Zara Heavy Cruiser Summary

This is a 3D printed sculpt of the Zara class heavy cruiser from EBard Models.

The Zara class comprised of 4 members, Zara, Fiume, Gorizia, and Pola. All four ships were named for formerly Austro-Hungarian cities that were annexed to Italy in the aftermath of World War I. The class was a substantial improvement over the preceding Trento-class, incorporating significantly heavier armor protection at the cost of the very high speed of the Trentos. They carried eight 203 mm (8.0 in) guns and had a maximum speed of 32 knots. 

While the preceding Trento class of heavy cruisers were still being built, elements of the Italian naval command began to doubt their effectiveness, which sacrificed armor protection in favor of very high speeds. A more balanced design twas sought, while retaining the battery of eight 203 mm (8 in) guns and a speed of at least 32 knots. The designers realized that these characteristics could not be incorporated into a vessel that remained within the 10,000-long-ton limit imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty. The naval command agreed to allow the new ships to exceed the displacement limits, but instructed the designers to eliminate unnecessary features to save as much weight as possible. As a result, the belt armor was reduced in thickness and the planned torpedo tubes were removed. The flush deck of the Trentos was abandoned, with the ships instead incorporating a forecastle deck and a stepped-down main deck. In addition, the Zara design would be powered by just two propellers driven by lightweight machinery, unlike the four-shaft arrangement used in the Trentos. Nevertheless, the ships still exceeded the displacement limit by at least 1,300 long tons. 

By violating the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, the Zaras were amoungst the best-protected heavy cruisers built by any navy. The class carried three times the armor protection of the preceding Trentos. Their heavy armor made the Zaras the best-protected cruisers until the introduction of the Des Moines class, laid down in 1945 by the United States. This additional armor would have made the ships decidedly nose-heavy, so to offset this the rear of the ship was raised by one deck behind the front funnel. The result was excellent watertight integrity and protection.

The Zara-class cruisers saw extensive service during World War II in the Mediterranean. All four ships escaped damage at the Battle of Taranto in November 1940. In March 1941 at the Battle of Cape Matapan, Pola was immobilized by a Swordfish torpedo. Zara and Fiume were detached from the rest of the fleet to protect Pola, and all three and a pair of destroyers were sunk in a close-range night engagement with the battleships Barham, Valiant, and Warspite.

Gorizia, the sole surviving member of the class, saw action at the First Battle of Sirte in December 1941 and Second Sirte in March 1942. While the ship was moored in La Maddalena on 10 April 1943, a major attack from United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers sank the heavy cruiser Trieste and hit Gorizia with three bombs, inflicting serious damage. She was still under repair in La Spezia when Italy surrendered to the Allies in September, and she was seized by German forces when they occupied much of the country. Gorizia survived the war unrepaired and sold for scrap in 1947.

Ships of Class:

• Zara - Sunk during the Battle of Cape Matapan, March 1941
• Fiume - Sunk during the Battle of Cape Matapan, March 1941
• Gorizia - Disabled by manned torpedoes, June 1944
• Pola - Sunk during the Battle of Cape Matapan,  March 1941

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