The Condottieri-class cruiser Eugenio di Savoia was the second vessel in the fourth sub-class of its class. It featured improved armour and machinery compared to her predecessor, the Raimondo Montecuccoli. The ship was named after Prince Eugene of Savoy, whose motto "Ubi Sabaudia ibi Victoria" ("Where there is (Eugene of) Savoy, there is Victory") was inscribed on the sides of turret number 4.
It was constructed by Ansaldo in Genoa, being laid down on July 6, 1933, launched on March 16, 1935, and commissioned on January 16, 1936. The Eugenio di Savoia saw her first combat action during the Spanish Civil War on February 13, 1937, and later undertook a global circumnavigation with its sister ship, the Duca d'Aosta, from 1938 to March 1939. During World War II, the cruiser participated in the Battle of Punta Stilo, the Battle of mid-June, and the Battle of mid-August. In the latter engagement, it damaged the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Bedouin near Pantelleria island. On December 4, 1942, the Eugene of Savoy was struck by a Liberator bomber, resulting in 17 deaths and 46 injuries. Repairs took 40 days, and upon its return to service in January 1943, the cruiser's anti-aircraft batteries shoot down two unidentified allied bombers.
After Italy's armistice with the Allies on 3 September 1943, she sailed to Malta and then on to Alexandria, Egypt, where she was interned with her crew. Up to that point, the ship had completed 25 war missions and sailed 25,000 nautical miles.
In October 1943, she returned to service with the Allies and served as a target for training missions for new pilots near Suez. In February 1944, she was ordered to return to Taranto, Italy in order to transport the crews of the Regia Marina back to Italy. However, on the way, the ship struck a mine near Punta Stilo on the southwest coast of Italy. She was able to reach Taranto on her own power but remained in the harbor until the end of the war.
Post-war repairs and refitting were not completed until 26 June 1951, at which point the Eugenio di Savoia was ceded to Greece as part of war reparations.
Greek service
Renamed C-24 Έλλη II (C-24 Elli II), with her ensign hoisted in June 1951, she became the headquarters of the Chief of the Greek Fleet and effectively the flagship of the newly formed Hellenic Navy. In June 1952, she carried the Greek king, Paul of Greece, on a visit to Istanbul. From 1959 to 1965, she served as the flagship of the Ionian Fleet stationed in Suda, Crete, however she rarely set sail, citing high costs for the young navy.
In 1965, the C-24 Έλλη II was decommissioned from the fleet after 14 years of service in the Hellenic Navy and 29 years of history. Her final chapter was infamous, as she was turned into a prison ship by the Greek junta and used to imprison members of the navy who opposed the dictatorship until the 1973 coup. She was eventually sold for scrap.
