You may recall that a while ago - now seemingly a very long while ago - I met with some success in presenting a thoroughly redrawn Audace-class DDG:s. At the same time as I did those, I also took the opportunity to edit MConrad and Enrr's otherwise very good and precise drawing of the follow-up class to the Audaces, namely the sleek and handsome two-unit strong de la Penne-class.
Built during a prolonged period the two ships originally were intended to be named Ardimentoso and Animoso, but, for political reasons these names were substituted by those of two heros of the Regia Marina during WW2, Luigi Durand de la Penne, a most daring and accomplished Decima MAS officer, who, in 1941, was personally responsible for sinking in shallow waters in Alexandria's harbor, the British battleship Valiant. The other was Francesco Mimbelli, who, as a Commander of a torpedo boat flotilla managed the rare accomplishment for an Italian naval officer of defeating in detail a superior British force, while defending a large convoy, during the Battle of Crete, 1941. He later was appointed commander of the Italian Black Seas contingent and, again, managed to achievet hose very seldom victories for the Italian navy, which elevated him into a national hero.
Both men joined the Allied cause after the fall of Fascism and, later served in the post-war Marina Militare.
The ships were basically enlarged Audaces with CODAG unit machinery, one less OTO-Melara 76.3 mm gun, a much enlarged helipad and some stealth features in their structure. Displacement rose with about a 1,000 tons.
So here are the two units named after these very accomplished naval heroes:
Luigi Durand de la Penne (DDG-560) as of present day:
![[ img ]](http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx161/Bezobrazov/DDG-56020DeLaPennesb-1.png)
Francesco Mimbelli (DDG-561):
![[ img ]](http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx161/Bezobrazov/DDG-56120DeLaPenne20Mimbelli202008sb-1.png)