Aircraft fuel and ammunition were concentrated near a vulnerable forward hangar, in the part of the ship an opponent was especially likely to hit while correcting range. The class could make 37 knots and reached 42 on trials, but belt, deck, and turret protection remained thin enough for destroyer gunfire to be dangerous. Eight six-inch guns and four torpedo tubes per side did not compensate for the loss of protection. A cruiser tied to a slow convoy cannot exploit speed to escape and therefore needs armor to stand between the attacker and the merchant ships.
Chapter · 32:01-35:56
Giussano class: what 37 knots cost
The first Condottieri sacrificed armor, useful striking power, and convoy-escort resilience to achieve spectacular trial speeds.