05318 – MODELLBAUSATZ ITALIAN

Trumpeter Italian Navy Battleship RN Roma – Plastic Model Kit – 1:350 Scale Manufacturers Description: – Size of finished model: Length: 687mm, Beam: 95mm – 620+ pieces Roma, named after two previous ships and the city of Rome, was the fourth Vittorio Veneto-class battleship of Italy’s Regia Marina (Royal Navy). The construction of both Roma and her sister ship Impero was planned due to rising tensions around the world and the navy’s fear that two Vittorio Venetos and the older pre-First World War battleships were not enough to counter the British and French Mediterranean Fleets. As Roma was laid down almost four years after the first two ships of the class, some small improvements were made to the design, including additional freeboard added to the bow. Roma was commissioned into the Regia Marina on 14 June 1942, but a severe fuel shortage in Italy at that time prevented her from being deployed; instead, along with her sister ships Vittorio Veneto and Littorio, she was used to bolster the anti-aircraft defenses of various Italian cities. In this role, she was severely damaged twice in June 1943 from bomber raids on La Spezia. After repairs in Genoa through all of July and part of August, Roma was deployed as the flagship of Admiral Carlo Bergamini in a large battle group that eventually comprised the three Vittorio Venetos, eight cruisers and eight destroyers. Their stated intent was attacking the Allied ships approaching Salerno to invade Italy (Operation “Avalanche”) but, in reality, the Italian fleet was sailing to Malta to surrender following Italy’s September 8, 1943 armistice with the Allies. PLASTIC MODEL KIT REQUIRIES ASSEMBLY AND PAINTING. GLUE AND PAINT NOT INCLUDED. RECOMMENDED AGE: 14+