RN Etna

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Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
it_cruiser_etna_class.png
GarageImage RN Etna.jpg
RN Etna
AB RB SB
4.7 4.7 4.7
Research:26 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:76 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Etna-class, RN Etna, project is a rank III Italian light cruiser with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel25 / 60 / 35 mm
Main fire tower20 / 6 / 6 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure8 mm (steel)
Number of section8
Displacement7 000 t
Crew580 people

The RN Etna is a unique ship as it isn't easily comparable to other ships. She's a great ship at her battle rating, with her bow and stern protected by 20 mm of RHA and citadel protected by 60 mm. It allows to block shots up to 152mm calibre with HE while SAP, APHE manages to penetrate but do not cause much damage; many fragments will most likely be countered by the internal armour that separates the amidships with 25 mm of RHA.   

Furthermore, nearly all critical components are together with the armour below sea level. The ship is 146 meters long, 21 meters wide and 7.4 meters deep. While the ship is quite long, it still is quite manoeuvrable thanks to its width. The draft is not very deep with it only being 5.79 meters, which further increases the manoeuvrability.   

The Etna is boarded by 580 sailors and is her main source of durability. Meanwhile, her contemporaries at the same battle ratting have:

As with many ships, getting a good shot just under the front turret detonates the ammo rack and incapacitates most of the crew. Another possibility is setting the engine & fuel storage ablaze, slowing the ship down in the process. While most cruisers at Etna's battle rating are equipped with torpedoes that can detonate and do as much damage as an ammo rack explosion, the Etna isn't equipped with those. 

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB60 / 29 km/h
RB52 / 25 km/h

The maximum forward speed of the ship is 28 knots while the maximum reverse speed is 13 knots. The rudder can turn from one end to the other in 8 seconds. In case of danger, the Etna can make a U-turn in 1 minute 32 seconds. As the Etna is a converted long transport ship, it certainly does not help avoid enemy strikes and much less the torpedoes. Two Sulzer 12-ZAV-40S engines with a power of 11,600 hp propel this 7000-ton ship at a maximum speed of 28 knots.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 60 29
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 52 25

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 238 → 5 496 Sl icon.png
RB5 381 → 6 979 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications26 800 Rp icon.png
50 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 100 Ge icon.png
Crew training22 000 Sl icon.png
Experts76 000 Sl icon.png
Aces500 Ge icon.png
Research Aces320 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
310 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
142 / 142 / 142 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 400 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 400 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
2 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 400 Sl icon.png
330 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
135mm_it_45cal_oto_ap_ammo_pack
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
65mm_asnalso_terni_navy_he_ammo_pack
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
170 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag dist fuse ship.png
135mm_it_45cal_oto_he_df_ammo_pack
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

3 х Turret2 x 135 mm/45 O.T.O. Mod. 1937 cannon
Ammunition320 rounds
Vertical guidance-5° / 45°

These weapons were designed to give about the same range as the 12 cm/50 (4.7") guns but with a lower muzzle velocity and less dispersion. In fact, partly due to the wider barrel spacing used on the mountings, these guns had only a quarter of the dispersion of the 12 cm guns.

Used on the battleships Andrea Doria and Dulio as a secondary weapon and the "Capitani Romani" class light cruisers as the main weapon. It had been intended to mount these weapons in the "Comandanti Medaglie d'Oro", and Etna classes in a new AA mounting, but these ships were not completed.

Etna's 135mm has 7.5 seconds reload and its rating is not bad at all, compared to the 14 seconds of the Bartolomeo Colleoni and Krasny Kavkaz. The shell choice is not the best, but they are respectable: the HE has 1.8 kg (39.6 lbs) of explosive mass and total penetration of 23mm, the APHE comes with 1.4 kg (30.8 lbs) and explosive and manage to penetrate 174 mm of armour and to finish has the HE-TF with the same amount of explosive as the HE. Talking about the ballistics, the Etna is found with quite slow shots compared to the above-mentioned ships. The HE, the APHE and the HE-TF reach a speed of 825m/s, which does not help much in long-distance flights. 

For this ship, we recommend using the APHE as they are much more effective than the common He, although using the APHE for all targets is not really indicated, for example, against destroyers or ships with little armour is perfect. Due to the low speed of the bullets, we do not recommend fighting beyond 10km (6.2 miles) as you could not do much damage.  

Secondary armament

10 х Turret65 mm/64 Ansaldo-Terni Mod.1939 cannon
Ammunition500 rounds

Ansaldo and Terni developed this medium-range AA gun during World War II with some prototypes being completed, but it did not enter general service use. The loading equipment was electrically powered and included dual loading trays and a pantograph linkage rammer. 

The Etna is equipped with 10 Ansaldo-Terni 65mm cannons that with their recharge of only 2 seconds does an important job for the ship, for example, they keep away smaller ships that try to board you or they can be very effective against larger aircraft that do not yield with anti-aircraft defences. The 65mm can be armed with 2 different types of projectiles, the He and the He-TF, with 450g (0.9 lbs) of explosive.

As previously mentioned the HE's are handy to annoy larger ships by creating fires or destroying modules. While the He-TF's are very intuitive to use, they are very effective against aircraft, especially larger ones.   

Anti-aircraft armament

21 х Turret20 mm/70 Scotti-Isotta Fraschini mod.1939 autocannon
Ammunition1500 rounds
Belt capacity12 rounds
Fire rate230 shots/min

The Scotti-Isotta Fraschini 20/70 was an Italian cannon-gun. It was a multi-role weapon, which could be used as both an anti-aircraft and anti-tank function, available in both land and naval gun barrels. Development of the weapon began in 1928, by designer Alfredo Scotti,

The weapon employed the automatic recoil operation system, with a fixed barrel and geometric block of the bolt removed by gas action. 

The Etna has at its disposal as many as twenty-one 20mm anti-aircraft guns, of these twenty, six are positioned at the front of the ship. Just below the cockpit while the remaining fifteen are arranged evenly in the central part of the ship. These 20mm have 1500 rounds of ammunition and reload in 2.9 seconds. They are very effective against aircraft and can cause not inconsiderable damage to small ships. They have a maximum range of 3.5km (11482 ft) and maximum effectiveness of 1.8km (5905 ft) against both air and surface targets. 

Usage in battles

As most light cruisers, the Etna is lowly ranked for a cruiser and it's best played in a supportive role and make use of the sheer amount of anti-aircraft cover. The Etna’s 21 anti-aircraft guns will make quick work of any enemy planes attempting to sink the Etna or her surrounding fleet.

For multiple reasons, it's best to keep the ship slightly angled towards the enemy fleet allowing to make use of her armour and keeping her guns trained on target because the back turrets don't have full 360° rotation.

Some of the biggest threats to the RN Etna are ships with automatic cannons such as the Russian Project 35, Project 41, Project 50, Project 159, these pose one of the biggest threats to the RN Etna, she will be destroyed easily due to their rapid-firing cannons, which can unleash up to 150 rounds a minute! 

Destroyers and coastal water vessels will not do a lot of damage to the RN Etna. Most of these ships will be nothing more than an annoyance to the Etna and can be cleanly sunk back to the hangar with a well-aimed salvo.

Beware that the RN Etna's turrets only offer up to 6 mm armour protection; this is very weak, and any machine gun knockout the sailors inside of these modules. This means a few HE rounds will destroy RN Etna primary weaponry, which would leave RN Etna vulnerable to attack.  

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good reload time, 7.5 seconds - allowing it to hold its own against rival ships.  
  • It has outstanding crew survivability for a light cruiser; thanks to its internal anti-shrapnel armour and excessive hull size, the bullets that manage to penetrate will disperse in a short time  
  • With its 21 anti-aircraft guns, it is the second ship with the most anti-aircraft at its rating. This is a great asset to the team because you'll be able to provide excellent anti-aircraft coverage. 
  • Its secondary armament is one of the most powerful at its rating. 10 65mm cannons that reload in 2 seconds can do more damage than you think. 
  • Although the ship is quite long and not too fast, it can tack quickly and accurately.

Cons:

  • Unfortunately, the engineers did not find room for torpedoes.  
  • It has a very long hull; this makes dodging torpedoes harder if they have been fired at your broadside.  
  • The fact that it is so long and has a very deep draft will cause the ship to wobble excessively during the turn, so you will not be able to shoot for a short period of time. 
  • Limited firing arc for the rear turrets, cannot turn 360 degrees, despite having any superstructure that blocks them. Requires the ship to do a broadside manoeuvre to get all guns on target.  
  • The poorly armoured turrets only 6 mm thick for the main turrets, extremely easy to knock out. They can be knocked out by light machine-gun fire from enemy planes.   

History

The Etna class was a class of light cruisers of the Italian Royal Navy, composed of two units launched between 1941 and 1942. 

The two units were ordered in 1938 by the Government of Thailand to the CRDA shipyard in Trieste as Taksin class, and their construction began in August-September 1939. After the outbreak of the Second World War, the Italian government considered the possibility of requisitioning them for use with its own navy, but the decision was formalized only in August 1942 with much delay; it was decided to complete the two ships, launched but not yet fitted out, as anti-aircraft cruisers for the escort of supply convoys, but work proceeded very slowly and in June 1943 were suspended with the units still largely incomplete. 

In September 1943, the Germans captured the two hulls in Trieste, but no effort was made to complete them; self-sunken in May 1945, they were refloated and then scrapped immediately after the war. 

Hull dimensions and propulsion system were kept identical to the previous ones. Still, all the original armament, as well as the aeronautical arrangements, were landed and replaced by new systems: the main armament would have been six 135/45 mm OTO/Ansaldo cannons, arranged in three newly designed twin towers (always one forward and two aft overlapping) equipped with an elevation such as to allow the use of the pieces both in anti-ship and anti-aircraft fire; always in anti-aircraft function would have been embarked six Ansaldo 65/64 mm cannons in single installations (a new model still being developed, then never entered service), as well as six twin installations of Breda 20/65 Mod. 1935. The rearrangement of the internal spaces led to four cargo holding capable of holding up to 1,000 soldiers or 500 tons of materials; there were also two small cranes at the bow and stern for cargo handling. 

The construction of the two units proceeded very slowly, both because of continuous reconsiderations on their design and the difficult war situation in Italy. In June 1943, it was decided to suspend the preparation. In September 1943, at the time of the armistice of Cassibile between Italy and the Allies, the completion of the two units was far from being finished, being only about 60-65% of the work. The two incomplete hulls fell into German hands at the time of the occupation of Trieste on 10 September 1943, but no effort was made to complete the two units; both, therefore, ended up self-sunken in May 1945 in Trieste at the time of the surrender of the German forces, being later salvaged and scrapped in 1948.

Media

Images

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;.
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