Aquila

Conventionally-Powered Aircraft Carrier

Kingdom of Italy | 1941

"The Aquila became the first Italian-produced aircraft carrier though she was never to see operational service in World War 2."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for Aquila.

8 x Boilers feeding 4 x Geared steam turbines developing 151,000 horsepower to 4 x shafts under stern.
Propulsion

30.0 kts
34.5 mph
Surface Speed

5,475 nm
6,300 miles | 10,139 km
Range

Structure
The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of Aquila.

1,420
Personnel
Complement

760.0 ft
231.65 meters
O/A Length

96.0 ft
29.26 meters
Beam

24.0 ft
7.32 meters
Draught

28,200
tons
Displacement

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of Aquila.

8 x 135mm (5.3") /45 caliber guns.
12 x 65mm (2.5") /64 caliber guns.
132 x 20mm (0.79") /65 caliber Anti-Aircraft (AA) automatic cannons.

Air Arm
Available supported fixed-wing / rotary-wing aircraft featured in the design of Aquila.

Between 50 and 65 aircraft of various makes and models.

Ships-in-Class (1)
Notable series variants as part of the Aquila family line as relating to the Aquila group.

Aquila

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/02/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

For the Italian Navy in World War 2, the battleship was still the centerpiece of its power projection in the Mediterranean while powers like the United States and Britain relied heavily on the aircraft carrier to bring the fight to the enemy wherever he lay. The first Italian carrier project was not undertaken until 1941 at which point the war was well underway. The "Aquila" ("Eagle"), ordered in 1941, was neither a purpose-built solution nor was it ever completed prior to the Italian armistice of September 1943.

Both the Kingdom of Italy and Germany would neglect the aircraft carrier in their respective navies of the period - leading to a considerable deficiency in bringing firepower to bear on the high seas. Aquila became the first, and only, aircraft carrier type to be considered / acted upon by the Italian government.

Like other carrier warships of the period, Aquila was built atop the framework of an existing ship, in this case the trans-Atlantic passenger liner SS Roma. This proved a sensible cost-effective measure to ensure the ship could be gotten into service in as short a time as possible. The Ansaldo Shipyard at Genoa was tasked with its construction which began in 1941.

Of conventional design and propulsion, the modified ship showcased a displacement of 24,000 tons under standard load and up to 28,200 tons under full load. It exhibited a running length of 772.7 feet from bow-to-stern, held a beam of 98.4 feet, and measured 23.10 feet along its draught. Installed power was from 8 x Boiler units feeding 4 x Geared-steam turbines developing 151,000 horsepower to 4 x Shafts astern. This provided the warship with a maximum speed (in ideal conditions) of 30 knots and a range out to 6,300 miles. These specifications indicated a good performing ship for the Mediterranean Theater.

Aboard was a complement of 1,420 personnel including 107 officers. Armor protection included 3.1" at the deck. Up to 50-to-60 combat aircraft were to be carried on the ship - though 35-to-45 has been accepted as more realistic due to the expected small hangar space offered by the conversion process.

Self-defense armament consisted of 8 x 5.3" (135mm) /45 caliber main guns backed by a battery of 12 x 2.56" (65mm) /64 caliber secondary guns. Up to 132 x 20mm /65 caliber Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns were planned as a last line of defense.

The Aquila was never launched nor was her construction completed to the point that the warship could be considered war-worthy. Some basic static testing was being done on her in 1943 but the progress was halted in full with the Italian surrender on September 8th, 1943. Following this, the Germans moved in to claim the hull and thus the ship began a prime target for the Allied aerial bombing campaign. On June 16th, 1944, she was damaged by aerial bombs when the Allies targeted Genoa. To further restrict her value, Italian "frogmen" loyal to the new government attacked the ship on April 19th, 1945, leaving the ship partially scuttled where she rested. This removed the hull from play and reduced the chances of the Germans being able to blockage Genoa Harbor with her remains.

With the end of the war in August 1945, the warship was finally raised in 1946 and relocated to La Spezia in 1949. There, she was scrapped in 1952 and the history of Italy's first aircraft carrier came to a rather unceremonious end.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global operator(s) of the Aquila. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.

Shipbuilder(s): Ansaldo - Kingdom of Italy / Italy

[ Kingdom of Italy ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
Aquila Conventionally-Powered Aircraft Carrier appears in the following collections:

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)