italian cruiser protected cruiser built italian regia marina royal_navy early 1910s lead ship class built scouts main italian fleet equipped main battery millimeter guns speed excess knots mph engines proved troublesome service saw service world war briefly engaged austro hungarian cruiser career cut short post war period severe cuts italian naval budget coupled unreliable engines stricken naval register march sold scrap design meters long waterline beam draft displaced metric tons long tons short tons load crew consisted officers enlisted men ship propulsion system consisted steam turbines driving screw propeller steam provided fourteen mixed coal oil firing boilers engines rated shaft horsepower speed knots mph range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph ship armed main battery guns mounted singly equipped guns torpedo tubes lightly armored thick deck thick plating main conning tower service history named soldier politician built shipyard keel laid february day sister completed hull launched months later december fitting work commenced ship completed commissioned italian fleet italy declared neutrality start world war august triple convinced italians enter war admiral italian naval chief staff believed austro hungarian submarines operate effectively narrow waters adriatic easily seeded minefields threat underwater weapons use fleet active way instead decided implement blockade relatively safer southern end adriatic main fleet smaller vessels boats conducted raids austro hungarian ships installations cruiser based war patrol path narrow adriatic mediterranean december austro hungarian force cruisers destroyers attempted intercept transports supplying trapped albania departed british cruiser french destroyers followed hours later italian destroyers flotilla engaged running battle fleeing austro hungarian cruiser group far join reconnaissance forces come command rear admiral night austro hungarian cruisers raided barrage patrol line intended block austro hungarian german boats participate ensuing battle straits steam boilers italo british forces regia marina end war draw continued 1920s large severe budgetary postwar period engines installed sister proved problematic time service ultimately cut career short stricken naval register march subsequently broken scrap contrast efficient built remained service decade
Italian cruiser Nino Bixio