Aldebaran-class frigate

	Aldebaran
Class overview
Name	Aldebaran
Builders	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; Tampa Shipbuilding Company;
Operators	Italian Navy
Preceded by	N/A
Succeeded by	Centauro class
Subclasses	Cannon class
Built	1943
In commission	1951-1976
Planned	3
Completed	3
Retired	3
General characteristics
Type	Frigate; Corvette; Destroyer escort;
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard; 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full;
Length	306 ft (93 m) o/a; 300 ft (91 m) w/l;
Beam	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft	11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Propulsion	4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament	3 × single Mk.22 3"/50 caliber guns; 1 × twin 40 mm Mk.1 AA gun; 8 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns; 3 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × Hedgehog Mk.10 anti-submarine mortar (144 rounds); 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors; 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks;

The Aldebaran class was a class of four frigates/corvettes/destroyer escorts operated by the Italian Navy. They entered service in 1951, with the last one being decommissioned in 1976.^[1]

History[]

The Aldebaran class consisted of three former United States Navy ships: USS Thornhill (Aldebaran), USS Gandy (Altair) and USS Wesson (Andromeda) transferred to the Italian Navy in 1951. These ships in the United States Navy were classified as destroyer escorts and belonged to the Cannon class, built in large series during the Second World War and then supplied in several different marine units (Mutual Defense Assistance Program).^[2]

The three ships entered service in the Navy together with the Artigliere-class units as part of a naval upgrade program started in 1950; they were first used as escorts, from 1957 as frigates and from 1962 and as a corvette, a role held until the moment of decommissioning.

Units of this class take their names from three Spica-class torpedo boats lost during World War II.

Ships in the class[]

Pennant	Name	Builders	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned
F 590	Aldebaran	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	7 October 1943	30 December 1943	10 January 1951	1976
F 591	Altair	Tampa Shipbuilding Company	1 March 1943	12 December 1943		1971
F 592	Andromeda	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company	29 July 1943	17 October 1943		January 1972

Citations[]

^ "Aldebaran F 590 Cannon class frigate escort ex USS Thornhill Italian Navy". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^ "10.1.1951 la U.S. Navy consegna alla Marina Militare le navi Aldebaran, Altair e Andromeda – La voce del marinaio" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.

[1] "Aldebaran F 590 Cannon class frigate escort ex USS Thornhill Italian Navy". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 13 June 2021.

[2] "10.1.1951 la U.S. Navy consegna alla Marina Militare le navi Aldebaran, Altair e Andromeda – La voce del marinaio" (in Italian). Retrieved 13 June 2021.

[1]

[2]

v t Italian Navy
Components	Organization Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy Italian Coast Guard COMSUBIN Commander in Chief Naval Fleet
Fleet Command	San Marco Marine Brigade Naval Aviation
Equipment	Ships active inactive Aircraft
Schools	Francesco Morosini Naval School Naval Academy
History and traditions	Regia Marina Decima Flottiglia MAS Battle of Lissa Operation Mare Nostrum Naval Museum Technical Naval Museum at La Spezia
Related	Italian Navy ranks Corps of Naval Engineering La Spezia Naval Base

v t Italian destroyers, frigates and corvette classes post-1945
Destroyers	Nicoloso da Recco (Navigatori) Grecale ( Maestrale) Soldati Artigliere San Giorgio Impetuoso Impavido Fante Audace Durand de la Penne Orizzonte
Frigates	Aldebaran Centauro Bergamini Alpino Lupo Maestrale Soldati Orizzonte Bergamini
Corvettes	Gabbiano Aldebaran Albatros Minerva