NAVYPEDIA

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Palestro 1886

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Palestro			R. Arsenale di La Spezia	8/1865	2.10.1871	11.7.1875	stricken 4.1900
Principe Amedeo			R. Cantiere di Castellamare di Stabia	8/1865	15.1.1872	15.12.1874	stricken 3.1895

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	5761
Displacement full, t	Palestro: 6318 Principe Amedeo: 6020
Length, m	Palestro: 78.8 pp Principe Amedeo: 79.7
Breadth, m	Palestro: 17.3 Principe Amedeo: 17.4
Draught, m	Palestro: 8.00 Principe Amedeo: 7.90
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 HSE, 6 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	6117
Max speed, kts	Palestro: 12.9 Principe Amedeo: 12.2
Fuel, t	coal 580
Endurance, nm(kts)	1780(10)
Armour, mm	iron; belt: 220, battery: 140, CT: 60
Armament	1 x 1 - 279/13 Armstrong 25ton MLR, 6 x 1 - 254/15 Armstrong 18ton MLR No1
Complement	548

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

These two vessels were the first ironclads built and fitted out entirely by Italian yards, but 9-10 years passed from the time they were laid down to completion. They were designed by Insp Eng Giuseppe De Luca and, although projected as wooden-hulled ships, they actually had composite wood and iron hulls. Rigged as barques, and with sail areas of 3476m2 (Palestro) and 3418m2 (Principe Amedeo), they were the last Italian wooden ironclads, and the last to be provided with sails.

Ship protection, Palestro

Hull was protected by a complete belt and with iron sides amidships. The Palestro had three armoured casemates (140mm thick plates), one beginning some 6m from the bows, protecting the 279mm 'chaser' gun and two 254mm guns, another beginning 10m from the stern and containing the two starboard and two port 254mm guns, and the third protecting the stern. A primitive CT was protected by 60mm plates.

Ship protection, Principe Amedeo

Hull was protected by a complete belt and with iron sides amidships. The Principe Amedeo had one central casemate, containing all six 254mm guns, it was protected with 140mm plates. A primitive CT was protected by 60mm plates.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

The Palestro served from 1889 to 1894 as the headquarters ship of the defence of La Maddalena, and subsequently at La Spezia as a TS for coxswains and boys; removed from the naval list on 14.4.1900, she was scrapped in 1902-4. The Principe Amedeo served as the headquarters ship for the defence of Taranto in 1888-9, and after she was stricken on 28.3.1895 her hull was depot at Burfoluto (Taranto) until 1910, when she was sold for scrapping.