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Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Italian armoured ram Affondatore 1863-after 1907

Venezia of the Roma-class

Affondatore

Preceded by the Roma-class. Building ordered on 11 October 1862, laid down by Harrison, Milwall, London, England on 11 April 1863, launched on 3 November 1865, commissioned still incomplete on 20 June 1866, escaped to Cherbourg. France to prevent seizure by England due to the war broken out between Italy and Austria-Hungary, sunk during a storm in the harbour of Ancona, Italy on 6 August 1866, refloated and rebuilt at La Spezia, Italy 1867-1873, modernized 1888-1889, guard ship at Venice, Italy 1904-11 October 1907, floating ammunition depot at Taranto, Italy since 1907 but final fate unknown. 

Iron made guhl. With a displacement of 4.070 normal)-4.376 (full load) tons and as dimensions 89,57 (between perpendiculars)-93,89 (over all) metres x 12,20 x 6,35 metres or 293’10”-308’0”x 40.0’ x 20’10”. Midship section surface 62square metres. Modernized in 1888-1889 including new gun turrets and replacing the superstructure by  a large one to accommodate the secondary armament and placing a new mast. The machinery consisted of 1 shaft singe expansion steam engine and 8 rectangular boilers supplying 2.682hp-2.717 ihp allowing a speed of 12 knots under steam. One screw. With a speed of 10 knots was her range 1.647 nautical miles. Schooner rigged with 2 masts. Both masts and riggings were replaced by one single mast with fighting top after she was rebuilt in 1867-1873. Received in 1883-1885 new boilers and engines now supplying 3.240 ihp resulting in a speed of 13 knots. Crew numbered 309-356 men. The original armament consisted of 2x1-300pd Armstrong guns (1x fore and 1xaft) and 2-8cm landing guns. Further more was she fitted out with a 2,5 metres/8.2” long ram. After the 1888-1889 modernisation was a secondary armament available consisting of 6x1-12cm/4.7” guns, 1-7,5cm/3.)  quick firing gun. 8-5,7cm/2.2” quick firing guns and 4-3,7c,/1.5” Hotchkiss revolver canon. In 181 were 2 torpedo tubes added. The armour consisted of 12,7cm (maximum) on a under layer of 22,9cm, a 5cm thick deck with the turrets protected by 12,7cm. During her trials she made a circle of 700 metres diameter in 5 minutes ending the turn with a speed of 12 knots.