Gabbiano-class corvette

Class overview
Name	Gabbiano
Operators	Regia Marina; Kriegsmarine; Italian Navy;
Built	1939–1943
In commission	1940–1972
Planned	60
Completed	49
Retired	14
General characteristics
Type	Corvette
Displacement	660 long tons (671 t) standard; 728 long tons (740 t) full load;
Length	58.8 m (192 ft 11 in)
Beam	8.71 m (28 ft 7 in)
Draught	2.53 m (8 ft 4 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft Diesel; 3,500 bhp (2,600 kW);
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	110
Sensors and ; processing systems	Sonar and hydrophones
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	Sonar
Armament	1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) / 47 caliber gun; 7 × 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns; 2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes; 10 × depth charge throwers;

The Gabbiano-class corvettes were a group of 59 vessels built for the Regia Marina of Italy for service during the Second World War. They were built to a war-time design and intended for anti-submarine and escort duties.

Design

The Gabbianos were designed to be built quickly and in large numbers and began to enter service in May 1942. The ships were fitted with sonar and hydrophones, but the Regia Marina did not consider removing features such as torpedo tubes to reduce topweight or allow the vessels to carry more anti-submarine weapons.^[2] These ships were equipped with electric 'creep' motors with an endurance of 16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi) at 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) for silent running while engaged in anti-submarine searches,^[3] Overall, they were well-designed for operations in the Mediterranean and were successful in their role.

Service

Sixty vessels were ordered, and 29 were completed by September 1943. The Germans seized many of these vessels after the Italian surrender in 1943, and operated them under new names until the end of the war. The Germans also completed 20 vessels under construction. Fourteen vessels survived the war; the postwar Marina Militare used them as patrol vessels until 1972.

Two corvettes played important parts in Italian history: Persefone brought Mussolini, under arrest after 25 July 1943, from Gaeta to Ponza, while a short time later on 9 September 1943 Baionetta carried the Italian royal family and the Italian government with Marshall Badoglio from Pescara to Brindisi during their escape from Rome after the armistice.

Ships

Construction data
Ship	Hull no. ^[4]	Builder	Launched	Operational history
Alce	C 23	O.T.O. Livorno	27 May 1942	Completed as UJ-6084
Antilope	C 19	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	She beat off the attack of three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-61) off Marettimo on 16 February 1943, while escorting a four-ship convoy along with her sister ship Gabbiano and the torpedo boats Sirio and Monsone. The motor torpedo boats were caught in advance by the escorts' sonar.^[5] German UJ-6082 after September 1943
Ape	C 25	Navalmeccanica	22 November 1942
Ardea	C 54	Ansaldo, Genoa	—	UJ-2225; not completed
Artimede	C 39	CRDA, Monfalcone	9 August 1942	German UJ-2226
Baionetta	C 34	Breda	5 October 1942
Berenice	C 66	CRDA, Monfalcone	20 May 1943	Sunk, 9 September 1943
Bombarda	C 38	Breda	31 August 1942	Completed as UJ-206
Calabrone	C 30	Navalmeccanica	27 June 1943	German; not renamed
Camoscio	C 21	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	German UJ-6081; Sunk by the American destroyer USS Somers on 15 August 1944 during the Battle of Port Cros
Capriolo	C 22	OTO, Livorno	5 December 1942	Completed as UJ-6083
Carabina	C 37	Breda	31 August 1943	Completed as UJ-207
Cavalletta	C 31	Navalmeccanica	3 December 1942	German; broken up
Cervo	C 56	OTO, Livorno	—	UJ-6086; not completed
Chimera	C 48	CRDA, Trieste	30 January 1943
Cicala	C 29	Navalmeccanica	27 June 1943	German; not renamed
Clava	C 63	Breda		German; broken up
Cicogna	C 15	Ansaldo, Genoa	12 October 1942	Sank the British Submarine HMS Thunderbolt (former HMS Thetis) with depth charges on 14 March 1943 off Sicily. Cicogna was bombed 24 July 1943; scuttled
Cocciniglia	C 61	Navalmeccanica
Colubrina	C 35	Breda	7 December 1942	Completed as UJ205
Cormorano	C 13	Cerusa	20 September 1942	Sank or destroyed at least three hostile German small vessels on 9 September 1943 off Bastia, Corsica. Decommissioned in 1966
Crisalide	C 58	Navalmeccanica
Danaide	C 44	CRDA, Trieste	21 October 1942
Daino	C 55	OTO, Livorno	—	UJ-6087; not completed
Driade	C 43	CRDA, Trieste	7 October 1942
Egeria	C 67	CRDA, Monfalcone		UJ-201; sunk by the Free-French destroyer Le Terrible during the Battle of Ist on 29 February 1944
Euridice	C 70	CRDA, Monfalcone		UJ-204; not completed
Euterpe	C 41	CRDA, Monfalcone	22 October 1942	Along with sister ship Minerva sank British submarine P247 on 14 August 1943. Scuttled September 1943.
Farfalla	C 59	Navalmeccanica
Fenice	C 50	CRDA, Trieste	1 March 1943
Flora	C 46	CRDA, Trieste	1 December 1942
Folaga	C 16	Ansaldo, Genoa	14 November 1942
Gabbiano	C 11	Cerusa	23 June 1942	She repelled the attack of three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-61) off Marettimo on 16 February 1943, while escorting a four-ship convoy along with her sister ship Antilope and the torpedo boats Sirio and Monsone. The motor torpedo boats were caught in advance by the escorts' sonar.^[6] Assisted torpedo boat Climene in the chase and sinking of HMS Sahib on 24 April 1943. Decommissioned 1971
Gazzella	C 20	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	Sunk by mine, 5 August 1943
Grillo	C 28	Navalmeccanica	21 March 1943	German; not renamed
Gru	C 18	Ansaldo, Genoa	23 December 1942
Ibis	C 17	Ansaldo, Genoa	12 December 1942
Libellula	C 32	Navalmeccanica		German; broken up
Lucciola	C 27	Navalmeccanica	21 March 1943
Marangone	C 52	Ansaldo, Genoa	16 September 1943	Completed as UJ-2223
Maggiolino	C 60	Navalmeccanica
Melpomene	C 68	CRDA, Monfalcone	29 August 1943	Completed as UJ-202
Minerva	C 42	CRDA, Monfalcone	5 November 1942	Along with sister ship Euterpe sank British submarine HMS Saracen on 14 August 1943. Decommissioned in 1970
Pellicano	C 14	Cerusa	12 February 1943
Persefone	C 40	CRDA, Monfalcone	21 September 1942	Scuttled September 1943
Pomona	C 45	CRDA, Trieste	18 November 1942
Procellaria	C 12	Cerusa	4 September 1942
Renna	C 24	OTO, Livorno	5 December 1942	Completed as UJ-6085
Scure	C 62	Breda	—	UJ-209; not completed
Scimitarra	C 33	Breda	16 September 1942
Sfinge	C 47	CRDA, Trieste	9 January 1943
Sibilla	C 49	CRDA, Trieste	10 March 1943
Spingarda	C 36	Breda	22 March 1943	Completed as UJ-208
Stambecco	C 57	OTO, Livorno	—	UJ-6088; not completed
Strolaga	C 53	Ansaldo, Genoa	—	UJ-2224; not completed
Tuffetto	C 51	Ansaldo, Genoa	25 August 1943	Completed as UJ-2222
Tersicore	C 69	CRDA, Monfalcone	—	UJ-203; not completed
Urania	C 65	CRDA, Monfalcone	21 April 1943
Vespa	C 26	Navalmeccanica	22 November 1942	German UJ-2221 after September 1943
Zagaglia	C 64	Breda

Notes

^ Conway p316-317
^ Conway p302
^ Conway p317
^ Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian warships of World War 2. London: Ian Allan. pp. 9–10.
^ Giorgerini, Giorgio (2001). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943 (in Italian). Mondadori. p. 550. ISBN 8804405813.
^ Giorgerini, Giorgio (2001). La guerra italiana sul mare. La Marina tra vittoria e sconfitta 1940-1943 (in Italian). Mondadori. p. 550. ISBN 8804405813.

References

Brescia, Maurizio (2012). Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regina Marina 1930–45. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-544-8.
Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
Fraccaroli, Aldo (1968). Italian Warships of World War II. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0002-6.
Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.