italian ironclad king class ironclad battleship built italian regia marina royal_navy 1880s lead ship class laid july launched october work proceeded slowly finished february armed main battery inch guns speed knots mph high speed came cost armor protection carried duties service career including large scale fleet maneuvers diplomatic missions europe saw limited action italo turkish war escorting convoys bombarding ottoman troops north_africa end year withdrawn line service decommissioned world war war depot ship floating battery armament exchanged number inch guns trench mortars role lead ship planned italian assault main austro hungarian naval base war ended italians carry attack stricken design meters long overall beam average draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons normally long tons short tons load propulsion system consisted pair vertical compound steam engines driving single screw propeller steam supplied eighteen coal fired cylindrical fire tube boilers engines produced speed knots mph indicated horsepower specific figures cruising radius survived ships class steam nautical miles speed knots mph crew officers men armed main battery caliber guns mounted twin gun turrets end ship carried secondary battery guns placed singly shielded mounts atop upper deck broadside close range defense torpedo boats provided battery sixteen guns casemates upper deck broadside supported sixteen guns guns customary capital ships period carried torpedo tubes water launchers ship lightly armored size protected belt armor thick armored deck thick conning tower armored steel plate turrets thick faces supporting barbettes thick steel service history named built naples keel laid july years construction launched october following sea trials battleship formally commissioned february time commissioned navy maintained battleship squadrons ships alternated february year assigned older battleships june germany completed celebrate dozens warships different countries gathered kiel celebration hosted battleships flotilla represented italy ships class participated naval maneuvers active service seven months rest year spent reduced crews sisters service kept service months year months reduced commission following year ships transferred ironclad cruisers sixteen torpedo boats squadron entered active service months year training maneuvers rest year spent reduced crews sisters battleships time kept service seven months year italo turkish war september italy declared war ottoman_empire order seize libya time sisters assigned old armored cruiser command rear admiral october sisters tasked bombarding protecting western approach tripoli ships inch guns attack fort preserve stock inch shells morning 4th ships gunfire guns fort allowing landing forces ashore capture city ships alternated tripoli support italian garrisons cities november torpedo cruiser destroyer torpedo boat bombarded oasis turkish forces present italians sent garrison protect oasis december ships stationed tripoli replaced old ironclads sisters arrived ammunition supplies patrolled coast saw action following month sisters torpedo boats escorted convoy carrying infantry brigade ports libya ottoman control italian force arrived town june landing taking city italian forces moved rest ships continued supporting advance italians secured city july returned italy joined escort convoy august time port ottoman hands ships covered landing miles east days later joined supporting attacks west south capture city italy controlled entire coast october ottomans agreed sign peace treaty end war later career laid genoa depot ship towed june having stricken navy list depot ship dreadnought reinstated december floating battery later albania tasked lead planned assault primary austro hungarian naval base modified role removal armament addition inch guns gun shields number trench mortars special saw installed deal harbor boom net defenses war ended italians carry attack stricken july
Italian ironclad Re Umberto