Giulio Cesare (Italian battleship)

Type

Battleship

Period

20th Century

Nation

Italy

Overview: Giulio Cesare was one of three Conte di Cavour-class dreadnought battleships built for Italy's Regia Marina in the 1910s, notable for serving in both World Wars and for a rare instance of a WWII-era battleship being transferred to a former enemy power (the Soviet Union) after the war, where she served as Novorossiysk. Specifications: As built she displaced about 23,088 long tons standard (25,086 long tons deep load), measured 176 m overall with a 28 m beam and 9.3 m draft. Following her 1933-1937 reconstruction she carried a rearmed main battery of 2 triple and 2 twin 320 mm guns, plus 120 mm, 100 mm AA, and lighter AA guns, with deck armor of 135-166 mm and barbette armor of 130-280 mm. Service History: Laid down in 1910 at Ansaldo, Genoa and completed in 1914, she saw no combat in WWI but supported the 1923 Corfu Incident. A major 1933-1937 rebuild gave her more powerful guns, added armor, and much higher speed for WWII service. She fought at the Battle of Calabria in 1940 (lightly damaged by a shell from HMS Warspite), survived the Taranto raid undamaged, escorted convoys to North Africa, and fought at Cape Spartivento and the First Battle of Sirte before fuel shortages sidelined her to training duties in 1942. Notable Facts: After Italy's surrender she was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1949 as war reparations and recommissioned as the battleship Novorossiysk, serving as Black Sea Fleet flagship. On 29 October 1955 she was destroyed by a massive explosion in Sevastopol Bay, killing over 600 sailors, in an incident whose exact cause (likely a leftover WWII-era German mine) remains debated; the wreck was raised in 1957 and scrapped.