Bolzano restored the Trento pattern with about 70 mm of belt armor and a claimed 36-knot performance. Moving the seaplanes aft improved the arrangement, and the ship carried Italy's best interwar eight-inch guns. Its eight torpedo tubes still did not create the massed strike needed for a true dash-and-attack cruiser. This reversed the Zara class's move toward a much more survivable fighting ship, even though the navy had already shown what treaty cheating could achieve.
Notable Point · 40:17-43:13
Bolzano's return to the fast Trento formula
Bolzano reversed the Zara class's protection gains in favor of another high-speed, lightly armored heavy cruiser.