An item reported that the Italian cruiser 3rd class Calabria (1) visited Sabang, Dutch East Indies (2) on 20 October 1911.(3)
Notes
1. Protected cruiser laid down at la Spezia, Italy in February 1892, launched on 20 September 1894, commissioned on 12 July 1897, reclassified as gunboat in 1921, gunners training ship in 1924 and sold to be broken up on 13 November 1924. Designed to serve in the Italian overseas empire.
2. Sabang was then an important coal bunker station also used by foreign warships.
3. The Dutch newspaper Bataviaasch nieuwsblad dated Saturday 28 October 1911 reported arrival the Sunday before at Sabang leaving after bunkering coal and water hastily towards Colombo, Ceylon. Another Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post dated 24 October commented her recently visit. The reporter wrote that the Calabria was ordered to go from Shanghai, China to the war scene. At Sabang she bunkered coal without any protests of the Dutch government. Despite there were remarks that the Dutch government did not state to be neutral as she did in the war between Russia and Japan in 1904-1905. The newspaper claimed that it was not correct to allow one of the war parties to bunker coal at Sabang. In the edition of the 28th was again this affaire discussed. Italy was at that moment in war with Turkey (Italo-Turkish War 29 September 1911-18 October 1912). The Calabria stationed in the Far East was ordered to support the Italian colony Eritrea and participated in bombarding Turkish harbours in the Red Sea.
Source
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1911-1912.
