The Sauro and Turbine classes combined modest gun batteries with six 21-inch torpedo tubes. Their torpedo spread made more sense when measured against France, the expected principal opponent. Slow, heavily armoured French battleships offered targets for which torpedoes were particularly valuable. France's cruiser force was still being built, while its destroyers were becoming larger. Italian cruisers were expected to deal with those larger destroyers, leaving the smaller Italian ships a place within a division of fleet responsibilities. That reasoning helps explain the armament balance without establishing that the ships could fight enemy destroyers on equal terms.
Notable Point · 20:58-21:57
French battleships and Italian torpedo priorities
Slow French battleships made a strong torpedo salvo attractive, while Italian cruisers were expected to handle France's growing destroyers.