Anatomy Of A Ship: Littorio-Class Battleships

In the late 1930s, the Italian Regia Marina constructed its most powerful and enigmatic battleships, the Littorio-class. Designed and constructed in response to the French battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg, the Littorio-class were the most modern battleships to see service with the Regia Marina during the Second World War. In this book, historian Daniel Knowles explores the developments that led to the construction of the Littorio-class and provides an in-depth overview and analysis of the characteristics and systems which made the ships formidable weapons of war. Typical of Italian design, they were fast and elegant, but also boasted a revolutionary protective scheme which was tested to the limits. Four ships of the class were laid down and launched, but only three - the Littorio, Vittorio Veneto and Roma - would see service. Packed with illustrations, Anatomy of a Ship: Littorio-Class Battleships is an authoritative reference and a visual tribute to one of the most distinctive battleship classes ever to set sail. AUTHOR: Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Daniel Knowles attended the University of Northumbria where he attained a joint honours degree in history and politics. In 2022 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His previous works include Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany's Last Great Battleship (2018), HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy (2019), The Battle of the Denmark Strait (2020), Yamato: Flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy (2021), Scharnhorst and Gneisenau (2023) and Reaping the Whirlwind (2025). He currently resides in Newcastle. 52 b/w illustrations