Italian cruiser Taranto

SMS Taranto was a Magdeburg-class cruiser, operated by the Regia Marina. She was named for Strassburg. Her keel was laid at Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven in October 1910. She entered service on 1 October 1912, having been launched on 24 August 1911.

She was the only ship of her class. The class followed the Kolberg-class cruiser and was succeeded by the Karlsruhe-class cruiser.

She displaced 4,492 long tons standard and 5,198 long tons at full load. She measured 138.7 m (455 ft) long with a beam of 13.5 m (44 ft). Her designed speed was 27.5 knots, and she carried a complement of 354.

Her main battery was twelve 105 mm (4.1 in) guns. Her belt armour was 60 mm (2.4 in) and her deck 60 mm.

She then passed to the Regia Marina, serving as Taranto from 2 June 1925. She was in commission for 1,214 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned in December 1942.

She was sunk in 1944 by aircraft. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.