Azio-class Gunboat, Lepanto - Chinese Diplomacy

[R_nminbiY_n 159]

Azio-class Gunboat, Lepanto 

Lepanto in China, 1938

 

History:

An Azio-class (sometimes it's called the Ostia-class) Minelayer meant for service in Italian colonial possessions, Lepanto was laid down in 1925, and commissioned in 1927. Initially it was deployed in the Mediterranean, and took part in training cruises and hydrographic surveys. In the 1930s, it was reclassified as a gunboat and sent to China to replace the aging gunboat Sebastiano Caboto, and operated in the Yangtze river. It's service in the 1930s there was mostly uneventful, mostly just patrolling the coastal and riverine regions near Shanghai and protecting Italian citizens there. The most notable incident was an accidental collision with the British ship Hopecrag at night.

 

Following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Italians sent a light cruiser (Raimondo Montecuccoli, later replaced by Bartolomeo Colleoni) and troops to support it and the gunboat Ermanno Carlotto. The ships protected the international concessions in Shanghai, especially during the battle and occupation by the Japanese. In 1939, when the Second World War was about to break out, the light cruiser and other military assets returned to Italy, leaving the 2 gunboats the only Regia Marina ships left in China. During the Second World War, the two ships were joined by the ocean liner Conte Verde and spent most of the time stationed in Shanghai without taking part in any action, until the Italian Armistice in 1943, where the Italian naval command ordered all ships to reach neutral ports or be scuttled. As there were no neutral ports they could reach, the 3 ships scuttled themselves to prevent capture by the Japanese forces, with the crew members either joining the Italian Social Republic and assisting the Japanese, or being taken prisoner.

 

Later in 1943, the Japanese raised and repaired Lepanto, fitting it with Japanese weapons and systems and renaming it Okitsu. The ship was still based in Shanghai and was used as an escort for convoys moving from China, shooting down multiple American bombers and fighters. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender, the crew surrendered to the Chinese forces, and Okitsu was ceded to the Chinese navy. It was commissioned as Xian Ning (Hsien Ning) and again rearmed, this time with American weapons. It fled to Taiwan after the communist victory, with its most notable action being the seizing of a British freighter in 1950. It was scrapped in 1956.

 

Specifications: (1942)

Armament: 

2x1 102mm/35 Terni Mod. 1914 (seems to have been put into semi-enclosed turret mounts sometime after construction)

1x1 76mm/40 Mod. 1916

2x1 40mm/56 Vickers-Terni Mod. 1915/1917

80 mines

 

Displacement:

615 tons standard

~850 tons full

 

Length:  62.2m

 

Beam: 8.7m

 

Draft:  2.6m

 

Propulsion: 2 vertical-triple-expansion steam engines and 2 boilers, 1500hp, driving 2 shafts

 

Speed: 15 knots (27.8 km/h)

 

Range: 1500 nmi (15 knots)

 

Crew: 66-71

 

Systems: 

Rangefinder

 

Images:

Spoiler

Different perspective of the above, Lepanto is to the centre-right

Japanese and Chinese service:

Nice Profile shot of sister ship Legnano

Class Drawing:

 

Sources:

https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/dragamine/dragamine_classe_ostia.aspx

Gogin, I. Fighting ships of World War Two 1937 - 1945. Volume VI. Italy (pp. 99). Kindle Edition. 

https://archive.ph/20130213055738/http://www.warshipsww2.eu/shipsplus.php?language=E&id=116128

http://www.agenziabozzo.it/navi_da_guerra/C-Navi_da_Guerra_2/C-3585_RN_Azio_1927_posamine_nave_idrografica_Nave_Scuola_Garaventa.htm

https://www.anb-online.it/navi-da-guerra/posamine-e-dragamine/0292-dardanelli-milazzo-e-ostia-l-f-t-6257-m-150/

https://www.anb-online.it/navi-da-guerra/posamine-e-dragamine/0300-azio-e-lepanto-l-f-t-6257-m-150/

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepanto_(cannoniera)*

http://www.regiamarina.net/detail_text.asp?nid=45&lid=2

http://www.croiseur-lamotte-picquet.fr/index.php?page=escadre

 

*Most history comes from Italiani a Shanghai. La Regia Marina in Estremo Oriente, let's hope these wiki editors didn't misinterpret the book

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by RenminbiYen

[super_cacti 1,071]

Open for discussion 

[Nicholas_Concu 2,634]

+1 

[TheEasternSpy 57]

Would this be another low br ship? 3.0 or 3.3?

[R_nminbiY_n 159]

5 minutes ago, TheEasternSpy said:

Would this be another low br ship? 3.0 or 3.3?

Yeah, I would say maybe about 2.7, it's kinda like the Flower-class boats, but with more ship-ship firepower. Think it's even about the same size

[Conte_Baracca 4,547]

yes, more unique ships for the coastal.

[Milocat 4,857]

+1, would like to see this added, and it could even show up in three different nations!

[OpusAudereSemper 80]

+1 gib for coastal

[magicman2468@psn 78]

+1 more mines for the mine god

[N4CR_ 537]

All those guns would be pretty powerful for 2.7, 3.0 might be fairer. 40s shred most things around there alone, add in the 76 and 2x 102s

AF-D3 with 2x 105s and 2x quad 20s is 3.3 

 

80 mines isn't happening either lol. Still would be great to add to Italy.