Artigliere was one of nineteen s built for the Italian: [[Regia Marina]] (Royal Italian Navy) in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1938, she was one of the last of the first batch of a dozen ships to enter service.
The Soldati-class destroyers were slightly improved versions of the preceding .[1] They had a length between perpendiculars of 101.6m (333.3feet) and an overall length of 106.7m (350.1feet). The ships had a beam of 10.15m (33.3feet) and a mean draft of 3.15m (10.33feet) and 4.3m (14.1feet) at deep load.[2] The Soldatis displaced 1830- at normal load, and 2450- at deep load.[3] Their wartime complement during was 206 officers and enlisted men.[4]
Artigliere was powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by three Yarrow boilers.[4] Designed for a maximum output of 48000shp and a speed of 34kn35kn in service, the Soldati-class ships reached speeds of 39- during their sea trials while lightly loaded. They carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2340nmi at a speed of and at a speed of .[3]
Artiglieres main battery consisted of four 50-caliber 120sp=usNaNsp=us guns in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure. On a platform amidships was a 15-caliber 120-millimeter star shell gun.[5] Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Soldatis was provided by eight 20adj=on1adj=on Breda Model 1935 guns.[3] The ships were equipped with six 533mm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts amidships. Although they were not provided with a sonar system for anti-submarine work, they were fitted with a pair of depth charge throwers. The ships could carry 48 mines.[4]
. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 2005. Third Revised. 1-59114-119-2. Jürgen Rohwer.
. Destroyers of World War 2: An International Encyclopedia . 1988. Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 1-85409-521-8 . Michael J. Whitley.