 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Ose ari maviri Andrea Doria uye Duilio akaenda ku dry dock mukupera kwema1930s nokuda kwekuvandudzwa kukuru; basa iri rakapfuurira kusvikira muna October naApril 1940, zvichiteerana. Panguva iyoyo, Italy yakanga yapinda muHondo Yenyika II ichitsigira Axis powers. Ngarava mbiri idzi dzakabatana ne5th Division yakavakirwa paTaranto. Duilio akabatanidzwa muchirongwa chaida kubata ngarava yehondo yeBritain nekamba yaienda kuMalta, asi hapana chinangwa chakawanikwa. Iye na Andrea Doria vakanga varipo panguva yeBritish kurwisa Taranto pausiku hwa1112 Mbudzi 1940. Mauto makumi maviri nerimwe eFairey Swordfish torpedo-mabhomba, akaburitswa kubva muna, akarwisa ngarava dzakasungwa pachiteshi chengarava. Andrea Doria akanga asina kukuvadzwa mukurwisa, asi Duilio akarohwa netorpedo kurutivi rwake rworudyi. Yakamiswa kuti isanyura muchiteshi chengarava uye kugadziriswa kwenguva pfupi kwakaitwa kuti ibvumire kuenda kuGenoa kunogadziriswa zvachose, iyo yakatanga munaJanuary 1941. Muna February, akarwiswaneBritish Force H; ngarava dzehondo dzinoverengeka dzakaedza kupfura Duilio apo yakanga iri pachiteshi, asi havana kubudirira. Basa rokugadzira rakapfuurira kusvikira muna May 1941, apo iye akabatanidzwazve neboka rengarava paTaranto. 