An item dealing with the Italian naval strength used as source three articles published in the Italian magazine L’Ordine Corriere delle Marche dated 1 January 1887. The articles were written after a statement of the Italian minister of navy Brin in which he claimed that the strength was far for satisfying.
The torpedo boats were part of what the author called 2nd category warships totally numbering 110 units of which around 60 were completed, the remaining being built in Italy or abroad. It was hoped that in next spring 80 torpedo boats of which 20 for open sea were available. Officially there were 3 classes namely high sea torpedo boats and coastal torpedo boats 1st and 2nd class. The first numbered 49 units: 2 designed by Italian naval engineers named Folgore and Saetta, 4 (no.’s 76-79) of the Yarrow-design (2 in fact built by Yarrow, 2 at Venice), 43 of the Schichau-design (no. 56-75 and 86-108) being built (excluded 3 which were already armed), of which 10 by the shipyard Schichau at Elbing and 40 by the Italian shipyards of Pattison, Guppy, Gravero, Odero and Ansaldo. The coastal torpedo boats 1st class consisted of 51 units numbered 22, 55 and 80-83. The coastal torpedo boats 2nd class consisted of 23 units numbered 1-20 and 84-85. All coastal torpedo boats were completed.
