italian cruiser protected cruiser built italian regia marina royal_navy fourth class cruisers named regions italy built shipyard genoa keel laid july launched june commissioned fleet december ship equipped main armament guns steam speed knots mph served variety roles career frequently assigned main fleet deployed conducted tests sea fitted experimental observation balloon saw extensive action italo turkish war took seizure provided gunfire support defenders tripoli conducted ottoman ports western libya service world war training ship action conflict eventually sold scrap design meters long overall beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons load propulsion system consisted pair horizontal triple expansion engines steam supplied cylindrical water tube boilers speed trials reached maximum knots mph indicated horsepower ship cruising radius nautical miles speed knots mph crew armed main battery guns mounted singly forward aft guns placed broadside light armament included guns guns pair machine guns equipped torpedo tubes protected thick deck conning tower thick sides service history built shipyard genoa keel laid july shortages funding slowed completion sister ships tight budgets forced navy reduce pace construction funds active fleet service took nearly years complete hull launched june fitting work proceeded quickly new cruiser ready service year half later commissioned fleet december year assigned fleet ancient center battery ironclad launched main italian fleet normal peacetime training routine ships main fleet kept commission exercises seven months year remaining months kept partial state readiness reduced crews ship assigned sole italian warship region late ship took experiments underway towed speed knots mph coal transferred cable average long tons short tons coal transferred hour test starting modified operate observation balloon service lasted involved balloon invented germans august spot naval mines fleet outbreak italo turkish war september stationed italian cruisers transferred mediterranean_sea october joined escort troop convoy headed convoy heavily protected possible ottoman attack escort comprised regina class pre dreadnought battleships cruisers destroyers italian fleet bombarded city morning ottoman garrison refused surrender bombardment parties ships infantry went ashore italians quickly forced ottomans withdraw city evening short siege ottoman forces withdrew october leaving city italians moved tripoli supported italians taken city turkish november armored cruiser torpedo boat provided critical gunfire support broke series ottoman attacks city month later joined torpedo boats euro series ports returned tripoli torpedo cruiser torpedo boats italian fleet returned italy january sister transferred red_sea pair fast mail cruiser fleet red_sea began campaign coastal ottoman ports area blockade proclaimed ottoman ports included cities ottomans eventually agreed surrender october ending war outbreak world war august assigned division squadron training ship italy declared neutrality start war july triple convinced italians enter war old cruiser saw action war sold scrap subsequently broken
Italian cruiser Liguria