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.