italian ironclad regina ironclad warships built french shipyards italian regia marina royal_navy 1860s laid july launched august completed sister ships broadside ironclads mounting battery inch guns broadside participated italian war independence stationed van italian fleet separated rest fleet heavily engaged career limited war owing emergence modern ironclads severe reduction italian naval budget following defeat rebuilt central battery ship time modernized times 1870s 1880s served training ship broken scrap 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 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 july shipyard france launched august completed 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engines ironclads fit action formed prepare attack ships held council war aboard determine sortie engage time austrians withdrawn making decision minister navy urged act suggested island restore italian confidence defeat battle previous month july left conducted sweep adriatic encountered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 initially reported trouble engines crew able repair battle began 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 port taking away austrian ships division briefly attempted engage austrian wooden ships rear driven heavy fire steam frigates coastal defense ship engaged wooden ship line kaiser failed inflict fatal damage withdrew time rammed sunk set fire soon destroyed magazine explosion broke engagement ships outnumbered austrians refused counter attack badly forces italian fleet began withdraw followed austrians night began fall opposing fleets completely heading respectively emerged battle relatively unscathed captain cabin set fire austrian shell 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 armament changed time guns replacing guns ninth gun added stern ship modernized armament replaced guns guns quick firing guns hotchkiss revolver cannons annual fleet maneuvers held served joined ironclad corvette sloop torpedo boats defended attacking western squadron conflict operations conducted assigned 2nd division included ironclads torpedo cruisers following year converted torpedo training ship armament consisted gun gun guns gun revolver cannons torpedo tubes served capacity stricken naval register broken scrap
Italian ironclad Castelfidardo