The Soldati class exceeded 400 tons and could make 28.5 knots. Four 76 mm guns and three 17.7-inch torpedo tubes formed the armament, with a usual set of torpedo reloads and capacity for ten mines. No ship was named Soldati: the class name referred to the soldier names its ships carried, including Garibaldino. The naming was intended to borrow prestige from Italy's land forces at a time when defeats and an uneven record at sea had limited respect for the navy. It also asserted the importance of destroyers to national defense.
Notable Point · 24:58-26:57
Soldati: heavier armament and the prestige of soldier names
The Soldati class combined larger hulls and torpedo reloads with names intended to raise the standing of Italy's destroyer force.