns; four 120mm, twelve 90mm, twenty 37mm, and sixteen 20mm AA guns.

Below, the Battleship Roma in June 1942. You can see the fore portion of ship bristling with six of her nine381mm guns.

The aft view of this Littorio class battleship