Italian Republic Navy are one of the branches of the armed forces of a given country. In accordance with Italian military doctrine, the country's naval forces are assigned two main tasks - protecting national interests and participating in ensuring international security in close cooperation with NATO allies. In addition, they perform a number of secondary functions, such as monitoring shipping in the strait zone, illegal maritime transport, illegal immigration, as well as combating piracy and conducting search and rescue operations on the high seas.

The current Italian naval strategy provides for the possibility of the presence of the national navy not only in the Mediterranean Sea, but also in remote regions of the world, including the Black and Red Seas, and the Indian Ocean.

Taking into account the situation in the Mediterranean region due to the aggravation of the situation in the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, the role of the national navy in ensuring the protection of state interests has increased even more.

STRUCTURE AND COMBAT COMPOSITION OF THE ITALIAN NAVY

Currently, the Italian naval forces organizationally include the fleet, autonomous naval commands, naval districts and the command of combat swimmers and saboteurs. Their general management is carried out by the Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy. Subordinate to him is the main command of the coast guard, which in peacetime is connected to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and also acts in the interests of a number of other relevant ministries of the country. Direct leadership of naval formations and units is entrusted to the fleet commander.

The fleet (headquarters in Santa Rosa, Rome) includes six commands: main (Taranto), submarine (Santa Rosa, Rome), patrol (Augusta), mine sweeping and auxiliary (Spezia), landing (Brindisi) forces, Naval Aviation (Santa Rosa, Rome), as well as the Naval Training Center (Taranto).

Main Forces Command has under its command two divisions of frigates (10 FR and two universal supply transports), two light aircraft carriers, four guided missile destroyers (two of them are Andrea Doria type), three guided missile frigates (Carlo Bergamini type), three landing helicopter ships -dock (DVKD) and reconnaissance ship. In addition, this structure includes the command of the task force. It is intended to manage dedicated forces and assets (ship formations) formed to perform specific tasks as part of permanent NATO Allied Forces formations and multinational naval formations of European states, as well as the Italian-Spanish amphibious assault force. Light aircraft carriers (G. Garibaldi and Conte di Cavour), the San Giusto airborne assault ship and the Etna universal supply transport can be used as headquarters ships.

Submarine Command includes a submarine division (six submarines) and a school for training submarine specialists.

Patrol Forces Command subordinated to a division of corvettes (six units) and two divisions of patrol ships (classes “Cassiopeia” and “Comandante”; 10 in total).

Command of mine sweeping and auxiliary forces has two divisions of minesweepers (10 units) and a group of auxiliary forces ships.

Airborne Forces Command includes the San Marco marine brigade with a total strength of about 3,500 people (three marine regiments and a landing boat division), as well as an interspecific amphibious forces training center.

Naval Air Command three air bases are subordinated to them, on which one squadron of carrier-based AV-8B Harrier aircraft, five anti-submarine helicopters and a landing operations support group are deployed.

Basic patrol aircraft of the Navy (Atlantic aircraft) are organizationally part of the Air Force, and on issues of operational use they report directly to the fleet commander.

Command of combat swimmers and saboteurs "Teseo Theseus" reports directly to the Chief of Naval Staff. It includes a detachment of combat swimmers and saboteurs, as well as a group of support ships.

The coast of the continental part of Italy and the islands with coastal waters is divided into three naval districts - Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Adriatic and three autonomous naval commands - Capital, on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia.

Total in service with the Italian Navy there are 55 warships, 40 boats (including 34 landing craft), 17 AV/TAV-8B Harrier carrier-based aircraft, 49 helicopters (22 EN-101, 22 A1-212, two SH-3D, three SH-90 ) and six Atlantic UUV aircraft.

In addition, the fleet has more than 90 auxiliary vessels, including three universal supply transports, six support vessels (reconnaissance, experimental, research, two hydrographic and one rescue), six transports, seven tankers, about 40 ocean-going and offshore tugs, two training sailing ships, etc.

DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS OF THE ITALIAN NAVY

The country's leadership pays considerable attention to the development of the national naval forces. In order to maintain the constant readiness of the fleet to carry out the tasks facing it, including within the framework of existing obligations to NATO and the European Union, the command is currently implementing a set of measures to increase the combat capabilities of the Navy. It provides for the improvement of the management system and organizational structure, optimization of the number and combat strength, phased modernization and replacement of outdated ships and weapons, as well as the development of a basing and logistics support system for fleet forces.

As part of the national naval reform program, designed until 2032, the main goals and directions of their activities for the next decade (until 2024) were formulated. At the same time, as the main requirements for the future structure of the fleet. the formation of a flexible control system, the achievement of universality in the use of forces and means, as well as the creation of an optimal maintenance structure are determined.

Thus, in the interests of improving the command structure of the Navy, by the end of 2014 it is planned to reorganize the submarine division into the General Staff flotilla, disband the 53rd and 54th minesweeper divisions and integrate the ships included in them into a group under a single command.

In order to create a more compact and efficient fleet maintenance system, the Italian Navy command plans to complete the formation of a new logistics structure at the beginning of 2015. It will include the logistics command (Naples) with four subordinate territorial logistics commands (TC) - “Capital” (Rome), “North” (Naval Base La Spezia), “South” (GVMB Taranto) and “Sicily” (NAB Augusta) . It is planned to create territorial TCs (except for Stolichny) based on the existing infrastructure of the WMO and autonomous naval commands, which will subsequently be abolished. In addition, it is planned to create a command of educational institutions (Ancona), which will take over the functions of the corresponding inspectorate.

As part of the ongoing reforms, it is also planned to improve the fleet basing system by concentrating the naval personnel mainly at three naval bases - Taranto Naval Base, Spezia Naval Base and Augusta, and naval aviation at the air bases of Grottaglie, Luni and Fontanarossa.

Currently, the average service life of Italian warships of the main classes is about 30 years. In this regard, the Navy command is forced to replace most of the outdated ships.

Thus, it is planned to withdraw more than 20 warships of various classes from the fleet by 2018, including: the light aircraft carrier J. Garibaldi" (put into service in 1985), seven Maestrale-class frigates (1982-1984), six Minerva-class corvettes (1987-1990), three Lerici-class minesweepers (1985) and two submarines type "Sauro" (1988-1989). At the same time, in order to obtain additional funds for the modernization of the fleet, it is planned to sell part of the ships removed from the Navy to third countries.

ITALY SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMS

It is planned to achieve a qualitative increase in the combat capabilities of the fleet through the modernization of existing ships and weapons systems and the adoption of new ones.

Numerical and combat strength Italian Navy	year 2014	2024
Number of Navy personnel, thousand people
Fleet
warships, including: light aircraft carriers submarines URO destroyers patrol ships mine sweeping ships landing ships
Scout ships
Combat boats
Universal supply transports
Naval Aviation
Carrier-based combat aircraft
Combat base aviation
Helicopters
Marines
* Six corvettes and 10 patrol ships will be replaced by 12 multi-role corvettes.

In this regard, the Italian leadership pays considerable attention to the implementation of shipbuilding programs in the interests of the country's naval forces. The main projects are: the construction of the Carlo Bergamini type guided missile launcher under the Italian-French FREMM program, diesel submarines under the Italian-German project 212A, universal landing ships (UDC), a mine-sweeping force control ship, patrol ships and supply vessels.

Thus, as part of the implementation of the FREMM program at the shipyards of the Fincantieri company in 2012-2013, the construction was completed and the phased commissioning of three frigates (Carlo Bergamini, Virginio Phasan and Carlo Margottini) out of six was carried out in the Italian Navy planned. The next three ships (in anti-submarine and multi-purpose versions) are expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2015-2018. In addition, at present the issue of financing the construction of four more frigates of this type has not been finally resolved.

By 2018, it is planned to deliver the next two Project 212A diesel-electric submarines to the submarine force in order to replace outdated Sauro-class boats.

In order to increase the combat capabilities of the Navy's amphibious forces, it is planned to build three universal landing ships designed to replace the San Giusto class DVKD. The first UDC can be built and included in the fleet's combat strength in 2018-2020. The ships of this project will have an increased capacity of forces and means. In addition, they are planned to be used in the interests of the Ministry of Civil Defense for the transfer of personnel and equipment to areas of emergency situations.

Along with this, the Navy is modernizing two Maestrale-class frigates and two Gaeta-class minesweepers, upon completion of which the ships will be able to remain in service with the fleet until 2020.

In 2015, it is planned to supply the Navy with two supply transports to replace the Stromboli-class auxiliary vessels.

In accordance with the plans of the command of the Italian naval forces, by 2024 the fleet may have a light aircraft carrier (Conte di Cavour), two URO destroyers (Horizon project), 10 frigates of the Carlo Bergamini type (FREMM project) ), 12 multifunctional corvettes (to replace obsolete corvettes and patrol ships), six minesweepers, three DVKD (or UDC) and four Project 212A submarines.

Plans to renew the fleet of aircraft carrier aircraft provide for the adoption of F-35B carrier-based fighters (15 units) into service with the Navy in 2016 in order to replace the AV-8B Harrier attack fighters.

The re-equipment of basic patrol aircraft (BPA) involves the delivery of new R-72A BPA aircraft starting in 2015 instead of the outdated Atlantic ones. In total, by 2024 it is planned to have five such vehicles in service.

As part of the replacement of AB-212 helicopters for naval aviation, it is planned to additionally purchase more than 50 SH-90 helicopters by 2020 (a joint project of Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands).

The number of Navy personnel by 2024 should be reduced from 32 thousand to 27 thousand military personnel.

Attaching particular importance to the development of the national Navy, the country's leadership intends to implement to the maximum extent possible all adopted programs for the modernization and re-equipment of the fleet with modern military equipment and weapons, despite the presence of significant problems with their financing due to the difficult economic situation in the country.

The experience of using the Italian Navy in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, during the military operation in Libya, as well as within the framework of the ISAF operation in Afghanistan, demonstrated a high degree of their readiness to adequately respond to emerging threats to national interests.

The implementation of the measures planned by the Italian leadership to reform this type of armed forces will make it possible by 2024 to have available smaller naval forces that meet modern requirements, which will be able to solve the tasks facing them both according to national and coalition plans in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the North Atlantic Alliance and beyond.

(Material prepared for the portal “Modern Army” © http://www.site according to an article by Colonel V. Khoprov, “ZVO”. When copying an article, please do not forget to put a link to the source page of the “Modern Army” portal).

Laughter, as we know, prolongs life, and when it comes to Regia Marina Italiana, then life is doubly prolonged.

An explosive mixture of Italian love of life, negligence and sloppiness can turn any useful undertaking into a farce. There are legends about the Royal Italian Navy: during the war, Italian sailors achieved a fantastic result - fleet losses exceeded the list of ships of the Italian Navy! Almost every Italian ship died/sank/was captured during its service twice, and sometimes three times.

You cannot find another ship in the world like the Italian battleship Conte di Cavour. The formidable battleship was first sunk at her anchorage on November 12, 1940, during a British air raid on the Taranto naval base. "Cavour" was raised from the bottom and stood for repairs throughout the war until it was scuttled by its own crew in September 1943 under the threat of capture by German troops. A year later, the Germans raised the battleship, but at the end of the war, the Cavour was again destroyed by Allied aircraft.

The mentioned attack on the Taranto naval base became a textbook example of Italian punctuality, accuracy and diligence. The pogrom at Taranto, perpetrated by British pilots, is comparable in scale to Pearl Harbor, but the British needed twenty times less effort than the Japanese hawks to attack the American base in Hawaii.

The superstructures of the battleship Conte di Cavour look pitifully at us from the water

In one night, 20 plywood Swordfish biplanes tore the main base of the Italian fleet to pieces, sinking three battleships right in their anchorages. For comparison, in order to “get” the German Tirpitz hiding in the polar Altenfjord, British aviation had to make about 700 sorties (not counting sabotage using mini-submarines).

The reason for the deafening defeat in Taranto is elementary - the hardworking and responsible Italian admirals, for unknown reasons, did not properly tighten the anti-torpedo net. For which they paid.

Other incredible adventures of pasta-making Italian sailors look no less bad:

The submarine Ondina fell in an unequal fight with the South African trawlers Protea and Southern Maid (battle off the coast of Lebanon, July 11, 1942);

The destroyer Sebenico was boarded by the crew of a German torpedo boat right in the port of Venice on September 11, 1943 - immediately after the surrender of Nazi Italy. The former allies threw the Italians overboard, seized the destroyer and, renaming Sebenico TA-43, used it to guard Mediterranean convoys until the spring of 1945.

The Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci sunk the high-speed 21,000-ton liner Empress of Canada off the coast of Africa. There were 1,800 people on board (400 died) - half of whom, ironically, were Italian prisoners of war.
(however, the Italians are not alone here - similar situations occurred regularly during the Second World War)

etc.

Italian destroyer Dardo greets the end of the war

It is no coincidence that the British are of the opinion: “Italians are much better at building ships than they are at fighting on them.”

And the Italians really knew how to build ships - the Italian school of shipbuilding has always been distinguished by noble, swift lines, record speeds and the incomprehensible beauty and grace of surface ships.

The fantastic battleships of the Littorio class are some of the best pre-war battleships. Heavy cruisers of the Zara type are a brilliant calculation, which takes advantage of all the advantages of Italy’s favorable geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea (seaworthiness and autonomy be damned - the native shore is always close). As a result, the Italians managed to implement in the Zar design the optimal combination of protection/fire/mobility with an emphasis on heavy armor. The best cruisers of the “Washington” period.

And how can one not recall here the Black Sea leader “Tashkent”, also built at the Livorno shipyards! The full speed is 43.5 knots, and in general, the ship turned out to be excellent.

Littorio-class battleships fire at ships of the British squadron (battle off Cape Spartivento, 1940)
The Italians managed to hit the cruiser Berwick, seriously damaging the latter

Alas, despite its advanced technical equipment, the Regia Marina, once the most powerful of the fleets in the Mediterranean, mediocrely lost all the battles and became a laughing stock. But was it really so?

Slandered heroes

The British can joke as much as they want, but the fact remains: in battles in the Mediterranean, Her Majesty's fleet lost 137 ships of the main classes and 41 submarines. Britain's allies lost another 111 surface combat units. Of course, half of them were sunk by German aircraft and Kriegsmarine submariners - but even the remaining part is enough to forever enroll the Italian “sea wolves” in the pantheon of great naval warriors.

Among the trophies of the Italians -

Her Majesty's battleships "Valient" and "Queen Elizabeth" (blowed up by Italian combat swimmers in the roadstead of Alexandria). The British themselves classify these losses as constructive total loss. In Russian, the ship has been turned into a battered pile of metal with negative buoyancy.
The damaged battleships, one after another, fell to the bottom of Alexandria Bay and were knocked out of action for a year and a half.

Heavy cruiser York: sunk by Italian saboteurs using speedboats loaded with explosives.

Light cruisers "Calypso", "Cairo", "Manchester", "Neptune", "Bonaventure".

Dozens of submarines and destroyers flying the flags of Great Britain, Holland, Greece, Yugoslavia, Free France, the USA and Canada.

For comparison, during the war the Soviet Navy did not sink a single enemy ship larger than a destroyer (in no way as a reproach to Russian sailors - the geography, conditions and nature of the theater of operations are different). But the fact remains that Italian sailors have dozens of striking naval victories to their credit. So do we have the right to laugh at the achievements, exploits and inevitable mistakes of the “pasta makers”?

Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth in the Alexandria roadstead

Submariners brought no less glory to the Regia Marina - such aces as Gianfranco Gazzana Prioroggia (sank 11 transports with a total weight of 90,000 tons) or Carlo Fetzia di Cossato (16 trophies). In total, a galaxy of ten best Italian submarine warfare aces sank over a hundred Allied ships and vessels with a total displacement of 400,000 tons!

Submariner ace Carlo Fezia di Cossato (1908 - 1944)

During the Second World War, Italian ships of the main classes made 43,207 trips to sea, leaving behind 11 million fiery miles. Italian Navy sailors provided guidance for countless convoys in the Mediterranean theater of operations - according to official data, Italian sailors organized the delivery of 1.1 million military personnel and more than 4 million tons of various cargo to North Africa, the Balkans and islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Precious oil was transported on the return route. Frequently, cargo and personnel were placed directly on the decks of warships.

Statistics say: transport ships under the guise of Regia Marina delivered 28,266 Italian and 32,299 German trucks and tanks to the African continent. In addition, in the spring of 1941, 15,951 pieces of equipment and 87,000 pack animals were transported along the Italy-Balkans route.

In total, during the period of hostilities, warships of the Italian Navy deployed 54,457 mines on communications in the Mediterranean Sea. The Regia Marina maritime patrol aircraft completed 31,107 combat missions, spending 125 thousand hours in the air.

The Italian cruisers Duca d'Aosta and Eugenio di Savoia are laying a minefield off the coast of Libya. A few months later, a British strike force would be blown up by exposed mines. The cruiser Neptune and the destroyer Kandahar will sink to the bottom.

How do all these numbers fit in with the ridiculous image of crooked slackers who do nothing but chew their spaghetti?

Italians have been great sailors since ancient times (Marco Polo), and it would be too naive to believe that during the Second World War they simply threw out the “white flag”. The Italian Navy took part in battles around the world - from the Black Sea to the Indian Ocean. And high-speed Italian boats have even appeared in the Baltic Sea and Lake Ladoga. In addition, Regia Marina ships operated in the Red Sea, off the coast of China, and, of course, in the cold expanses of the Atlantic.

The Italians badly battered Her Majesty's fleet - just one mention of the “black prince” Valerio Borghese threw the entire British Admiralty into confusion.

Bandito-diversanto

“...Italians, in a certain sense, are much smaller soldiers, but much bigger bandits” /M. Weller/
True to the traditions of the legendary “Sicilian mafia,” Italian sailors turned out to be unsuitable for fair naval battles in an open format. The massacre at Cape Matapan, the disgrace at Taranto - the battle and cruising forces of the Regia Marina showed their complete inability to resist Her Majesty's well-trained fleet.

And if so, then we need to force the enemy to play by Italian rules! Submarines, human torpedoes, combat swimmers and boats with explosives. The British fleet was in for big trouble.

Alexandria naval base attack scheme

...On the night of December 18-19, 1941, a British patrol caught two eccentrics in “frog” clothes from Alexandria Bay. Realizing that the situation was dirty, the British battened down all the hatches and doors in the watertight bulkheads of the battleships, gathered on the upper deck and prepared for the worst.

The captured Italians, after a short interrogation, were locked in the lower rooms of the doomed battleship, in the hope that the “pasta men” would finally “split” and still explain what was happening. Alas, despite the danger threatening them, the Italian combat swimmers steadfastly remained silent. Until 6:05 am, when powerful demolition charges went off under the bottoms of the battleships Valiant and Queen Elizabeth. Another bomb destroyed a naval refueling tanker.

Despite the biting “slap in the face” from the Italian Navy, the British paid tribute to the crews of the “human torpedoes”.

"One can only admire the cold-blooded courage and enterprise of the Italians. Everything was carefully thought out and planned."

- Admiral E. Cunnigham, Commander, Her Majesty's Fleet Mediterranean Forces

After the incident, the British frantically gulped for air and looked for ways to protect their naval bases from Italian saboteurs. The entrances to all major Mediterranean naval bases - Alexandria, Gibraltar, La Valletta - were tightly blocked with nets, and dozens of patrol boats were on duty on the surface. Every 3 minutes another depth charge flew into the water. However, over the next two years of the war, 23 more Allied ships and tankers became victims of the frog people.

In April 1942, the Italians deployed an assault force of fast boats and mini-submarines to the Black Sea. At first, the “sea devils” were based in Constanta (Romania), then in Crimea and even in Anapa. The result of the actions of the Italian saboteurs was the death of two Soviet submarines and three cargo ships, not counting many attacks and sabotage on the coast.

The capitulation of Italy in 1943 took the "special operations" department by surprise - the "black prince" Valerio Borghese had just begun preparations for another grandiose operation - he was going to have a little fun in New York.

Italian mini-submarines in Constanta

Valerio Borghese - one of the main ideologists and inspirers of Italian combat swimmers

The colossal experience of Valerio Borghese's team was appreciated in the post-war years. All available techniques, technologies and developments became the basis for the creation and training of special Navy SEAL units around the world. It is no coincidence that the Borghese combat swimmers are the main suspects in the sinking of the battleship Novorossiysk (captured Italian Giulio Cesare) in 1955. According to one version, the Italians could not survive their shame and destroyed the ship so that it would not fly the enemy flag. However, all this is just speculation.

Epilogue

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Italian navy represents a compact European fleet, armed with the most modern ships and maritime systems.
The modern Italian fleet is in no way similar to the crooked Leaning Tower of Pisa: the training and equipment of Italian sailors meets the most stringent standards and NATO requirements. All ships and aircraft are built into a single information space; when choosing weapons, the guideline is shifted towards purely defensive means - anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-submarine weapons, short-range self-defense means.

The Italian Navy has two aircraft carriers. There is a high-quality underwater component and basic naval aviation. The Italian Navy regularly takes part in peacekeeping and special missions around the globe. Technical equipment is constantly being updated: when choosing weapons, radio-electronic means for navigation, detection and communication, priority is given to leading European developers - the British BAE Systems, the French Thales, as well as Marconi's own corporation. Judging by the results, the Italians are doing great.

However, we should not forget the words of commander Alexander Suvorov: There is no land in the world that would be so dotted with fortresses as Italy. And there is no land that has been conquered so often.

The newest Italian aircraft carrier "Cavour"

"Andrea Doria" - one of two Italian frigates of the "Horizon" class (Orizzonte)

Statistical data -
“The Italian Navy in the Second World War”, author Captain 2nd Rank Mark Antonio Bragadin

Illustrations –
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://waralbum.ru/

During the international crisis that erupted with the outbreak of the Ethiopian Campaign in the spring of 1935, the Italian fleet was mobilized for the first time since the First World War. After the conclusion of the Ethiopian operation, many of the fleet's support services were cut, but the fleet remained mobilized at the end of 1936. The Spanish Civil War, various international crises and finally the occupation of Albania - all this forced the fleet to be kept on alert.

Such events, of course, had a negative impact on preparations for a future world conflict. The constant readiness of ships led to wear and tear on the mechanisms and fatigue of the crew, and interfered with long-term planning. Moreover, the Italian government notified the armed forces that the outbreak of war was not expected to begin until 1942. This was confirmed during the signing of the Axis Treaty between Italy and Germany. The fleet made its plans based on this date.

On June 10, 1940, when hostilities were about to begin, many of the components of what was called "readiness for war" had not yet been completed. For example, the initial plans called for building 4 new powerful battleships and completing the complete modernization of 4 old ones by 1942. Such a core of the fleet would force any enemy to respect itself. In June 1940, only Cavour and Cesare were in service. Littorio, Vittorio Veneto, Duilio and Doria were still completing their fitting out at the shipyards. It took another 2 years to complete the battleship Roma, at least 3 to complete the Impero (In fact, the Roma was completed in the spring of 1943, work on the Impero was never completed). The premature outbreak of hostilities saw the construction of 12 light cruisers, many destroyers, escort ships, submarines and small craft. The outbreak of war delayed their completion and equipment.

In addition, an additional 2 years would make it possible to eliminate deficiencies in technical equipment and crew training. This is especially true for night operations, torpedo firing, radar and asdic. The biggest blow to the combat effectiveness of Italian ships was the lack of radar. Enemy ships and planes attacked Italian ships with impunity at night, when they were practically blind. Therefore, the enemy developed new tactics for which the Italian fleet was completely unprepared.

The technical principles of the radar and asdic operation have been known to the Italian fleet since 1936. But the war interrupted scientific work on these weapons systems. To bring them to practical use required expensive industrial development, especially for radar. It is doubtful that the Italian fleet and industry would be able to achieve significant results, even with those same 2 years. However, the enemy would lose the surprise advantage of using them. By the end of the war, only a few aircraft radars were built, and then rather experimental installations.

During the war, the Italian navy paid dearly for these and other minor shortcomings, which often prevented them from taking advantage of a favorable situation. However, the Italian fleet was well prepared for the war and was fully worth the investment.

The fleet's preparatory measures included the accumulation of all kinds of supplies, and when the war began, the reserves of many types of supplies were sufficient to meet any requirements. For example, shipyards operated without delays throughout the war and even after the armistice almost exclusively from pre-war stocks. The growing demands of the Libyan Front forced the fleet to re-equip some ports - more than once - and solve sometimes unexpected problems, resorting only to its own reserves. Sometimes the fleet complied with requests from other branches of the armed forces.

Fuel supplies were completely inadequate, and we will see later how acute this problem became. In June 1940, the fleet had only 1,800,000 tons of oil, collected literally drop by drop. At the time, it was estimated that the monthly consumption during the war would be 200,000 tons. This meant that naval reserves would only last 9 months of the war. Mussolini, however, believed that this was more than enough for a “three-month war.” In his opinion, hostilities could not drag on longer. Based on this assumption, he even forced the Navy to transfer part of the reserves - a total of 300,000 tons - to the Air Force and civilian industry after the start of the war. Therefore, during the war, the navy was forced to limit the movements of ships in order to reduce oil consumption. In the first quarter of 1943 it had to be cut to the ridiculous figure of 24,000 tons per month. Compared to the original estimate of 200,000 tons as the minimum required, it is easy to see the impact this had on operations.

All these shortcomings were balanced by the magnificent spirit of the officers and sailors. Throughout the 39 months of fierce fighting before Italy signed the armistice, the personnel of the Italian fleet more than once showed examples of mass and individual heroism. Following its traditions, the fleet resisted the inculcation of fascist political views. It was difficult to bring oneself to hate Britain, whose fleet had always been considered a natural ally.

But when the die was cast, the fleet, driven by a sense of duty, began the battle, straining all its strength. He was opposed by powerful opponents, but he passed the test of fire with honor and courage.

Navy opposition to the war and its original plans

At the beginning of 1940, suspicions that Italy would enter the war were already in the air. However, Mussolini had not yet specifically told the chiefs of staff of the three branches of the armed forces that he intended to intervene in the conflict. In the first months of this fateful year, the government, in order to support exports, forced the navy to sell 2 destroyers and 2 destroyers to Sweden. This fact was quite naturally understood by the navy as a sign of the government's reluctance to enter into war, at least in the near future. But within a few days of von Ribbentrop's visit to Mussolini in March 1940, which was immediately followed by a visit from Sumner Welles, the government's real attitude towards the war began to become clear. This decision was communicated to headquarters on April 6, 1940.

On this day, Marshal Badoglio, the Chief of the General Staff, convened a meeting of the three chiefs of staff of the armed forces and informed them of the Duce’s “firm decision to intervene at the time and place of his choosing.” Badoglio said that the war on land would be fought defensively, and offensively at sea and in the air. Two days later, on April 11, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Cavagnari, expressed his views on this statement in writing. Among other things, he noted the difficulty of such events due to the enemy's superiority in forces and the unfavorable strategic situation. This made offensive naval warfare impossible. Besides, the British fleet could quickly replenish!” any losses. Cavagnari declared that this was impossible for the Italian fleet and would soon find itself in a critical position. The admiral warned that it would be impossible to achieve initial surprise, and that operations against enemy shipping in the Mediterranean would be impossible, since it had already ceased.

Admiral Cavagnari also wrote: “Since there is no possibility of solving strategic problems or defeating enemy naval forces, entering the war on our initiative is not justified. We will only be able to conduct defensive operations." Indeed, history knows no examples of a country that started a war immediately going on the defensive.

Having shown the disadvantageous situation in which the fleet would find itself due to inadequate air support for naval operations, Admiral Cavagnari concluded his memorandum with these prophetic words: “Whatever character the development of the war in the Mediterranean may take, in the long run our losses at sea will be heavy. When peace negotiations begin, Italy may well find itself not only without territorial gains, but also without a navy and perhaps without air power.” These words were not only prophetic, they expressed the point of view of the Italian fleet. All the predictions made by Admiral Cavagnari in his letter were completely justified, with the exception of one. By the end of the war, Italy was left without an army and air force, destroyed by powerful opponents, but still had a fairly strong navy.

In 1848, when half of Europe was engulfed in revolution, two Sardinian divisions were sent to the North Adriatic to support Venice, which rebelled against the Austrians. For several decades, Venice was the base of the Austrian fleet; there was an arsenal and a naval school calledMarine Collegium. Tegetthof, Sterneck, Pez and almost all the Austrian senior officers who distinguished themselves at Lisse in 1866 received their education there. The sailors of the Habsburg fleet were Italians, and the Italian language (Venetian dialect) was used in the fleet. Also, a Neapolitan squadron, consisting of two sailing frigates, five steam corvettes (officially listed as steam frigates) and one brig, arrived to help Venice.

Thus, in 1848, in the Adriatic there were nine Sardinian ships under the command of Rear Admiral Giuseppe Albini and eight Neapolitan ships led by Commodore Raffaele de Cosa, as well as five fairly large ships of the new Venetian Republic - the corvettes Lombardy (formerly Carolina ", launched in 1844, 810 tons, 24 18-pound guns), "Civina" (formerly "Clemenza", 1838, 485 tons, 16 36-pound carronades and four 18-pound guns), "Indipendenza" "(formerly "Lipsia", 1826, 482 tons, 16 24-pound carronades, four 18-pound guns) and brigs "Crochiato" (formerly "Ussaro", 1847, 168 tons, 12 24-pounders carronade, four 12-pound guns) and "San Marco" (formerly "Tritone", 1836, 450 tons, 12 24-pound carronades, four 9-pound guns). All of them were former Austrian ships built at the naval shipyard in Venice, but they did not find success in the confrontation with the Austrian squadron, which included three sailing frigates, three brigs, one steam corvette and four steamships of the Austrian Lloyd shipping company. Defeat of Piedmontese troops on land in 1848-1849. forced the Sardinian fleet to withdraw. The Neapolitans had already been recalled by order of the king.

Cavour

The Sardinian fleet benefited enormously from the activities of Cavour, who became minister in 1850. This great statesman not only enlarged and brought into order the fleet, but also managed to restore discipline after the riots and cases of insubordination that took place on board the Sardinian ships on the Adriatic in 1848. As part of modernization measures, Cavour ordered from England the screw frigate of the 1st class "Carlo Alberto", which entered service in 1854 and became the first ship of this type in the Sardinian fleet. Once again becoming Minister of the Navy in 1860, Cavour ordered the first Italian battleships, Terribile and Formidabile, from France. Thanks to Cavour, an alliance was concluded with France, and the Piedmontese armed forces took part in the Crimean War. His efforts secured French intervention when Austria declared war on Sardinia in 1859. French and Sardinian troops operated together on land, and fleets in the Adriatic Sea. Meanwhile, the post of Minister of Navy was taken by General Alfonso Ferrero della Marmora, who ordered the frigates Vittorio Emanuele (laid down in 1854), Maria Adelaide (1857) and Duca di Genova (1858) from the shipyard in Genoa. ). They were designed by Felice Mattei, the chief designer of the fleet, and the Maria Adelaide, one of the fastest and most well-armed frigates of its time, was recognized as the best in the Mediterranean.

In 1859-1861 - during another war of independence, the expedition of Garibaldi's Thousand and the annexation of Central Italy - almost the entire territory of the peninsula was liberated from foreign rule, with the exception of the regions of Venice, Trento, Trieste and Istria, which were still in the hands of the Austrians, and also Rome, Civitavecchia and the region of Lazio, which remained under the authority of the Pope. Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed King of Italy. The new Italian fleet included ships from Sardinia-Piedmont, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Tuscany and the Papal States.

The Neapolitan fleet had deteriorated markedly in the previous decade, in part because it was controlled by liberal officers who supported unification; Many of them, although they remained in service, were not loyal to the royal power. They said that when the battleship Monarca was launched on June 5, 1860, one of the Neapolitan officers whispered in the ear of one of his colleagues:“Who knows what flag he will fly under?” . This case was quite typical for its time. On December 17, 1856, a gunpowder warehouse exploded, leading to great casualties, and on January 4, 1857, the steam corvette Carlo exploded in Naples III ", on which 39 officers and sailors died. There were rumors that the cause of the tragedy was arson, although the commission of inquiry ruled it an accident.

Count Camillo Benso Cavour di Cizeri (the author, unfortunately, is unknown to me)

Royal Italian Navy

The decree on the formation of the Royal Italian Navy was signed on March 17, 1861. It was based on the ships of the Sardinian (five screw and one sailing frigates, two screw, two sailing and three wheeled corvettes, two gunboats, four advice notes, three brigs) and the Neapolitan (one battleship, three screw and two sailing frigates, one screw, two sailing and 12 wheeled corvettes, two advice notes, four brigs) fleets; one screw corvette, one aviso and four gunboats were formerly part of the naval forces of the Duchy of Tuscany, and two tugboats belonged to the Papal Navy. It is interesting to note that the Sicilian fleet, which acted against the government in Naples, back in 1848-1849. purchased several ships abroad, in particular in the UK. Although the mutiny was eventually crushed, the Sicilian rebels managed to capture several Bourbon (loyalist) ships.

After defeat at the Battle of Castelfidardo, during the invasion of the Piedmontese army into Marche* and Umbria, the papal troops retreated to Ancona. The capture of Ancona depended on the success of the attack from the sea, which was carried out by the division of Rear Admiral Persano, consisting of the steam frigates Maria Adelaide (flagship), Carlo Alberto, Vittorio Emanuele, the sailing frigate San Michele, and the wheeled corvettes Governolo ", "Constitutione" and "Monzambano". The Carlo Alberto opened heavy and accurate fire on the La Lanterna naval base, causing serious destruction. Captain Battista Albini sent his Vittorio Emanuele straight to the battery and fired a full broadside at it - the battery blew up, and on September 29, 1860, Ancona capitulated. The fortress of Gaeta in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies remained loyal to King Francisco I . Besieged by the Piedmontese army and blocked from the sea by Persano's squadron on January 19, 1861, the fortress capitulated less than a month later.

* Marche is a region of Italy with its center in Ancona.

Frigate "Duca di Genova" in the Ligurian Sea (painted by A. Thibault)

Frigate "Vittorio Emanuele" on maneuvers, around 1861 (painted by A. Thibault)

Sardinian fleet
screw frigate "Carlo Alberto"
screw frigate "Vittorio Emanuele"
screw frigate "Maria Adelaide"
screw frigate Duca di Genova
(screw frigate "Principe Umberto" - under construction)
sailing frigate "San Michele"
screw corvette "San Giovanni"
screw corvette "Principessa Clotilde"
sailing corvette "Euridice"
sailing corvette "Iride" (formerly "Aquila")
wheeled corvette "Tripoli"
wheeled corvette "Malfatano"
wheeled corvette "Governolo"
gunboat "Vinzaglio"
gunboat "Confienza"
advice note "Gulnara"
advice note "Iknuza"
advice note "Oton"
advice note “Garigliano” (b. Neap.)

Neapolitan fleet
battleship "Re Galantuomo" (formerly "Monarco")
screw frigate "Garibaldi" (formerly "Borbone")
screw frigate "Italy" (formerly "Farnese")
screw frigate "Gaeta"
sailing frigate "Partenope"
sailing frigate "Regina"
screw corvette "Etna"
sailing corvette "Caracciolo" (formerly "Amalia", formerly "Maria Carolina")
sailing corvette "Christina" (formerly "Laetitia")
wheeled corvette "Stabia" (former Sard. "Ferdinando" II")
wheeled corvette "Monzambano" (formerly "Mongibello")
wheeled corvette "Ruggero"
wheeled corvette "Giscardo"
wheeled corvette "Tancredi"
wheeled corvette "Roberto"
wheeled corvette "Ercole" (formerly "Gaeta")
wheeled corvette "Arkimede"
wheeled corvette "Palinuro"
wheeled corvette "Miseno"
wheeled corvette "Stromboli"
wheeled corvette "Ettore Fieramosca"
advice note "Peloro"
advice note "Siren"

Sicilian Garibaldic Fleet
wheeled corvette "Tukeri"
wheeled corvette "Fulminante"
advice note "Aquila"
advice note "Valeno"

Tuscan fleet
screw corvette "Magenta"
gunboat "Ardita"
gunboat "Veloče"
gunboat "Curtatone"
gunboat "Montebello"
advice note "Giglio"

The history of the Italian Navy begins in 1946, after World War II ended. At that time, the fleet was in a catastrophic state: the territorial waters were full of mines and sunken ships, the infrastructure required the construction of all buildings from scratch, it was necessary to build new ships. At the same time, there were a number of restrictions, according to which the country was prohibited from having aggressive strike weapons, it could not use nuclear weapons and had restrictions on the total number of ships.

Today, the Italian Navy performs two main tasks: protecting national interests and ensuring global security in close cooperation with NATO.

Structure and deployment of the Italian Navy

Structurally, the Navy is divided into surface and submarine fleets, aviation and marines, together with special forces units.

The following Italian naval territories are distinguished:

1. Northern zone
2. South zone
3. Island of Sicily
4. Central zone

Since 2005, the Italian Navy has launched a process of updating its ship personnel and naval aviation. To date, not all planned vessels are in service; many of them are under construction.

Aircraft carriers

At the moment, the Italian fleet owns two aircraft carriers:

• Cavour - has been in service since 2009, can serve as a landing ship, can carry up to 415 people, 50 armored vehicles or 24 heavy battle tanks. Aviation consists of 8 AV-8B Harrier II aircraft and 12 Agusta Westland AW101 helicopters.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi is the flagship of the Italian Navy, in service since 1985, and can carry 16 AV-8B Harrier II aircraft or 18 Augusta SH-3D helicopters (AgustaWestland AW101). By 2022, it is planned to replace the ship with a newer aircraft carrier.

Also in service are 3 San Giorgio-class amphibious helicopter carriers with the following aircraft: 5 AW-101 aircraft or 5 Agusta Bell AB-212 helicopters. It is planned to be decommissioned in 2019.

Submarines

Submarines are presented in 2 classes:

• "Torado", type 212 - diesel-electric submarines built in Germany at the beginning of the 21st century. As of 2017, the fleet owns 4 ships, weapons include Triton anti-ship missiles, torpedo weapons, and mines.
• "Sauro" are Italian-made diesel submarines built in the late 80s and early 90s. There are 4 vessels left in service. On board are Whitehead A-184 torpedoes and mines.

Destroyers

4 destroyers of the Orizzonte (new) and Durand de la Penne (preparing for replacement) class have the following weapons on board:

• Aster anti-aircraft missiles with a flight range from 1.7 km to 120 km;
• Anti-ship missiles TESEO Mk-2/A;
• VASS B515/1 torpedoes;
• 1 helicopter AW-101 or SH90A.

Battleships

All Italian battleships were sunk during World War II; the results of the battles showed that these types of ships were outdated and their further construction was impractical.

Frigates

As of 2017, the Italian Navy has 3 types of frigates:

• “Maestrale” - 8 ships, originally built for anti-submarine defense, but they also cope well with anti-aircraft missions. At the moment, there are 6 vessels left in service, which are also planned to be replaced. The armament includes the Teseo Mk.2 anti-ship missile launcher, the Albatross air defense missile launcher, the Aspide missile defense system, and AB-212 helicopters.
• Lupo are light patrol frigates built in the 1980s. There are 2 ships left in service, armament includes an AB-212ASW helicopter, a Sea Sparrow/Aspide SAM launcher, and Mark 32 torpedoes.
• “Bergamini” – as of 2017, 6 ships are in service, 4 more will appear before 2021. The following weapons are on board: Aster missiles, Teseo\Otomat MK-2 anti-ship missiles, MU 90 torpedoes, SH90 helicopters.

Boats

Landing boats are represented by the following types: LCM62, MTM217, MTP96. The total number is 20 vessels. These ships also carry out escort missions.

Cassiopea-class patrol boats were built in the 80s, and currently there are 4 vessels in service. They are designed to patrol in secure areas.

Minesweepers

Mine sweeping ships are represented by the Lerici type, which includes the following subtypes:

• Lerici - 4 vessels, commissioned in 1985, on board there are 4 officers, 7 divers, 36 other personnel, armament includes Oerlikon cannon, Oropesa anti-mine system.
• Gaeta - 8 ships, in service since 1996. Differences from the first type: elongated body, improved radars.

By 2018, the release of new, even more modern equipment for Lerici minesweepers is expected.

Corvettes

The Minerva class corvettes were built in the 90s, they are distinguished by good speed and armament: Sea Sparrow or Selenia Aspide missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes. Of the 8 ships, 2 remain in service.