Italian destroyer Saetta

Saetta was one of four Freccia-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the early 1930s. Completed in 1932, she served in World War II. She played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, supporting the Nationalists.

Design and description
The Freccia-class destroyers were enlarged and improved versions of the preceding Turbine-class destroyer. They had an overall length of 96.15 m, a beam of 9.75 m and a mean draft of 3.15 m. They displaced 1225 t at standard load, and 2150 t at deep load. Their complement during wartime was 185 officers and enlisted men.

The Freccias were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by three Thornycroft boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 44000 shp and a speed of 30 kn in service, although the ships reached speeds of 38 - 39 kn during their sea trials while lightly loaded. They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 4600 nmi at a speed of 12 kn.

Their main battery consisted of four 120 mm guns in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure. Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Freccia-class ships was provided by a pair of 40 mm AA guns in single mounts amidships and a pair of twin-gun mounts for 13.2 mm machine guns. They were equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships. Although the ships were not provided with a sonar system for anti-submarine work, they were fitted with a pair of depth charge throwers. The Freccias could carry 54 mines.

Construction and career
Saetta was laid down by Cantieri del Tirreno at their Riva Trigoso shipyard on 27 May 1929, launched on 17 January 1932 and commissioned on 10 May. During the Spanish Civil War, the ship torpedoed and sank the Republican oil tanker SS Campeador off Ras el Mustafa, French Tunisia, on 11 August 1937.