Italy required either numerous fast, expendable torpedo craft or heavily armed and protected units able to challenge stronger fleets. Treaty cruisers sat awkwardly between those needs. Light ships could raid and swarm, while Zara-like heavy ships could support battleships, but a truly fast, armored heavy cruiser exceeded the nominal limit and Italy's foreign component dependence made blatant cheating difficult. French air bases, coastal routes, and the Royal Navy's numerical reach further narrowed where Italian cruiser speed could produce a decisive advantage.
Chapter · 2:52:39-3:03:14
Italian cruiser doctrine remains caught between two fleets
Italian cruisers oscillated between enlarged destroyers and battle-line auxiliaries because treaty categories did not match the Mediterranean force Italy needed.