Italian destroyer Leone

Leone was the lead ship of her class of three destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the early 1920s.

Design and description
The ships were designed as scout cruisers (esploratori), essentially enlarged versions of contemporary destroyers. They were initially ordered in 1917, but postponed due to steel shortages, and re-ordered in 1920. They had an overall length of 113.41 m, a beam of 10.36 m and a mean draft of 3.1 m. They displaced 2195 LT at standard load, and 2289 LT at deep load. Their complement was 10 officers and 194 enlisted men.

The Leones were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines were rated at 42000 shp for a speed of 33 kn in service, although Leone reached 33.7 kn from 45667 shp during her sea trials. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2000 nmi at a speed of 15 kn.

Their main battery consisted of eight 120 mm guns in four twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and the remaining turrets positioned between the funnels and the torpedo tube mounts amidships. Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Leone-class ships was provided by a pair of 76 mm AA guns in single mounts amidships. They were equipped with six 450 mm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts. The Leones could also carry 60 mines.