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{{Short description|Ironclad warship of the Italian Royal Navy}}
{{Use shortened footnotes|date=November 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
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|Hide header=
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass-|Formidabile|ironclad|0}} [[ironclad warship]]
|Ship class={{sclass|Formidabile|ironclad|0}} [[ironclad warship]]
|Ship displacement=*Normal: {{convert|2682|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship displacement=
*[[normal displacement|Normal]]: {{convert|2682|LT|t|0|abbr=on|lk=in}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|2807|LT|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Full load]]: {{convert|2807|LT|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|65.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship length={{convert|65.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|14.44|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|14.44|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|5.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|5.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*6 rectangular [[boiler]]s
|Ship power=
*6 × [[fire-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|1080|ihp|abbr=on}}
*{{convert|1080|ihp|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=One single-expansion [[steam engine]]
|Ship propulsion=
*1 × [[marine steam engine]]
*1 × [[screw propeller]]
|Ship speed={{convert|10|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship speed={{convert|10|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|1300|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship range={{convert|1300|nmi|km|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=371
|Ship complement=371
|Ship armament=*4 × {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns
|Ship armament=*4 × {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns
*16 × {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} guns
*16 × {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} guns
|Ship armor=[[Belt armor]]: {{convert|4.3|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship armor=[[Belt armor]]: {{convert|4.3|in|abbr=on|0|order=flip}}
|Ship notes=
|Ship notes=
}}
}}
|}
|}


'''''Formidabile''''' was the [[lead ship]] of the {{sclass-|Formidabile|ironclad|0}} [[ironclad warship]]s, the first ships of that type to be built for the newly formed Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy). ''Formidabile'' and her sister, {{ship|Italian ironclad|Terribile||2}}, were both built in France; ''Formidabile'' was laid down in December 1860, was launched in October 1861, and was completed in May 1862. She was a [[broadside ironclad]], equipped with four {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on}} and sixteen {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} guns.
'''''Formidabile''''' was the [[lead ship]] of the {{sclass|Formidabile|ironclad|0}} [[ironclad warship]]s, the first ships of that type to be built for the newly formed Italian ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy). ''Formidabile'' and her sister, {{ship|Italian ironclad|Terribile||2}}, were both built in France; ''Formidabile'' was laid down in December 1860, was launched in October 1861, and was completed in May 1862. She was a [[broadside ironclad]], equipped with four {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on|0}} and sixteen {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} guns.


The ship took part in the operation off [[Vis (island)|Lissa]] in 1866 during the [[Third Italian War of Independence]]. There, she silenced the Austrian coastal [[artillery battery|batteries]] protecting the main port, but she was too badly damaged to take part in the ensuing [[Battle of Lissa (1866)|Battle of Lissa]]. The ship's postwar career was limited due to a combination of drastically reduced naval budgets and the appearance of more modern ironclads. ''Formidabile'' was used as a [[training ship]] starting in 1887; she was discarded in 1903 and [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap.
The ship took part in the operation off [[Vis (island)|Lissa]] in 1866 during the [[Third Italian War of Independence]]. There, she silenced the Austrian coastal [[artillery battery|batteries]] protecting the main port, but she was too badly damaged to take part in the ensuing [[Battle of Lissa (1866)|Battle of Lissa]]. The ship's postwar career was limited due to a combination of drastically reduced naval budgets and the appearance of more modern ironclads. ''Formidabile'' was used as a [[training ship]] starting in 1887; she was discarded in 1903 and [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap.
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==Design==
==Design==
{{main|Formidabile-class ironclad}}
{{main|Formidabile-class ironclad}}
''Formidabile'' was {{convert|65.8|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[length overall|long overall]]; she had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|14.44|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and an average [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|5.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. She [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|2682|LT|sp=us}} normally and up to {{convert|2807|LT|sp=us|abbr=on}} at full load. She had a crew of 371. Her propulsion system consisted of one single-expansion [[steam engine]] that drove a single [[screw propeller]], with steam supplied by six coal-fired, rectangular [[boiler]]s. Her engine produced a top speed of {{convert|10|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|1080|ihp|lk=in}}. She could steam for about {{convert|1300|nmi|lk=in}} at her top speed. To supplement her steam engine, the ship was [[schooner]]-rigged.<ref name=G337>Gardiner, p. 337</ref>
''Formidabile'' was {{convert|65.8|m|ftin|sp=us}} [[length overall|long overall]]; she had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|14.44|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and an average [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|5.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. She [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|2682|LT|sp=us|lk=on}} [[normal displacement|normally]] and up to {{convert|2807|LT|sp=us|abbr=on}} at [[full load]]. She had a crew of 371. Her propulsion system consisted of one single-expansion [[marine steam engine]] that drove a single [[screw propeller]], with steam supplied by six coal-fired, rectangular [[fire-tube boiler]]s. The boilers were vented through a single [[funnel (ship)|funnel]]. Her engine produced a top speed of {{convert|10|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|1080|ihp|lk=in}}. She could steam for about {{convert|1300|nmi|lk=in}} at her top speed. To supplement her steam engine, the ship was [[schooner]]-rigged.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=337}}


''Formidabile'' was a [[broadside ironclad]], carrying all of her guns in the traditional [[broadside]] arrangement. She was armed with a [[main battery]] of four {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on}} guns and sixteen {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} [[Muzzle-loading rifle|rifled muzzle-loading]] guns. The ship's wooden hull was sheathed with [[wrought iron]] [[belt armor]] that was {{convert|4.3|in|abbr=on|0}} thick.<ref name=G337/>
''Formidabile'' was a [[broadside ironclad]], carrying all of her guns in the traditional [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] arrangement. She was armed with a [[main battery]] of four {{convert|203|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns and sixteen {{convert|164|mm|abbr=on}} [[Muzzle-loading rifle|rifled muzzle-loading]] guns. The ship's wooden hull was sheathed with [[wrought iron]] [[belt armor]] that was {{convert|4.3|in|abbr=on|0|order=flip}} thick.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=337}}


==Service history==
==Service history==
[[File:Italian ironclad Formidabile in 1870.jpg|thumb|left|''Formidabile'' in 1870]]
[[File:Italian ironclad Formidabile in 1870.jpg|thumb|left|''Formidabile'' in 1870]]
''Formidabile'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the ''[[Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée]]'' shipyard in [[La Seyne]], France in December 1860, originally ordered by the [[Royal Sardinian Navy]]. She was [[ship launching|launched]] on 1 October 1861 and was completed in May 1862; by this time, the Sardinian fleet had been reformed as the ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy) of the newly unified [[Kingdom of Italy]].<ref>Gardiner, pp. 334, 337</ref> In June 1866, Italy declared war on Austria, as part of the [[Third Italian War of Independence]], which was fought concurrently with the [[Austro-Prussian War]].<ref name=S1>Sondhaus (1994), p. 1</ref> The Italian fleet commander, Admiral [[Carlo Pellion di Persano]], initially adopted a cautious course of action; he was unwilling to risk battle with the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy|Austrian Navy]], despite the fact that the Austrian fleet was much weaker than his own. Persano claimed he was simply waiting on the ironclad ram {{ship|Italian ironclad|Affondatore||2}}, ''en route'' from Britain, but his inaction weakened morale in the fleet, with many of his subordinates openly accusing him of cowardice.<ref>Greene & Massignani, pp. 217&ndash;222</ref>
''Formidabile'' was [[keel laying|laid down]] at the ''[[Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée]]'' shipyard in [[La Seyne]], France in December 1860, originally ordered by the [[Royal Sardinian Navy]]. She was [[ship launching|launched]] on 1 October 1861 and was completed in May 1862; by this time, the Sardinian fleet had been reformed as the ''[[Regia Marina]]'' (Royal Navy) of the newly unified [[Kingdom of Italy]].{{sfn|Fraccaroli|pp=334, 337}} In June 1866, Italy declared war on Austria, as part of the [[Third Italian War of Independence]], which was fought concurrently with the [[Austro-Prussian War]].{{sfn|Sondhaus 1994|p=1}} The Italian fleet commander, Admiral [[Carlo Pellion di Persano]], initially adopted a cautious course of action; he was unwilling to risk battle with the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy|Austrian Navy]], despite the fact that the Austrian fleet was much weaker than his own. Persano claimed he was simply waiting on the ironclad ram {{ship|Italian ironclad|Affondatore||2}}, ''en route'' from Britain, but his inaction weakened morale in the fleet, with many of his subordinates openly accusing him of cowardice.{{sfn|Greene & Massignani|pp=217–222}}


Rear Admiral [[Wilhelm von Tegetthoff]] brought the Austrian fleet to [[Ancona]] on 27 June, in attempt to draw out the Italians. Persano held a council of war aboard the ironclad {{ship|Italian ironclad|Principe di Carignano||2}} to determine whether he should sortie to engage Tegetthoff, but by that time, the Austrians had withdrawn, making the decision moot. The Minister of the Navy, [[Agostino Depretis]], urged Persano to act and suggested he capture the island of [[Vis (island)|Lissa]], to restore Italian confidence after their defeat at the [[Battle of Custoza (1866)|Battle of Custoza]] the previous month. On 7 July, Persano left Ancona and conducted a sweep into the Adriatic, but encountered no Austrian ships and returned on the 13th.<ref>Wilson, pp. 216&ndash;218</ref>
Rear Admiral [[Wilhelm von Tegetthoff]] brought the Austrian fleet to [[Ancona]] on 27 June, in attempt to draw out the Italians. Persano held a council of war aboard the ironclad {{ship|Italian ironclad|Principe di Carignano||2}} to determine whether he should sortie to engage Tegetthoff, but by that time, the Austrians had withdrawn, making the decision moot. The Minister of the Navy, [[Agostino Depretis]], urged Persano to act and suggested he capture the island of [[Vis (island)|Lissa]], to restore Italian confidence after their defeat at the [[Battle of Custoza (1866)|Battle of Custoza]] the previous month. On 7 July, Persano left Ancona and conducted a sweep into the Adriatic, but encountered no Austrian ships and returned on the 13th.{{sfn|Wilson|pp=216–218}}


===Battle of Lissa===
===Battle of Lissa===
{{main|Battle of Lissa (1866)}}
{{main|Battle of Lissa (1866)}}


On 16 July, Persano took the Italian fleet out of Ancona, bound for Lissa, where they arrived on the 18th. With them, they brought troop transports carrying 3,000 soldiers; the Italian warships began bombarding the Austrian forts on the island, with the intention of landing the soldiers once the fortresses had been silenced. In response, the Austrian Navy sent the fleet under Tegetthoff to attack the Italian ships.<ref>Sondhaus (1994), pp. 1&ndash;2</ref> ''Formidabile'' was at that time in the 3rd Division, along with her sister {{ship|Italian ironclad|Terribile||2}}, the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Re di Portogallo||2}} and {{ship|Italian ironclad|Regina Maria Pia||2}}, and the [[coastal defense ship]] {{ship|Italian coastal defense ship|Varese||2}}.<ref>Wilson, p. 219</ref> After spending the 18th unsuccessfully bombarding the Austrian fortresses, the Italians withdrew late in the day, preparing to launch another attack the following morning. Persano ordered ''Formidabile'' to enter the harbor at [[Vis (town)|Vis]] and attack the Madonna battery, supported by the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Castelfidardo||2}}, {{ship|Italian ironclad|Ancona||2}}, and ''Principe di Carignano''.<ref>Wilson, pp. 221&ndash;223</ref>
On 16 July, Persano took the Italian fleet out of Ancona, bound for Lissa, where they arrived on the 18th. With them, they brought troop transports carrying 3,000 soldiers; the Italian warships began bombarding the Austrian forts on the island, with the intention of landing the soldiers once the fortresses had been silenced. In response, the Austrian Navy sent the fleet under Tegetthoff to attack the Italian ships.{{sfn|Sondhaus 1994|pp=1–2}} ''Formidabile'' was at that time in the 3rd Division, along with her sister {{ship|Italian ironclad|Terribile||2}}, the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Re di Portogallo||2}} and {{ship|Italian ironclad|Regina Maria Pia||2}}, and the [[coastal defense ship]] {{ship|Italian coastal defense ship|Varese||2}}. After spending the 18th unsuccessfully bombarding the Austrian fortresses, the Italians withdrew late in the day, preparing to launch another attack the following morning. Persano ordered ''Formidabile'' to enter the harbor at [[Vis (town)|Vis]] and attack the Madonna battery, supported by the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Castelfidardo||2}}, {{ship|Italian ironclad|Ancona||2}}, and ''Principe di Carignano''.{{sfn|Wilson|pp=219–223}}


Upon entering the small harbor, the Italians found it impossible for the four ships to attack simultaneously, and so ''Formidabile'' was left to engage the Madonna battery alone. Following the conclusion of the bombardment, the ship's captain, [[Simone Antonio Saint-Bon]], reported to Persano that his ship had suffered over 50 casualties, and it had been significantly damaged by Austrian fire, though its armor had not been penetrated. Saint-Bon took his battered ship to the west, where he transferred his wounded to a [[hospital ship]].<ref>Wilson, p. 223</ref> The following day, while ''Formidabile'' was with the hospital ship, the Austrian fleet under Tegetthoff appeared.<ref>Wilson, p. 225</ref> Persano had ordered ''Formidabile'' to return to the [[line of battle|line]], but Saint-Bon informed Persano that his ship was unable to fight, and instead he withdrew to Ancona.<ref>Wilson, pp. 232, 250</ref> The Italians were defeated in the ensuing battle, with the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Re d'Italia||2}} and {{ship|Italian coastal defense ship|Palestro||2}} sunk.<ref>Wilson, pp. 238–241</ref>
Upon entering the small harbor, the Italians found it impossible for the four ships to attack simultaneously, and so ''Formidabile'' was left to engage the Madonna battery alone. Following the conclusion of the bombardment, the ship's captain, [[Simone Antonio Saint-Bon]], reported to Persano that his ship had suffered over 50 casualties, and it had been significantly damaged by Austrian fire, though its armor had not been penetrated. Saint-Bon took his battered ship to the west, where he transferred his wounded to a [[hospital ship]]. The following day, while ''Formidabile'' was with the hospital ship, the Austrian fleet under Tegetthoff appeared. Persano had ordered ''Formidabile'' to return to the [[line of battle|line]], but Saint-Bon informed Persano that his ship was unable to fight, and instead he withdrew to Ancona. The Italians were defeated in the ensuing battle, with the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Re d'Italia||2}} and {{ship|Italian coastal defense ship|Palestro||2}} sunk.{{sfn|Wilson|pp=223, 225, 232, 238–241, 250}}


===Later career===
===Later career===
After the battle, Persano was replaced by Admiral [[Giovanni Vacca (admiral)|Giovanni Vacca]]; he was ordered to attack the main Austrian naval base at [[Pula|Pola]], but the war ended before the operation could be carried out.<ref>Wilson, p. 251</ref> After the end of the war, the government lost confidence in the fleet and drastically reduced the naval budget. The cuts were so severe that the fleet had great difficulty in mobilizing its ironclad squadron to attack the port of [[Civitavecchia]] in September 1870, as part of the [[Italian unification|wars of Italian unification]]. Instead, the ships were laid up and the sailors [[conscript]]ed to man them were sent home.<ref>Gardiner, p. 336</ref> In addition, ''Formidabile'' was rapidly surpassed, first by [[central battery ship|central battery]] and then [[turret ship]]s, which made the first generation of ironclads like ''Formidabile'' and her sister obsolete.<ref>Sondhaus (2001), p. 112</ref> In 1872–1873, the ship received new boilers. Her armament was significantly reduced in 1878 to eight 8-inch guns.<ref name=G337/> In 1887, the ship was withdrawn from front-line service and was thereafter employed as a gunnery [[training ship]]. At this time, her armament was reduced to six {{convert|4.7|in|abbr=on}} guns. She served in this capacity until 1903, when she was stricken from the [[naval register]] and subsequently [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap.<ref name=G337/><ref>Ordovini et al., p. 328</ref>
After the battle, Persano was replaced by Admiral [[Giovanni Vacca (naval officer)|Giovanni Vacca]]; he was ordered to attack the main Austrian naval base at [[Pula|Pola]], but the war ended before the operation could be carried out.{{sfn|Wilson|p=251}} After the end of the war, the government lost confidence in the fleet and drastically reduced the naval budget. The cuts were so severe that the fleet had great difficulty in mobilizing its ironclad squadron to attack the port of [[Civitavecchia]] in September 1870, as part of the [[Italian unification|wars of Italian unification]]. Instead, the ships were laid up and the sailors [[conscript]]ed to man them were sent home.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=336}} In addition, ''Formidabile'' was rapidly surpassed, first by [[central battery ship|central battery]] and then [[turret ship]]s, which made the first generation of ironclads like ''Formidabile'' and her sister obsolete.{{sfn|Sondhaus 2001|p=112}}
As of October 1871, ''Formidabile'' was stationed in [[Naples]], along with ''Terribile'' and ''Principe di Carignano'' and a number of smaller vessels.{{sfn|Dupont|p=426}} In 1872–1873, the ship received new boilers. Her armament was significantly reduced in 1878 to eight 8-inch guns.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=337}} In 1887, the ship was withdrawn from front-line service and was thereafter employed as a gunnery [[training ship]]. At this time, her armament was reduced to six {{convert|4.7|in|abbr=on}} guns. She served in this capacity until 1903, when she was stricken from the [[naval register]] and subsequently [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=337}}{{sfn|Ordovini, Petronio, & Sullivan|p=328}}


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 69: Line 77:


==References==
==References==
* {{cite journal
* {{cite book |editor-last=Gardiner|editor-first=Robert|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1860–1905|year=1979|location=London|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|isbn=0-85177-133-5}}
|editor-last=Dupont
*{{Cite book |last1=Greene|first1=Jack|last2=Massignani|first2=Alessandro|title=Ironclads at War: The Origin and Development of the Armored Warship, 1854–1891|year=1998|location=Pennsylvania|publisher=Da Capo Press|lastauthoramp=y|isbn=0-938289-58-6}}
|editor-first=Paul
*{{cite magazine|last1=Ordovini|first1=Aldo F.|last2=Petronio|first2=Fulvio|last3=Sullivan|first3=David M.|title=Capital Ships of the Royal Italian Navy, 1860–1918: Part I: The ''Formidabile, Principe di Carignano, Re d'Italia, Regina Maria Pia, Affondatore, Roma'' and ''Principe Amedeo'' Classes|magazine=[[Warship International]]|date=December 2014|volume= 51|issue= 4|pages=323–360|ISSN=0043-0374}}
|title=Notes sur La Marine Et Les Ports Militaires de L'Italie
*{{Cite book| last=Sondhaus| first=Lawrence| title=The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867&ndash;1918| year=1994| location=West Lafayette| publisher=Purdue University Press| isbn=978-1-55753-034-9}}
|trans-title=Notes on the Navy and Military Ports of Italy
* {{cite book|last=Sondhaus|first=Lawrence|title=Naval Warfare, 1815–1914|location=New York|publisher=Routledge|year=2001|isbn=0-415-21478-5}}
|pages=415–430
* {{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Herbert Wrigley|title=Ironclads in Action: A Sketch of Naval Warfare from 1855 to 1895|url=https://archive.org/details/ironcladsinacti00wilsgoog|year=1896|publisher=S. Low, Marston and Company|location=London|oclc=1111061}}
|journal=La Revue Maritime et Coloniale
|trans-journal=The Naval and Colonial Review
|language=fr
|year=1872
|volume=XXXII
|location=Paris
|publisher=Imprimerie Administrative de Paul Dupont
|ref={{sfnref|Dupont}}
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=75QIiiFbe5kC&pg=PA426
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Fraccaroli
|first=Aldo
|editor-last=Gardiner
|editor-first=Robert
|chapter=Italy
|pages=334–359
|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
|year=1979
|location=London
|publisher=Conway Maritime Press
|isbn=978-0-85177-133-5
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
|ref={{sfnref|Fraccaroli}}
}}
* {{Cite book
|last1=Greene
|first1=Jack
|last2=Massignani
|first2=Alessandro
|title=Ironclads at War: The Origin and Development of the Armored Warship, 1854–1891
|year=1998
|location=Pennsylvania
|publisher=Da Capo Press
|isbn=978-0-938289-58-6
|ref={{sfnref|Greene & Massignani}}
}}
* {{cite magazine
|last1=Ordovini
|first1=Aldo F.
|last2=Petronio
|first2=Fulvio
|last3=Sullivan
|first3=David M.
|title=Capital Ships of the Royal Italian Navy, 1860–1918: Part I: The ''Formidabile, Principe di Carignano, Re d'Italia, Regina Maria Pia, Affondatore, Roma'' and ''Principe Amedeo'' Classes
|magazine=[[Warship International]]
|date=December 2014
|volume= 51
|issue= 4
|pages=323–360
|issn=0043-0374
|name-list-style=amp
|ref={{sfnref|Ordovini, Petronio, & Sullivan}}
}}
* {{Cite book
| last=Sondhaus
| first=Lawrence
| title=The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867–1918
| year=1994
| location=West Lafayette
| publisher=Purdue University Press
| isbn=978-1-55753-034-9
|ref={{sfnref|Sondhaus 1994}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Sondhaus
|first=Lawrence
|title=Naval Warfare, 1815–1914
|location=New York
|publisher=Routledge
|year=2001
|isbn=978-0-415-21478-0
|ref={{sfnref|Sondhaus 2001}}
}}
* {{cite book
|last=Wilson
|first=Herbert Wrigley
|author-link=Herbert Wrigley Wilson
|title=Ironclads in Action: A Sketch of Naval Warfare from 1855 to 1895
|url=https://archive.org/details/ironcladsinacti00wilsgoog
|year=1896
|publisher=S. Low, Marston and Company
|location=London
|oclc=1111061
|ref={{sfnref|Wilson}}
}}

==External links==
* [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/EFGHI/formidabile.aspx Formidabile] Marina Militare website {{in lang|it}}


{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}
{{Formidabile class ironclads}}
{{Formidabile class ironclads}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Formidabile}}
[[Category:Formidabile class ironclad|Formidabile]]
[[Category:Formidabile class ironclad|Formidabile]]
[[Category:1861 ships]]

Latest revision as of 23:41, 17 September 2024

Formidabile
History
Kingdom of Italy
NameFormidabile
Laid downDecember 1860
Launched1 October 1861
CompletedMay 1862
Stricken1903
FateBroken up
General characteristics
Class and typeFormidabile-class ironclad warship
Displacement
Length65.8 m (215 ft 11 in)
Beam14.44 m (47 ft 5 in)
Draft5.45 m (17 ft 11 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Range1,300 nmi (2,400 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement371
Armament
  • 4 × 203 mm (8 in) guns
  • 16 × 164 mm (6.5 in) guns
ArmorBelt armor: 109 mm (4.3 in)

Formidabile was the lead ship of the Formidabile-class ironclad warships, the first ships of that type to be built for the newly formed Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). Formidabile and her sister, Terribile, were both built in France; Formidabile was laid down in December 1860, was launched in October 1861, and was completed in May 1862. She was a broadside ironclad, equipped with four 203 mm (8 in) and sixteen 164 mm (6.5 in) guns.

The ship took part in the operation off Lissa in 1866 during the Third Italian War of Independence. There, she silenced the Austrian coastal batteries protecting the main port, but she was too badly damaged to take part in the ensuing Battle of Lissa. The ship's postwar career was limited due to a combination of drastically reduced naval budgets and the appearance of more modern ironclads. Formidabile was used as a training ship starting in 1887; she was discarded in 1903 and broken up for scrap.

Design

[edit]
Main article: Formidabile-class ironclad

Formidabile was 65.8 meters (215 ft 11 in) long overall; she had a beam of 14.44 m (47 ft 5 in) and an average draft of 5.45 m (17 ft 11 in). She displaced 2,682 long tons (2,725 t) normally and up to 2,807 long tons (2,852 t) at full load. She had a crew of 371. Her propulsion system consisted of one single-expansion marine steam engine that drove a single screw propeller, with steam supplied by six coal-fired, rectangular fire-tube boilers. The boilers were vented through a single funnel. Her engine produced a top speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) from 1,080 indicated horsepower (810 kW). She could steam for about 1,300 nautical miles (2,400 km; 1,500 mi) at her top speed. To supplement her steam engine, the ship was schooner-rigged.[1]

Formidabile was a broadside ironclad, carrying all of her guns in the traditional broadside arrangement. She was armed with a main battery of four 203 mm (8 in) guns and sixteen 164 mm (6.5 in) rifled muzzle-loading guns. The ship's wooden hull was sheathed with wrought iron belt armor that was 109 mm (4.3 in) thick.[1]

Service history

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Formidabile in 1870

Formidabile was laid down at the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard in La Seyne, France in December 1860, originally ordered by the Royal Sardinian Navy. She was launched on 1 October 1861 and was completed in May 1862; by this time, the Sardinian fleet had been reformed as the Regia Marina (Royal Navy) of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy.[2] In June 1866, Italy declared war on Austria, as part of the Third Italian War of Independence, which was fought concurrently with the Austro-Prussian War.[3] The Italian fleet commander, Admiral Carlo Pellion di Persano, initially adopted a cautious course of action; he was unwilling to risk battle with the Austrian Navy, despite the fact that the Austrian fleet was much weaker than his own. Persano claimed he was simply waiting on the ironclad ram Affondatore, en route from Britain, but his inaction weakened morale in the fleet, with many of his subordinates openly accusing him of cowardice.[4]

Rear Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff brought the Austrian fleet to Ancona on 27 June, in attempt to draw out the Italians. Persano held a council of war aboard the ironclad Principe di Carignano to determine whether he should sortie to engage Tegetthoff, but by that time, the Austrians had withdrawn, making the decision moot. The Minister of the Navy, Agostino Depretis, urged Persano to act and suggested he capture the island of Lissa, to restore Italian confidence after their defeat at the Battle of Custoza the previous month. On 7 July, Persano left Ancona and conducted a sweep into the Adriatic, but encountered no Austrian ships and returned on the 13th.[5]

Battle of Lissa

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Main article: Battle of Lissa (1866)

On 16 July, Persano took the Italian fleet out of Ancona, bound for Lissa, where they arrived on the 18th. With them, they brought troop transports carrying 3,000 soldiers; the Italian warships began bombarding the Austrian forts on the island, with the intention of landing the soldiers once the fortresses had been silenced. In response, the Austrian Navy sent the fleet under Tegetthoff to attack the Italian ships.[6] Formidabile was at that time in the 3rd Division, along with her sister Terribile, the ironclads Re di Portogallo and Regina Maria Pia, and the coastal defense ship Varese. After spending the 18th unsuccessfully bombarding the Austrian fortresses, the Italians withdrew late in the day, preparing to launch another attack the following morning. Persano ordered Formidabile to enter the harbor at Vis and attack the Madonna battery, supported by the ironclads Castelfidardo, Ancona, and Principe di Carignano.[7]

Upon entering the small harbor, the Italians found it impossible for the four ships to attack simultaneously, and so Formidabile was left to engage the Madonna battery alone. Following the conclusion of the bombardment, the ship's captain, Simone Antonio Saint-Bon, reported to Persano that his ship had suffered over 50 casualties, and it had been significantly damaged by Austrian fire, though its armor had not been penetrated. Saint-Bon took his battered ship to the west, where he transferred his wounded to a hospital ship. The following day, while Formidabile was with the hospital ship, the Austrian fleet under Tegetthoff appeared. Persano had ordered Formidabile to return to the line, but Saint-Bon informed Persano that his ship was unable to fight, and instead he withdrew to Ancona. The Italians were defeated in the ensuing battle, with the ironclads Re d'Italia and Palestro sunk.[8]

Later career

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After the battle, Persano was replaced by Admiral Giovanni Vacca; he was ordered to attack the main Austrian naval base at Pola, but the war ended before the operation could be carried out.[9] After the end of the war, the government lost confidence in the fleet and drastically reduced the naval budget. The cuts were so severe that the fleet had great difficulty in mobilizing its ironclad squadron to attack the port of Civitavecchia in September 1870, as part of the wars of Italian unification. Instead, the ships were laid up and the sailors conscripted to man them were sent home.[10] In addition, Formidabile was rapidly surpassed, first by central battery and then turret ships, which made the first generation of ironclads like Formidabile and her sister obsolete.[11]

As of October 1871, Formidabile was stationed in Naples, along with Terribile and Principe di Carignano and a number of smaller vessels.[12] In 1872–1873, the ship received new boilers. Her armament was significantly reduced in 1878 to eight 8-inch guns.[1] In 1887, the ship was withdrawn from front-line service and was thereafter employed as a gunnery training ship. At this time, her armament was reduced to six 4.7 in (120 mm) guns. She served in this capacity until 1903, when she was stricken from the naval register and subsequently broken up for scrap.[1][13]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d Fraccaroli, p. 337.
  2. ^ Fraccaroli, pp. 334, 337.
  3. ^ Sondhaus 1994, p. 1.
  4. ^ Greene & Massignani, pp. 217–222.
  5. ^ Wilson, pp. 216–218.
  6. ^ Sondhaus 1994, pp. 1–2.
  7. ^ Wilson, pp. 219–223.
  8. ^ Wilson, pp. 223, 225, 232, 238–241, 250.
  9. ^ Wilson, p. 251.
  10. ^ Fraccaroli, p. 336.
  11. ^ Sondhaus 2001, p. 112.
  12. ^ Dupont, p. 426.
  13. ^ Ordovini, Petronio, & Sullivan, p. 328.

References

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  • Dupont, Paul, ed. (1872). "Notes sur La Marine Et Les Ports Militaires de L'Italie" [Notes on the Navy and Military Ports of Italy]. La Revue Maritime et Coloniale [The Naval and Colonial Review] (in French). XXXII. Paris: Imprimerie Administrative de Paul Dupont: 415–430.
  • Fraccaroli, Aldo (1979). "Italy". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 334–359. ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
  • Greene, Jack; Massignani, Alessandro (1998). Ironclads at War: The Origin and Development of the Armored Warship, 1854–1891. Pennsylvania: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-938289-58-6.
  • Ordovini, Aldo F.; Petronio, Fulvio & Sullivan, David M. (December 2014). "Capital Ships of the Royal Italian Navy, 1860–1918: Part I: The Formidabile, Principe di Carignano, Re d'Italia, Regina Maria Pia, Affondatore, Roma and Principe Amedeo Classes". Warship International. Vol. 51, no. 4. pp. 323–360. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Sondhaus, Lawrence (1994). The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867–1918. West Lafayette: Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-034-9.
  • Sondhaus, Lawrence (2001). Naval Warfare, 1815–1914. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21478-0.
  • Wilson, Herbert Wrigley (1896). Ironclads in Action: A Sketch of Naval Warfare from 1855 to 1895. London: S. Low, Marston and Company. OCLC 1111061.
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