Italian Gabbiano Class Corvettes

The Gabbiano class corvettes were a group of 59 vessels built for the Regia Marina of Italy for service during the Second World War. They were built to a war-time design and intended for anti-submarine and escort duties.

The Gabbiano's were designed to be built quickly and in large numbers and began to enter service in May 1942. The ships were fitted with sonar and hydrophones, but the Regia Marina did not consider removing features such as torpedo tubes to reduce topweight or allow the vessels to carry more anti-submarine weapons. These ships were equipped with electric 'creep' motors with an endurance of 16 nautical miles (30 km) at 6 knots (11 km/h) for silent running while engaged in anti-submarine searches, Overall, they were well-designed for operations in the Mediterranean and successful in their role.

Sixty vessels were ordered, and 29 were completed by September 1943. The Germans seized many of these vessels after the Italian surrender in 1943, and operated them under new names until the end of the war. The Germans also completed 20 vessels under construction. Fourteen vessels survived the war; the postwar Marina Militare used them as patrol vessels until 1972.

Two corvettes played important parts in Italian history: Persefone brought Mussolini, under arrest after 25 July 1943, from Gaeta to Ponza, while a short time later on 9 September 1943 Baionetta carried the royal family and the Italian government with Marshall Badoglio from Pescara to Brindisi during their escape from Rome after the armistice.

On 9 September 1943, a day after the Italian armistice, Baionetta transported King Victor Emmanuel III and General Pietro Badoglio, together with their respective entourages and general staff officers, from the small harbor town of Ortona and sailed south escorted by the Italian Capitani Romani-class light cruiser Scipione Africano, arriving in Brindisi the next day.

Construction Data

Ship	Hull no.	Builder	Launched	Operational history
Alce	C 23	O.T.O. Livorno	27 May 1942	Completed as UJ-6084
Antilope	C 19	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	She beat off the attack of three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-61) off Marettimo on 16 February 1943, while escorting a four-ship convoy along with her sister ship Gabbiano and the torpedo boats Sirio and Monsone. The motor torpedo boats were caught in advance by the escorts' sonar. German UJ-6082
Ape	C 25	Navalmeccanica	22 November 1942
Ardea	C 54	Ansaldo, Genoa	N/A	UJ-2225; not completed
Artimede	C 39	CRDA, Monfalcone	9 August 1942	German UJ-2226
Baionetta	C 34	Breda	5 October 1942
Berenice	C 66	CRDA, Monfalcone	20 May 1943	Sunk, 9 September 1943
Bombarda	C 38	Breda	31 August 1942	Completed as UJ-206
Calabrone	C 30	Navalmeccanica	27 June 1943	German; not renamed
Camoscio	C 21	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	German UJ-6081; Sunk 15 August 1944
Capriolo	C 22	OTO, Livorno	5 December 1942	Completed as UJ-6083
Carabina	C 37	Breda	31 August 1943	Completed as UJ-207
Cavalletta	C 31	Navalmeccanica	3 December 1942	German; broken up
Cervo	C 56	OTO, Livorno	N/A	UJ-6086; not completed
Chimera	C 48	CRDA, Trieste	30 January 1943
Cicala	C 29	Navalmeccanica	27 June 1943	German; not renamed
Clava	C 63	Breda		German; broken up
Cicogna	C 15	Ansaldo, Genoa	12 October 1942	Bombed 24 July 1943; scuttled
Cocciniglia	C 61	Navalmeccanica
Colubrina	C 35	Breda	7 December 1942	Completed as UJ205
Cormorano	C 13	Cerusa	20 September 1942	Sank or destroyed at least three hostile German small vessels on 9 September 1943 off Bastia, Corsica. Decommissioned in 1966
Crisalide	C 58	Navalmeccanica
Danaide	C 44	CRDA, Trieste	21 October 1942
Daino	C 55	OTO, Livorno	N/A	UJ-6087; not completed
Driade	C 43	CRDA, Trieste	7 October 1942
Egeria	C 67	CRDA, Monfalcone		UJ-201; sunk by the Free French destroyer Le Terrible during the Battle of Ist on 29 February 1944
Euridice	C 70	CRDA, Monfalcone		UJ-204; not completed
Euterpe	C 41	CRDA, Monfalcone	22 October 1942	Along with sister ship Minerva sank British submarine P247 on 14 August 1943. Scuttled September 1943.
Farfalla	C 59	Navalmeccanica
Fenice	C 50	CRDA, Trieste	1 March 1943
Flora	C 46	CRDA, Trieste	1 December 1942
Folaga	C 16	Ansaldo, Genoa	14 November 1942
Gabbiano	C 11	Cerusa	23 June 1942	Survived attack of three British MTBs (MTB-77, MTB-82 and MTB-61) off Marettimo on 16 February 1943, while escorting a four-ship convoy along with her sister ship Antilope and the torpedo boats Sirio and Monsone. The motor torpedo boats were caught in advance by the escorts' sonar. Assisted torpedo boat Climene in the chase and sinking of HMS Sahib on 24 April 1943. Decommissioned 1971
Gazzella	C 20	OTO, Livorno	9 May 1942	Sunk by mine, 5 August 1943
Grillo	C 28	Navalmeccanica	21 March 1943	German; not renamed
Gru	C 18	Ansaldo, Genoa	23 December 1942
Ibis	C 17	Ansaldo, Genoa	12 December 1942
Libellula	C 32	Navalmeccanica		German; broken up
Lucciola	C 27	Navalmeccanica	21 March 1943
Marangone	C 52	Ansaldo, Genoa	16 September 1943	Completed as UJ-2223
Maggiolino	C 60	Navalmeccanica
Melpomene	C 68	CRDA, Monfalcone	29 August 1943	Completed as UJ-202
Minerva	C 42	CRDA, Monfalcone	5 November 1942	Along with sister ship Euterpe sank British submarine HMS Saracen on 14 August 1943. Decommissioned in 1970
Pellicano	C 14	Cerusa	12 February 1943
Persefone	C 40	CRDA, Monfalcone	21 September 1942	Scuttled September 1943
Pomona	C 45	CRDA, Trieste	18 November 1942
Procellaria	C 12	Cerusa	4 September 1942
Renna	C 24	OTO, Livorno	5 December 1942	Completed as UJ-6085
Scure	C 62	Breda	N/A	UJ-209; not completed
Scimitarra	C 33	Breda	16 September 1942
Sfinge	C 47	CRDA, Trieste	9 January 1943
Sibilla	C 49	CRDA, Trieste	10 March 1943
Spingarda	C 36	Breda	22 March 1943	Completed as UJ-208
Stambecco	C 57	OTO, Livorno	N/A	UJ-6088; not completed
Strolaga	C 53	Ansaldo, Genoa	N/A	UJ-2224; not completed
Tuffetto	C 51	Ansaldo, Genoa	25 August 1943	Completed as UJ-2222
Tersicore	C 69	CRDA, Monfalcone	N/A	UJ-203; not completed
Urania	C 65	CRDA, Monfalcone	21 April 1943
Vespa	C 26	Navalmeccanica	22 November 1942	German UJ-2221
Zagaglia	C 64	Breda

Corvette Gabbiano.

 

Gabbiano, 1943.

Launching of Procellaria (C12) at the Cerusa Shipyard in Voltri, Italy, on 4 September 1942. Procellaria was a sister ship to Gabbiano and was built at the same shipyard at roughly the same time. Procellaria was commissioned on 29 November 1942 but was sunk by mines off the west coast of Sicily on 31 January 1943.

The fully commissioned Procellaria (C12) just before she was sunk on 31 January 1943.

Sfinge (C47), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in May 1943, survived the war, and remained in the Italian Navy until decommissioned in 1976.

Chimera (C48), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in May 1943, survived the war, and remained in the Italian Navy until decommissioned in 1977.

Danaide (C44), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in February 1943, survived the war, and remained in the Italian Navy until decommissioned in 1969.

Euterpe (C41), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in January 1943 but was scuttled towards the end of the war in Genoa in April 1945.

Good stern view of Fenice (C50), another sister ship to Gabbiano. The ship was commissioned in June 1943, survived the war, and was decommissioned in 1965.

Flora (C46), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in April 1943, survived the war, and was decommissioned in 1970.

Gazella (C20), another sister ship to Gabbiano, was commissioned in February 1943 but was sunk by mines north of Sardinia on 5 August 1943.

A stern view of Urania (C65), another sister ship to Gabbiano. The ship was commissioned in June 1943, survived the war, and was decommissioned in 1972.

The shattered hulk of Tersicore (C69), another sister ship to Gabbiano. The ship was never completed and was captured by the German Army in September 1943. The ship was sunk by Allied aircraft on 20 April 1944 in the northern Italian port of Monfalcone in the Gulf of Trieste.

Euterpe.

Chimera, 1943.

Gabbiano class corvette.

Ship's drawings of the Gabbiano class corvette.