Pantera was one of three s built for the Italian: [[Regia Marina]] (Royal Italian Navy) in the early 1920s.
The ships were designed as scout cruisers (esploratori), essentially enlarged versions of contemporary destroyers. They were initially ordered in 1917, but postponed due to steel shortages, and re-ordered in 1920.[1] They had an overall length of 113.410NaN0, a beam of 10.36sp=usNaNsp=us and a mean draft of 3.1m (10.2feet).[2] They displaced 2195LT at standard load, and 2289LT at deep load. Their complement was 10 officers and 194 enlisted men.[1]
The Leones were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam supplied by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines were rated at 42000shp for a speed of 33kn in service, although Pantera reached from during her sea trials. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 2000nmi at a speed of .[1]
Their main battery consisted of eight 120sp=usNaNsp=us guns in four twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and the remaining turrets positioned between the funnels and the torpedo tube mounts amidships.[3] Anti-aircraft (AA) defense for the Leone-class ships was provided by a pair of AA guns in single mounts amidships. They were equipped with six 450mm torpedo tubes in two triple mounts. The Leones could also carry 60 mines.[1]
. 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.