Regia Marina Italian Battleships of WWII Softcover Book

In June 1940, Italy possessed one of the world’s largest fleets. However, the navy, as the country itself, was not prepared for major conflict. The command structure was unwieldy and cooperation with the air force was poor. The foe, the Royal Navy, was well trained, and while numerically inferior, was the guardian of a magnificent tradition. Not always apparent was British superiority in other fields. The Royal Navy helped develop seaborne radar. British intelligence was reading coded German and Italian communications. Despite these disadvantages, the Italian Navy waged an active war. The large losses sustained bear witness to this.