Giovanni delle Bande Nere

Giovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian light cruiser of the , which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the eponymous 16th-century condottiero and member of the Medici family. Her keel was laid down in 1928 at Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia; she was launched on 27 April 1930, and her construction was completed in 1931. Unlike her three sisters, the finish and workmanship on the vessel were not rated highly. She was sunk on 1 April 1942 by the British submarine . The Giussano type of cruiser sacrificed protection for high speed and weaponry, as a counter to new French large destroyers. Design In the aftermath of World War I, the Italian (Royal Navy) received a group of light cruisers from the defeated German and Austro-Hungarian fleets. At the time, the Italian naval command was satisfied with these vessels as a supplement to their existing scout cruisers in the immediate postwar era. After the French Navy began building twelve large destroyers of the and es, the Italian command responded by ordering the four s. The s were intended to overpower the new French destroyers with superior armament and very high speed, at the expense of most armor protection.