Trento

Unit Card:

WASTrentoStatCard.jpg

Set - Rarity - Number

Condition Zebra - Rare - 31/40

History:

In June 1929, Trento began a cruise to South America which extended until 10 October 1929. In February 1932 Trento was sent to Tianjin, China, to join the San Marco Battalion as a show of force during the Second Sino-Japanese War, returning on 30 June. In August 1933, Trento joined the Trieste and newly commissioned Bolzano to become the Second Naval Division. In 1934 the Regia Marina was re-organized, and the three ships became the Third Naval Division.

During the Spanish Civil War the division carried out escort missions in the western Mediterranean Sea.

During World War II, Trento took part in most major Italian operations, including the battles of Calabria, Cape Spartivento, and Cape Matapan.

On the morning of 15 June 1942 Trento was navigating in a battle fleet to prevent a large Allied convoy from reaching Malta (Operation Vigorous), and was attacked and sunk after being torpedoed twice. The first hit was inflicted by a Malta-based Bristol Beaufort bomber at 5:15am.This plane was flown by f/o Arthur Aldridge and his crew. This operation was later recalled in his book 'The Last Torpedo Flyers' published in 2013. Trento was immobilized and left behind, assisted by the destroyer Da Verrazzano, while the rest of the fleet continued south in pursuit of the Vigorous convoy. The Royal Navy submarine HMS Umbra found the smoking ship at 9:10am, and torpedoed her hitting the magazine, sinking the Trento rapidly (9:15am). Crew members had little time to put on life vests and abandon ship. Over half the crew died from the explosions, went down with the ship or were killed when Italian escort ships dropped depth charges to stop the submarine. Trento still lies at the bottom of the Ionian Sea, where the Mediterranean is at its deepest, at the position 36°10′N 18°40′E.

Reviews:

Lobukia
While this unit should stay away from Baltimores and Clevelands, the Trento is an excellent unit for its cost. It has expected armor/vital values, very good guns (for a 14 point vessel), solid anti-air, and moderate torpedoes. These features alone would make it a "good" cruiser… now factor in Chase the Salvos and you get a 1:3 chance on ignoring BB main guns AND once a game you get speed three (nasty surprise for the enemy, especially when you win initiative… which rarely happens in a RM fleet).

ROUS
The only cruiser in the game with high speed run, Trento gives you the burst of speed when and where you need it. RN players are stuck sticking the Jamaica and its flotilla leader SA out front with Chase, the Trento has no flag to risk, and has strong mains and secondaries. Class limit of 2 prevents a fleet of these, but pairing them with Le Terrible can stretch 1 sector of fast attack cruisers into 2 sectors with some ASW help.

I end up using the Trento as an objective grabber about 75% of the time, so i use the HSR on turn 1, and claim the objective on turn 2 - this eliminates some of the surprise, but you can always be a bit more coy and save that power for later, just don't forget that if you use it later, you cant claim an objective with it (like sprinting from one objective to the other in a single turn)

Trento and Bolzano would fill the same role in a fleet, but not at a 4 point cost difference. Trento is the attacker cruiser, other 5 armor RM ships cost less, they are the survivors. If you need a survivor, and have plenty of fire power, and don't want to outrace your smoke cover, i can see leaving Trento in port.

Plastic Figure Notes:

T-shaped candy stripe scout plane - my favorite RM sculpt by far.

page revision: 9, last edited: 18 Dec 2015 09:43
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