Andrea Doria

The Andrea Doria was one of two battleships in the Andrea Doria-class serving the Italian Navy in th 20th century. Construction was handled between the shipyards of La Spezia and Castellammare from 1912 onwards until the vessels were launched in 1915 and made ready for operational service by 1916. Based on the Conte di Cavour battleship design, the Andrea Doria arrived too late to see any combat action in the war and would have to wait for history's second greatest global conflict before she could fire her guns in anger.

The Andrea Doria's profile was dominated by its twin mast and funnels, opening up a space amidships for a primary turret emplacement. In her early form, the vessel featured 13 x 12" main guns held in five total turrets, three with triple barrels and two with dual barrels. This main armament was supplemented by 16 x 6" guns, 13 x 3" guns and 3 x 135mm torpedo tubes for considerable offensive firepower. Defensive armament consisted of 6 x 76mm guns for anti-aircraft duty. Power was initially supplied by a steam turbine with twenty boilers feeding four shafts at 30,000 shaft horsepower. After modernization, this turned into a steam turbine system with eight Yarrow type boilers feeding just twin shafts but at a great 75,000 shaft horsepower load. Crew complement was a total of 1,233 sailors.

As time went on, it was seen fit to modernize the type and the Andrea Doria received a complete overhaul prior to World War 2 that even her armament did not escape. This later version of the vessel featured 10 x 12.6" main guns in two triple and two double turret emplacements. This was supplemented by 12 x 5.3" guns, 10 x 3.5" anti-aircraft guns, 13 x 76mm guns, 15 x 37mm anti-aircraft cannons and 16 x 20mm anti-aircraft cannons (note removal of torpedo tubes). In all, the Andrea Doria became a more powerful vessel in her later career than she was when first introduced. Crew complement increased in her new form to 1,485 sailors.

Andrea Doria was launched in time to see active service in World War 1 but did not see any combat action until after the war in 1919, where she served with the Allied Intervention Force in the Black Sea in the Russian Civil War as an escort. Beyond that, the vessel led a quiet life on the seas until the build up to World War 2. She saw a major refit from 1937 through 1940, with additional armor added to critical areas and turrets along with the aforementioned change in armament. Her machinery changed as well and she received a boost to her top speed thanks to redesigned twin screws over her original quadruple design and new boiler systems powering her steam turbine.

In combat, the Andrea Doria took part in the convoy battles dotting the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions seeing notable action in the First Battle of Sirte. With her battle days numbered and Italy on the verge of capitulation, the Andrea Doria was placed in reserve by 1942, eventually surrendering to British forces near Malta that same year and interned the following year after Italy's official defeat. The Andrea Doria-class was superceded by the Littorio-class of warships in World War 2.

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Last Updated: 7/12/2008