Italian Battleship Caio Duilio

Italian Battleship Caio Duilio

Caio Duilio was an Italian Andrea Doria-class battleship that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913. After completing sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 13 June 1916, in the middle of World War I.

The Caio Duilio and her sister ship managed to survive World War I without seeing any naval action. Following the war, extensive modernization took place to the battleships between April 1937 and October 1940. Among other changes, the number of 305 millimetres (12.0 in) guns was reduced to ten, and the remaining guns bored to 320/44 mm, to equal the caliber of the French Dunkerque-class battleships.

During World War II, Caio Duilio was docked in the southern Italian port of Taranto. She was damaged by a torpedo during the Battle of Taranto. She was towed to Genoa for repairs lasting six months, and narrowly escaped further damage when the port was bombarded by British warships in February 1941. In December 1941, Duilio participated in the First Battle of Sirte. She was placed on the reserve in 1942 because of fuel shortages. After the Armistice with the Allies in 1943, Caio Duilio was used as a training ship. Finally the 41-year-old dreadnought, now old and worn out, was scrapped at La Spezia in 1957.