italian ironclad ironclad warship member regina class built french shipyards italian regia marina royal_navy 1860s laid august launched october completed april sister ships broadside ironclads mounting battery inch guns broadside quickly combat italy declared war italian war independence june following month joined italian fleet battle stationed van italian fleet separated rest fleet damaged austrian including shell started fire career uneventful war resulting combination emergence modern ironclads severe reduction italian naval budget following defeat rebuilt central battery ship time eventually sold scrapping design meters long overall beam average draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons normally long tons short tons load crew officers men broadside ironclad initially armed main battery guns guns armament changed career ship protected iron belt armor thick extended entire length hull waterline armor extended battery deck thickness iron plate propulsion system consisted single expansion steam engine drove single screw propeller steam supplied coal fired rectangular boilers engine produced speed knots mph indicated horsepower making fastest member class steam nautical miles speed knots mph ship initially schooner rigged supplement steam engine masts later reduced barque rig ultimately lost sailing rig completely having replaced pair military masts fighting tops service history laid shipyard france august member class begin construction launched october completed april months later june italy declared war austria italian war independence fought concurrently italian fleet commander admiral initially adopted cautious course action unwilling risk battle despite fact austrian fleet weaker claimed simply waiting ironclad ram route britain weakened morale fleet subordinates openly accusing rear admiral brought austrian fleet june attempt draw italians time italian ships disarray ships entire armament problems engines having entered service months ready combat held council war aboard ironclad determine sortie engage time austrians withdrawn making decision minister navy urged act suggested island restore italian confidence defeat battle previous month july left conducted sweep adriatic encountered austrian ships returned 13th july took italian fleet bound arrived 18th brought troop transports carrying soldiers italian warships began bombarding austrian forts island intention landing soldiers fortresses response austrian navy sent fleet attack italian ships time assigned 1st division commanded admiral ironclads divisional flagship arriving 18th ordered 1st division bombard austrian fortresses protecting island informed ships guns elevate high hit high fortifications sent division force harbor defenses time arrived night approaching cancelled attack morning ordered ironclad enter harbor attack madonna battery supported rest 1st division found impossible employ ships confined waters left handle battery day attacks having yielded results decided attempt 20th ships patrol north east island rest fleet try land soldiers italians begin attack dispatch boat arrived bringing news approach fleet disarray ships miles northeast main force ironclads away west immediately ordered ships form line abreast formation line ahead formation ship italian line shortly action began left flagship transferred turret ship subordinates ships aware change left fight individuals direction dangerously stopping allowed significant gap open ships rest fleet took fleet gap ships attempt split italian line initiate melee failed ram italian vessels pass turned ships took heavy fire turned division port taking away austrian ships division briefly attempted engage austrian wooden ships rear driven heavy fire steam frigates time badly damaged attempted close reversed course meet ship rammed sunk austrian flagship set fire austrian shells crew quickly rallied coastal defense ship attack ships italian vessels collided crews worked free ships austrians able escape broke engagement consolidate forces ships low coal ammunition badly crews rallied half hearted attempt launch attack italian fleet began withdraw followed austrians night began fall opposing fleets completely heading respectively course battle hit times iron plates having austrian shell managed enter gun ports explode inside battle replaced ordered attack main austrian naval base war ended operation carried later career rest long career served variety roles main fleet italy colonial empire end war government lost confidence fleet drastically reduced naval budget cuts severe fleet great difficulty ironclad squadron attack port september wars italian unification instead ships laid sailors man sent home time ship rebuilt central battery ship guns located central armored guns placed bow chase guns mounted stern armament revised guns bow guns broadside stern later armament changed guns guns quick firing guns hotchkiss revolver cannons stricken naval register broken scrap
Italian ironclad Ancona