The Catastrophic Destruction of the Italian Battleship Roma

In the summer of 1943, the Mediterranean theater of World War II witnessed a critical turning point for the Axis powers and, in particular, Italy. After the success of Operation Torch and the Allied campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, Italy found itself in a war of attrition and exhaustion, having lost a significant portion of its fleet, African colonies, and most of its merchant marine. With the fall of Mussolini and the negotiation of an armistice by Pietro Badoglio, the situation was fraught with complexity. This video delves into the gripping tale of the Italian battleship Roma and its tragic fate. As Admiral Raffaele De Courten, unaware of ongoing negotiations, was entrusted with a fleet of Italian battleships, he set sail to save his ships from German control. However, fate had a different plan. From intense backroom negotiations to the final moments aboard the Roma, this narrative paints a vivid picture of sacrifice, duty, and the turmoil of wartime. You'll hear about the use of the devastating Fritz X guided bombs by the Luftwaffe and the heroic actions of the Italian sailors in the face of overwhelming odds. The video touches upon the complexities of naval warfare during WWII and the human drama that unfolded during the sinking of the Roma. It's a story of courage, duty, and the high cost of war that should not be forgotten.
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Copyright fair use notice. All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders, when applicable.

[@ImportantNavalHistory]

I hope you all enjoyed the video and thank you for watching! We’ll be covering some more Regia Marina vessels on the channel, and let me know what you think about the Roma and her demise.

[@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat]

She was a very good ship, but also got very unlucky, I wonder how the battles against the Salerno invasion fleet would have gone

[@theallseeingmaster]

I knew a British WW2 vet who served on a warship and survived a surface battle. His ship was sunk by the Italian Navy in that battle. The story he told me, about his life during the 1930's, his service with the Royal Navy, the battle, the sinking, the rescue, the return to land and back to sea again; this was not a tale but the most thrilling edge of your seat story you ever heard that was lived in a real person's life; and I knew him. He was one of the two most ballsy men I have ever met; I was a very young man then, felt puny in front of this worldly, accomplished man's man.

[@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat]

@@theallseeingmaster do you know what battle it was or the name of his ship?

[@theallseeingmaster]

@@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat I know this man's 'full name'; which is something most Brits don't know about any of their neighbors. I know some very private things about him that, to look at him, most would never know or suspect but I don't remember him naming his ship or battle when he really opened up about his war that cool July evening in 1976 (by his description of events, I got the idea his ship was on a regular patrol and that he could SEE most of what was happed that night). I do not know if one can or how to navigate the Royal Archives to find out.

[@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat]

@@theallseeingmaster I have a list of british ships sunk by the italians during the war devided in sank by ship, by submarines, by air attacks, by mines, by aircrafts and by special forces, if you know the class or type it can be easier to find his ship

[@JDFloyd]

Having been a U.S. Navy officer in my prior career, I could always tell the nationality of the ship by its design & esthetic. The Italian Regia Marina ships of WWII had an elegant look. Pictures of them sitting at anchor look fast, and sleek.

[@stephenbloom7310]

I was RCN, fully agree.

[@mkay1957]

One thing that has stood out to me is that among all of the battleships of the WW2 era, the Japanese battleships always looked top heavy with those massive pagoda style superstructures. I am glad that the US has managed to keep 8 battleships on display.

[@Backwardlooking]

Horrific, sad, and desperately unlucky. R.I.ap.. 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@franklarosa230]

My uncle served with the Regia Marina. He was supposed to have been on the Roma but was transferred to the Vittorio Veneto as a Gunnery Officer of B Turret. He watched the Roma go down. Up until the day he died he could not understand why the Allies didn't provide Air cover for them. It remains a mystery.

[@jonnyblayze5149]

Because they didn't and don't care about your outclassed ships. Shouldn't of went in with the Nazis🤨

[@binaway]

I believe, in 1946/46, the allies didn't want Italian vessels to be claimed by the USSR and thereby strengthening Stalin's post war naval power. Although 1943 was probably a bit early to be thinking about the balance of naval power in the post war world. This did happen post war leading to the destruction of some surviving Italian vessels.

[@rhannay39]

@@jonnyblayze5149 "Shouldn't of"?? Ignorant git.

[@Heylanda-fb9xb]

The true reason for the lack of air cover was actually a really tragic and stupid: an arguement of WHO should put their ships and aircraft to cover the western side of the Mediterranean near Italian western coast and Southern France. Basically the American and British Empire is having an internal battle regarding who should lead the battle of Italy. Both sides want to insert their political influence for the post-war since controling the Mediterranean in the post-war would gain huge benefit from trade route and naval bases for deployment against the Soviet Union. Because of this, all navy and air force are unable, or not being order to, protect the Regia Marina when they retreat to Malta. Another reason for the lack of air cover was because the Regia Marina set sails on the same day as the invasion of mainland Italy (OP Avalanche,Baytown,Slapstick) and all available support was directed for those attacks.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

The Italians had surrendered and were bringing valuable assets to the Allies. There should have been air cover.@@jonnyblayze5149

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Imagine if the Germans had this Fritz X earlier in the war. Great channel especially the real human voice and the obvious hard work that goes in to the research to produce such quality work.

[@lumberlikwidator8863]

The magazine explosion and its effects on the ship and crew sound a lot like what happened to HMS Hood when she was sunk by the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Magazine protection was undoubtedly a top priority in all navies that built battleships for World War Two, but when these Italian battleships were designed no one could have foreseen the employment of air-to-sea weapons like the Fritz X guided bombs. It’s no surprise that nobody built any more battleships after HMS Vanguard!

[@davidelliott5843]

HMS Hood was too close to Bismarck for high angle bombs to punch through the decks. Even if such ordnance could be delivered it would probably never reach the magazines. However Hood was moving at speed. Her wake dipped significantly around the aft third of her hull exposing the unprotected lower hull. A shell entering here could punch right into the aft main guns magazine. Roma and Warspite were hit by a new weapon that was subsequently countered by radio jamming.

[@lumberlikwidator8863]

@@davidelliott5843 Yeah, I think just about everyone knows that Bismarck’s shells were flying on a flat trajectory and very unlikely to penetrate Hood’s deck armour. I was just drawing a comparison between the consequences of two ships that suffered catastrophic magazine detonations. Good day.

[@DaveSCameron]

Excellent upload and many thanks 👍 ☘️

[@meanstavrakas1044]

Great Post! It stayed with the facts and did a good job of the brief explanation of the political situation that Italy found herself in, in 1943. Well done!

[@christophercripps7639]

The photo of the forward magazine looks somewhat like the description of HMS HOOD blowing up with the huge pillar of flame.

[@danebelling9526]

Always great to see you upload!

[@davidmarkwort9711]

It was a Fritz X , the first guided bomb

[@duartesimoes508]

And what a magnificent ship she was. 🙁

[@Leptospirosi]

There in an extremely interesting documentary on History Channel (from before the "Aliens" times), where a crew in the Arizona desert tried to replicate the event with a B25 bomber, a radio guided dumb bomb replica with the size and weight of the original and drawing the shape of Roma with white ribbons on the desert ground. They were surprise by how effective and easy to aim the bomb was and they were able to replicate the hit without any problem. Coming to Bagnasco and Del Toro, the book also describes how Bergamini prohibited to fire on any German plane without provocation. The bombing pattern of the Fritz was much different then the usual approach, which followed a ballistic pattern of about 75° above the intended target. As the Italian gunners saw the planes passing by they relaxed, but the Fritz was dropped in a much stepper angle, almost on the vertical. it was also unusual to fire from such an high altitude, typical of Recon missions. The order to fire was not given until Italia (ex Littorio) was hit mid ship. The AA opened fire but proved ineffective at reaching up to 6Km above the ship which gave the Dorniers plenty of time to aim and bomb the fleet undisturbed. It is also probable that the killing bomb hit the conning tower, ricocheted from it and then from the B tower Barbette losing enough energy to not over penetrate the hull of the ship, as the first two bomb had done on Italia and then Roma itself, arresting the fall just on the roof of the Turret B charge magazines. A really unfortunate hit for the ship that only the almost vertical pattern of the bomb trajectory made possible. I believe that this deadly attack, followed by the destruction of the Tirpitz, was the main argument against construction of further battleships, as only those already in advanced state of construction were completed; if a single bomber can reliably destroy with a single bomb a ship worth the annual internal product of a mid sized nation, then it makes it useless. No amount of armour can withstand a 1.5 tons AP bomb dropped from 18K feet, not even for heavy weights like a Yamato class. It's a simple matter of weight, as the extension of a horizontal deck for a battleship far surpasses that of it's vertical boards, with the added problem of being well above water, displacing the centre of mass and buoyancy upward an making the ship unstable.

[@billyponsonby]

Extraordinary images or a ship that I had no knowledge of. Excellent.

[@gianurwiler5098]

Good documentary👌🏼 I subscribed ;)

[@ImportantNavalHistory]

Thanks for the sub!

[@gianurwiler5098]

@@ImportantNavalHistory no problem, keep it up

[@DODO-vy6sf]

05:41 to 05:51 ... is it my imagination, or does it really look like a futuristic metal head? I noticed the same face - like resemblance on HMS Rodney's 'Queen Anne's Mansion'

[@robertpatrick3350]

There was only a short period when Fritz X was effective before the British developed jamming countermeasures. The loss of Roma was tragic it was a beautiful ship but another indication that the era of battleships was almost over. Fritz X was a wake up call to naval planners and designers.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

USS SAVANNAH TOOK ONE RIGHT SMACK INTO TURRET THREE LOSING 197 MEN THE MOTION PICTURE IS ON YOU TUBE THERE WAS TWO DESTROYER ESCORTS THE USS FREDERICK C DAVIS AND HERBERT C JONES WHICH WHO WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE FIRST ELECTRONIC COUNTER MEASURES WHICH WHO HAD JAMMED THEM

[@marctepe7778]

From what I know, the US also developed jamming equipment that was successful. I know some of this because that equipment was installed on the USS Herbert Jones and the USS Frederick Davis. They had noted success during the invasion of Anzio. The USS Frederick Davis was sunk by the Germans and killed 115 men, one of which was my grandfather, William Glass. I am currently collecting what data I can on this story. Always looking for more, if you have any from the British side

[@pvccannon1966]

Same as Arizona at the bottom of pearl, a armor piersing bomb, reaching the magazine of a battleship is the end of the story. Also like Hood that took a shell instead of a bomb. If u can hit the magazine of a ship, its game over.

[@Billswiftgti]

The whole concept of a battleship is to protect its internals, but yes, a lot failed. We have developed way more powerful weapons than armour.

[@Ddnmddnn]

Can you make video about IJN Mogami who always collide with other IJN ship😅

[@murrayscott9546]

Tragic

[@marctepe7778]

I would also suggest reading on the HMT Rohna which was sunk in the Mediterranean in November 1943 by a Henschel Hs 293 guided glide bomb launched by a Luftwaffe aircraft. More than 1,100 people were killed, most of whom were US troops.There are youtube videos that are worth looking at concerning the Rohna.

[@geoffreyrichardson8738]

Didn’t realize the Italians were in the Pacific, the scene of the plane being shot down is a famous shot from the Pacific

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

IIRC - it is an American Plane though ... if it's the one I think is it - you can see the pilot in his parachute. Since he had IRL - been shot down by his own side - he was furious. .

[@juansintierra2590]

This happened in the Mediterranean, not in the Pacific.

[@anthonybicos602]

Sir, please slow down on the narration & the associated screen shots, please. We LOVE this stuff & are not in a hurry to listen & view. This episode is going so fast that it’s literally making me a bit “seasick” 🙄 Great channel otherwise…

[@twoheart7813]

I wonder what kind of evasive maneuvers the ship was doing during the attack if any. Probably not knowing guided bombs were in use the Captain figured full speed ahead was the best option figuring in the historical inaccuracy of level bombing on moving targets.

[@BigAmp]

Where was the air cover? Had the British learnt nothing even by 1943?

[@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat]

They called for aircover but apperantly the airforce got lost

[@turtlepowa]

@@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoatThey were sent to the wrong side of sardegna

[@robertewing3114]

You ask a loaded question. Here is British learning to date. The Jackstaff for flying the Union Flag was known as the Union Jack The lyric is Rule the waves, not Rules the waves Nelson likely said Kis-met, not Kiss me Mess-deck existence on gun-decks led to the phrase Jumping the gun Square plates led to the phrase Square meals And Kings Regulations do not really apply when Ike is involved, the Salute to the Union is fired - no rules apply. Aircover was pioneered with RDF and two monoplane fighter types, the first truly strategic airforce and battle in history, against which the Germans had a tactical airforce only useful for precision bombing. This is taught in all US schools, and old brolly, chief sponsor of the strategic umbrella, held in reverential regard as the man who delivered the tools by which Churchill and FDR-Truman finished the job, particularly of course Birmingham schools. He who did not believe the war would be like the last, having read Basil Liddel Hart. And if Americans can learn this, the British can too. Hats off for Neville Chamberlain. And as every American school-boy knows, he mentioned the Americans at Munich and returned to Heston with US opinion in mind, a true opponent of learning too late...

[@samstewart4807]

hmm it sunk at 4.15? and was hit at 2.52? that is not quick

[@ImportantNavalHistory]

Hit at 3:52.

[@hadial-saadoon2114]

Where was allied air cover throughout this?

[@adriantowe278]

It was a beautiful ship it looks like bismarck a bit

[@SeveralWeezelsInaTrenchcoat]

No.

[@michaelgallagher2663]

WOW! Sad Ending For A BeautyShip I Sometimes Wonder If The German Kreigsmarine Aould Bave Done. Effervescent Copying The Italian Designs.

[@lyedavide]

The lack of proper communication among the various departments and personnel probably contributed as much, perhaps more, to the loss of the ship than the new and very effective Fritz-X bomb. It's unimaginable, how one could be fighting to keep one's ship from sinking before realising, for one brief and terrible moment, that death has come to snatch one away. RIP to all those poor sailors.

[@Jedi.Toby.M]

Roma to Rex...maybe...just maybe the Italians made a bad decision or few. It's a great video! If you think I'm wrong, feel free to watch it 3 more times and comment (for the algorithm) Cheers!

[@sergiossh852]

admiral cornholio...beavis and butthead...

[@BlindMansRevenge2002]

The fortunes of war can turn suddenly and violently! There is no more clear an example than what happened to Roma! During World War II sailing and fighting a board battleships was a risky business. All sides new this and despite that knowledge pressed on anyway. Prince of Wales, Yamato, Musashi, Repulse, Roma, Bismarck, Scharnhorst, Arizona, Oklahoma, and the list goes on.

[@windforward9810]

Sound like the waited to long to leave the area.

[@randyhavard6084]

I find it very interesting how countries that were so recently considered allies can quickly turn against each other especially it seems with their Navy

[@tristanrainey5080]

Mers El Kebir

[@Dilley_G45]

Italy 1915. Italy 1943

[@user-wi9rf1zx5b]

one of my uncle was in the Roma battleship, he didn't know how to swim and, survive e telling the story

[@IC_agent]

Italian tank: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Italian battleship: 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@oxfordtrance]

ha ha ha. dick memorandum.

[@jp-um2fr]

Come to think of it, what would happen to a wooden flight deck of an American 'shed', sorry - aircraft carrier.

[@altair458]

The italians and brits in ww2.😂😂😂😂