Italian battleship Re Umberto
Encyclopedia
Re Umberto ("King Humbert
") was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Italian Navy
in the 1880s. She was the lead ship
of her class
. She was laid down in 1884; work proceeded so slowly that she was not finished until 1893.
Re Umberto carried out various duties during her service career, including large-scale fleet maneuvers and diplomatic missions in Europe. She saw limited action during the Italo-Turkish War
in 1912, though by the end of the year she was withdrawn from front-line service. Decommissioned before World War I
, she was used during the war as a depot ship and then as a floating battery. In 1918 her armament was exchanged for a number of 3 inches (7.6 cm) guns and trench mortars as part of her role as the lead ship in the planned Italian assault on the main Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola
. The war ended before the Italians could carry out the attack and she was stricken again in 1920.
of 76 foot and a draft
of 30 in 6 in (9.3 m). Normally she displaced 13673 long tons (13,892 t) and displaced 15454 long tons (15,702 t) at full load. She was built with a ram bow.
s provided steam to the engines. On trials, the ship had a top speed of 18.5 knots. She carried enough coal to give her a range of 4000–6000 nmi (7,408–11,112 km) at 10 knots. She had three funnels, but, unusually, the two forward funnels were side-by-side.
guns mounted in twin barbette
s fore and aft. These guns had a maximum elevation of 13.5° and could depress to -3°. They fired a 1250 pounds (567 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity
of about 2016 ft/s (614.5 m/s) to a range of about 11950 yards (10,927.1 m) at maximum elevation. They had a rate of fire about 2–3 minutes per round.
The eight 6 inches (15 cm) 40-caliber guns were mounted on pivot mounts on the upper deck. They were protected by gun shield
s 2 inches (51 mm) thick. The anti-torpedo boat
armament consisted of sixteen 4.7 inches (11.9 cm) 40-caliber guns. Twelve of these were in casemate
s on the main deck and four were mounted in the fore and aft superstructures, protected by gun shields. Sixteen 57 millimetres (2.2 in) six-pounder and ten 37 millimetres (1.5 in) one-pounder guns were mounted in the superstructure. Umberto Re carried five 17.7 inches (450 mm) torpedo tube
s, all above water.
. The side of the hull between the barbettes was completely protected with a maximum thickness of 4 inches (10 cm) of armor. The barbette
s were 13.75 inches (35 cm) thick and the guns were unprotected. The conning tower
had 11.8 inches (30 cm) walls. The armor deck was 3 inches (8 cm) thick.
. The battleship and the class itself were named after the Italian King Umberto I of Italy
. Re Umberto was built by the Castellammare Naval Shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia
, Naples
. Her kneel was laid down on 10 July 1884. After over four years of construction, she was launched on 17 October 1888. Following sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 16 February 1893.
for a celebration hosted by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Re Umberto was one of four battleships in the flotilla that represented Italy. All three ships of the class participated in the 1896 Naval Maneuvers in the Tyrrhenian Sea
. She, along with her sisters, was assigned to the Training Division of the Italian Fleet before the Italo-Turkish War
began on 29 September 1912. They were then transferred to the Second Squadron and participated in the bombardment of Tripoli
, Libya
on 4 October.
She was laid up in Genoa
in 1912 and became a depot ship. Towed to La Spezia
in June 1915, after having been stricken from the Navy List on 10 May 1914, she became a depot ship for the dreadnought . She was reinstated on 9 December 1915 and became a floating battery at Brindisi
and, later, Valona
, Albania
. In 1918 Re Umberto was tasked to lead the planned assault on the primary Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola and modified for the role by the removal of her armament and the addition of eight 3-inch guns with gun shield
s as well as a number of trench mortars. A special saw and cutters were also installed to deal with the harbor boom and net defenses. The war ended before the Italians could carry out the attack and she was again stricken on 4 July 1920.
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan...
") was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Italian Navy
Italian Navy
Italian Navy may refer to:* Pre-unitarian navies of the Italian states* Regia Marina, the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Italy * Italian Navy , the navy of the Italian Republic...
in the 1880s. She was the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
. She was laid down in 1884; work proceeded so slowly that she was not finished until 1893.
Re Umberto carried out various duties during her service career, including large-scale fleet maneuvers and diplomatic missions in Europe. She saw limited action during the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
in 1912, though by the end of the year she was withdrawn from front-line service. Decommissioned before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, she was used during the war as a depot ship and then as a floating battery. In 1918 her armament was exchanged for a number of 3 inches (7.6 cm) guns and trench mortars as part of her role as the lead ship in the planned Italian assault on the main Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
. The war ended before the Italians could carry out the attack and she was stricken again in 1920.
General characteristics
Re Umberto was 400 in 3 in (122 m) between perpendiculars and 418 foot long overall. She had a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 76 foot and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 30 in 6 in (9.3 m). Normally she displaced 13673 long tons (13,892 t) and displaced 15454 long tons (15,702 t) at full load. She was built with a ram bow.
Propulsion
Re Umberto had two vertical compound steam engines with a total designed output of 19500 ihp. Eighteen cylindrical boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s provided steam to the engines. On trials, the ship had a top speed of 18.5 knots. She carried enough coal to give her a range of 4000–6000 nmi (7,408–11,112 km) at 10 knots. She had three funnels, but, unusually, the two forward funnels were side-by-side.
Armament
Re Umbertos main armament consisted of two pairs of breech-loading British BL Mk I–IV 30-caliberCaliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
guns mounted in twin barbette
Barbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s fore and aft. These guns had a maximum elevation of 13.5° and could depress to -3°. They fired a 1250 pounds (567 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of about 2016 ft/s (614.5 m/s) to a range of about 11950 yards (10,927.1 m) at maximum elevation. They had a rate of fire about 2–3 minutes per round.
The eight 6 inches (15 cm) 40-caliber guns were mounted on pivot mounts on the upper deck. They were protected by gun shield
Gun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
s 2 inches (51 mm) thick. The anti-torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
armament consisted of sixteen 4.7 inches (11.9 cm) 40-caliber guns. Twelve of these were in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s on the main deck and four were mounted in the fore and aft superstructures, protected by gun shields. Sixteen 57 millimetres (2.2 in) six-pounder and ten 37 millimetres (1.5 in) one-pounder guns were mounted in the superstructure. Umberto Re carried five 17.7 inches (450 mm) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s, all above water.
Armor
Re Umbertos steel armor was made by the French company Schneider et CieSchneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing...
. The side of the hull between the barbettes was completely protected with a maximum thickness of 4 inches (10 cm) of armor. The barbette
Barbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s were 13.75 inches (35 cm) thick and the guns were unprotected. The conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
had 11.8 inches (30 cm) walls. The armor deck was 3 inches (8 cm) thick.
Construction
Re Umberto was the first battleship to be constructed out of the newly created class of the same name–Re Umberto classRe Umberto class battleship
The Umberto Re class were a group of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Navy in the 1880s. All three ships of the class saw service during World War I in secondary roles.-Description:...
. The battleship and the class itself were named after the Italian King Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan...
. Re Umberto was built by the Castellammare Naval Shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia
Castellammare di Stabia is a comune in the province of Naples, Campania region, southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about 30 kilometers southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento.-History:...
, Naples
Province of Naples
The Province of Naples is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital city is Naples, within the province there are 92 Comuni of the Province of Naples.-Demographics:...
. Her kneel was laid down on 10 July 1884. After over four years of construction, she was launched on 17 October 1888. Following sea trials, the battleship was formally commissioned into the Regina Marina on 16 February 1893.
Service history
At the time the Re Umberto was commissioned into the Regina Marina, the navy maintained two battleship squadrons; the Active Squadron and the Reserve Squadron. The ships alternated between the two in February of each year; in 1895, Re Umberto was assigned to the Reserve Squadron, along with the older battleships , , and . In June 1895, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal in Germany was completed; to celebrate, dozens of warships from 14 different countries gathered in KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
for a celebration hosted by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Re Umberto was one of four battleships in the flotilla that represented Italy. All three ships of the class participated in the 1896 Naval Maneuvers in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
. She, along with her sisters, was assigned to the Training Division of the Italian Fleet before the Italo-Turkish War
Italo-Turkish War
The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Italy from September 29, 1911 to October 18, 1912.As a result of this conflict, Italy was awarded the Ottoman provinces of Tripolitania, Fezzan, and...
began on 29 September 1912. They were then transferred to the Second Squadron and participated in the bombardment of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
on 4 October.
She was laid up in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
in 1912 and became a depot ship. Towed to La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
in June 1915, after having been stricken from the Navy List on 10 May 1914, she became a depot ship for the dreadnought . She was reinstated on 9 December 1915 and became a floating battery at Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
and, later, Valona
Vlorë
Vlorë is one of the biggest towns and the second largest port city of Albania, after Durrës, with a population of about 94,000 . It is the city where the Albanian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on November 28, 1912...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. In 1918 Re Umberto was tasked to lead the planned assault on the primary Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola and modified for the role by the removal of her armament and the addition of eight 3-inch guns with gun shield
Gun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
s as well as a number of trench mortars. A special saw and cutters were also installed to deal with the harbor boom and net defenses. The war ended before the Italians could carry out the attack and she was again stricken on 4 July 1920.