RN Comandante Margottini
Contents
Description
The Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro-class, RN Comandante Margottini, project is a rank II Italian destroyer with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Raining Fire".
General info
Survivability and armour
RN Comandante Margottini is very reminiscent of RN Etna for the hull it has. The dimensions are much smaller, but the compactness and strength is practically the same. It has a very good surface slightly angled at the front, which facilitates the ricochet and non-penetration of shells that hit the front of the ship.
The armour of the hull is composed of 25 mm steel which protects it considerably against calibres up to 152 mm.
The ship is embarked with 277 sailors which brings her to second place in terms of ships with the most crew at her battle rating, only topped by Erich Giese. Even though she has less crew, Margottini can prove to be a great ship in battle.
The crew is well distributed throughout the ship to maximize repairs and maximum ship survival.
Mobility
Mobility Characteristics | |||
---|---|---|---|
Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
Forward | Reverse | ||
AB | |||
Upgraded | 79 | 35 | |
RB/SB | |||
Upgraded | 65 | 29 |
RN Comandante Margottini is propelled at a maximum speed of 65 km/h by two turbines with a total power of 60,000 HP. The engine room is located in the central part of the ship, slightly below sea level, which gives it a little protection.
The rudder transits from one end to the other in just 5 seconds, which is very useful in combat situations to change trajectory quickly and effectively. The wide hull and shallow draft allow Margottini to remain very stable even during sharp turns.
In reverse the Margottini can travel at the modest speed of -36 km/h.
Modifications and economy
Armament
Primary armament
The 135 mm/45 cannons produced by OTO Melara and Ansaldo were built with the intention of recreating the same range as the 120 mm/50 cannons, the only difference being the projectile which exits slower, but with much less dispersion.
This type of cannon was mounted on the battleships Dulio and Andrea Doria and on the light cruisers of the Capitani Romani class. Italian engineers had planned to mount this type of armament on the Etna and Comandante Margottini classes, but unfortunately these were never finished.
The 135 mm cannon of Margottini has a 9 second reload. Compared to other ships this is a longer than average reloading time, which penalises it a bit.
As for ammunition, it can load HE with 1.8 kg of explosive mass and a penetration of 23 mm, while the APHE has 1.4 kg of explosive and can penetrate 174 mm of armour. The HE-TF shell has the same amount of explosive as the HE but with greater efficiency against aerial targets. In terms of ballistics, the Margottini is found with fairly slow rounds. The HE, APHE, and HE-TF have a muzzle velocity of 825 m/s, which doesn't help much in long-range combat.
It is recommended to use APHE shells as they are much more effective than common HE, although using APHE for all targets is not really suitable, for example HE is perfect against destroyers or ships with thin armour. Unfortunately, due to the low velocity of the projectiles, it is not recommended to engaged targets beyond 7 kilometres.
Secondary armament
This 37 mm cannon was built by Ernesto Breda as an automatic anti-aircraft weapon. The 37 mm/54 Breda cannon proved to be particularly effective at short-medium range and after several tests the Regia Marina decided to use them in twin installations (mod. 32) in 1934. On Comandante Margottini, 12 model 39 cannons were installed. The model 39 was the first of the two individually mounted models.
The 12 x 37 mm cannons are divided into two groups, four are arranged on the sides of the ship immediately behind the control room and the remaining eight are well distributed in the middle and rear of the ship.
The maximum range of the cannons is 5.3 km and the maximum effectiveness is 2.5 km and they are armed with tracer bullets, unfortunately not modifiable. These 12 cannons are very effective to ward off aircraft or to cause superficial damage to other destroyers. If there are small boats trying to get too close, the 37 mm will have no problem sinking them.
Anti-aircraft armament
The Breda 20/65 was built by Ernesto Breda in 1932 as an anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon. From day one it was immediately compared to the 20 mm guns of Oerlikon, Lübee and Madsen. After long periods to decide on the correct weapon, the Regia Marina finally made its decision in 1935.
It was decided to mount the 20 mm Breda guns on the ships that needed them, including RN Comandante Margottini.
Unfortunately, only two of these cannons were mounted and they were located at the front of the ship, one on the left side and the other on the right side. The 20 mm has three belts available: the Universal belt, HE belt, and AP belt. All three of the various combinations penetrate 38 mm.
The maximum range for these guns is 4 km and the maximum effective range is 2 km. These two 20 mm Breda can also be very effective against small boats that come too close to the ship.
Additional armament
In addition to the considerable main and auxiliary armament, Comandante Margottini can also carry up to 10 depth charges and 6 torpedoes.
The depth charges are stored in the rear part of the ship, more precisely at the height of the second main turret.
The charges in question are the B TG 100 with 100 kg of explosives inside them and can be equipped after researching the modification.
The depth charges are super useful when you make very close encounters or when you are followed by a ship. It only takes one charge to eliminate your opponent. In addition to depth charges there is the possibility to carry 6 torpedoes, more precisely the S.I. 270.
These torpedoes without the torpedo mode modification equipped can travel in water up to 93 km/h but only for 4 km, while with the modification the torpedo loses 19 km/h of speed, but gains 8 km of range more. Torpedoes are an effective way to surprise the enemy without them expecting it, either at the beginning of the game or during a firefight.
Usage in battles
RN Comandante Margottini is a very good ship in almost every area. Its excellent survivability gives it a very good fighting spirit, it is recommended to use this ship with the support of allies. It plays very well in the front line, to face off against other destroyers and light cruisers.
If possible it would be best to have the front of the ship facing the target so that it can absorb as many hits as possible.
One of the most sensitive parts of the ship is the command deck, it is very large and often the first to be hit in a firefight. This can be annoying because you can neither defend nor hide, it is the achilles heel of the ship. A counter tactic to reduce this is to zig-zag the ship or move just after firing or noticing the enemy has fired.
It is not recommended to engage enemies beyond 7 km as the 135 mm cannons will not do much damage due to the shells' projectile speed.
If the enemy is very close, angle the ship slightly to the left or right to reduce damage, this will also allow the use of the turrets in the rear of the ship. If possible avoid any kind of clash with ships above 5.0 BR as the Margottini could be in a bit of trouble.
Beware of German ships and those with autoloading systems such as USS Fletcher, IJN Akizuki, and SKR-7. With their high rate of fire, they can decimate the crew in a few seconds without causing any major damage to the ship.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent survival due to its armour, 16 mm at its thickest point.
- Good number of crew on the ship, 277 members.
- Excellent forward and reverse speed, 65 km/h / -36 km/h.
- Excellent manoeuvrability at full speed.
- Doesn't wobble too much, after an abrupt change in direction.
- Excellent auxiliary and anti-aircraft armaments.
Cons:
- Slow projectiles struggle at longer ranges, 825 m/s.
- Very large bridge, can be destroyed easily.
- Main armament has a slow reloading speed, 9 seconds.
- Elevating and yawing of auxiliary armament are quite slow. 20 degrees/sec and 15 degrees/sec.
- Excessively long hull, its length does not facilitate the avoidance of enemy shots and torpedoes.
History
During World War II, the Regia Marina did not have enough destroyers available. By September 1940, 7 destroyers had been lost in combat, so a decision was initiated to build 7 new destroyers to replace them.
To save development and design time, a new batch of the existing Soldati-class destroyers were ordered.
These new Soldati-class destroyers got an additional 100 tons more in weight because of the new anti-aircraft and anti-submarine armament which was updated, the construction of the first units took place in October 1940 and 5 ships entered service between February and August 1942.
During World War II, the armament of the Soldati-class ships was modified several times and upgraded, eliminating a row of torpedo tubes and replacing them with anti-aircraft armament.
During 1941, while the second series of Soldati-class destroyers were being built, it became clear that more destroyers had to be built, in fact the Navy Ministry decided to incorporate all changes on destroyers, based on the experience gained in the war, so it was understood that a new class of destroyers had to be developed.
The committee assigned the task of designing the new class to General Carlo Sigismondi (Corpo del Genio Navale) who was assisted by Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Malagoli (Corpo del Genio Navale). The new class was practically an update of the Soldati class with the addition of more weight, the design of the ship changed in almost all parts except the layout of the engines which did not change, but the engines were upgraded to 60,000 horsepower.
The speed was reduced to 35 knots, a speed considered sufficient for all the missions that the new class of destroyers had to perform.
The first drawings of the projects were made quickly and the first orders were placed in September 1941, the construction of the first two units took place in the Cantieri del Tirreno di Riva Trigoso on 10 September 1941, while other two units were allocated in the Cantieri Navali Riuniti di Ancona and four units were allocated in the Cantieri Navali Odero Terni Orlando (OTO) di Livorno on 27 September 1941.
After these 8 units it was planned to produce a second series of this class of ship, the significant change of this new class was the replacement of the twin 120 mm/50 guns with single 135 mm/45 guns, then as anti-aircraft armament it was composed of 12 Breda mod.39 37 mm/54 cannons, the initial designs of the class when completed showed that the ship would normally be 2,600 tons of weight, 120 m in length, with a smokestack that was clearly inspired by the Soldati class.
During 1942, the project was again modified by eliminating the fifth gun positioned in the center of the ship to accommodate more anti-aircraft armament, in September 1942 the design was blocked in the same month orders were placed for 8 units of the second series (2 in Trigoso, 2 in Livorno and 4 in CRDA Trieste).
Later there was also a modification for the elimination of the stern director to favour the addition of more anti-aircraft armament.
Orders were placed for 8 units of the third series on 7 October 1942 with CRDA Trieste.
The name of the new class was called: Comandante Medaglie d'Oro. This name was chosen to remember the commanders who had received the gold medal (Medaglie d'Oro).
In the end, between May 1944 and January 1945, aerial bombardments were carried out on the shipyards where the ships were being built, as a result of the damage they were demolished.
Planned units- Comandante Margottini
- Comandante Baroni
- Comandante Borsini
- Comandante Botti
- Comandante Casana
- Comandante Corsi
- Comandante De Cristofaro
- Comandante Dell'Anno
- Comandante Esposito
- Comandante Fiorelli
- Comandante Fontana
- Comandante Giannattasio
- Comandante Giobbe
- Comandante Giorgis
- Comandante Milano
- Comandante Moccagatta
- Comandante Novaro
- Comandante Rodocanacchi
- Comandante Ruta
- Comandante Toscano
Media
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on the ship;
- other literature.
Italy destroyers | |
---|---|
Regia Marina | |
Aquila-class | RN Aquila |
Leone-class | RN Leone · RN Tigre |
Turbine-class | RN Aquilone · RN Turbine |
Navigatori-class | RN Da Verazzano |
Dardo-class | RN Dardo |
Soldati-class | RN Aviere · RN Corazziere · RN Geniere |
Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro-class | RN Comandante Margottini |
Marina Militare | |
Fante-class* | Geniere |
Indomito-class | Impetuoso |
* Modified Fletcher-class destroyers |