Regina Maria Pia or Ancona-class
Venezia of the Roma-class
Part of the Regina Maria Pia-class or also called called Ancona-class broadside ironclads, consisting of the Regina Maria Pia, Ancona, Castelfidardo and San Martino, preceded by the Re d’Italia and succeeded by the Roma-class. Laid down at Gouin et Guibert, St. Nazaire, France on 22 July 1862, launched on 1 August 1863, completed in May 1864, commissioned on 1 May 1864, rebuilt as central battery ship after 1866, modernized in the 1870s, modernized in 1880s, torpedo training ship since 1910, stricken on 10 December 1910 and broken up after 1910.
Displacement 4.192 (normal)-4.527 (full load) tons and as dimensions 77,51 (between perpendiculars)-81,8 (over all) x 14,50 or 15,15 x 6,35 metres or 268’4”x 49’9” x 20’10”. The machinery consisted of 1 singe expansion steam engine and 8 rectangular boilers supplying 2.125 ihp allowing a speed of 12,00 knots (trial). With a coal bunker capacity of 485 tons and a speed of 10 knots was the range 2.600 nautical miles. Sail area 823 square metres. One screw. The armour consisted of a 12,1cm/4.75” thick belt with the battery protected by 10,9cm/4.3”. Their crew numbered 480-495 men. The original armament consisted of 4-20,3cm/8” 72-pd smooth bore muzzle loading Armstrong guns and 22-16,4cm/6”/32pd rifled muzzle loading Armstrong guns mounted in a battery. After 1866 were 2-16,4cm guns mounted in an armoured bunker forward and 1-16,4cm gun was mounted in an armoured bunker astern. After 1866 2-22cm8.7” guns mounted forward and 9-20,3cm/8” guns of which one mounted aft. Finally were the ships armed with a ram lengthening 3 metres/9.8’. After the 1888 modernisation consisted the armament of 8-15cm/6” guns, 6-12cm/4.7” guns, 4-5,7cm/2.2” quick firing gins and 8-3,7cm/1.5” Hotchkiss revolver cannons. As a torpedo training ship was her armament again changed and consisted now of 1-7,6cm/3” quick firing gun, 1-7,5cm/3” gun, 4-5,7cm/2.2” guns, 1-4,7cm/1.9” gun, 2-3,7cm revolver canons and 2 torpedo tubes.
