Littorio-class battleship

Roma
Class overview
Name	Littorio class
Operators	Regia Marina
Preceded by	Francesco Caracciolo class (planned) Andrea Doria class (actual)
Succeeded by	None
Built	1934–1942
In service	1940–1948
Completed	3
Cancelled	1
Lost	1
General characteristics for Littorio, as built
Type	Fast battleship
Displacement	Standard: 40,724 t (40,081 long tons; 44,891 short tons) Full load: 45,236 t (44,522 long tons; 49,864 short tons)
Length	237.76 m (780 ft 1 in)
Beam	32.82 m (107 ft 8 in)
Draft	9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Installed power	8 × Yarrow boilers 128,200 shp (95,600 kW)
Propulsion	4 × steam turbines 4 × screw propellers
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	4,580 nautical miles (8,480 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Crew	80 officers 1,750 enlisted
Armament	9 × 381 mm (15 in) guns 12 × 152 mm (6 in) guns 4 × 120 mm (4.7 in)/40 guns 12 × 90 mm (3.5 in) anti-aircraft guns 20 × 37 mm (1.5 in) guns 20 × 20 mm (0.79 in) guns
Armor	Belt: 280 mm (11 in) + 70 mm (3 in) Deck: 90–150 mm (3.5–5.9 in) Bulkheads: 70–280 mm (2.8–11.0 in) Barbettes: 350 mm (14 in) Turrets: 380 mm (15 in) Conning tower: 255 mm (10.0 in)
Aircraft carried	3
Aviation facilities	1 catapult

The Littorio class, also known as the Vittorio Veneto class,^{[Note 1]} was a class of battleship of the Regia Marina, the Italian navy. The class was composed of four ships—Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Roma, and Impero—but only the first three ships of the class were completed. Built between 1934 and 1942, they were the most modern battleships used by Italy during World War II. They were developed in response to the French Dunkerque-class battleships, and were armed with 381-millimeter (15.0 in) guns and had a top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). The class's design was considered by the Spanish Navy, but the outbreak of World War II interrupted construction plans.

The first two ships, Littorio and Vittorio Veneto, were operational by the early months of Italy's participation in World War II. They formed the backbone of the Italian fleet, and conducted several sorties into the Mediterranean to intercept British convoys, though without any notable success. The two ships were repeatedly torpedoed throughout their careers: Littorio was hit by a torpedo during the attack on Taranto in November 1940 and again in June 1942; Vittorio Veneto was torpedoed during the Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941 and while escorting a convoy to North Africa in September 1941. Roma joined the fleet in June 1942, although all three ships remained inactive in La Spezia until June 1943, when all three were damaged in a series of Allied air attacks on the harbor.

In September 1943, Italy capitulated and signed an Armistice with the Allies. Littorio was then renamed Italia. The three active battleships were transferred to Malta before they were to be interned in Alexandria. While en route to Malta, German bombers attacked the fleet with Fritz X radio-guided bombs, damaging Italia and sinking Roma. Nevertheless, Italia and Vittorio Veneto reached Malta and were interned. The incomplete Impero was seized by the Germans after Italy withdrew from the war and used as a target, until she was sunk by American bombers in 1945. Italia and Vittorio Veneto were awarded to the United States and Britain, respectively, as war prizes. Italia, Vittorio Veneto, and Impero were broken up for scrap between 1952 and 1954.
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