Italian Heavy Cruisers: From Trento to Bolzano

The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 led to competition between major navies for the next most powerful category of ships, heavy cruisers limited to 10,000 tons displacement and 8-inch guns. Italy followed this trend with the Trento and Trieste classes, which were the fastest of the first generation Treaty cruisers but were lightly armoured. Before the final ship of this class (Pola) had been completed, there was a return to the earlier fast, lightly protected concept with the Bolzano. This book covers the political background, design history, and technical features of these classes, as well as their activities during the war and their sinking. It is thoroughly illustrated with ship and armament plans, detail drawings, colour camouflage schemes, and photographs.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 02 February 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 marked a significant shift in naval warfare, effectively banning the construction of battleships. This led to a fierce competition among the major navies to develop the next most powerful category of ships: heavy cruisers limited to a displacement of 10,000 tons and armed with 8-inch guns. Italy, among others, followed this trend, with the first design for what would become Trento and Trieste ordered in 1924. These Treaty cruisers were the fastest of their generation, but they were notably lightly armored. The succeeding Zara class of four ships was slower but offered better protection. However, before the final ship of this class, Pola, was completed, there was a return to the earlier concept of fast, lightly protected ships with the Bolzano. This ship incorporated aspects of the Zara design as well.

This volume delves into the political background, design history, and technical features of these classes in great detail. It highlights the incremental improvements made to these ships, ensuring that no two were identical. Modelmakers, in particular, will appreciate the extensive coverage of appearance variations, using both description and illustration. As major units of the Italian battlefleet, these ships played a significant role in the war, and their careers are thoroughly documented, including analyses of damage suffered. Tragically, all of these ships were sunk, and the book explores the full circumstances of each loss.

The book is extensively illustrated with ship and armament plans, detail drawings, color camouflage schemes, and an outstanding collection of photographs. It is a fitting companion to the highly successful Italian Battleships series, providing a comprehensive technical history of these important ships.

Weight: 1304g
Dimension: 255 x 299 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399098854