Italian cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere

History
Italy
Name:	Giovanni delle Bande Nere
Namesake:	Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
Builder:	Castellammare di Stabia
Laid down:	31 October 1928
Launched:	27 April 1930
Commissioned:	1 January 1931
Struck:	1 April 1942
Fate:	Sunk by HMS Urge, 1 April 1942
General characteristics
Class and type:	Giussano-class cruiser
Displacement:	6,571 tonnes (6,467 long tons) (standard) 6,954 tonnes (6,844 long tons) (full load)
Length:	169.3 m (555 ft 5 in)
Beam:	15.5 m (50 ft 10 in)
Draft:	5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	6 boilers 2 shafts 95,000 hp (71,000 kW)
Speed:	37 knots (69 km/h; 43 mph)
Range:	3,800 nmi (7,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:	507
Armament:	8 × 152 mm (6 in) /53 guns in 4 twin mountings 6 × 100 mm (4 in) / 47 caliber guns in 3 twin mountings 8 × 37 mm (1.5 in) 54-cal. guns 8 × 13.2 mm machine-guns 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Decks: 20 mm (0.79 in) Belt: 24 mm (0.94 in) Turrets: 23 mm (0.91 in) Tower: 40 mm (1.6 in)
Aircraft carried:	2 × CANT 25AR (later Ro.43) seaplanes
Aviation facilities:	1 × catapult launcher

Giovanni dalle Bande Nere was an Italian light cruiser of the Giussano class, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the eponymous 16th century condottiero and member of the Medici family. Her keel was laid down in 1928 at Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia; she was launched on 27 April 1930, and her construction was completed in 1931. Unlike her three sisters, the finish and workmanship on the vessel were not rated highly. She was sunk on 1 April 1942 by the British submarine HMS Urge.

The Giussano type of cruiser sacrificed protection for high speed and weaponry, as a counter to new French large destroyers.

Bande Nere's service was entirely in the Mediterranean, initially as a precaution during the Spanish Civil War and afterwards in the Navy Ministry's Training Command. At the outbreak of Italy's war in June 1940, she formed the 2nd Cruiser Division with Luigi Cadorna. She did some mine-laying in the Sicilian Channel on 10 June and in July covered troop convoys to North Africa.

Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni, en route from Tripoli to Leros, took part in the Battle of Cape Spada (17 July 1940), when the light protection was clearly exposed. In the fight between the two Italian light cruisers and the Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney with five British destroyers, the Allies sank Colleoni and damaged Bande Nere. Colleoni was disabled by a shell that penetrated to her engine room, allowing the destroyers to torpedo and sink her. Bande Nere scored a hit on Sydney and returned to Tripoli.

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