Why Giulio Cesare became Italy's lucky battleship

Giulio Cesare was the fortunate survivor of a class whose sister Leonardo da Vinci was lost to a magazine explosion in 1916. Her survival through repeated dangers makes her the Italian counterpart to famously lucky or durable ships such as HMS New Zealand, HMS Warspite, and USS Texas. The Italian design school sought an edge through a heavy long-range broadside supported by adequate protection, speed, training, and doctrine. Giulio Cesare shows how a sound basic design could remain useful after reconstruction and under changing strategic demands.