italian ironclad lead ship class ironclad warships built italian regia marina 1860s ironclad built italy keel laid january hull launched september completed june broadside ironclad armed battery inch guns millimeter guns saw action italian war independence led italian line flagship admiral leading squadron italian fleet separated rest fleet heavily engaged career limited war owing emergence modern ironclads severe reduction italian naval budget following defeat ship stricken naval register broken scrap free funds needed new ironclads construction design meters long perpendiculars beam average draft displaced metric tons long tons normally long tons load crew propulsion system consisted single expansion steam engine drove single screw propeller steam supplied coal fired rectangular fire tube boilers engine produced speed knots mph indicated horsepower steam nautical miles speed knots mph supplement steam engine ship rigged broadside ironclad armed main battery pounder guns rifled muzzle loading guns ship equipped spur shaped ram bow ship hull wrought iron armor thick service history laid shipyard genoa january italian ironclad domestically produced launched september completed june member class ready service time italian war independence broke italy june 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 received heavy inch guns ships experiencing difficulties engines armament formed ironclads preparation confront held council war aboard determine sortie engage time austrians withdrawn making decision minister navy urged act suggested island restore italian confidence defeat battle previous month july left conducted sweep adriatic encountered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 flagship admiral commander 1st division ironclads 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 led 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 opened fire range yards austrians approaching gap italian gunnery poor initial shooting missed austrian ships took fleet gap ships attempt initiate melee failed ram italian vessels pass austrians turned ships took coastal defense ship 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 course battle armor plates shattered austrian shells guns exploded return hit austrian ironclad sms killed ship commander later career battle replaced ordered attack main austrian naval base war ended operation carried ship postwar career limited rapidly surpassed central battery turret ships generation ironclads traditional broadside quickly obsolete addition government lost confidence fleet defeat drastically reduced naval budget cuts severe fleet great difficulty ironclad squadron attack port september wars italian unification instead ships laid sailors man sent home ship armament revised guns sixteen guns stricken naval register subsequently broken scrap navy discarded sisters ironclad remove cost maintaining naval budget effort reduce financial impact new classes construction
Italian ironclad Principe di Carignano