italian ironclad armoured ram italian royal_navy built 1860s harrison london construction commenced ship despite incomplete brought italy italian war independence translates initially designed rely ram weapon construction equipped pounder guns ship arrived island shortly eponymous battle july served flagship admiral action involved melee austrian warships hit times austrian guns sank storm august potentially result damage incurred refloated rebuilt served main italian fleet served guard ship venice depot ship taranto ultimate fate ship unknown design october placed order british shipyard mare london armoured steam ram design italian naval officer financial problems resulted order transferred shipyard harrison originally intended ship unarmed relying ram sink enemy ships engineer harrison revised plan include large caliber guns general characteristics machinery length metres perpendiculars metres overall beam metres draught metres displaced metric tons long tons short tons normally long tons short tons load built ship minimal superstructure small conning tower crew officers enlisted later increased ship powered single expansion steam engine drove single propeller shaft steam provided rectangular boilers funnels placed amidships engines generated indicated horsepower giving speed knots mph sufficient coal carried range nautical miles knots mph supplement steam engine long range fitted schooner rig armament armour built carried main gun armament pounder armstrong guns single turrets fore aft exact diameter guns unknown carried guns landings metres long ram fitted ship iron hull sides turrets protected millimetres wrought iron armour thick armoured deck service history laid april launched november italy preparing declare war austria june italian government ordered crew incomplete ship british waters fitting order avoid threat ship confiscated british left june day italy declared war sailing join main italian fleet operating adriatic_sea fought concurrently italian fleet commander admiral initially adopted cautious course action unwilling risk battle despite fact austrian fleet weaker claimed simply waiting arrive weakened morale fleet subordinates openly accusing ship passed gibraltar june making way mediterranean 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 arriving 18th spent days unsuccessfully trying suppress austrian gun batteries island land soldiers resulted significant expenditure ammunition affect outcome coming battle joined fleet arrived july crew fully worked struggled handle ship sailing italy adriatic decided attempt force landing 20th italians begin attack dispatch boat arrived bringing news approach fleet disarray ships admiral miles northeast main force ironclads away west immediately ordered ships form line abreast formation line ahead formation initially located italian line shortly action began decided leave flagship transfer subordinates ships aware change steam italian line issuing orders individual ships ship captains aware aboard ignored signals italians left fight individuals direction dangerously stopping allowed significant gap open ships rest fleet took fleet gap ships failed ram italian vessels pass austrians turned ships took leading ships heavy fire initially kept ship action rammed sunk austrian flagship austrians began targeting ironclad decided finally commit ship battle attempting ram austrian wooden ship line kaiser failed direct strike kaiser rammed second unsuccessful attempt ram score hit guns badly damaging kaiser killing wounding crew time austrian ironclads melee protect wooden ships attempt follow broke attempt ironclads followed crews badly battle ships low ammunition coal italian fleet began withdraw followed austrians night began fall opposing fleets completely heading respectively course battle hit austrian shells later career sank storm harbour august damage received according naval historians merely took water low damage sustained sinking rebuilt ship masts sails removed single mast carrying fighting fitted place fitted new boilers engines rated indicated horsepower giving speed knots mph annual fleet maneuvers held served 2nd joined ironclad torpedo boats attacked defending eastern squadron conflict operations conducted present naval review held german kaiser visit italy significantly modernized main battery guns replaced guns new turrets new larger superstructure built house new secondary armament second military mast fitted new secondary battery consisted guns single mounts gun guns hotchkiss revolver cannon torpedo training ship fitted torpedo tubes ship served 3rd fleet maneuvers ironclad torpedo cruiser torpedo boats maneuvers lasted august september ships simulated french attack italian fleet service included ironclads torpedo cruisers assigned defence venice serving guard ship stricken october served floating ammunition depot taranto ultimate fate unknown
Italian ironclad Affondatore