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__FORCETOC__ Vittorio Veneto was an Italian ''Vittorio Veneto'' class battleship, that served in the Regia Marina during the World War II. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto, during World War I.
Construction Vittorio Veneto's keel was laid in 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy had entered in war against France and United Kingdom. After the war she was taken by the United Kingdom as war compensation, but was scrapped in 1948. Vittorio Veneto was designed by general Umberto Pugliese, and was the first battleship which overran the limits of the Washington Treaty (35,000 tons of displacement). In 1942, Vittorio Veneto was the first Italian battleship to be equipped with a radar device, a "Gufo" E.C. 4. Actions Vittorio Veneto took part in the battle of Cape Teulada (27 November 1940), where her firepower (19 shells in 7 salvos from long range) caused the seven-cruiser British squadron to withdraw. During 26 March–29 March 1941 mission, Vittorio Veneto participated in the dramatic events of the battle of Cape Matapan, fought off the Peloponnesus coast of Greece, where she was hit and obliged to return to Italy; the Italian fleet adopted an exceptional formation on five lines to protect the Vittorio Veneto, but an aircraft attack, and a subsequent night battle, caused the sinking of 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers. Vittorio Veneto also participated in battle of Mid-June in 1942. During the war in the Mediterranean Sea, Vittorio Veneto took part in 56 war missions, eleven of which had as their mission the hunting of enemy ships. 1940 1941 1942 1943 After the armistice of 8 September 1943, Vittorio Veneto was sent to Egypt, and was interned in the Great Bitter Lake, in the Suez Canal; a proposal to allow the battleship to fight side-by-side with the Allies in southern France and in the Pacific Ocean was dismissed because of political and operational considerations. After the end of World War II, Vittorio Veneto was returned to Italy where she was dismantled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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