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Naval History and Heritage Command

National Museum of the U.S. Navy

<p>NMUSN:&nbsp; WWII:&nbsp; Europe:&nbsp; Italian Campaign:&nbsp; Italian Ships:&nbsp; &nbsp;Eugenio di Savoia</p>

Italian Light Cruiser Eugenio di Savoia

Eugenio di Savoia, Italian Light Cruiser, 1936-43

The Condottieri-class light cruiser, Eugenio di Savoia, was commissioned on January 16, 1936.   Two years later, she deployed for a world cruise and served Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's government in the Battle of Calabria in July 1940; the Battle of Pantelleria in June 1942; and Operation Pedestal in August.   The last two of these battles centered around Malta.   Damaged by a B-24 "Liberator" bomber in December 1942, Eugenio di Savoia was used as a training ship at the Suez Canal following the Italian armistice in September 1943.   Transferred to Greece in 1950 as war reparation, she was renamed Elli and served until 1965, later auctioned in 1973. 

Image: 80-CF-Italian-Cruiser-1:  Italian light cruiser Eugenio di Savoia, off Coco Solo, Panama Canal, March 1939.  Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.