Spica-class torpedo boat (Italy)
The Spica class was a class of torpedo boats of the Regia Marina during World War II. These ships were built as a result of a clause in the Washington Naval Treaty, which stated that ships with a tonnage of less than 600 could be built in unlimited numbers. Thirty-two ships were built between 1934 and 1937, thirty of which entered service with Italy.
Called torpedo boats due to their smaller displacement, the Spica class had armament similar to destroyers and were intended for anti-submarine operations but also had to fight aircraft and surface ships. Twenty-three vessels were lost during the war, two had been sold to the Swedish Navy in 1940. The class was called destroyers until 1953 and then renamed corvettes.
Design
Specifications
The London Naval Treaty put no limit on vessels of or under. Design work started in 1932 supervised by the general engineer Gustavo Bozzoni. Two prototypes, Spica and Astore, were completed in 1935 and sold to the Swedish Navy. The hull was long, the beam was, the draught was and the ships had an installed power of from 2-shaft geared turbines Displacement was around and standard rather than the permitted by the treaty. There was a complement of 6−9 officers and 110 crew.Armament
The gun armament consisted of three /47 caliber dual-purpose guns in single mountings in 'A', 'X', and 'Y' positions and three or four twin [Breda Model 1931 Machine Gun|] anti-aircraft machine guns, later replaced by 6 to 11 Breda 20/65 modello 35 20 mm cannon in various configurations. Lupo replaced her eight machine guns by 1941 with three twin 20 mm guns; two abreast the bridge and one between the funnel and second main gun, leaving the former machine-gun platform immediately abaft the funnel vacant. The ships had minelaying equipment and room for twenty mines.They also carried four torpedo tubes; two tubes for each side in the first group, with later groups having varying configurations including a centreline twin- and two single-beam mounts, before settling on two centreline twin mounts in the last vessels. Some earlier ships were reportedly refitted with the all-centreline arrangement during the war. Twenty-one Spica-class torpedo boats were lost during the war, three mined by the submarine mine-layer, three sunk by submarines, seven by aircraft, seven by ships and one by a collision.