RN Giuseppe Garibaldi: Ballistic Missile Cruiser

[@Einwetok]

Nice point on the missile R&D getting some practical use afterwards. 🧠

[@TheArchemman]

Who knew... A warship built in the 1930s for a war she barely participated in. Would end up jump starting European space programs.

[@alephalon7849]

While I will forever salt at the Allies forcing the surviving Littorios into the scrapyard, I do admire the wild ideas that the Italians pulled off with what they retained i.e. put the ballistic missiles on their fastest heavy surface combatant because they couldn't build boomers and the Med isn't great for big submarines, anyway.

[@charlesmoss8119]

I almost fell off my perch when you said Polaris missiles - I didn’t see that coming.

[@sprret]

Say what you want about the Italian navy, but damn, their ships are some of the sexiest in the world!

[@thebudgieadmiral5140]

Note how her stern transitions from a cruiser "pointy" design into a WIDE transom with the refit. How the hell did they do that. Did the Italians just cut off the entire rear half of the ship?? Did they build the transom over the cruiser stern like they did with the bows of their old battleships? It's a crazy rebuild for sure.

[@RayyMusik]

Quite an interesting career for an Italian ship! ‘Degli‘ (Abruzzi) is pronounced ‘delyee‘ btw. But in general your pronunciation of foreign names is pretty good. 👍

[@Aelxi]

A sexy ship for certain.

[@kbwarriors]

The American Drachinifel

[@stephenchappell7512]

A similar comparison is the British HMS Victorious Built for bi-planes she eventually deployed nuclear strike aircraft by the 1960's

[@spritbong5285]

Big cruiser under armed in my opinion.

[@johnnash5118]

Polaris main-guns😄🤯 Anyone try to refit their WWII aircraft carriers to handle B-52s, perhaps two end-to-end?😄