Italian cruiser Vesuvio

Last updated

Etna Italian cruiser 1890s.jpg
Vesuvio's sister ship Etna in the 1890s
History
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svgItaly
NameVesuvio
Namesake Mount Vesuvius
Builder Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando , Livorno
Laid down10 July 1883
Launched21 March 1886
Commissioned16 March 1888
Stricken11 May 1911
FateSold for scrap, 1915
General characteristics
Type Protected cruiser
Displacement3,373 long tons (3,427  t)
Length283 ft 6 in (86.4 m)
Beam42 ft 6 in (13 m)
Draft19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Range5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement12 officers and 296 men
Armament
Armor

Vesuvio was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) built in the 1880s. She was the third member of the Etna class, which included three sister ships. Named for the volcano Mount Vesuvius, the ship's keel was laid down in July 1883. She was launched in March 1886 and was commissioned into the fleet in March 1888. She 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 (31 km/h; 20 mph). 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 was stricken from the naval register in May 1911 and sold for scrap in 1915.

Contents

Design

The four ships of the Etna class were designed in Italy as domestically produced versions of the British-built cruiser Giovanni Bausan. The Italian government secured a manufacturing license from the British firm Armstrong Whitworth, but the design was revised by the Italian naval engineer Carlo Vigna. These cruisers were intended to serve as "battleship destroyers", [1] [2] and represented a temporary embrace of the Jeune École doctrine by the Italian naval command. [3]

Vesuvio was 283 feet 6 inches (86.4 m) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 42 feet 6 inches (13 m). She had a mean draft of 19 feet (5.8 m) and displaced 3,373 long tons (3,427 t). Her crew numbered 12 officers and 296 men. The ship had two horizontal compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller, with steam provided by four double-ended cylindrical boilers. Vesuvio was credited with a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) from 6,820 indicated horsepower (5,090 kW). She had a cruising radius of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [4]

The main armament of the ships consisted of two Armstrong 254 mm (10 in), 30-caliber breech-loading guns mounted in barbettes fore and aft. She was also equipped with a secondary battery of six 152 mm (6 in), 32-caliber, breech-loading guns that were carried in sponsons along the sides of the ship. For anti-torpedo boat defense, Vesuvio was fitted with five 57 mm (2.24 in) 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns and five 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder Hotchkiss guns. The ship was also armed with four 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes. One was mounted in the bow underwater and the other three were above water. [4] She was protected with an armor deck below the waterline with a maximum thickness of 38 mm (1.5 in). The conning tower had 13 mm (0.5 in) worth of armor plating. [2]

Service history

Vesuvio was built by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard in Livorno, with her keel being laid down on 10 July 1883. Her completed hull was launched on 21 March 1886, and after fitting-out work was finished, she was commissioned into the Italian fleet on 16 March 1888. [2] She was present during a naval review held for the German Kaiser Wilhelm II during a visit to Italy later that year. [5] Vesuvio and her sisters Stromboli and Ettore Fieramosca participated in the 1893 naval maneuvers as part of the Squadron of Maneuvers, which was tasked with defending against the Permanent Squadron. [6] Vesuvio was placed in reserve for 1896, though she was reactivated to take part on the naval maneuvers at the end of the year. [7] During these maneuvers, she was assigned to a force tasked with defending against a simulated French fleet. [8]

In February 1897, Vesuvio deployed to Crete to serve in the International Squadron, a multinational force made up of ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, French Navy, Imperial German Navy, Regia Marina, Imperial Russian Navy, and British Royal Navy that intervened in the 1897–1898 Greek uprising on Crete against rule by the Ottoman Empire. She arrived as part of an Italian division that also included the ironclad battleships Sicilia (flagship of the division's commander, Vice Admiral Felice Napoleone Canevaro) and Re Umberto and the torpedo cruiser Euridice. [7] By June, she had been assigned to the 1st Division of the active fleet in 1897, which also included the battleships Re Umberto, Sardegna, and Sicilia, the protected cruiser Giovanni Bausan, and the torpedo cruisers Euridice and Montebello. [9]

In 1900, Vesuvio and Ettore Fieramosca were sent to Chinese waters to assist in the suppression of the Boxer Uprising as part of the Eight-Nation Alliance. [4] Both ships were formally assigned to the Cruising Squadron in Chinese waters in 1901. [10] During 1901, she made stops in Shanghai, Wusong, and Hong Kong. [11] After a second deployment to the Far East from 1906 to 1909, Vesuvio was placed in reserve, struck from the Navy List on 11 May 1911 and sold for scrap in 1915. [12] [2]

Notes

  1. ↑ Brook, pp. 97, 99.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Fraccaroli, p. 348.
  3. ↑ Sondhaus, p. 149.
  4. 1 2 3 Brook, p. 97.
  5. ↑ Brassey 1889, p. 453.
  6. ↑ Lansdale, p. 355.
  7. 1 2 Robinson, p. 187.
  8. ↑ Clarke & Thursfield, p. 202.
  9. ↑ Garbett 1897, p. 789.
  10. ↑ Garbett 1901, p. 1136.
  11. ↑ Akers, pp. 77, 81, 114.
  12. ↑ Brook, p. 99.

Related Research Articles

Italian ironclad <i>Duilio</i> Ironclad warship of the Italian Royal Navy

Duilio was the lead ship of the Duilio class of ironclad turret ships built for the Italian Regia Marina. Named for the Roman admiral Gaius Duilius, the ship was laid down in January 1873, was launched in May 1876, and was completed in January 1880. She was armed with a main battery of four 450 mm (17.7 in) guns, then the largest gun afloat, and she was capable of a top speed of around 15 knots.

Italian ironclad <i>Ruggiero di Lauria</i> Ironclad warship of the Italian Royal Navy

Ruggiero di Lauria was an ironclad battleship built in the 1880s for the Italian Regia Marina. She was the lead ship of the Ruggiero di Lauria class, which included two other ships, Francesco Morosini and Andrea Doria. Ruggiero di Lauria, named for the medieval Sicilian admiral Ruggiero di Lauria, was armed with a main battery of four 432 mm (17 in) guns, was protected with 451 mm (17.75 in) thick belt armor, and was capable of a top speed of 17 knots.

Italian ironclad <i>Francesco Morosini</i> Ironclad warship of the Italian Royal Navy

Francesco Morosini was an ironclad battleship built in the 1880s and 1890s for the Italian Regia Marina. The ship, named for Francesco Morosini, the 17th-century Doge of Venice, was the second of three ships in the Ruggiero di Lauria class, along with Ruggiero di Lauria and Andrea Doria. She was armed with a main battery of four 356 mm (14 in) guns, was protected with 451 mm (17.75 in) thick belt armor, and was capable of a top speed of 17 knots.

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

Dogali was a unique protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. Notably, she was the first warship equipped with triple-expansion engines. The ship was originally ordered by the Greek Navy and named Salamis, but she was sold to the Regia Marina before she was completed and renamed for the Battle of Dogali. She was armed with a main battery of six 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns and reached a speed of 19.66 knots on her sea trials, making her one of the fastest cruisers at the time.

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

Etna was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the Etna class, which included three sister ships. Named for Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, the ship was laid down in January 1883, was launched in September 1885, and was completed in December 1887. She 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.

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>Ettore Fieramosca</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Ettore Fieramosca was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1880s. She was the fourth and final member of the Etna class, which included three sister ships of slightly smaller dimensions. Named for the condottiero of the same name, she was the only member of her class not named for a volcano. The ship was laid down in December 1885, launched in August 1888, and was commissioned in November 1889. She 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.

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

Euridice was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard, with her keel laying in February 1889, her launching in September 1890, and her commissioning in May 1891. Her main armament was her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Euridice spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was withdrawn from service in 1907 and sold for scrapping.

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

Urania was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built by the Cantieri navali Odero shipyard; her keel was laid in February 1889, she was launched in June 1891, and was commissioned in July 1893. Her main armament were her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Urania spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was still in service at the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, but she did not take part in any operations. Instead, she remained in Italian waters and was broken up for scrap in January 1912.

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

Aretusa was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. Laid down in June 1889 at the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard, she was launched in March 1891 and was commissioned in September 1892. Her main armament were her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Aretusa spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. At the start of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, she was assigned to the Red Sea Squadron in Italian Eritrea. She bombarded Ottoman positions in the Arabian Peninsula and took part in a blockade of the coast. Worn out by the end of the war in October 1912, Aretusa was sold for scrap that December and broken up.

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

Montebello was the second of four Goito-class torpedo cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built at the Arsenale di La Spezia between September 1885 and January 1889, when she entered service. She was armed with a variety of light guns and four 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots. Montebello spent her active-duty career with the main Italian fleet, where she frequently took part in annual training exercises. In 1903, she was withdrawn from front-line service and converted into a training ship for engine room personnel; she served in this capacity until 1920, when she was sold for scrap.

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.

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

The Goito class was a group of four torpedo cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. The members of the class were Goito, Montebello, Monzambano, and Confienza. They were among the first torpedo cruisers built for the Italian fleet, and were built to improve on the previous vessel, Tripoli. Experimental ships, the four Goito-class vessels varied in their dimensions, machinery, and armament, though all were comparable in terms of capabilities, having a top speed of 17 to 18 knots and carrying an armament of four or five 14-inch (360 mm) torpedo tubes.

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.

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.