NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Affondatore			Harrison, Millwall, UK	11.4.1863	3.11.1865	6.6.1866	stricken 10.1907

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	4006
Displacement full, t	4307
Length, m	89.6 pp 93.8 oa
Breadth, m	12.2
Draught, m	6.35
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 HSE, 8 rectangular boilers
Power, h. p.	2717
Max speed, kts	12
Fuel, t	coal 474
Endurance, nm(kts)	1647(10)
Armour, mm	iron; side: 127, turrets: 127, deck: 51
Armament	2 x 1 - 229/14 Armstrong 12.6ton MLR
Complement	309 - 356

Standard scale images

Project history

The building of this ship was originally contracted with Mare of Millwall on 11.10.1862, but because of the yard's financial difficulties the Italian Government signed a new contract with Harrison, who recast the plans. However, financial problems arose once more; the planned 18 months for the delivery of the ship expired, and the ship eventually sailed from London, uncompleted, on 20 June 1866, the day the halo-Austrian war broke out, since the Italian Government feared a possible sequestration of the ship by the British authorities. The Affondatore joined the Italian fleet off Lissa a few hours before the action. She had an iron hull, a complete iron belt 127mm thick, two single turrets with 228mm Armstrong guns, and was schooner-rigged.

Ship protection

Complete belt was 127mm-thick.

Modernizations

1883-1885: she was re-engined (3240hp), fitted with one military mast, CT with 127mm sides was installed; - 2 x 1 - 229/14; + 2 x 1 - 254/30 B,

1888-1889: + 6 x 1 - 120/24 Armstrong 1.38ton BLR, 1 x 1 - 75/21 Uchatius 29cwt BL No1, 8 x 1 - 57/40 H, 4 x 5 - 37/20 H

1891: + 2 - 450 TT (beam)

Naval service

She was sunk in a storm off Ancona harbour on 6.8.1866. Refloated, she was rebuilt in 1867-70. Since 1891 Affondatore served as a torpedo TS and, in 1904-7, as the principal ship for the defence of Venice. Removed from the Navy list on 11.10.1907, she served her final years as a floating ammunition depot at Taranto.