Italian destroyer Strale (1931)

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

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
Strale was laid down by Cantieri navali Odero at their Genoa-Sestri Ponente shipyard on 20 February 1929, launched on 26 March 1931 and commissioned on 6 February 1932. After the Italians entered World War II in June 1940, she and the destroyer Baleno rammed and sank the British submarine HMS Odin (N84) on 14 June. Strale accidentally ran aground near Cape Bon on 21 March 1942 and later was destroyed by torpedoes from the submarine HMS Turbulent (H98) on 21 June.