Italian destroyer Velite

Velite was one of nineteen Soldati-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in mid-1942, she was the last of the second batch of seven ships to be finished.

Design and description
The Soldati-class destroyers were slightly improved versions of the preceding Oriani-class destroyer. They had a length between perpendiculars of 101.6 m and an overall length of 106.7 m. The ships had a beam of 10.15 m and a mean draft of 3.15 m and 4.3 m at deep load. The Soldatis displaced 1830 - 1850 t at normal load, and 2450 - 2550 t at deep load. Their wartime complement during was 206 officers and enlisted men.

Velite was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by three Yarrow boilers. Designed for a maximum output of 44000 shp and a speed of 32 - 33 kn in service, the second batch of Soldati-class ships reached speeds of 34 - 36 kn during their sea trials while lightly loaded. They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2500 nmi at a speed of 14 kn and 885 nmi at a speed of 34 kn.

Velite's main battery consisted of four 50-caliber 120 mm guns in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure. On a platform amidships was a 15-caliber 120-millimeter star shell gun. Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the second-batch Soldatis was provided by eight to twelve 20 mm Breda Model 1935 guns. The ships were equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships. Although they were not provided with a sonar system for anti-submarine work, they were fitted with one or two pairs of depth charge throwers. The ships could carry 48 mines.