Italian manufacturers developed a succession of related 120 mm guns during the 1920s and 1930s. OTO and Ansaldo repeatedly answered one another's models, building on a lineage that included Schneider-Canet-Armstrong and Vickers-Terni designs. The Schneider-Canet-Armstrong Model 1918 supplied the starting point, followed by the Vickers-Terni Model 1924 and OTO Model 1926. Ansaldo's 120 mm/50 response began another round of competition. These developments served a naval requirement for decisive hits in the confined Adriatic, where nearby opponents threatened Italy's expected control of its home waters.
Notable Point · 52:58-56:19
How Ansaldo and OTO competed over Italy's 120 mm guns
Italian firms repeatedly answered one another's 120 mm designs, developing a gun family around the navy's demand for hard-hitting weapons in the Adriatic.