Italian torpedo boat Albatros
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| History | |
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 Regia MarinaKingdom of Italy
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| Name: | Albatros |
| Namesake: | Albatross |
| Owner: | Regia Marina |
| Builder: | CNR, Palermo |
| Laid down: | November 1931 |
| Launched: | 27 May 1934 |
| Commissioned: | 10 November 1934 |
| Fate: | Sunk 27 September 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 231.50 ft (70.56 m) |
| Beam: | 22.5 ft (6.9 m) |
| Draught: |
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| Installed power: | 4,300 hp |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 24.5 knots |
| Endurance: | 1420 nautical miles at 14 knots |
| Complement: | 52 (3 officers + 49 non-officers and sailors) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
SAFAR 600 sonar (June 1939) |
| Armament: |
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Albatros was a submarine chaser of the Regia Marina built in 1930s which served during World War II. Later she was reclassified as a torpedo boat, most likely purely for administrative purposes.
In late 1920s – early 1930s Regia Marina was interested in developing a designated anti-submarine vessel. Albatros was the first experimental project offered and accepted for production with the original plan calling for construction of 25 ships. The preliminary study for the project was conducted in 1929 and was influenced by the hull shapes of contemporary coastal torpedo boats and envisaged a pair of 450 mm torpedo tubes installed in the bow of the ship. As Italy was bound by the terms of London Naval Treaty, which only limited the number of ships above 600t, these ships were designed with this limit in mind. The prototype turned out to be rather unsuccessful, due to poor seaworthiness outside of coastal areas, difficulty in operating and maintenance of her steam propulsion turbines, poor and outdated armament etc., and the project was canceled, with development shifting onto a bigger boat (future Pegaso class escorts) with better armament, and easier to use engines. The torpedo tubes were never installed.
One has to wonder, if politics played a significant role in this decision. The majority in the government (but minority of the Regia Marina) favored development of capital ships, so allocated resources went mainly into this area, including unnecessary rebuilding of old era heavy cruisers, or extending their service, but reducing financing to scientific and technical developments, and production of ammunition. In 1935 Albatros was reclassified as a second-line ship, and was assigned to Regia Marina's naval experimental unit at La Spezia.
Albatros was launched on 27 May 1934, after 3 years of construction, commissioned on 10 November 1934, entered the service with Regia Marina by the end of 1934. Being almost immediately reclassified as a second-line ship, her more modern 100 mm (4 in)/47 caliber cannons were replaced with World War I era 100 mm (4 in)/35 caliber ones. In 1937 her 13.2mm Breda twin anti-aircraft guns were first replaced with 2 single 13.2mm Breda anti-aircraft guns, and later by 2 single 8 mm machine guns.
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