The Zara class are really an odd bunch. Beautiful ships no doubt, but at Cape Matapan they got the wrong end of the stick. The description given in "Dark Seas" about her loss is pretty chilling, along with the one in Italian Heavy Cruisers, Trento to Bolzano.
The funny thing about the whole class was that it was named after "redeemed" towns on the Dalmatian coast which were seized from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in case of Zara (Zadar) and Fiume (Rijeka) were enclaves in Yugoslavia. Fiume was even divided between a Yugoslav and an Italian part following the League of Nations intervention after Gabriele D'Annunzios short lived crazy "Republic" there. Granted all of them had italian majority populations at the time. After the war all were re taken by the Yugoslavs and the Italian population were expelled from their homes of a thousand years or more (probably since roman times) by the Yugoslavian partisans, often accompanied by massacres, similar to what happened to the germans in eastern europe. But that is why most if not all croatian and slovene coastal towns have such a venetian look to them
The inscription on the turret "ardisco ad ogni impresa" ("I dare every deed") was and still is the motto of the italian navy, but I don't think it is displayed as prominently on today's Marina Militare ships. It is similar to the "honeur, patrie, valeur, discipline" signs on french warships
Talking about bad luck ships, how about a vid on Panzerschiff/schwerer Kreuzer Deutschland/Lützow? That ship was surely jinxed even though it worked to the crew's benefit more often than not in that "unfortunate" accidents or damage kept her from being sunk until 1945
Lot of coverage of "treaty ships", but what I've never heard or read about was who enforced or checked on the building of these ships to verify the treaties were being adhered to.
I think it was pretty much based on what one could see on friendship visits, but otherwise no formal checks (let alone enforcement) existed. Cynics even claim that the treaties where written somewhat more restrictive because some level of cheating was expected.
When it comes to "luck", the No 1, undisputted, unlucky ship must be "Blucher" (the only ship who managed to get hit by a land-based torpedo launcher. That is quite a... performance, prefectly reflecting 1. the name of the ship (seriously?! Who names a ship after a general who believed himself being pregnant with an elephant?????) 2. the German idea of German quality. But Pola is definitely in the top 20.
@@maxomat4319 Even funnier is that (almosr) all he Bluchers had bad endings and funny stories. It was a hell of a name, Blucher. Worn by a fool - killing the fools who thought the fool was no fool. I assume that the commanders of said ships were appointed on the basis of how stupid they were, as to perpetuate the memory of the foolest of the fools of the many fools to ever become a Prussian fieldmarshalls. That would explain the incredible bad luck of all the Bluchers in naval history.
Her sinking is literally the wet dream of any costal defense crews, a target that big just slowly passing showing full broadside, the cruiser not being even combat ready, at point blank range with all your weapons, like blutcher literally came to this world to be the perfect target.
@@d.olivergutierrez8690 Oh yeaaaah! That is PRECISELY my point. However, I would not blame the ships (and their crews) for the stupidity of their commanders. From this point of view, Pola was truly unlucky, unlike Blucher. I must admit that. Still, to have such commanders like those who commanded the Bluchers... is truly the unluckiest thing of them all. The ship has "SUNK ME" painted on her. Just think about it: you have coastal forts in front of you. You know they have torpedo launchers, you know how many and you see where the fort is. These will be the most predictable toprpedoes one has ever received, almost naval academy style. All you have to do is be prepared for the expected areas where coastal torpedoes roam and... let your main battery do the job after the proper evasive manoeuvres. But no. You're Blucher, so you rush in!
Yes hahaha, Prince Blücher and his pregnancy were related in a biography of Lord Wellington I read some years ago, in which Wellington enquired politely on the Marshall's general health and condition of his elephantine fœtus.
This video gives me the chance to ask a question that I've never been able to get answered. There have been discussions regarding other ships about dispersion problems especially when a quad turrets. The Pole and her sisters have twin turrets and yet incredibly closely placed guns. Did this cause problems? Was there an engineering reason why the Italians, unlike all other countries, chose to place the guns so closely together?
I'm a little confused, the prize crew found the 200 onboard yet 328 went down with her when scuttled and torpedoed. Were those that went down with her already killed or trapped in the battle before she was boarded? Always a thumbs up and enjoyable Skynea History. 👍
Imagine being part of a boarding crew in finding a whole bunch of loaded Italian sailors some of which were potentially ass naked The irony is that Italy had more a Navy or at least more of a complete Navy than Germany did
What is ironic about it? Germany had to give up its entire navy in 1919. Italy not. You can produce an army and an airforce 6 years, a navy takes more time.
Like that you use a living narrator , adds character
The Zara class are really an odd bunch. Beautiful ships no doubt, but at Cape Matapan they got the wrong end of the stick. The description given in "Dark Seas" about her loss is pretty chilling, along with the one in Italian Heavy Cruisers, Trento to Bolzano.
The funny thing about the whole class was that it was named after "redeemed" towns on the Dalmatian coast which were seized from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in case of Zara (Zadar) and Fiume (Rijeka) were enclaves in Yugoslavia. Fiume was even divided between a Yugoslav and an Italian part following the League of Nations intervention after Gabriele D'Annunzios short lived crazy "Republic" there. Granted all of them had italian majority populations at the time. After the war all were re taken by the Yugoslavs and the Italian population were expelled from their homes of a thousand years or more (probably since roman times) by the Yugoslavian partisans, often accompanied by massacres, similar to what happened to the germans in eastern europe. But that is why most if not all croatian and slovene coastal towns have such a venetian look to them
Ahhhh Pola. Put this one out there with ships that sank as they were launched. Only ship ever struck by a 2000 pound armor piercing bad luck bomb.
The inscription on the turret "ardisco ad ogni impresa" ("I dare every deed") was and still is the motto of the italian navy, but I don't think it is displayed as prominently on today's Marina Militare ships. It is similar to the "honeur, patrie, valeur, discipline" signs on french warships
Not to be that guy, but that was Pola's motto. The Marina Militare's is "Patria e Onore"
It was a good looking class of ship . Very sleek looking.
Once again, I learned a thing or two.
Talking about bad luck ships, how about a vid on Panzerschiff/schwerer Kreuzer Deutschland/Lützow? That ship was surely jinxed even though it worked to the crew's benefit more often than not in that "unfortunate" accidents or damage kept her from being sunk until 1945
Lot of coverage of "treaty ships", but what I've never heard or read about was who enforced or checked on the building of these ships to verify the treaties were being adhered to.
I think it was pretty much based on what one could see on friendship visits, but otherwise no formal checks (let alone enforcement) existed. Cynics even claim that the treaties where written somewhat more restrictive because some level of cheating was expected.
@@comentedonakeyboard, thank you!
On the bright side she vos spared the most horrible fate possible: being handed as reparations to the soviet union.
HMS Berwick really liked getting hit by 8 inch shells it seems
When it comes to "luck", the No 1, undisputted, unlucky ship must be "Blucher" (the only ship who managed to get hit by a land-based torpedo launcher. That is quite a... performance, prefectly reflecting 1. the name of the ship (seriously?! Who names a ship after a general who believed himself being pregnant with an elephant?????) 2. the German idea of German quality. But Pola is definitely in the top 20.
The funny thing is Germany also had a Blücher in WW1. It was also sunk by enemy gunfire.
@@maxomat4319 Even funnier is that (almosr) all he Bluchers had bad endings and funny stories. It was a hell of a name, Blucher. Worn by a fool - killing the fools who thought the fool was no fool. I assume that the commanders of said ships were appointed on the basis of how stupid they were, as to perpetuate the memory of the foolest of the fools of the many fools to ever become a Prussian fieldmarshalls. That would explain the incredible bad luck of all the Bluchers in naval history.
Her sinking is literally the wet dream of any costal defense crews, a target that big just slowly passing showing full broadside, the cruiser not being even combat ready, at point blank range with all your weapons, like blutcher literally came to this world to be the perfect target.
@@d.olivergutierrez8690 Oh yeaaaah! That is PRECISELY my point. However, I would not blame the ships (and their crews) for the stupidity of their commanders. From this point of view, Pola was truly unlucky, unlike Blucher. I must admit that. Still, to have such commanders like those who commanded the Bluchers... is truly the unluckiest thing of them all. The ship has "SUNK ME" painted on her. Just think about it: you have coastal forts in front of you. You know they have torpedo launchers, you know how many and you see where the fort is. These will be the most predictable toprpedoes one has ever received, almost naval academy style. All you have to do is be prepared for the expected areas where coastal torpedoes roam and... let your main battery do the job after the proper evasive manoeuvres. But no. You're Blucher, so you rush in!
Yes hahaha, Prince Blücher and his pregnancy were related in a biography of Lord Wellington I read some years ago, in which Wellington enquired politely on the Marshall's general health and condition of his elephantine fœtus.
This video gives me the chance to ask a question that I've never been able to get answered. There have been discussions regarding other ships about dispersion problems especially when a quad turrets. The Pole and her sisters have twin turrets and yet incredibly closely placed guns. Did this cause problems? Was there an engineering reason why the Italians, unlike all other countries, chose to place the guns so closely together?
I'm a little confused, the prize crew found the 200 onboard yet 328 went down with her when scuttled and torpedoed. Were those that went down with her already killed or trapped in the battle before she was boarded? Always a thumbs up and enjoyable Skynea History. 👍
That’s just shorthand for ‘this many of the crew died’.
Either in the battle or in the water afterward.
@@skyneahistory2306 Thank you for clearing that up for me. I appreciate your work/content. 👍
Imagine being part of a boarding crew in finding a whole bunch of loaded Italian sailors some of which were potentially ass naked
The irony is that Italy had more a Navy or at least more of a complete Navy than Germany did
How exactly did that crew differ from the "normal" Italian armed forces?
What is ironic about it? Germany had to give up its entire navy in 1919. Italy not. You can produce an army and an airforce 6 years, a navy takes more time.
Great content as always!
😮
‘Gotten drunk of their asses, and might have also stripped down “ 🙄😆
Love the content. Cheers from Estonia