The largest and most powerful warships ever built in Italy, the battleships of the Littorio class, were the first “35,000 tonners” to come under the provisions of the Washington Treaty. Although the Washington Navel Conference of 1922 gave Italy the authority to build up to 182,800 tons of new capital ships (including 70,000 tons prior to 1932), the Italians waited more than a decade before beginning construction.
Commissioned on June 24, 1940, she joined the 1st Navel Squadron at Taranto under Admiral Bergamini’s flag. She was severely damaged on November 10–11, 1940, while anchored at Taranto, by British aircraft launched from the carrier Illustrious. In March of 1941, she was back in service. On December 17, 1941, the RN Littorio participated in the First Battle of Sirte Gulf. On March 21, 1942, during the Second Battle of Sirte, a muzzle blast from the aft 381-mm turret set fire to a Ro.43 floatplane on the fantail, which led the British to believe they had scored a torpedo hit on the battleship.
Battle of mid-June 12–16, 1942: The RN Littorio was damaged on June 15 by American B-24 bombers. On the return to her base, she was hit by a torpedo launched by the Wellington. Repairs were complete by August 27, 1942 but the ship was to carry out no more combat missions. From December 1942 to June 1943, the RN Littorio was used to defend the cities of Taranto, La Spezia and Genoa from Allied air attacks.
On July 25, 1943, the RN Littorio was renamed the Italia. She was decommissioned on June 1, 1948, after a total of 46 missions during her wartime career, of which nine were combat missions.
- Scale 1:700
- Item Type Static Kit
- Model Brief Length: 343.8mm Beam:47 mm
- Total Parts 440+pcs
- Metal Parts n/a
- Photo Etched Parts 1 piece
- Total Sprues 13 sprues,upper hull ,lower hull,water line plate,deck and stand
- Paint Schemes Italian Navy Battleship RN Roma 1943
- Released Date 2011-03
- More Features:
- Hull
- Slide-molded upper hull and lower hull
- Deck wood pattern finely rendered
- Either waterline or full-hull version can be assembled
- Slide-molded upper hull and lower hull
- Aircraft
- Contain 2 RO.43 plane and 3 RE.2000 plane
- Stand
- Contains display stand
- Hull