Francesco Caracciolo

Notes: Another Foruminian public pick, Francesco Caracciolo was laid down at the start of WWI, but was not completed because of material shortages and low construction priority. She was finally launched after the war but ultimately broken up for scrap. She was designed to be a "fast battleship" contemporary to the Queen Elizabeth class. More like a battlecruiser of the period, the planned speed of 28 kts makes her a nice battleship to fit the Italian lineup between the rebuilt Cavour and Doria class BB's, and the modern Littorio class BBs.

Prototype: Francesco Caracciolo was laid down at the start of WWI, but was not completed because of material shortages and low construction priority. She was finally launched after the war but ultimately broken up for scrap. She was designed to be a "fast battleship" contemporary to the Queen Elizabeth class. More like a battlecruiser of the period, the planned speed of 28 kts makes her a nice battleship to fit the Italian lineup between the rebuilt Cavour and Doria class BB's, and the modern Littorio class BBs.

Class History: The Francesco Caracciolo-class battleships were a class of battleships designed for the Italian Regia Marina in 1912–1913 and ordered in 1914; the first ship of the class, Francesco Caracciolo, was laid down that year. The other three ships, Cristoforo Colombo, Marcantonio Colonna, and Francesco Morosini were all laid down in 1915. Armed with a main battery of eight 381 mm (15.0 in) guns and possessing a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph), the four ships of the class were intended to be the equivalent of the British Queen Elizabeth class. They were never completed, however, due to material shortages and shifting construction priorities after the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Only the lead ship was launched, and several proposals to convert her into an aircraft carrier were considered, but budgetary problems prevented any work being done. She was sold to an Italian shipping firm for conversion into a merchant ship. This too proved to be too expensive, and so she was broken up for scrap.

Country: Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine. Its capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins. Other major cities include Florence, with Renaissance masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s "David" and Brunelleschi's Duomo; Venice, the city of canals; and Milan, Italy’s fashion capital.