Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni

Bartolomeo Colleoni was an Italian light cruiser of the Giussano class, built for the Regia Marina by the Gio. Ansaldo & C. shipyard in Genoa. The class was ordered in answer to the large French destroyers of the Chacal and Guepard classes, and it traded almost all armour protection for heavy armament and very high speed. The ship was about 169 metres long, displaced some 5,250 tonnes at standard load, and carried eight 152 mm guns in four turrets, with two geared steam turbines rated at 95,000 shaft horsepower. She was launched on 21 December 1930 and completed in February 1932. On sea trials she exceeded 39 knots, although in service she could keep up only about 30 knots. She was sunk early in the Second World War at the Battle of Cape Spada, and she was named after the 15th century condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni.