Eloisa Moretti-Class Battleship
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Eloisa Moretti-Class Battleship |
| Builders: | Royal Shipbuilders of Cacerta |
| Operators: |
 Cacertian Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Isa Frazione-Class |
| Succeeded by: | Andrea Doria-Class |
| In commission: | 1930 – 1948 |
| Planned: | 10 |
| Completed: | 10 |
| Retired: | 10 |
| Preserved: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Battleship |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 215meters |
| Beam: | 32 meters |
| Draft: | 10 meters |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h) |
| Range: | 16,000 nautical miles at 12 knots |
| Complement: | 1,353 officers and crew |
| Armament: |
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The Eloisa Moretti-class was a class of steam-powered battleship of the Cacertian Royal Navy built in the aftermath of the Divide War and used extensively until the introduction of the Andrea Doria-class of battleships. They were unique in their design in that the entirety of the ship’s main battery was located fore of the vessel’s superstructure.
Ordered by the Navy in the mid-1920s, the Eloisa Morettis served extensively during the Siduri War and participated in dozens of support and raiding operations along the coasts of Allamunnika and Syara. They also successfully engaged Inner Sphere naval forces during the mid-war period and played an important role in the Empire’s eventual control of the seas around. All of the ships of the class were present at the Battle of the Sabri Sea and survived the conflict until they were ultimately retired in 1948.
Two ships were preserved following the conflict with the remaining 4 scrapped during the early 1950s.
Design
Eloisa Moretti project began not long after the conclusion of the Divide War and was set to replace the aged battleships of the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of which were considered outdated and inferior to modern counterparts. A design for a warship that emphasized firepower and protection over maneuverability was presented by ship designer Liona Doria in 1926. It was quickly approved for construction and the first hull was slated to be laid down in 1928, but certain issues regarding resources and available drydocks delayed the project. As a result, construction of the HMS Eloisa Moretti did not begin until 1929.
Designed within the same time period as the Amika Carpios, the Eloisa Morettis departed from their bigger sisters’ design by focusing almost exclusively on offense and armor over endurance. They did, however, adopt the all offensive main battery design that Eugenia Davion pioneered that also complimented the new aggressive battle doctrine being adopted by the CRN.
The Eloisa Morettis were originally slated to be armed with the same RN-MBII naval guns as those found about the Amikas, but as a result of their delayed construction the development of the 410mm had already neared completion. The new class of battleships was to be armed with nine 410mm guns—the largest to be designed for Cacerta at the time—housed in three triple turrets located fore of the ship’s superstructure. This ensured that the considerably heavier warships would require less maneuvering to bring her 9,000 kilogram broadside to bear. The class was also considered to be one of the most efficient hydrodynamic designs at the time and is often still considered so today.
Armament
The main armament of the Eloisa Moretti-class ships consisted of nine 410mm RN-MBII guns that were mounted in triple turrets, the first Cacertian battleships to be designed with triple-gun turrets. Unlike their predecessors, the new RN-MBII cannons fired a higher shell at a lower velocity and proved to be more capable at destroying enemy targets than their 360mm MBI predecessors. They had a longer effective range and vastly superior penetrating power that would eventually result in the retirement of the MBI guns entirely.
To supplement its firepower, the battleships were built with a secondary armament consisting of twenty 130mm RN-SBI duel-purpose guns that were also capable of firing long-range flak rounds. The SBI guns were housed in double turrets with five located on both the port and starboard sides of the ship. Sixty 40mm anti-aircraft cannons served the purpose of fighting back against enemy air attack.
Armor
Propulsion
Eight water-tube boilers powered two turbines which turned two screws. At full power, the Eloisa Moretti ships made a speed of 28 knots which made them some of the slowest ships in the Royal Navy at the time of their commissioning, a sacrifice made for their extensive armor and armament. Plans were made to refit the ships for service during the interwar period, but only a handful refits were ever completed as focus shifted to the construction of a successor class of warships. Two of the three preserved ships underwent the refit process which resulted in improved speed, but they only saw six sorties combined before they were officially retired.
Construction
Service History
Current Status
By 1963, most of the ships of the Eloisa Moretti-class had been retired and replaced by the Andrea Doria and Empress Elliana-class. Only three ships of the class remain intact as museum ships and are stationed in Fumicino, Carrera, and Haverton.
Units
| # | Designation | Name | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status | Commanding Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | BB-EM-001 | Eloisa Moretti | Fumicino Dock 0012 | 23 September 1937 | 14 October 1940 | 15 December 1940 | Preserved at the Fumicino Naval Warfare Museum. | N/A |
| II | BB-EM-002 | Morgana Argento | ||||||
| III | BB-EM-003 | Rosita Torrisi | ||||||
| IV | BB-EM-004 | Magno Galassi | ||||||
| V | BB-EM-005 | Lisabetta Benedetti | ||||||
| VI | BB-EM-006 | Marciano Bartolucci |