Built by Schichau at Elbing, the Lampo class combined Thornycroft boilers with vertical triple-expansion engines derived from British practice. Its small hulls were poor seaboats, and a theoretical 31 knots fell to roughly 24 to 25 knots in realistic conditions. Endurance changed even more sharply: 2,000 nautical miles at 12 knots became only 290 nautical miles at 26 knots. Speed, sea state, range, and existing port infrastructure constrained one another in an early destroyer design. Continued Italian work made the ships useful and capable.
Notable Point · 9:21-12:41
Lampo and the cost of chasing speed
The German-built Lampo class illustrates the harsh range penalty of high speed and the difficulty of matching Italian missions to borrowed destroyer designs.