Italian cruiser Elba

Last updated

Italian cruiser Elba.jpg
Elba, c. 1899
History
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Kingdom of Italy
NameElba
NamesakeIsland of Elba
Builder Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia
Laid down22 September 1890
Launched12 August 1893
Commissioned27 February 1896
FateSold for scrap, 5 January 1920
General characteristics
Class and type Regioni-class protected cruiser
Displacement
Length88.2 m (289 ft 4 in)
Beam12.72 m (41 ft 9 in)
Draft4.86 m (15 ft 11 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph)
Range2,100  nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement213–278
Armament
Armor

Elba was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). She was the fifth of six Regioni-class ships, all of which were named for regions of Italy, with the exception of Elba, which was named for the island. Elba was built by the Regio Cantieri di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard; her keel was laid in September 1890, she was launched in August 1893, and she was commissioned in February 1896. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of nearly 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).

Contents

Elba spent much of her career abroad. She participated in the blockade of Venezuela during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903 and was present in East Asia during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905. In February 1904, her crew witnessed the Battle of Chemulpo Bay between Japanese and Russian warships; after the battle ended in Russian defeat, Elba and British and French cruisers picked up survivors. She took part in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912 but saw no action, being used primarily to blockade Turkish ports in the Red Sea. In 1914, Elba was converted into the first seaplane tender of the Regia Marina, with equipment to handle three seaplanes. This service did not last long, however, as she was too small and too old. Decommissioned by 1916, the old warship was sold for scrap in January 1920 and broken up.

Design

Plan and profile drawing of the Regioni class Regioni-class cruiser plan and profile.jpg
Plan and profile drawing of the Regioni class

Elba was slightly larger than her sister ships. She was 88.2 meters (289 ft 4 in) long overall and had a beam of 12.72 m (41 ft 9 in) and a draft of 4.86 m (15 ft 11 in). Specific displacement figures have not survived for individual members of the class, but they displaced 2,245 to 2,689 long tons (2,281 to 2,732  t ) normally and 2,411 to 3,110 long tons (2,450 to 3,160 t) at full load. The ships had a ram bow and a flush deck. Unlike her sisters, she had a copper-sheathed hull, which reduced fouling during lengthy periods between dockyard maintenance. Each vessel was fitted with a pair of pole masts. She had a crew of between 213 and 278. [1]

Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal triple-expansion steam engines that drove two screw propellers. Steam was supplied by four cylindrical fire-tube boilers that were vented into two funnels. [2] On her speed trials, she reached a maximum of 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) at 7,471 indicated horsepower (5,571 kW). [3] The ship had a cruising radius of about 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Also unlike her sisters, she had a copper-sheathed hull, which reduced fouling during lengthy periods between dockyard maintenance. [1]

Elba was armed with a main battery of four 15 cm (5.9 in) L/40 guns mounted singly, with two side by side forward and two side by side aft. A secondary battery of six 12 cm (4.7 in) L/40 guns were placed between them, with three on each broadside. Close-range defense against torpedo boats consisted of ten 57 mm (2.24 in) guns, six 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, and a pair of machine guns. She was also equipped with two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. Elba was protected by a 50 mm (2 in) thick deck, and her conning tower had 50 mm thick sides. [2]

Service history

The keel for Elba was laid down at the Regio Cantieri di Castellammare di Stabia in the eponymous city on 22 September 1890. Her completed hull was launched on 12 August 1893, and fitting-out work proceeded at a leisurely pace. Elba was finally ready for service on 27 February 1896. [2] She thereafter joined the Flying Squadron, along with her sister Umbria, the armored cruiser Marco Polo, and the old screw corvette Amerigo Vespucci. [4] In 1897, Elba was transferred to the Red Sea Squadron, along with the gunboats Volturno, Governolo, Andrea Provana, and Veniero, the screw corvette Volta, and the aviso Staffetta. [5] Elba was stationed in East Asian waters in 1899, again in company with Marco Polo and Amerigo Vespucci. [6] On 8 March 1899, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vice Admiral Felice Napoleone Canevaro, ordered Elba and Marco Polo to occupy China′s Sanmen Bay in a botched attempt to force China to grant Italy a lease there similar to the lease the German Empire had secured in 1898 at Jiaozhou Bay. Canevaro then countermanded the order when he discovered that the United Kingdom would not support an Italian use of force. [7]

Elba , c. 1903 Italian cruiser Elba2.jpg
Elba, c. 1903

In 1901, Elba was replaced by her sister ship Lombardia and returned to Italy. [8] Elba was sent to Venezuelan waters in 1902 during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903, when an international force of British, German, and Italian warships blockaded Venezuela over the country's refusal to pay foreign debts. Elba was joined by the protected cruiser Giovanni Bausan and the armored cruiser Carlo Alberto. [9]

Elba was present, along with the British cruiser HMS Talbot, the French cruiser Pascal, and the United States' gunboat USS Vicksburg during the Battle of Chemulpo Bay on 9 February 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War. Elba, Talbot, and Pascal cleared for action in the event that the Japanese warships opened fire on them. After the battle ended in a Russian defeat, the three cruisers sent boats to pick up the survivors from the sinking cruiser Varyag and gunboat Korietz. Elba took off a total of 6 officers and 172 enlisted men from the two vessels, out of a total of 27 officers and 654 enlisted saved from the ships. Elba thereafter went to Seoul to protect the Italian embassy there. On 24 February, the cruiser Piemonte arrived to relieve Elba. The latter ship departed the following morning for Hong Kong, where she would deposit the Russian sailors. It was not until 10 March, however, that a French mail ship was available for Elba to discharge her passengers for their return trip to Europe. [10]

Starting in October 1907, Elba was modified to handle a Draken observation balloon. The balloon was linked to the ship via a telephone line, and was used to spot naval mines, scout for the fleet, and to observe the fall of shot from the ships. This was the first time the Italian navy experimented with aircraft of any sort at sea. Initial tests were held off Calabria in company with Liguria, which was similarly modified. [11] [12] During the annual fleet maneuvers in 1908, Elba and her balloon were used to keep watch on the harbor entrance of Augusta, Sicily, which proved to be effective in alerting defenders to attacking warships. [13]

By the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Elba had been stationed in Italy's East African colonies, Eritrea and Somaliland. The ship operated without her balloon, as the fleet relied solely on ground-based airships for the duration of the war. In January 1912, she and her sister Liguria escorted a pair of mail steamships to the Red Sea, where they were used to enforce the blockade of several Ottoman ports. Elba remained in the region for the remainder of the war, assisting in the blockade effort. Ottoman naval forces had already been defeated at the Battle of Kunfuda Bay, so there was no chance for Elba to see action. The Ottomans eventually agreed to surrender in October, ending the war. [12] [14]

Conversion to seaplane tender

Elba operated the observation balloon through 1913. The following year, she was modified to serve as a depot ship for three seaplanes, and she entered service in this new role on 4 June 1914. [15] During this period she operated Nieuport IV seaplanes. [16] The conversion, which was designed by Alessandro Guidoni, involved installing a 30 m (98 ft) platform on her fantail, an open hangar just aft of the funnels, and derricks to transfer aircraft between the ship and sea. The hangar was fitted with canvas tarps that could be closed to protect the aircraft therein. Her complement of aircraft consisted of three or four Curtiss Model H flying boats, and another aircraft or a Draken balloon could be kept on the platform aft. [17] She was the first dedicated seaplane tender of the Italian navy, though seaplanes had already been operated aboard several battleships and cruisers. [18]

Elba was stationed in Taranto in October, where she served with the main fleet. Following Italy's entry into World War I in May 1915, she used her aircraft to scout for the fleet, but with only a maximum of four aircraft, she could not provide continuous reconnaissance screening. In addition, she lacked sufficient space for aircraft fuel storage and workshops to repair the seaplanes, which hampered her ability to keep her limited number of aircraft operational. Like many of the other conversions of similar vessels in foreign navies, Elba was too small and too slow for her intended role, and she was retired in 1916; by this time, the more effective tender Europa had entered service. [17] [18] She remained in the Italian inventory until 4 January 1920, when she was sold for scrap. [1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Fraccaroli, pp. 349–350.
  2. 1 2 3 Fraccaroli, p. 349.
  3. ↑ "Notes on Ships and Torpedo Boats", p. 68.
  4. ↑ Garbett 1896, p. 1389.
  5. ↑ Garbett 1897, p. 789.
  6. ↑ Robinson 1899, p. 33.
  7. ↑ Smith, pp. 8–10.
  8. ↑ Garbett 1901, p. 1136.
  9. ↑ Robinson 1903, pp. 420–421.
  10. ↑ May, pp. 142, 145–146, 149, 164, 172.
  11. ↑ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 61.
  12. 1 2 Cosentino, p. 63.
  13. ↑ Brassey, pp. 77–79.
  14. ↑ Beehler, pp. 10, 51–52, 70, 93–95.
  15. ↑ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 62.
  16. ↑ Layman, p. 83.
  17. 1 2 Cosentino, p. 64.
  18. 1 2 Cernuschi & O'Hara, pp. 62–63.

Related Research Articles

Italian cruiser <i>Giovanni Bausan</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Giovanni Bausan was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina that was designed and built by Sir W G Armstrong Mitchell & Co.'s Elswick Works in England in the mid-1880s. The finished ship entered service in May 1885. She was the first ship of this type to be built for the Italian fleet, and she provided the basis for subsequent designs built in Italy, including the Etna class. Giovanni Bausan was intended to serve as a "battleship destroyer", and was armed with a main battery of two 10-inch (254 mm) guns to give her the ability to defeat heavy armor, but design flaws rendered her unfit for this role.

Italian cruiser <i>Piemonte</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Piemonte was a unique protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s by the British shipyard Armstrong Whitworth. She was the first major warship armed entirely with quick-firing (QF) guns and she was also the fastest cruiser in the world upon her completion in 1889. Piemonte was frequently deployed overseas, including a lengthy tour in East Asian waters from 1901 to 1904. She saw significant action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912 in the Red Sea, where she frequently bombarded Ottoman ports. During the Battle of Kunfuda Bay in January 1912, she and two destroyers sank four Ottoman gunboats and forced ashore three more. Piemonte participated in World War I but she saw little action during the conflict. She remained in service until 1920, when she was scrapped.

Italian cruiser <i>Liguria</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Liguria was a protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina. She was the fourth of six Regioni-class cruisers, all of which were named for regions of Italy. Liguria was built by the Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa; her keel was laid in July 1889, she was launched in June 1893, and was commissioned into the fleet in December 1894. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 18 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Umbria</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Umbria was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1890s. She was the lead ship of the Regioni class, which included five other vessels. All of the ships were named for current or former regions of Italy. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 18 knots. Umbria spent much of her career abroad, including several years in American waters. In service during a period of relative peace, Umbria never saw combat. In 1911, she was sold to Haiti and renamed Consul Gostrück, though she did not serve for very long under the Haitian flag. Her crew was too inexperienced to operate the ship, and she foundered shortly after being transferred to the Haitian Navy.

Regioni-class cruiser Protected cruiser class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Regioni class was a group of six protected cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1880s through the early 1900s. The class comprised Umbria, Lombardia, Etruria, Liguria, Elba, and Puglia, all of which were named for regions of Italy with the exception of Elba, which was named for the island. The class is sometimes referred as the Umbria class, for the first ship to be laid down. The ships, built by four different shipyards, varied slightly in their size, speed, and armament, but all could steam at about 18 knots and their main armament consisted of four 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns.

Italian cruiser <i>Agordat</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Agordat was a torpedo cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the late 1890s. She was the lead ship of the Agordat class, which had one other member, Coatit. The ship, which was armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, was too slow and short-ranged to be able to scout effectively for the fleet, so her career was limited. She saw action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912, where she provided gunfire support to Italian troops in North Africa. She assisted in the occupation of Constantinople in the aftermath of World War I, and in 1919 she was reclassified as a gunboat. In January 1923, Agordat was sold for scrapping.

Italian cruiser <i>Coatit</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Coatit was a torpedo cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the late 1890s. She was the second and final member of the Agordat class. The ship, which was armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, was too slow and short-ranged to be able to scout effectively for the fleet, so her career was limited. She saw action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912, where she provided gunfire support to Italian troops in North Africa. She also caused a minor diplomatic incident from an attack on retreating Ottoman soldiers in Anatolia. Coatit was part of an international fleet sent to Constantinople when the city appeared to be at risk of falling to the Bulgarian Army during the First Balkan War. In 1919, she was converted into a minelayer and was sold for scrap in 1920.

Italian cruiser <i>Stromboli</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Stromboli was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1880s. She was the second member of the Etna class, which included three sister ships. She was named for the volcanic island of Stromboli, and was armed with a main battery of two 254 mm (10 in) and a secondary battery of six 152 mm (6 in) guns, and could steam at a speed of around 17 knots. Her career was relatively uneventful; the only significant action in which she took part was the campaign against the Boxer Uprising in China in 1900. She returned to Italy in 1901 and spent the rest of her career in reserve or as an ammunition ship, apart from a brief stint in active service in 1904. Stromboli was stricken from the naval register in 1907 and sold for scrapping in 1911.

Italian cruiser <i>Partenope</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Partenope was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s, the lead ship of her class, which included seven other vessels. The ship was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia; she was laid down in June 1888, was launched in December 1889, and was completed in September 1890. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns.

Italian cruiser <i>Minerva</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Minerva was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. The second of eight ships, Minerva was built by Gio. Ansaldo & C.; her keel was laid down in February 1889, she was launched in February 1892, and she was commissioned in August that year. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Minerva spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was converted into a minelayer in 1909–1910. She did not see significant action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911 or World War I in 1915–1918, though she was used to lay defensive minefields during the latter conflict. The ship was sold for scrap in 1921.

Italian cruiser <i>Iride</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Iride was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. Laid down in February 1889 at the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, she was launched in July 1890 and was commissioned in November 1892. Her main armament were her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Iride spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. During the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, she remained in Italian waters until late in the conflict; she escorted a troop convoy to North Africa in April 1912 and bombarded Ottoman positions in June and July. Iride was eventually broken up for scrap in December 1920.

Italian cruiser <i>Caprera</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Caprera was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard; her keel was laid in July 1891, she was launched in May 1894, and was commissioned in December 1895. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of eleven small-caliber guns. Caprera spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She served in the Red Sea during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, where she conducted shore bombardments and blockaded Ottoman ports in the area. Caprera did not remain in service long after the war, being sold for scrap in May 1913.

Italian cruiser <i>Calatafimi</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Calatafimi was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard; her keel was laid in July 1891, she was launched in May 1894, and was commissioned in December 1895. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of eleven small-caliber guns. Calatafimi spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. The ship was sold in March 1907 and broken up for scrap.

Italian cruiser <i>Saetta</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Saetta was a Folgore-class torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. Armed with three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes and six light guns, she was capable of a top speed of 17 knots. She was built in the mid-1880s, was launched in May 1887, and was completed in February 1888. Saetta spent the first decade of her career serving in the main Italian fleet, where she conducted peacetime training exercises. In 1897, she was withdrawn from front-line service and employed as a gunnery training ship, a role she filled for another decade. The Regia Marina ultimately sold Saetta for scrap in May 1908.

Italian cruiser <i>Folgore</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Folgore was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina, the lead ship of the Folgore class. Armed with three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes and six light guns, she was capable of a top speed of 17 knots. She was built in the mid-1880s, was launched in September 1886, and was completed in February 1887. The ship spent her first two years in service either conducting training maneuvers with the main Italian fleet or in reserve status. She was badly damaged in a collision with the cruiser Giovanni Bausan in 1889, which reduced her effectiveness and cut her career short. Folgore spent the next eleven years primarily in the reserve, until she was sold for scrap in April 1901 and broken up.

Italian cruiser <i>Goito</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Goito was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the Goito class, which included three other vessels. Goito was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard between September 1885 and February 1888. She was armed with a variety of light guns and five 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots. The ship served the duration of her career in the main Italian fleet. Her early service was primarily occupied with training exercises; front-line duties ended in 1897 when she was converted into a minelayer, though she continued to participate in fleet exercises. During World War I, Goito laid defensive minefields in the Adriatic Sea. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1920 and broken up.

Italian cruiser <i>Monzambano</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Monzambano was a torpedo cruiser of the Goito class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. The ship was built at the Arsenale di La Spezia, beginning with her keel laying in August 1885 and ending with her completion in August 1889. She was armed with a variety of light guns and five 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots. The ship spent her career in the main Italian fleet conducting training exercises, and did not see action. She spent 1898 patrolling the eastern Mediterranean Sea with the Levant Squadron. Monzambano was withdrawn from service in 1901 and broken up for scrap that year.

Italian cruiser <i>Tripoli</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Tripoli was the first modern torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina. She was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard in 1885–86. The only vessel of her class, she provided the basis for the Goito and Partenope classes that followed. She was armed with five 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes and a battery of light guns, and was capable of a top speed of 17.5 knots. Tripoli spent her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was occupied primarily with peacetime training exercises. She was modernized several times throughout her career, and in 1910, was converted into a minelayer, a role she served in for another thirteen years, including during World War I. She was the longest serving torpedo cruiser in the Italian fleet, with over 36 years in service by the time she was discarded in March 1923.

Italian corvette <i>Amerigo Vespucci</i> Screw corvette of the Italian Regia Marina

Amerigo Vespucci was a screw corvette of the Italian Regia Marina built in the late 1870s and early 1880s.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.