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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
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ALBATROS corvettes (1955, 1956/1961)


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Albatros 1980

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Aquila (ex-Lynx) F542   Breda, Marghera 25.7.1953 31.7.1954 2.10.1956 // 18.10.1961 discarded 1991
Albatros F543   Navalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia 1953 18.7.1954 1.6.1955 hulk 4.1986
Alcione F544   Navalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia 1953 19.9.1954 23.10.1955 discarded 1991
Airone F545   Navalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia 1953 21.11.1954 29.12.1955 discarded 1991


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

800
Displacement full, t

950
Length, m

69.5 pp 76.3 oa
Breadth, m

9.70
Draught, m

2.80
No of shafts

2
Machinery

2 Fiat M409 diesels
Power, h. p.

5200
Max speed, kts

19
Fuel, t

diesel oil 100
Endurance, nm(kts)

5000(18)
Armament

2 x 1 - 76/62 SMP3, 1 x 2 - 40/70 Breda type 64, 2 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 11 ASWRL, 4 DCT, 1 DCR
Electronic equipment

MLN-1A radar, QCU-2 sonar
Complement

110


Standard scale images


<i>Albatros </i>1962
Albatros 1962
<i>Airone </i>1979
Airone 1979
<i>Airone </i>1979
Airone 1979


Graphics


<i>Aquila </i>1988  
Aquila 1988  
<i>Albatros </i>1980
Albatros 1980


Project history

Eight ships of this type were built in Italy in the early 1950s under MDAP funding. The Italian Navy were given three (Albatros class), four went to Denmark (Triton class) and one (Lynx) went to the Netherlands Navy. Lynx was ceded to the Italian Navy on 18 October 1961 and was renamed Aquila. The Italian ships were originally to have been armed with 90mm guns. As completed, they had 2-76mm/62. The SMP 3 guns (made by Stabilimenti Meccanici di Pozzuoli) could fire single rounds or bursts (at 50 rounds/min), using a 14-round drum magazine. The gun reloaded at 90° elevation. The same gun was planned for the Andrea Doria class cruisers. A radar fire control director, probably OG 2, was mounted atop the bridge. SMP 3 was the first Italian automatic 76mm gun. In service it was a nightmare; the revolving drum feed was too large, and the gun was described as 'fatally complex'. It gave way to the OTO Melara series which culminated in the current 76mm/62 Super Rapido.

Modernizations

1963, all: - 2 x 1 - 76/62, 1 x 2 - 40/70; + 3 x 1 - 40/70 Breda type 107

late 1960s, all: - 2 DCT, MLN-1A radar; + 2 x 3 - 324 TT, SPQ-2 radar

1970s, Albatros: - 1 x 1 - 40/70

early 1980s, all: + BX-732 radar

mid-1980s, Alcione: - 2 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog Mk 11 ASWRL, 1 DCR; + mechanical sweeping gear

Naval service

No significant events.