Regina Margherita-class battleship

Last updated

Regina Margherita.png
Regina Margherita on speed trials in July 1904
Class overview
NameRegina Margherita
OperatorsFlag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svg  Regia Marina
Preceded by Ammiraglio di Saint Bon class
Succeeded by Regina Elena class
Built1898–1905
In commission1904–1916
Completed2
Lost2
General characteristics (Regina Margherita)
Type pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement
Length138.65 m (454 ft 11 in)
Beam23.84 m (78 ft 3 in)
Draft8.81 to 9 m (28 ft 11 in to 29 ft 6 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range10,000  nmi (18,520 km; 11,508 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement812–900
Armament
Armor

The Regina Margherita class was a class of two battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina between 1898 and 1905. The class comprised two ships: Regina Margherita and Benedetto Brin. The ships were designed by the latter's namesake, Benedetto Brin, who died before the ships were completed. They were armed with a main battery of four 12 in (305 mm) guns and could steam at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).

Contents

Both ships saw extensive service with the Italian fleet for the first decade of their careers. They saw action in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, where they participated in the seizure of Cyrenaica in North Africa and operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. They were reduced to training ships by World War I, and both ships were lost with heavy death tolls during the conflict. Benedetto Brin exploded in Brindisi in September 1915, and Regina Margherita struck a mine and sank in December 1916.

Design

After the negative experience with the preceding Ammiraglio di Saint Bon class, which were too weak to engage foreign battleships, and too slow to catch cruisers, the Italian navy wanted a new battleship that returned to a larger, more effective size. In particular, they wanted to be able to challenge the new Habsburg-class battleships being built in neighboring Austria-Hungary. They returned to the 12-inch (305 mm) gun that was standard in most other navies of the day, but sacrificed armor protection to achieve high speed. [1] As such, the ships represented a hybrid type that merged the firepower of the slow battleships and the speed of a cruiser. Benedetto Brin initially wanted to arm the ships with only two of the 12-inch guns and twelve 8 in (203 mm) guns, but after his death, Admiral Ruggero Alfredo Micheli altered the design to double the number of 12-inch guns, at the expense of eight of the medium-caliber pieces. [2]

General characteristics and machinery

Plan and profile drawing of the Regina Margherita class Regina Margherita class battleship plan and profile.jpg
Plan and profile drawing of the Regina Margherita class

The Regina Margherita-class ships were 130 meters (430 ft) long at the waterline and 138.65 m (454.9 ft) long overall. They had a beam of 23.84 m (78.2 ft); Regina Margherita had a draft of 8.81 m (28.9 ft), while Benedetto Brin drew slightly more, at 9 m (30 ft). They displaced 13,215 long tons (13,427  t ) at normal loading and at full combat load, Regina Margherita displaced 14,093 long tons (14,319 t) while Benedetto Brin, slightly heavier, displaced 14,737 long tons (14,973 t). [2] Their hulls were equipped with a double bottom. [3]

The vessels had a fairly large superstructure, which included an unusual pair of conning towers with bridges, one forward and one aft. [2] The ships were built with a ram bow and had a raised forecastle deck. They had two masts, both with fighting tops; the foremast was located directly behind the forward conning tower and bridge. [3] The ships' crew varied over the course of their careers, ranging from 812 to 900 officers and enlisted men. [2]

The ships' propulsion system consisted of two triple-expansion steam engines, which drove a pair of screw propellers. Steam for the engines was provided by twenty-eight coal-fired water-tube Niclausse boilers in Regina Margherita. Benedetto Brin meanwhile was equipped with the same number of Belleville boilers. The boilers were vented into three funnels, two of which were placed side by side. The lead ship's engines were rated at 21,790 indicated horsepower (16,250 kW), while Benedetto Brin's were slightly less efficient, at 20,475 ihp (15,268 kW). The two ships had a top speed of 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) and a range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph). [2]

Armament and armor

The shaded areas show the parts of the ships protected by armor Regina Margherita line-drawing.png
The shaded areas show the parts of the ships protected by armor

The ships were armed with a main battery of four 12 in (305 mm) 40-caliber guns placed in two twin gun turrets, one forward and one aft. They were also equipped with a secondary battery of four 8 in (203 mm) 40-cal. guns in casemates in the superstructure at the corners, two firing forward and two astern. The ships carried a tertiary battery of twelve 6 in (152 mm) 40-cal. guns, also in casemates in the side of the hull. Close-range defense against torpedo boats was provided by a battery of twenty 3 in (76 mm) 40-cal. guns. The ships also carried a pair of 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, two 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, and two 10 mm (0.39 in) Maxim guns. The Regina Margherita-class battleships were also equipped with four 17.7 in (450 mm) torpedo tubes placed in the hull below the waterline. [2]

The ships of the Regina Margherita class were protected with Harvey steel manufactured in Terni. The main belt was 6 in (152 mm) thick, and the deck was 3.1 in (79 mm) thick. The conning tower and the casemate guns were also protected by 6 in of armor plating. The main battery guns had stronger armor protection, at 8 in (203 mm) thick. [2] Coal was used extensively in the protection scheme, including a layer intended to protect the ships' internals from underwater damage. [3]

Ships of the class

Construction data
NameBuilder [2] Laid down [2] Launched [2] Completed [2]
Regina Margherita Arsenale di La Spezia 20 November 189830 May 190114 April 1904
Benedetto Brin Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia 30 January 18997 November 19011 September 1905

Service history

Regina Margherita circa 1908; note the arrangement of the secondary battery and the belt armor Italian battleship Regina Margherita ca. 1908.jpg
Regina Margherita circa 1908; note the arrangement of the secondary battery and the belt armor

Both Regina Margherita and Benedetto Brin served in the active duty squadron for the first few years of their careers, and participated in the peacetime routine of fleet training. [4] Regina Margherita frequently served as the fleet flagship before the completion of the new Regina Elena-class battleships. [5] On 29 September 1911, Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire, starting the Italo-Turkish War. The two ships saw action during the war in the 3rd Division in the 2nd Squadron. Benedetto Brin took part in the attack on Tripoli in October 1911, and both were involved in the campaign to seize Rhodes in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. [6]

Italy initially remained neutral during World War I, but by 1915, had been convinced by the Triple Entente to enter the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Both the Italians and Austro-Hungarians adopted a cautious fleet policy in the confined waters of the Adriatic Sea, and so the two Regina Margherita-class battleships did not see action. [7] Benedetto Brin served as a training ship based in Brindisi until she was destroyed in an internal explosion in the harbor on 27 September 1915 with heavy loss of life; [2] 454 men of the ship's crew died in the explosion. [8] Regina Margherita, also serving as a training ship, served for somewhat longer, until she struck a mine laid by the German submarine SM UC-14 on the night of 11–12 December 1916. [2] Some 675 men were killed in the sinking. [9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Hore, pp. 79–80.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Fraccaroli, p. 343.
  3. 1 2 3 Phelps, p. 73.
  4. ↑ Brassey, p. 52.
  5. ↑ Leyland, pp. 77–78.
  6. ↑ Beehler, pp. 6, 9, 66–68.
  7. ↑ Halpern, pp. 140–142.
  8. ↑ Hocking, p. 79.
  9. ↑ Hocking, p. 583.

Related Research Articles

Italian battleship <i>Regina Margherita</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Regina Margherita was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina between 1898 and 1904. She had one sister ship, Benedetto Brin. Regina Margherita saw action in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the battleship had been reduced to a training ship. She struck two naval mines on the night of 11–12 December 1916 while steaming off Valona. She sank with heavy loss of life: 675 men were killed, and only 270 survived.

Italian battleship <i>Benedetto Brin</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Benedetto Brin was a Regina Margherita-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Italian Regia Marina between 1899 and 1905. The ship was armed with a main battery of four 12-inch (300 mm) guns and was capable of a top speed of 20 knots. Benedetto Brin saw combat in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, including the bombardment of Tripoli in October 1911. She was destroyed by an internal explosion during World War I in September 1915, which killed over 450 of the ship's crew.

Italian battleship <i>Ammiraglio di Saint Bon</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Regia Marina built during the 1890s. She was laid down in July 1893, launched in April 1897, and completed in May 1901. She was the lead ship of her class, and had one sister ship, Emanuele Filiberto. The ship was armed with a main battery of four 254 mm (10 in) guns and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots.

<i>Re Umberto</i>-class ironclad Ironclad warship class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Re Umberto class were a group of three ironclad battleships built for the Italian Navy in the 1880s and 1890s. The ships—Re Umberto, Sicilia, and Sardegna—were built as the culmination of a major naval expansion program begun in the 1870s following Italy's defeat at the Battle of Lissa in 1866. The Re Umbertos incorporated several innovations over previous Italian designs, including a more efficient arrangement of the main battery, installation of wireless telegraphs, and in Sardegna, the first use of triple-expansion steam engines in an Italian capital ship. Designed by Benedetto Brin, they retained the very thin armor protection and high top speeds of his earlier designs.

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

Sicilia was the second of three Re Umberto-class ironclad battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina. The ship, named for the island of Sicily, was laid down in Venice in November 1884, launched in July 1891, and completed in May 1895. She was armed with a main battery of four 343 mm (13.5 in) guns and had a top speed of 20.3 knots, though this high speed came at the cost of armor protection.

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

Sardegna was the third of three Re Umberto-class ironclad battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina. The ship, named for the island of Sardinia, was laid down in La Spezia in October 1885, launched in September 1890, and completed in February 1895. She was armed with a main battery of four 340 mm (13.5 in) guns and had a top speed of 20.3 knots —albeit at the cost of armor protection—and she was one of the first warships to be equipped with a wireless telegraph.

<i>Regina Elena</i>-class battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Regina Elena class was a group of four pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina between 1901 and 1908. The class comprised four ships: Regina Elena, the lead ship, Vittorio Emanuele, Roma, and Napoli. Designed by Vittorio Cuniberti, they were armed with a main battery of two 12-inch (305 mm) guns and twelve 8 in (203 mm) guns, and were capable of a top speed of 22 knots. They were the fastest battleships in the world at the time of their commissioning, faster even than the British turbine-powered HMS Dreadnought.

Italian battleship <i>Emanuele Filiberto</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

The Emanuele Filiberto was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Italian Navy during the 1890s. Her keel was laid down in October 1893 and she was launched in September 1897; work was completed in April 1902. She had one sister ship, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon, the lead ship of the Ammiraglio di Saint Bon class. She was armed with a main battery of four 254 mm (10 in) guns and was capable of a speed in excess of 18 knots.

<i>Ammiraglio di Saint Bon</i>-class battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Ammiraglio di Saint Bon class was a pair of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Navy during the 1890s. The class comprised two ships: Ammiraglio di Saint Bon, the lead ship, and Emanuele Filiberto. They were armed with a main battery of four 254 mm (10 in) guns and were capable of a top speed of 18 knots. Smaller and less powerfully-armed than most contemporary battleships, they marked a brief departure from Italian capital ship design, which had previously emphasized large ships equipped with large guns.

Italian battleship <i>Regina Elena</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Regina Elena was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina. The ship was built by the La Spezia shipyard between 1901 and 1907, and was armed with a main battery of two 305 mm (12 in) guns and twelve 203 mm (8 in) guns. She was quite fast for the period, with a top speed of nearly 21 knots. Regina Elena was active in both the Italo-Turkish War with the Ottoman Empire in 1911–1912, where she participated in the Italian conquest of Cyrenaica, and World War I in 1915–1918, where she saw no action due to the threat of submarines in the narrow confines of the Adriatic Sea. She was retained for a few years after the war, but was ultimately stricken in February 1923 and broken up for scrap.

Italian battleship <i>Vittorio Emanuele</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Vittorio Emanuele was an Italian pre-dreadnought battleship, laid down in 1901, launched in 1904 and completed in 1908. She was the second member of the Regina Elena class, which included three other vessels: Regina Elena, Napoli, and Roma. Vittorio Emmanuele was armed with a main battery of two 305 mm (12 in) guns and twelve 203 mm (8 in) guns. She was quite fast for the period, with a top speed of nearly 21 knots.

Italian battleship <i>Roma</i> (1907) Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Roma was an Italian pre-dreadnought battleship, laid down in 1903, launched in 1907 and completed in 1908. She was the third member of the Regina Elena class, which included three other vessels: Regina Elena, Napoli, and Vittorio Emanuele. Roma was armed with a main battery of two 305 mm (12 in) guns and twelve 203 mm (8 in) guns. She was quite fast for the period, with a top speed of nearly 21 knots.

Italian battleship <i>Napoli</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Napoli was a Regina Elena-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Italian Regia Marina in 1903–08. She was the last member of the four-ship class, which included the lead ship Regina Elena, Vittorio Emanuele, and Roma. Napoli was armed with a main battery of two 305 mm (12 in) and twelve 203 Mm (126,138 mi) guns, and was capable of a top speed of 21 knots.

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.

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

The Agordat class was a pair of torpedo cruisers built by the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1890s. The two ships, Agordat and Coatit, were armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. They proved to be too slow and have too short a cruising radius to be of much use, so their service careers were limited. Their most significant action came during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, where both ships were employed in shore bombardment duties. Neither ship saw action in World War I. Coatit was converted into a minelayer in 1919 and sold for scrapping the following year, while Agordat was rearmed as a gunboat in 1921; she followed her sister to the breakers in 1923.

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

The Folgore class was a pair of torpedo cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. The two ships—Folgore and Saetta—were designed by Benedetto Brin during a period of experimentation with the theories of the Jeune École in the 1880s. The vessels were armed with three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and they had a top speed of 17 knots. Both ships' careers were uneventful, and they spent most of their time in service conducting training exercises. Folgore was seriously damaged in a collision in 1889, and was thereafter reduced to reserve status, as the damage could not be completely repaired. She was eventually sold for scrapping in 1900, while Saetta served as a gunnery training ship from 1897 to 1908, when she too was dismantled.

<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

Further reading

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.