Italian destroyer Irrequieto
Irrequieto was an Italian destroyer. Commissioned into service in the Italian Regia Marina in 1913, she served in World War I, playing an active role in the Adriatic campaign. Reclassified as a torpedo boat in 1929, she was stricken in 1937.
Construction and commissioning
Irrequieto was laid down at the Cantiere Pattison in Naples, Italy, in 1910. She was launched on 12 December 1912, sponsored by Mrs. Blanche Wenner, and commissioned in 1913.Service history
World War I
1915
World War I broke out in 1914, and the Kingdom of Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies with its declaration of war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915. At the time, Irrequieto, under the command of Capitano di corvetta Moreno, and the destroyers,,,, and made up the 2nd Destroyer Squadron. The squadron, under the command of Capitano de fregata P. Orsini, was based at Taranto, although either Impetuoso or Indomito or both were visiting La Spezia that day.On 9 June 1915, Irrequieto, Impetuoso, Indomito, Insidioso, Intrepido, the protected cruiser, and the destroyers,,, and escorted the armored cruisers and as they bombarded the lighthouses at the Cape of Rodon and Shëngjin on the coast of the Principality of Albania.
In the early hours of 17 July 1915 Intrepido, Animoso, Irrequieto, and Quarto bombarded the radiotelegraph station and other Austro-Hungarian military installations on Šipan, an island off the coast of Dalmatia. This bombardment, as well as another carried out by the 5th Naval Division, was interrupted when Vettor Pisani of the 5th Naval Division sighted an Austro-Hungarian submarine at 04:25. After the Italian ships began their return voyage, the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-4 attacked at 04:40 and torpedoed Giuseppe Garibaldi, which sank within minutes. Rescue efforts saved 525 men out of the 578 on board Giuseppe Garibaldi.
On 3 December 1915 Irrequieto, Impetuoso , Indomito, Insidioso, and Intrepido got underway from Brindisi to escort one of the first supply convoys for Italian troops in Albania. As the convoy — composed of the troop transports and, carrying a total of 1,800 men and 150 draft animals — approached Shëngjin on the coast of Albania, Re Umberto, with 765 men on board, hit a mine laid by the Imperial German Navy submarine UC-14, broke in two, and sank in 15 minutes. Rescuers saved 712 men.
1916–1918
On 24 February 1916, Irrequieto, Impetuoso, Indomito, Ardito, the protected cruisers and, the auxiliary cruisers and, and the destroyer began to bombard advancing Austro-Hungarian troops in Albania who were about to occupy Durrës. In the following days they also bombarded Austro-Hungarian artillery positions on the mountain Sasso Bianco in the Dolomites near Durrës.On 25 June 1916 Irrequieto, Impavido, Insidioso, Audace, and the protected cruiser provided distant support for an attack by the motor torpedo boats MAS 5 and MAS 7 against Durrës. The attack seriously damaged the 1,111-gross register ton steamship.
On 9 July 1916 Irrequieto and Impetuoso pursued the Austro-Hungarian scout cruiser, which had attacked the Otranto Barrage in the Strait of Otranto and sunk the naval drifters — armed fishing boats patrolling anti-submarine barriers — Astrum, Claivis, and Spei. However, Novara reached the Austro-Hungarian naval base at Cattaro before they could intercept her.
On 11 June 1917 Irrequieto, Insidioso, and the torpedo boats and provided distant support to 10 Italian seaplanes sent to bomb Durrës.
By late October 1918, Austria-Hungary had effectively disintegrated, and the Armistice of Villa Giusti, signed on 3 November 1918, went into effect on 4 November 1918, ending hostilities between Austria-Hungary and the Allies. World War I ended a week later with the armistice between the Allies and the German Empire on 11 November 1918.