italian battleship lead ship class pre dreadnought battleships built italian regia marina sister ship saw action outbreak world war battleship reduced training ship struck naval mines night december steaming sank heavy loss life men killed survived design regina meters long overall beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted triple expansion engines steam engines provided coal fired boilers ship propulsion system provided speed knots mph range approximately nautical miles knots mph crew officers enlisted men built ship armed caliber guns placed twin gun turrets forward aft ship equipped guns casemates superstructure guns casemates hull close range defense torpedo boats provided battery guns ship carried pair guns guns maxim guns equipped torpedo tubes placed hull waterline protected harvey steel manufactured main belt thick deck thick conning tower guns protected armor plating main battery guns stronger armor protection thick service laid shipyard november launched presence completed years later commissioned italian fleet april work progressed slowly ship large non delivery material particularly heavy armor july ship conducted speed trials following completion assigned ships squadron typically active duty seven months year training rest year placed reserve consisted sister class battleships ships participated annual maneuvers late september early october flagship vice admiral september italy declared war ottoman_empire order seize libya italo turkish war regina assigned 1st division 2nd squadron sister battleships joined squadron october week war started april rest squadron sailed rendezvous squadrons met april day fleet steamed northern cut turkish submarine cables ships italian fleet bombarded fortresses protecting dardanelles unsuccessful attempt lure turkish fleet torpedo boats detached cut additional cables rhodes bombarded troops island ship anchor chain accidentally slipped loose killed ship executive officer captain men injured accident july rest division withdrawn italy replace worn gun barrels repairs ship inch guns added increasing battery pieces italy declared neutrality outbreak world war august july triple convinced italians enter war primary naval opponent duration war austro hungarian navy admiral planned distant blockade battle fleet smaller vessels boats conducted raids heavy ships italian fleet preserved potential major battle austro hungarian fleet emerge bases time long reduced training ship sister ship night december sailing port heavy sea conditions struck mines laid german submarine blew survivors men perished ship loss announced january lieutenant general commander ship killed sinking
Italian battleship Regina Margherita