Ruggiero di Lauria class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Ruggiero di Lauria class was a class of Italian battleships which served in the Regia Marina
(Italian Royal Navy) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They essentially were improved versions of the Duilio class battleships which had preceded them.
Ferdinando Acton
, opposed very large battleships such as the Duilio and Italia class
es which had preceded the Ruggiero di Lauria class as well as the use of the giant guns that had armed those classes; he assigned the design of the Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships to Eng Insp Giuseppe Micheli, who had shown originality in his earlier design projects. However, Micheli chose essentially to repeat the Duilio-class design in the Ruggiero di Lauria class. He did, however, improve on the Duilio class by giving the Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships breech-loading
17 inches (432 mm) guns (the Duilio class had been armed with 17.7 inches (450 mm) muzzle loaders
) mounted in barbette
s rather than turrets
, a high forecastle
, a better quality of armor, and a better distribution of armor. The main battery was mounted in twin mounts close together en echelon amidships as in the Duilio-class ships, with the port barbette aft of the starboard one.
The three Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships differed in the details of their propulsion machinery and in the power that machinery produced, resulting in different speeds. They also differed in detail in their full-load displacement and draft. All three ships had two large funnels and a single, large, central mast. In 1900, all three had additional tertiary armament installed.
, and both Andrea Doria and Ruggiero di Lauria served for many years as hulks.
Ruggiero di Lauria
Ruggiero di Lauria was laid down in 1881, launched in 1884, and completed in 1888. After she was stricken in 1909, she served as a floating oil tank until sunk in shallow water in a World War II
air raid in 1943. She was scrapped in 1946–1947.
Francesco Morosini
Francesco Morosini was laid down in 1881, launched in 1885, and completed in 1889. A month after being stricken in 1909, she was sunk as a target in shallow water. Her wreck was scrapped.
Andrea Doria
Andrea Doria was laid down in 1882, launched in 1885, and completed in 1891. After she was stricken in 1911, she served as a depot ship
. During World War I she served as a defensive floating battery, then lingered as a floating oil tank until scrapped in 1929.
Regia Marina
The Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(Italian Royal Navy) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They essentially were improved versions of the Duilio class battleships which had preceded them.
Technical characteristics
The Italian Minister of the Navy, Vice AdmiralVice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Ferdinando Acton
Ferdinando Acton
Ferdinando Acton was an Italian naval officer, admiral, politician and Minister for the Navy. He was descended from a noble family which had originated in England before moving to Tuscany then the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies - he served in the Real Marina of the latter, then in Regia Marina of the...
, opposed very large battleships such as the Duilio and Italia class
Italia class battleship
The Italia-class battleships were a class of two Italian battleships which served in the Regia Marina during the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
es which had preceded the Ruggiero di Lauria class as well as the use of the giant guns that had armed those classes; he assigned the design of the Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships to Eng Insp Giuseppe Micheli, who had shown originality in his earlier design projects. However, Micheli chose essentially to repeat the Duilio-class design in the Ruggiero di Lauria class. He did, however, improve on the Duilio class by giving the Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships breech-loading
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
17 inches (432 mm) guns (the Duilio class had been armed with 17.7 inches (450 mm) muzzle loaders
Muzzleloader
A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and usually the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun . This is distinct from the more popular modern designs of breech-loading firearms...
) mounted in 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 rather than turrets
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
, a high forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
, a better quality of armor, and a better distribution of armor. The main battery was mounted in twin mounts close together en echelon amidships as in the Duilio-class ships, with the port barbette aft of the starboard one.
The three Ruggiero di Lauria-class ships differed in the details of their propulsion machinery and in the power that machinery produced, resulting in different speeds. They also differed in detail in their full-load displacement and draft. All three ships had two large funnels and a single, large, central mast. In 1900, all three had additional tertiary armament installed.
Construction
The ships were authorized under the 1880 naval program and were laid down in 1881 and 1882. They underwent protracted construction periods; it took nearly six-and-a-half years to build Ruggiero di Lauria, over seven-and-a-half to construct Francesco Morosini, and nearly nine-and-a-half to build Andrea Doria. By the time the ships entered service between 1888 and 1891, they were of obsolete design.Operational history
Quickly outclassed due to the rapid pace of naval technological development, the ships had relatively short operational lives. They were stricken between 1909 and 1911. Francesco Morosini was sunk almost immediately as a target, but the other two lingered for many years; Andrea Doria served in subsidiary duties before and during World War IWorld 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...
, and both Andrea Doria and Ruggiero di Lauria served for many years as hulks.
Ships in class
Ruggiero di LauriaItalian battleship Ruggiero di LauriaRuggiero di Lauria was an Italian battleship launched in 1884. She was the lead ship of the Ruggiero di Lauria-class pre-dreadnoughts, and served in the Regia Marina during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Design:...
Ruggiero di Lauria was laid down in 1881, launched in 1884, and completed in 1888. After she was stricken in 1909, she served as a floating oil tank until sunk in shallow water in a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
air raid in 1943. She was scrapped in 1946–1947.
Francesco MorosiniItalian battleship Francesco Morosini (1885)The first Francesco Morosini was an Italian battleship launched in 1885. She was the second ship of the Ruggiero di Lauria-class pre-dreadnoughts, and served in the Regia Marina during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
Francesco Morosini was laid down in 1881, launched in 1885, and completed in 1889. A month after being stricken in 1909, she was sunk as a target in shallow water. Her wreck was scrapped.Andrea DoriaItalian battleship Andrea Doria (1885)The Andrea Doria was an Italian battleship, the first named after Andrea Doria, launched in 1885. She was the third and final ship of the Ruggiero di Lauria-class pre-dreadnoughts, and served in the Regia Marina during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Design:The Ruggiero di Lauria class was...
Andrea Doria was laid down in 1882, launched in 1885, and completed in 1891. After she was stricken in 1911, she served as a depot shipDepot ship
A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...
. During World War I she served as a defensive floating battery, then lingered as a floating oil tank until scrapped in 1929.