italian battleship italian pre dreadnought battleship laid launched completed second member class included vessels regina armed main battery guns guns fast period speed nearly knots mph saw action flagship 1st division war participated operations eastern mediterranean_sea including seizure islands rhodes served world war saw combat war italian austro hungarian navies risk capital ships pitched battle remained service training ship stricken naval register broken scrap design meters long overall beam maximum draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons combat load propulsion system consisted vertical triple expansion engines rated indicated horsepower steam engines provided coal fired belleville boilers ship propulsion system provided speed knots mph range approximately nautical miles knots mph crew officers enlisted men built ship armed caliber guns placed single gun turrets forward aft ship equipped guns twin turrets amidships close range defense torpedo boats provided battery sixteen guns equipped torpedo tubes placed hull waterline protected krupp steel manufactured main belt thick deck thick conning tower protected armor plating main battery guns thick plating inch gun turrets thick sides service history built shipyard keel laid september ship launched october construction completed august served active duty squadron time sisters completed bringing total number line battleships included regina class battleships active duty squadron typically service seven months year training rest year placed reserve italo turkish war september italy declared war ottoman_empire order seize libya served flagship vice admiral commander conflict september sister armored cruiser cruised searching ottoman training squadron departed constantinople days know war declared italian flotilla failed locate prey managed safely reach constantinople october sisters cruisers destroyers torpedo boats escorted convoy carried half 2nd ottomans refused surrender city amphibious assault italian fleet opened fire turkish defenders landing parties ships army infantry went ashore italians quickly forced ottomans withdraw city evening short siege ottoman forces withdrew october leaving city italians december ships 1st squadron dispersed ports protected cruisers stationed supported occupied city surrounding area contributing landing parties providing fire support ground troops early fleet withdrawn italy repairs refit leaving small force cruisers light craft patrol north african coast march died aboard flagship admiral replaced squadron commander april left taranto bound island rhodes escorted convoy island italian heavy ships demonstrated city rhodes transports landed expeditionary force miles south soldiers quickly advanced city supported artillery fire italian fleet turks surrendered city following day involved seizure islands crete rhodes june rest 1st division stationed rhodes months ships cruised prevent turks attempting launch amphibious operations retake islands italy seized returned italy late august repairs replaced battleships 2nd squadron left port october recalled later day ottomans agreed sign peace treaty end war world war italy declared neutrality outbreak world war august july triple convinced italians enter war italy traditional naval rival primary opponent conflict italian naval chief staff admiral believed active fleet policy prohibited threat submarines confined waters adriatic_sea instead decided implement blockade southern end adriatic battle fleet smaller vessels boats conducted raids austro hungarian ships installations capital ships preserved confront austro hungarian battle fleet event sought decisive engagement result ship particularly active war war sisters assigned 2nd division spent war rotating bases taranto combat light cruisers austro hungarian navy raided barrage ensuring sisters raised steam assist allied warships italian commander refused permit join battle fear loss submarine infested adriatic end war training ship short period summer constantinople american destroyer uss accidentally collided cutter causing minor damage boat lieutenant executive officer came aboard apologize incident early world major navies including italy signed according terms treaty italy sisters newer dreadnought battleships small size age ships particularly comparison modern dreadnoughts italians kept ships service indefinitely replaced new battleships normal practice treaty system provided replacements ship years old stricken naval register april subsequently broken scrap
Italian battleship Vittorio Emanuele