The second part of the book about light cruisers of Italy talks about the transition in the late 1930s. from lightly armored scout cruisers to a full-fledged light cruiser. This period in the development of Italian cruiser construction is of particular interest to our reader, since the Soviet Kirov-class cruisers were the closest relatives of the Raimondo Montecuccoli-class cruisers. Their service and participation in the Second World War are described in detail and an attempt is made to understand the reasons for their unsuccessful combat activities. For a wide range of readers interested in military history.