After World War II
After the end of hostilities, the Regia Marina started a long and complex rebuilding process. At the beginning of the war, the Regia Marina was the fourth largest navy in the world with a mix of modernised and new battleships. The important combat contributions of the Italian naval forces after the signing of the armistice with the Allies on 8 September 1943 and the subsequent cooperation agreement on 23 September 1943 left the Regia Marina in a poor condition. Much of its infrastructure and bases were unusable and its ports mined and blocked by sunken ships. However, a large number of its naval units had survived the war, albeit in a low efficiency state. This was due to the conflict and the age of many vessels.
The vessels that remained were:
- 2 incomplete and damaged aircraft carriers
- 5 battleships
- 9 cruisers
- 11 destroyers
- 22 frigates
- 19 corvettes
- 44 fast coastal patrol units
- 50 minesweepers
- 16 amphibious operations vessels
- 2 school ships
- 1 support ship and plane transport
- various submarine units
On 2 June 1946, the Italian monarchy was abolished by a popular referendum. The Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) ended and was replaced by the Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana). The Regia Marina became the Navy of the Italian Republic (Marina Militare).
Read more about this topic: Regia Marina
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