Impetuoso-class destroyer

The Impetuoso class were the first post-World War II destroyers built for the Italian Navy. The two ships were ordered in February 1950, entered service in 1958 and were retired in the early 1980s.

Impetuoso alongside USS Kalamazoo in the Mediterranean Sea in June 1977
Class overview
Name	Impetuoso class
Builders	Cantiere navale di Riva Trigoso Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando
Operators	Italian Navy
Preceded by	San Giorgio class
Succeeded by	Impavido class
Built	1952–1958
In commission	1958–1983
Completed	2
Retired	2
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,775 tons standard 3,810 tons full load
Length	127.6 m (418 ft 8 in)
Beam	13.2 m (43 ft 4 in)
Draught	4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft geared turbines 4 × Foster Wheeler boilers providing 65,000 hp (48,000 kW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	315
Sensors and processing systems	SPS-6 air-search radar SG-6B surface-search radar SPG-25 and SPG-34 fire control radar SQS-4 search sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	WLR-1 ESM (only Impetuoso by 1980)
Armament	2 × twin 127 mm/38 caliber gun 2 × quad Bofors 40 mm/60 guns 4 × twin Bofors 40 mm/60 guns 1 × 305 mm Menon ASW mortar 2 × triple 12.75-inch (324 mm) torpedo launchers with Mark 44 torpedoes

Design

The Impetuoso class hull design was based on the uncompleted World War II Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro-class destroyer. The class has a length of 127.6 m (419 ft) with length between perpendiculars of 123.4 m (405 ft), a beam of 13.2 m (43 ft), with a draught of 4.5 m (15 ft), and their displacement were 2,775 long tons (2,820 t) standard and 3,810 long tons (3,870 t) at full load. The ships was powered by two-shaft geared steam turbines with four Foster Wheeler boilers, with total power output of 65,000 shaft horsepower (48 MW). Impetuoso class has a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h), with range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) while cruising at 16 knots (30 km/h). The ships has a complement of 315 personnel.

The class were armed with four 5-inch (127 mm)/38 caliber guns in two twin-gun turrets, 16 Bofors 40 mm/60 guns consisted of two quad-mounts and four twin-mounts, and one 305 mm Menon anti-submarine mortar. They were also armed with two fixed 533-millimetre (21 in) torpedo tubes, which was later replaced by two 12.75-inch (324 mm) triple-tubes with Mark 44 torpedoes. There was a proposed modernization program in the late 1960s for the ships to be rearmed with a single lightweight 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun forward and RIM-24 Tartar surface-to-air missile launcher in the aft.

The ships electronics and sensors consisted of SPS-6 air-search radar, SG-6B surface-search radar, SPG-25 and SPG-34 fire control radar, and SQS-11 search sonar, which was later replaced with SQS-4 sonar. As of 1980, Impetuoso was equipped with WLR-1 electronic support measure system with noise jammer, while Indomito appears to be not equipped with any electronic warfare system.

Ships

Name	Pennant number	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Impetuoso	D 558	CNR, Riva Trigoso	7 May 1952	16 September 1956	25 January 1958	Stricken 1983
Indomito	D 559	Ansaldo, Livorno	24 April 1952	9 August 1955	23 February 1958	Stricken 3 November 1980

• 
  Aft view of Impetuoso in May 1977

Bibliography

• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

External links

• Destroyer Impetuoso Marina Militare website