italian ironclad ironclad warship built italian regia marina 1860s second final member class laid new_york december launched august completed year later august class ships italian ironclads built united_states ships broadside ironclads armed battery pounder guns thirty guns saw action battle italian war independence engaged austrian wooden vessels melee including ship line kaiser rammed inflicted significant damage ship career war limited converted training ship wooden hull found deteriorated badly broken scrap design meters long overall beam average draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons normally long tons short tons load hull built green wood crew ship propulsion system consisted single expansion steam engine drove single screw propeller steam supplied coal fired rectangular boilers engine produced speed knots mph indicated horsepower steam nautical miles speed knots mph long distance travel fitted masts barque rigged broadside ironclad armed main battery pounder guns thirty rifled muzzle loading guns ship equipped spur shaped ram bow ship hull wrought iron armor thick rudder propellers protected armor service history keel laid new_york_city december sister italian ironclads built united_states launched august completed year later august crossed atlantic joined italian fleet 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armament problems engines including underway held council war aboard ironclad determine sortie engage time austrians withdrawn making decision minister navy urged act suggested island restore italian confidence defeat battle previous month july left conducted sweep adriatic encountered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 ironclads regina coastal defense ship spending 18th unsuccessfully bombarding austrian fortresses italians withdrew late day preparing launch attack following morning sent ships bombard town unable effect landing morning ordered attack ironclads force harbor defenses rest fleet attempt suppress outer fortifications second attack proved failure decided attempt day bulk fleet try disable outer forts preparation landing italians begin attack dispatch boat arrived bringing news approach fleet disarray ships admiral miles northeast main force ironclads away west immediately ordered ships form line abreast formation line ahead formation initially trouble getting engines running repairs quickly joined rest fleet ships line shortly action began decided leave flagship transfer 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 austrians quickly inflicted damage eventually sinking ships withdrew austrian ironclads turned attention including initially attacked ships ship line kaiser rammed attempt save kaiser struck blow inflicted little damage fired light guns ship response starting fire killing wounding number austrian gunners kaiser break free time rammed sunk set fire soon destroyed magazine explosion broke engagement ships outnumbered austrians refused counter attack badly forces addition fleet low coal ammunition italian fleet began withdraw followed austrians night began fall opposing fleets completely heading respectively emerged battle relatively unscathed iron plates collision kaiser later career battle replaced ordered attack main austrian naval base war ended operation carried damage repaired battle ship rapidly obsolete development ships shortly turret ships result postwar career limited ship armament modified guns removed guns added following year converted gunnery training ship equipped guns guns guns ship serve long capacity wood build ship coupled flaws ship construction cut career short stricken naval register march subsequently broken scrap navy discarded class ironclads remove cost maintaining naval budget effort reduce financial impact new classes construction
Italian ironclad Re di Portogallo