Neapolitan ship Vesuvio

Last updated
Vascello Vesuvio Fergola.jpg
Vesuvio being launched, by Salvatore Fergola
History
Flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1738).svg Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
NameVesuvio
Builder Castellamare di Stabia
Laid downAugust 1812
Launched2 December 1824
AcquiredDecember 1813
Commissioned1825
Honours and
awards
FateTransferred to the Royal Italian Navy
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg Kingdom of Italy
NameVesuvio
Acquired17 March 1861
FateBroken up in 1865
General characteristics
Class and type Bucentaure-class ship of the line
Displacement1800 tonnes
Tons burthen2190 (bm)
Length63.3 m (207 ft 8 in)
Beam15.3 m (50 ft 2 in)
Draught7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Depth of hold7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Armament

Vesuvio was a ship of the line of the Real Marina of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, later acquired as a frigate by the Italian Royal Navy. She was initially a French Bucentaure class whose construction began in August 1812, but the works stalled and the ship was transferred to the Kingdom of Naples in 1813.

Contents

Construction

Built between 1812 and 1825 in Castellammare di Stabia's shipyard for the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the ship was originally a French ship of the line of the Bucentaure class, ceded to the Kingdom of Naples in December 1813. [1] She was heavily armed with 87 guns on two covered batteries and on the deck, with two batteries covered and one uncovered: 63 smoothbore guns of 24 pounds, 4 smoothbore Paixhans howitzers of 80 pounds, 4 smoothbore howitzers of 30 pounds and 16 24-pounder smoothbore carronades. [2] The hull was built in wood with copper-coated hull, the ship had three masts for square sails. The ship was the first to be launched by Castellamare's shipyard in the presence of the Duke of Calabria and Prince of Salerno, heir of the Kingdom. [2]

Operational history

In September 1825, just a few months after being launched, Vesuvio was sent under the command of Captain Giuseppe De Blasi to Tripoli and Tangiers, where she performed a demonstration against the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean. The same year the ship transported the new king of the Two Sicilies, Francis I, from Genoa to Naples. [3]

During the next decade, the vessel was used for the transport of troops on the route Naples - Palermo and training trips for officer cadets. [2]

In March 1834, the Vesuvio was taken in the yards of Castellammare and undergone a complete careening and caulking, with the replacement of some plates of copper. The works lasted three months. [2]

On 10 May 1843, 320 members of the crew of the vessel contributed, along with another 2,200 men, to pull in drydock the old vessel Capri. [4] On 1 July 1843 the ship, under the command of Brigadier Raffaele De Cosa and carrying the princess Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, wife of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil, left Naples for Rio de Janeiro together with the frigate Amalia, Ship of the line Partenope, the Queen Isabella Frigate and a Brazilian Naval Division commanded by Admiral Di Teodoro Beaurepaire. [2] [5] After crossing the equator in the night between 17 and 18 August in rough seas conditions, the ships arrived to the Brazilian city on the evening of 3 September. [2] She remained at Rio for almost a month and a half to attend celebrations in honor of Teresa Cristina and stocking up on food and water. The squadron sailed out again later on 15 October for Naples, where they arrived on the evening of 24 December 1843, after 140 days of navigation. [2] [6] It was the first crossing of the South Atlantic by a convoy in which observations on the climate of the torrid zone were made. [7]

In October 1844, having identified a flaw in Vesuvio´s bow, the vessel, instead of being torn down for repairs as usual (as was done in 1834), was put in drydock at the shipyard of Castellammare. [2]

On 28 July 1845, escorted by a naval formation (frigates Queen Isabella, Amalia and Partenope, corvette Cristina, aviso Delfino), she carried to Palermo the King of Naples, the counts of Caserta and Trapani and their entourage. [8]

In January 1848 Vesuvio, under the command of Captain Giorgio Miloro, shelled Palermo during the suppression of the Sicilian uprising. [2]

On 14 August 1852 the ship, whose commander was then the Captain Louis Chrétien, was the first naval unit to be brought into the new drydock of the Arsenal of Naples for refitting. [2] Her armament was slightly reduced to 81 guns. [9]

The ship, now old and worn, had no role in the events that led to the fall of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Unification of Italy. After the capture of Naples, on 7 September 1860, [10] Vesuvio was laid up in the city docks, and despite being formally incorporated into the new Royal Italian Navy on 17 March 1861 (now reclassified as a corvette and with her armament reduced to 48 guns of 80 pounds), it was decided that the conditions in which the aging vessel was found discouraged the idea of her recommissioning. [11] The Vesuvio was eventually written off in 1861 and on 9 June of that year [10] towed to Pozzuoli by the paddle steamer Tancredi. [2]

After being sold at a public auction, Vesuvio was broken up on 3 January 1865. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Cape Passaro</span> 18th century naval battle between British and Spanish navy

The Battle of Cape Passaro, also known as Battle of Avola or Battle of Syracuse, was a major naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral Sir George Byng and a fleet of the Spanish Navy under Rear-Admiral Antonio de Gaztañeta. It was fought off Cape Passaro, in the southern tip of the island of Sicily of which Spain had occupied. Spain and Britain were at peace, but Britain was already committed to supporting the ambitions of the Emperor Charles VI in southern Italy.

USS <i>Brumby</i>

USS Brumby (FF-1044) was a Garcia-class destroyer escort in the US Navy. She was named after Admiral Frank H. Brumby. The ship was in US Navy service from 5 August 1965 to 31 March 1989 and was in Pakistan Navy service from 1989 to 1994 as Harbah.

<i>Téméraire</i>-class ship of the line 1782 class of French third-rate ships of the line

The Téméraire-class ships of the line were a class of a hundred and twenty 74-gun ships of the line ordered between 1782 and 1813 for the French navy or its attached navies in dependent (French-occupied) territories. Although a few of these were cancelled, the type was and remains the most numerous class of capital ship ever built to a single design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of the Two Sicilies</span> State formed from the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples (1816–60)

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1861 under the control of a cadet branch of the Spanish Bourbons. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and most of the area of today's Mezzogiorno in covering all of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States.

Italian frigate <i>Giuseppe Garibaldi</i> Italian frigate

The Italian frigate Giuseppe Garibaldi was a steam frigate of the Regia Marina of Italy. It was the first ship to be named after General Giuseppe Garibaldi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real Marina (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies)</span> Naval forces of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

The Royal Navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the official term in documents of the era for the naval forces of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies - it and the Royal Army together formed the Kingdom's armed forces. The modern use of the term Regio for royal was only introduced into the force's title after the annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia. It was the most important of the pre-unification Italian navies and Cavour made it the model of the new Italian Regia Marina after the annexation of the Two Sicilies.

<i>Bergamini</i>-class frigate

The Bergamini class was a class of four frigates operated by the Italian Navy. They entered service in 1961, with the last one being stricken in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia</span>

The Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia was founded in 1783 by Sir John Acton, Prime Minister of Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples. Its first vessel, the Neapolitan ship of the line Partenope, was completed three years later. The shipyard was initially unable to build more than one ship of the line and a frigate simultaneously until it was enlarged by order of King Joachim Murat in 1808. It built its first steam-powered ship in the early 1840s.

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>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>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>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>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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felice Napoleone Canevaro</span> Italian admiral, politician, and senator

Felice Napoleone Canevaro was an Italian admiral and politician and a senator of the Kingdom of Italy. He served as both Minister of the Navy and Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a recipient of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. In his naval career, he was best known for his actions during the Italian Wars of Independence and later as commander of the International Squadron off Crete in 1897–1898.

MS <i>Cruise Roma</i>

MS Cruise Roma, owned and operated by Grimaldi Lines, is the longest cruiseferry in the world. It was built at Fincantieri in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombing of Palermo in World War II</span>

During World War II the Italian city of Palermo, the regional capital and largest city of Sicily, was heavily bombed by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force.

Italian corvette <i>Etna</i>

Etna was a screw corvette of the Italian Regia Marina, originally ordered by the Real Marina of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, but completed after the unification of Italy. The ship had a relatively uneventful career, primarily cruising in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1860s, although she also made a deployment to South America from 1869 to 1871. She was laid up in 1875, but her ultimate fate is unknown.

References

  1. ↑ Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des Bâtiments de la Flotte de Guerre Française de Colbert à nos Jours. Groupe Retozel-Maury. ISBN   2952591709 (in French)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Libero Ricercatore presenta: il naviglio borbonico varato a Castellammare (il vascello Vesuvio - 1824) Archived 2013-09-11 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)
  3. ↑ BASE Sommergibili Mediterranei - La Marina Borbonica by Guglielmo Lepre (in Italian)
  4. ↑ Libero Ricercatore presenta: il naviglio borbonico varato a Castellammare (il vascello Capri - 1810) Archived 2013-09-11 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)
  5. ↑ Frigate Partenope Archived 2011-01-04 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)
  6. ↑ Famiglia Pucci (in Italian)
  7. ↑ Corsi di osservazioni meteorologiche (in Italian)
  8. ↑ Diario Siciliano (1831-1840) (in Italian)
  9. ↑ de' Sivo, Giacinto (2009). Storia delle Due Sicilie 1847-1861 (in Italian). Vol. 2. Edizioni Trabant. p. 25. ISBN   978-8896576113.
  10. 1 2 Корветы и патрульные корабли Италии (in Russian)
  11. ↑ Marina Militare: corvetta "Vesuvio" (in Italian)
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.