Italian seaplane carrier Europa

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Europa was a seaplane carrier of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). Originally laid down as the merchant ship Manila, she was renamed Salacia in 1898, and then sold to German and then Italian shipping companies in 1911 and 1913, respectively. She became Quarto in 1913, and in February 1915 she was purchased by the Italian fleet, renamed Europa, and converted into a seaplane carrier with a capacity of eight seaplanes. She served as a seaplane base in Valona during World War I and supported the Allied response during the Battle of the Strait of Otranto in 1917. She was quickly sold for scrap in 1920 after the war ended.

Description

Europa was 119.5 meters (392 ft 1 in) long at the waterline and 123.1 m (403 ft 10 in) long overall. She had a beam of 14 m (45 ft 11 in). As a merchant ship, she had a gross register tonnage of 4,134 GRT, with a net tonnage of 2,636. After her conversion, she displaced 6,400 metric tons (6,300 long tons; 7,100 short tons) normally and up to 8,805 metric tons (8,666 long tons; 9,706 short tons) at full load. Her draft varied from 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) normally and 7.6 m (24 ft 11 in) at full load.[1]

The ship was powered by a single vertical triple-expansion engine. Steam was provided by coal-fired boilers trunked into two funnels located amidships, the number and type of which have not survived. Her propulsion system produced a top speed of 12.2 knots (22.6 km/h; 14.0 mph) from 2,594 indicated horsepower (1,934 kW).[1]

As converted, she was equipped with two hangars that could store eight seaplanes; cranes were fitted to lower and raise the aircraft into the water, where they would take off or land.[2] She was also outfitted with equipment to support submarines. For defense, Europa was armed with a pair of 3-inch (76 mm) 30-caliber anti-aircraft guns that were mounted on platforms, one at the bow and the other at the stern.[1]

Service history

An FBA Type C in French service being hoisted above the French carrier French seaplane carrier Foudre, similar to the aircraft carried by Europa

The ship was originally laid down for the Spanish company Pinillos, Izquierdo & Cia as the merchant steamer Manila in 1895 in Scotland,[2][3] at the Charles Connell and Company shipyard in Glasgow. Built as yard number 222, she was launched on 5 July and completed in August that year. In 1898, she was sold to Donaldson Bros of Glasgow, Scotland, and renamed Salacia. Retaining the name Salacia, she was sold to the Hamburg-based German shipping company M. Jebsen in 1912. She was sold to the Italian company Tito Campanella in Genoa in 1913 and renamed Quarto in 1914.[3] On 6 February 1915, the Regia Marina purchased the vessel to convert her into a seaplane tender. She was renamed Europa and was commissioned into the fleet on 6 October, after Italy had entered World War I.[1]

Upon entering service, she was classified as a "hydroplanes and submarines support ship".[2] During the war, Europa was based in Valona, since the port lacked any harbor facilities beyond the outer moles. There she served as a static base for her seaplanes, along with a host of other support vessels, including depot ships, oilers, and floating docks. At the time, the Italian strategy relied on Valona and the port of Brindisi to contain the Austro-Hungarian squadron based at Cattaro; Europa provided an important aerial reconnaissance force in support of this strategy.[4][5] During this period, she typically only carried half of her complement, usually consisting of a pair of reconnaissance aircraft and two fighters.[1]

In 1917, Europa's aircraft took part in the Battle of the Strait of Otranto. She had three aircraft ready the morning of the battle,[6] and after reports of the Austro-Hungarian attack reached the Italian command, her aircraft—FBA flying boats—sortied to search for the hostile vessels at 05:00, once there was enough light to see. At 07:00, they returned, refueled, loaded bombs, and departed again. The destroyer Riboty came alongside at 08:00 and took on fuel from Europa, departing at 09:45 to join the search.[7] The first FBA attacked the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Helgoland but scored only a near miss that knocked out some rivets in her rudder. The FBA shadowed the Austro-Hungarians before returning to Europa to refuel.[8]

After the war, naval aviation fell out of favor, particularly as a result of Giulio Douhet's views on air power,[2] and as a result, Europa was quickly discarded in 1920 and thereafter broken up for scrap in Italy.[1][3]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gardiner & Gray, p. 287
  2. 1 2 3 4 Polmar, p. 421
  3. 1 2 3 "Manila (1108747)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 28 June 2016. (subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 63
  5. ↑ O'Hara, Dickson, & Worth, p.
  6. ↑ Halpern, p. 51
  7. ↑ Halpern, p. 57
  8. ↑ Halpern, p. 75

References

Europa shortly after completing her conversion
History
Italy
Builder: Charles Connell and Company, Glasgow
Yard number: 222
Launched: 4 August 1895
Acquired: 6 February 1915
Commissioned: 6 October 1915
Struck: 1920
Fate: Broken up for scrap
General characteristics
Displacement:
  • 6,400 metric tons (6,300 long tons; 7,100 short tons) (normal)
  • 8,805 metric tons (8,666 long tons; 9,706 short tons) (full load)
Length:
  • 119.5 m (392 ft 1 in) lwl
  • 123.1 m (403 ft 10 in) oa
Beam: 14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Draft: 5.8 to 8.6 m (19 ft 0 in to 28 ft 3 in)
Installed power: 2,594 ihp (1,934 kW)
Propulsion: 1 triple-expansion engine
Speed: 12.2 knots (22.6 km/h; 14.0 mph)
Armament: 2 × 3 in (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns
Aircraft carried: 8 × seaplanes
Aviation facilities: 2 hangars
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