Italian Battleship Roma (1940) - Construction and Commissioning

Construction and Commissioning

Roma's keel was laid by the Italian shipbuilder Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico on 18 September 1938 and she was launched on 9 June 1940. After just over two years of fitting-out, the new battleship was commissioned into the Regia Marina on 14 June 1942. She arrived in the major naval base of Taranto on 21 August of the same year and was assigned to the Ninth Naval Division.

Although Roma took part in training exercises and was moved to various bases including Taranto, Naples and La Spezia, in the next year, she did not go on any combat missions as the Italian Navy was desperately short of fuel. In fact, by the end of 1942, the only combat-ready battleships in the navy were the three Vittorio Venetos because the fuel shortage had caused the four modernized battleships to be removed from service. When combined with a lack of capable vessels to escort the capital ships, the combat potential of the Italian Navy was virtually non-existent. On 6 December she was transferred with Vittorio Veneto and Littorio from Taranto to La Spezia, where she became the flagship of the Regia Marina. They remained here through the first half of 1943 without going on any operations.

During this time, La Spezia was attacked many times by Allied bomber groups. Attacks on 14 and 19 April 1943 did not hit Roma, but an American raid on 5 June severely damaged both Vittorio Veneto and Roma. B-17 aircraft carrying 908 kg (2,000 lb) armor-piercing bombs damaged the stationary battleships with two bombs each. Roma suffered from two near hits on either side of her bow. The starboard-side bomb hit the ship but passed through the side of the hull before exploding. The ship began taking on water through leaks from frames 221 to 226—an area covering about 32 square feet (3.0 m2)—and through flooding from the bow to frame 212. The second bomb missed but exploded in the water near the hull. Leaks were discovered over a 30 sq ft (2.8 m2) area ranging from frames 198 and 207. Approximately 2,350 long tons (2,630 short tons; 2,390 t) of water entered the ship.

Roma was damaged again by two bombs in another raid on 23–24 June. One hit the ship aft and to starboard of the rear main battery turret and obliterated several staterooms, which were promptly flooded from broken piping. The second landed atop the rear turret itself, but little damage was suffered due to the heavy armor in that location. This attack did not seriously damage Roma or cause any flooding, but she nevertheless sailed to Genoa for repairs. Roma reached the city on 1 July and returned to La Spezia on 13 August once repairs were complete.