Distributed shipyards and a design that came too late

Orders for the planned series were distributed among several Italian yards capable of building the class. The third series would also have been spread among those builders. The design absorbed wartime lessons but arrived too late to influence Italy's campaign. With no improved 4.7-inch weapon ready, the navy chose the 135 mm gun and enlarged the ship around it. Five heavier guns provided substantial firepower, though their rate of fire remained lower than that of opponents able to fill the air with smaller shells. The ship still lacked armour, leaving a clear compromise between hitting power and protection.