Audace (ii) 1916

Regia Marina – Audace (ii) 1917-1944

Audace is one of the most interesting destroyer of the Regia Marina for its long and original history. In WWI the Regia Marina fielded two destroyers named “Audace”. The first was launched in 1913 as a derivative of the Indomito & Ardito designs with Swiss Zoelly steam turbines for a change. Audace(i) started operations in 1915, ans sank in 1916 after a collision. A second of the same name was built, not in Italy but UK at Yarrow Scotstoun, and for the Japanese Navy (Urakaze class), for their participation in Mediterranean Operations.

After an agreement on 3 July 1916 between Japan and Italy, Kawakaze was transferred while still incomplete. On 5 July she was renamed Intrepido, and Audace on 25 September 1916, completed on 23 December 1916. She took part in the 1917-18 Adriatic campaign. In 1918 she was the first in Trieste. In the interwar she was active in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Red sea, reclassified as torpedo boat in 1929, took part in the Spanish Civil War in 1937, became a command ship for the radio-controlled target ship San Marco, became a 1940 convoy escort, was captured By Germany after the armistice in 1943 as TA20, became a minelayer/escort in the Adriatic, and was eventually sunk by two British destroyers by late 1944.

Born in Japan, built in UK…

Japanese Destroyer experiments 1905-1916

In WWI the naval situation was very different from WW2 in that Italy in 1915 joined the entente, and Japan since the start of the war. Japan in 1914 was of course active in the Pacific, chasing after German possessions, islands like the Carolines, and the siege of Tsingtao forcing Von Spee and his Asiatic Battle Squadron to flee. See battle of Coronel and the Falklands, the Emden’s rampage… There was little to do left for the IJN afterwards. Thanks to the 1903 agreement with the United Kingdom, Japan was soon invited however to join Mediterranean Operations. There were interesting cases of destroyers constructions, like the French “Arabe” class destroyers built in Japan and conversely, British or Italian ships made or transferred to Japan for Mediterranean Operations.

Such was the case of the Urakaze class albeit they were ordered to UK before the war broke up. By then, the IJN was in full expansion and needed modern large destroyers to European standards. Indeed, Japanese yards had been busy building thirty-two Asakae class destroyers, essentially 380t glorified torpedo boats from 1905 to 1909, and its first two semi-experimental 1000t fleet destroyers, the Umikaze class designed with British assistance and powerplants in 1910. The Sakura, Kaba, Momo, Enoki, Isokaze and Tanikaze followed during WWI. But experience with steam turbines led to be desired in terms of range and in November 1912 two new destroyers with a ne type of mixed powerplant designed to for fuel economy were ordered to Britain. This was particularly acute due to the lack of Oil in mainland Japan, imported like Britain and large expanses of the pacific.

In 1911 already these experimental destroyers were planned, added to the current naval plan, but they were ordered two years later from the Yarrow Shipbuilders at Scotstoun (Scotland), eventually placing a contract for the first in 1913. IJN Kawakaze was thus laid down as “Destroyer No. 36” on 1 October 1913. Construction was however delayed by a backlog of orders, especially from 4 August 1914. The ship received the name Kawakaze (“Inlet Wind”) on 26 September 1914 and was to feature at first diesel engines for cruising.
This was to make her also the last destroyer built abroad for the Japanese Navy. Short cruising range indeed was a common problem for high-speed turbines which had a poor efficience at low power. She was to have had two cruising diesels, in analogy with modern CODOG diesel-gas turbine plants with two 22,000 shp Brown-Curtis turbines on 2 shafts, and two 1200bhp Burmeister & Wain diesels for cruising at 12kts. The diesels were to have been coupled to the main shafts through German-built Fottinger transformers, which could also reverse the propellers, as diesels could not run in reverse. The transformers were tried in Germany in July 1914, but could not be delivered due to the outbreak of war.

Transfer to Italy and completion

Indeed the reduction gear for that engine was to be manufactured by the German firm Furkan and now became unavailable. Meaning that she would be delivered with only steam turbine propulsion, making her less valuable to the Japanese. Instead at Yarrow, a temporary oil tank was fitted. Urakaze aside this became the first Japanese destroyer with 21-inches TT tubes, and first to be all oil-fired. Later on trials she made 30.26kts. One source suggests that her combined-plant concept was due, not to the Japanese Navy, but to Yarrow. As a unique unit, she was used for many years as a guard ship in China, rather than as a unit of a squadron.
Kawakaze, second ordered as part of the class was later delivered to Italy, a replacement being authorised under the 84 plan of 1917 so she was replaced by a unit of the Tanikaze class. Urakaze was eventually completed on 14 October 1915, not delivered to Japan until 1919, stricken in 1936 and hulked at Yokosuka in 1936, sunk there by US TF38 aircraft on 18 July 1945.

Foir her sister Kawakaze, fate was different: Italy entered the war on the side of the Allies in May 1915 and at the time, the Italians were desperately short of destroyers. The Italian attaché in Britain knew about the Sottish-built pair of destroyers now less desirable for Japan. Negotiations thus started with the Japanese to acquire Kawakaze. On 3 July 1916, Japan effectively sold Kawakaze to Italy and on 5 July 1916 the Italian Regia Marina named her “Intrepido” after the first one that sank after striking a mine in 1915. On 25 September she renamed her Audace after another which sank in a collision. All that happened as she was still in construction in Scotland. Audace was eventually launched on 27 September 1916, two days after her renaming, and she completed without her armament on 23 December 1916. The Italian intension was to have her completed to Italian standards if possible. Thus, she steamed to Naples, reached on 9 January 1917 with her armament installed there, and many other modifications until she was commissioned at last on 1st March 1917. Her identification letters were “AD”, painted on her forecastle.

Design of the class

At almost 90 meters long for 1170 tonnes deeply loaded she was at the time, the largest Italian destroyer ever commissioned. There were larger flotilla leaders, but they were considered as cruisers. Her powerplant was “classic” and that was the source of her selling by Japan which counted on the initial mixed diesel-steam plant to experiment solutions to gain extra range. This was no longer a problem in the confines of the Adriatic. She was a very peculiar ship with a short forecastle, almost 1/5 of her lenght, two funnels far apart, with the forefunnel far behind the forecastle and bridge, a tall foremast and short aft mast, an enclosed bridge with open one above plus single searchlight on platform, six main guns, two duel purpose ones and twin 21-inches torpedo tubes, which was new in the Regia Marina. Her almosty straight bow had little flare. She had a sloped down rounded bow cut straight below the waterline, and rounded rudder, two shafts.

Hull and general design

Audace between perpendiculars leasured 83.9 meters (275 ft 3 in), with an overall length of 87.59 meters (287 ft 4 in) and a beam of 8.38 meters (27 ft 6 in) for a 1/10 ratio, draft of 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in). As completed she displaced more than her sister ship Urakaze at 922 metric tons (907 long tons) at normal load and 1,170 metric tons (1,150 long tons)t deeply loaded, plus a complement of five officers and 113 enlisted men. Audace is one of the best known Italian destroyer of that era, with many reconstructions made.

Powerplant

Audace came out with a classic powerplant of two Brown-Curtis steam turbines driving their own propeller shaft with the steam supplied by three Yarrow boilers. Maximum output was 22,000 shaft horsepower (16,405 kW), top speed was 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) as contracted at Yarrow but she handily exceeded this figures, making 34.5 knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph) in her Naples sea trialson the usual light load. Cruising range was still 2,180 nautical miles (4,040 km; 2,510 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). To compared this was 1,200 nmi (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the former Intrpido, and 560 nautical miles (1,000 km; 640 mi) at a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) versus 500 nmi (930 km; 580 mi) at 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph).
They were in short, the better performers of the Italian Navy.

Armament

Although often said “unarmed” when she sailed for Italy, it was not true. She departed with two quick-firing (QF) 39-caliber two-pounder anti-aircraft guns, installed Japan sold her to Italy, placed amidship aft, close to the aft mast on either side. These fired the classic Vickers 40-millimeter (1.6 in), 0.91-kilogram (2 lb) high-explosive shells to down aircraft, at a muzzle velocity of 620 meters per second (2,040 ft/s).
The Regia Marina reworked her armament upon arrival and chosed at first, perhaps motivated by her long hull, to fit as much as seven QF Cannon 76/40 Modello 1916, all single. The latter fired a 13.75-kilogram (30.31 lb) shell at 2,480 feet per second (755 m/s). The initial 21-inchesd tibes were never fitted and instead she received four 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in twin mounts on each broadside.

76mm/40 (3 inches) M1916 Ansaldo

The Cannone da 76/40 originated in the British QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun designed back in 1893, first produced in 1897. The QF 12-pounder 12 cwt gun from Elswick Ordnance was distributed to the Royal Navy and export. Italy and Japan were were two early export customers, purchased production licenses. Most Italian one were produced by Ansaldo from a design provided during World War I by Armstrong, parent company of EOC.
Mass: 510 kg (1,120 lb)
Dimensions: 3.13 m (10 ft 3 in) oa, barrel 3 m (9 ft 10 in), 40 caliber
Crew: 7
Shell: Fixed 5.6–6.5 kg (12–14 lb) QF 76.2 x 420mm R
Elevation/traverse: -6° to +81°, 360°
Rate of fire: 12-15 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s)
Effective range: 10.7 km (6.6 mi) at +40°, 5.8 km (19,000 ft) at +70°, 4.8 km (16,000 ft) AA ceiling.

QF 2-pounder/39 anti-aircraft guns

The two original barrels were installed abaft the aft mast, one on each side.
Mass 385,5 kg, barrel 2,61 m/40 mm.
Shell: 980 g, mv 732 m/s, 115 rpm
Max Range 4.572 m

Torpedo Tubes and ASW

The 17.7 inches torpedo tubes (450 mm) used at the time were Thornycroft models built in Italy by Silurificio Italiano. They were launched from two twin tubes on either side,
In addition to the two twin torpedoes tubes, Audace was completed with two racks for 8 depth charges total and one paravane as anti-mine, ASW weapon.