An Italian battleship design according to the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad daily edition dated 9 November 1916

The chief engineer of the Italian navy Ferretti (1) discussed on a congress of engineers at San Francisco a new design for a battleship. In his opinion was it necessary to built ships in the future much more simpler. Everything what wasn’t really necessary was to be omitted. He designed a ship of 32,000 tons fitted out with turbines allowing a speed of 26-28 knots and which was a mix between a battleship and a battle cruiser. The main armament consisted of 5x2-38cm guns to obtain a small as possible target. At that moment it was usual to place 3 guns in a turret although there was already a change from 3 to 2 guns in a turret. Further more were 3x4-12cm guns in turrets before and aft the main armament and 28-10,2cm guns placed on carriages which were to be lifted for each shot and afterwards were lowered. She was also fitted out with 8 submerged torpedo tubes. The side armour was 305mm thick and further more were two vaulted armoured guns to protect the ship van above. The large funnel was also for the major part armoured. Just before the funnel was a tiny signal mast placed. The conning tower was situated behind the first gun turret with a second conning tower behind. As protection against torpedoes was the ship with bulkheads divided in several watertight compartments and there was a strong double bottom. 

The design showed also clearly the transformation in the future from an ordinary battleship into a submerged battleship. When it is possible to lower the heavy armament as was done with the smaller guns and by using diesels omitting the funnel were just some minor problems to solve before the ship could dive. A decrease of the armour and the number of guns could spare enough weight to compensate the fitting out with accumulators. At that moment it was not possible to manufacture diesel engines powerful enough for such submerged propulsion but as soon as they were available was the submerged battleship reality.

Note

1. Pericles Ferretti (Bologna 10 April 1888-Naples 12 February 1960) worked at the navy arsenal at Naples and was involved in the shipbuilding at Castellammare di Stabia. Between 1917 and 1921 worked he at the arsenal at Taranto especially in the topic of propulsion of submarines.