Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruiser

Last updated
Japanese cruiser Kasuga.jpg
Kasuga in 1900
Class overview
NameGiuseppe Garibaldi
Builders
Operators
Preceded by Vettor Pisani class
Succeeded by Pisa class
SubclassesGaribaldi; Giuseppe Garibaldi
Built1895–1904
In commission1896–1954
Planned11
Completed10
Cancelled1
Lost3
Scrapped7
General characteristics
Type Armored cruiser
Displacement
  • 6,840 t (6,732 long tons) Garibaldi
  • 7,400–7,700 t (7,283–7,578 long tons) Giuseppe Garibaldi
Length
  • 108.8 m (356 ft 11 in) w/l
  • 111.73 m (366 ft 7 in) o/a
Beam18.9 m (62 ft 0 in)
Draught7.32 m (24 ft 0 in)
Installed power13,000–13,500  ihp (9,700–10,100 kW); 8–24 Boilers
Propulsion
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range5,500  nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement
  • 555 officers and enlisted men
  • (578 as flagship)
Armament
Armour

The Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruisers were a class of ten armoured cruisers built in Italy in the 1890s and the first decade of the 20th century. The ships were built for both the Royal Italian Navy ( Regia Marina ) and for export. The class was named for Italian unifier and nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Contents

Design and description

Right elevation and deck plan as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual 1902 Brasseys Garibaldi.jpg
Right elevation and deck plan as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual 1902

The design of the Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruiser was derived by the naval architect Edoardo Masdea from his earlier Vettor Pisani-class design. The Garibaldis were slightly larger and about a knot faster than their predecessors, but the primary improvement was the addition of two gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure. These remedied a major weakness of the older ships in that their primary armament, being on the broadside, could not engage targets that were directly in front or behind. The design was so popular that ten cruisers were purchased by four different countries; the Royal Italian Navy, the Argentine Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy, and the Spanish Navy. As might be expected over a group of ships that was built from 1892 to 1903, design improvements and more modern equipment were incorporated over time so that only the three ships actually accepted by Italy were true sisters. [1]

The first five ships were built to the same measurements, and form the Garibaldi sub-class, but the last five were stretched by six frames amidships, and comprise the Giuseppe Garibaldi sub-class. The ships of the first group had an overall length of 106.94 meters (350 ft 10 in), a beam of 18.2 meters (59 ft 9 in) and a deep draft (ship) of 7.1 meters (23 ft 4 in). They displaced 6,840 metric tons (6,730 long tons) at normal load. [2] The second ship purchased by Argentina, General Belgrano, is reported by some sources to have had a beam of 18.8 meters (61 ft 8 in) and therefore displaced some 300–400 metric tons (300–390 long tons) more than the others. [3] [4]

The class was unusual in that they did not have a uniform main armament. Some had single 10-inch (254 mm) Elswick Pattern R guns in gun turrets fore and aft; others (including Kasuga) had a mixed armament of a single 10-inch (254 mm) gun in one turret and another turret with twin 8-inch (203 mm) guns. A third variation (including Nisshin) was a uniform armament of four 8-inch (203 mm) guns in twin gun turrets fore and aft. Cristobal Colon was fitted with 10-inch guns which the Spanish admiralty claimed were defective and which were removed before it was committed to combat. Therefore, it only went to battle with 10 smokeless powder Armstrong six inch guns mounted in the hull (5 on each side).

Ships

All ships were built by Gio. Ansaldo & C. in Genoa-Sestri Ponente, except ARA San Martin and ARA Belgrano which were subcontracted to Orlando in Livorno.

Construction data
Ship Launched Fate
Argentina
Garibaldi 27 May 1895Decommissioned, 20 March 1934
General Belgrano 1896Decommissioned, 8 May 1947
Pueyrredón 25 July 1898Decommissioned, 2 August 1954
San Martín 1896Decommissioned, 18 December 1935
Italy
Francesco Ferruccio 23 April 1902Decommissioned, 1 April 1930
Giuseppe Garibaldi 29 June 1899Sunk, 18 July 1915, by Austro-Hungarian submarine SM U-4
Varese 6 August 1899Decommissioned, 4 January 1923
Japan
Kasuga 22 October 1902Disarmed 1920s, sunk by bombing 18 July 1945
Nisshin 9 February 1903Disarmed 1920s, scuttled 1936. Later raised and expended as a target ship, sunk by the battleship Yamato, 18 January 1942
Spain
Cristobal Colon September 1896Scuttled, 3 July 1898, after being run aground and surrendering during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.
Pedro de AragonCancelled, never built

Construction and service

In addition, Spain was planning to acquire a second Garibaldi-class cruiser, to be named Pedro de Aragon. These plans were shelved after the Spanish–American War and the subsequent downsizing of the Spanish Armada.

Two of the Italian ships ordered in 1902 were sold to the Argentine Navy before completion as the Mitre and Roca; they were renamed as the Rivadavia and the Mariano Moreno. The Argentines in turn sold them to the Imperial Japanese Navy before final completion in 1904, and they were renamed the Kasuga and Nisshin.

Notes

  1. Soliani, pp. 43–44
  2. Soliani, p. 44
  3. Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 351
  4. Silverstone, p. 11

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armored cruiser</span> Type of cruiser in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast enough to outrun any battleship it encountered.

County-class cruiser Class of heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom

The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruisers constructed for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Such ships, with a limit of 10,000 tons standard displacement and 8-inch calibre main guns may be referred to as "treaty cruisers".

<i>Brooklyn</i>-class cruiser 1937 class of light cruisers of the United States Navy

The Brooklyn-class cruiser was a class of nine light cruisers built for the United States Navy between 1935 and 1938. Armed with five triple 6-inch (152 mm) gun turrets, they mounted more main battery guns than any other standard US cruiser. The Brooklyn-class ships were all commissioned between 1937 and 1939, in the time between the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War and before the invasion of Poland. They served extensively in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II.

<i>Veinticinco de Mayo</i>-class cruiser

The two Veinticinco de Mayo-class heavy cruisers served in the Argentine Navy through World War II. They were the only post-Washington Naval Treaty heavy cruisers built for a South American navy. Both ships of the class were built in Italy by the OTO company, and commissioned into the Argentine Navy in 1931.

Japanese cruiser <i>Nisshin</i> Imperial Japanese Navys Kasuga-class cruiser

Nisshin (日進), also transliterated as Nissin, was a Kasuga-class armored cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, built in the first decade of the 20th century by Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente, Italy, where the type was known as the Giuseppe Garibaldi class. The ship was originally ordered by the Royal Italian Navy in 1901 as San Rocco and sold the next year to the Argentine Navy who renamed her Mariano Moreno during the Argentine–Chilean naval arms race, but the lessening of tensions with Chile and financial pressures caused the Argentinians to sell her before delivery. At that time tensions between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire were rising, and the ship was offered to both sides before she was purchased by the Japanese.

Japanese cruiser <i>Kasuga</i> Japanese lead ship of Kasuga-class

Kasuga was the name ship of the Kasuga-class armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, built in the first decade of the 20th century by Gio. Ansaldo & C., Sestri Ponente, Italy, where the type was known as the Giuseppe Garibaldi class. The ship was originally ordered by the Royal Italian Navy as Mitra in 1901 and sold in 1902 to Argentine Navy who renamed her Bernardino Rivadavia during the Argentine–Chilean naval arms race, but the lessening of tensions with Chile and financial pressures caused the Argentinians to sell her before delivery. At that time tensions between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire were rising, and the ship was offered to both sides before she was purchased by the Japanese.

<i>Kasuga</i>-class cruiser

The Kasuga-class cruiser was a class of two armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) based on the Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruisers developed by Italy at the end of the 19th century.

Italian cruiser <i>Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi</i>

Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961. She was built by OTO at La Spezia and named after Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, an Italian explorer and Admiral of World War I.

Italian cruiser <i>Giuseppe Garibaldi</i> (1936)

Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser, that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war she was retained by the Marina Militare and upgraded. She was built by CRDA, in Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino shipyard Trieste and named after the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.

ARA <i>Garibaldi</i>

ARA Garibaldi was one of four Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruisers purchased by the Argentine Navy from Italy.

ARA <i>Pueyrredón</i> Argentinian Navy armored cruiser

ARA Pueyrredón was one of four Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruisers purchased by the Argentine Navy from Italy in the 1890s.

ARA <i>San Martín</i>

ARA San Martín was one of four Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruisers purchased by the Argentine Navy from Italy.

Italian cruiser <i>Francesco Ferruccio</i> Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruiser

Francesco Ferruccio was a Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruiser built for the Royal Italian Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The ship made several deployments to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant during her career. At the beginning of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12 she bombarded Tripoli and then Beirut in early 1912 before being transferred to Libya. During World War I, Francesco Ferruccio's activities were limited by the threat of Austro-Hungarian submarines and she became a training ship in 1919. The ship was struck from the naval register in 1930 and subsequently scrapped.

Italian cruiser <i>Varese</i> Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi-class cruiser

Varese was a Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruiser built for the Royal Italian Navy in the 1890s. The ship made several deployments to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant before the start of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12. She supported ground forces in the occupations of Tripoli and Homs in Libya. Varese may have bombarded Beirut and did bombard the defenses of the Dardanelles during the war. She also provided naval gunfire support for the Italian Army in Libya. During World War I, the ship's activities were limited by the threat of Austro-Hungarian submarines and Varese became a training ship in 1920. She was struck from the naval register in 1923 and subsequently scrapped.

Italian cruiser <i>Giuseppe Garibaldi</i> (1899) Italian lead ship of Giuseppe Garibaldi-class

Giuseppe Garibaldi was the seventh ship of the Giuseppe Garibaldi class of armored cruisers built for the Royal Italian Navy in the 1890s. She was built to replace the lead ship of her class, which was sold to Argentina and renamed ARA Garibaldi. The ship often served as a flagship and made several deployments to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant during her career. At the beginning of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12 she bombarded Tripoli. Giuseppe Garibaldi bombarded Beirut in early 1912 and sank an Ottoman ironclad there. Several months later she bombarded the defenses of the Dardanelles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight deck cruiser</span> Proposed American aircraft cruiser

The flight-deck cruiser was a proposed type of aircraft cruiser,, designed by the United States Navy during the Interwar period. Several designs were proposed for the type, but none was approved for construction. The final design was developed just before World War II, and the entry of the United States into the war saw the project come to an end.

<i>San Giorgio</i>-class cruiser Ship class in the Royal Italian Navy

The San Giorgio class consisted of two armored cruisers built for the Royal Italian Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. The second ship, San Marco, was used to evaluate recently invented steam turbines in a large ship and incorporated a number of other technological advances. The ships participated in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, although San Giorgio was under repair for most of the war. San Marco supported ground forces in Libya with naval gunfire and helped them to occupy towns in Libya and islands in the Dodecanese. During World War I, the ships' activities were limited by the threat of Austro-Hungarian submarines, although they did bombard Durazzo, Albania in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EOC 10 inch 40 caliber</span> Naval gun

The EOC 10 inch 40 caliber guns were a family of related guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and produced by Armstrong Whitworth in the 1890s for export customers. EOC 10 inch 40 caliber guns were the primary armament of armored cruisers, ironclads and pre-dreadnought battleships built or refit during the 1890s. These guns and their licensed derivatives armed ships of the Argentine Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, Regia Marina and Spanish Navy. They served in the Russo-Japanese War, Italo-Turkish War and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EOC 8 inch 45 caliber</span> Naval gun

The EOC 8 inch 45 caliber were a family of related 8-inch (203 mm) 45 caliber naval guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and manufactured by Armstrong for export customers before World War I. In addition to being produced in the United Kingdom licensed variants were produced in Italy and in Japan. Users of this family of gun included the navies of Argentina, Chile, China, Italy, Japan and Spain. This family of guns saw action in the Spanish–American War, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, Italo-Turkish War, World War I and World War II. In addition to its naval role it was later used as coastal artillery and siege artillery after the ships it served on were decommissioned.

Vincenzo Gioberti was one of four Oriani-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina in the mid-1930s and early 1940s. Completed in 1937, she served in World War II. She was sunk on 9 August 1943 by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Simoon, and was the last Regia Marina destroyer to be lost in the war against the Allies.