Former Italian Battleship Giulio Cesare sinks today.

[Witt]

Today, October 29th, in 1955 the former Italian Battleship “Giulio Cesare” blew up in Sevastopol Bay. It was an enormous explosion and 600 Russian sailors drowned as a result. (It was covered up as it was the Cold War.) It is thought it was a German mine from WW2 that caused the explosion, but it remains unclear even today. It had been suggested it was Italian  frogmen angry at the loss of Italy’s Battleship as war reparations!
Giulio Cesare was laid down in Genoa in 1910, launched in 1911 and completed in may 1914 in time to serve in WW1. She was armed with 13 12inch guns, designed by the British company Armstrong but built in Italy, mounted in 5 turrets. In 1933 work began to modernise her. The guns were rebored to 12.6 inch and 3000 tons of armour was added. New boilers meant her speed was increased to 28 knots.
She fought in several engagements, including against theHMS  Warspite at Punto Stilo on 9th June 1940. She received a 15inch shell from a record 24000yards and was out of action for 7 weeks and was withdrawn from service in February 1942. She survived the war, escaping to Malta and was handed over to Russia in 1949.

[Gargantua]

An Italian Battleship sinks with a bunch of Communists on board.

Tragedy? Or Triumph? :P

[Witt]

I am going to my grave believing it was  unemployed Italian frogmen sightseeing in the Black Sea(with explosives).
It was a poor Battleship by WW2 standards, but it was ours!

[Gargantua]

I swear half of the conversation on this site is just between you and me lol!

You should just PM me your phone number so we can talk.

[Witt]

But then I would hear your voice and it might be over just like that!
I am English(when I want to be), so language is important to me.
It has been quiet on here  of late.

I love you……

I am waiting!

[Witt]

That is the first and last time I am Princess Leia to your Han Solo!

[Noll]

Old and fashinating story.
The Frogmen believers say that the attack is very similar to Alexandria’s one.

[Witt]

Hi Noll. Alexandria’s one: what’s that?

[ABWorsham4]

Thanks for the story, never knew this story. Love the frogman story.

[Witt]

Thank you, Worsham. I first found out about it in the Osprey: Italian Battleships.
The Giulio Cesare was certainly not a pretty ship, unlike the later Vittorio Veneto Class, or my favourite, the Bismarck, but still a feat to survive the war.
Garg did an article on Italian Frogmen earlier this year. They were something special.

[Noll]

Wittman, the thing that happened to our battleship is very similar to what we did at Alexandria. That’s why some historians claims it was an Italian operation.

http://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impresa_di_Alessandria

[Witt]

Thanks Noll. I guessed it was something like that. Should have realised it had to be Alexandria. Where else would our frogmen have sunk anything?
I forgot it was two Battleships that were sunk.
Do you subscribe to the Italian connection in the Novorossiysk incident?
It is nice to think it could be true.

[Noll]

@wittmann:

Thanks Noll. I guessed it was something like that. Should have realised it had to be Alexandria. Where else would our frogmen have sunk anything?
I forgot it was two Battleships that were sunk.
Do you subscribe to the Italian connection in the Novorossiysk incident?
It is nice to think it could be true.

I seriously don’t know and I can’t tell. I’d like to think so tho’.