Why Italy adopted numerous autocannon early

Why did Italian battleships adopt larger numbers of autocannon earlier than other navies?

Coastal inlets offer a possible explanation: sudden torpedo-boat attacks could give Italian battleships a reason to carry numerous quick-firing weapons.

The question uses the planned Francesco Caracciolo class and its twelve 40 mm Vickers-Terni weapons to illustrate Italy's early interest in numerous autocannon. Other navies were still relying heavily on 3-inch weapons for comparable tasks. A possible explanation is the geography in which the Regia Marina expected to fight. Coastal inlets could conceal groups of torpedo boats until they launched a sudden attack, giving a battleship reason to carry numerous quick-firing weapons. This is offered as a likely tactical explanation, without a documented design decision established.