Caio Duilio in 1880 fit; 1:700 model. Click here to enlarge.
The new nation of Italy -- born from weak, divided small states often under foreign domination -- wanted to make a statement of its capabilities as a military power. That statement was the Caio Duilio class of battleships, widely regarded as the most powerful of their time. Developed on the basis of HMS Devastation and using muzzle-loading rifled guns manufactured by Armstrongs in Britain, the 2-ship class was a tour-de-force of advanced marine architecture and shipbuilding, requiring 7-10 years to complete and challenging Italy's young iron shipbuilding industry. Designed by crack marine architect Benedetto Brin, a staunch believer in the big battleship fleet, they were constructed at La Spezia and equipped with guns and engines manufactured by Armstrong's in England. These two iron-and-steel composite battleships were laid down in 1873 and completed in 1878 and 1880, respectively. The Regia Marina copped bragging rights for the biggest guns afloat with the 17.7" (450mm) muzzle-loading rifles mounted in two massive turrets en échelon amidships (i.e., staggered on the two beams). The ship was originally designed for 12" guns like the Devastation's, but was up-gunned twice during construction as more impressive weapons became available.But there were many problems with this outsize artillery. The loading arrangements for the 100-ton guns were cumbersome, guaranteeing a deliberate (not to say glacial) rate of fire: one salvo every 15 minutes was standard. The mounting scheme permitted cross-deck fire on broadside; but this layout presented problems with muzzle blast, which in turn dictated minimal superstructure. With their 21½" thick steel belt armor and 17" turret protection, the ships' progress was stately even with the best compound engines of the day. And the great weight of the guns and their mountings caused sacrifices to be made in other areas of the design: no auxiliary sail propulsion was provided, chiefly because of the weight. More drastically, armor protection was downgraded to save weight. Belt armor was restricted to the "citadel" in the center one-third of the ship: it included the guns, magazines, and boiler rooms. Remaining machinery was protected by a curved, internal armored deck, which was copied and adapted in practically all armored ships of the pre-dreadnought era. The unprotected "soft ends" of the ship were provided with elaborate watertight subdivision to protect the vessel in case of flooding to either section.
Clearly, these were ground-breaking, epoch-making ships, and an impressive achievement for Italy. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, look no further than the #1 navy of the time: the Duilios were imitated by the British in their Inflexible and the later Agamemnon and Colossus classes of the Eighties. The influence of the échelon turret placement echoed down the decades: both the unfortunate USS Maine and the 1895 Texas adopted the échelon layout, for example. They were copies of 1880s Brazilian armored cruisers, built in Britain and France, which reduced Brin's design in scale.
The two ships had long service lives in the Regia Marina. In 1895-98, they were modernized and updated, receiving 10" breech-loading guns and numerous secondary weapons as well as new boilers. The central mast was removed and replaced with a two-mast military rig, as seen in the photo above right. Although modernized, they were in the nature of floating antiques and were used for coastal defense only.
The Duilios were well-made iron ships: Duilio's sister Dandolo, launched in 1878 and completed 1883, survived for more than 40 years; she is seen at right plying the waters of Nostra Mare in 1890. The Duilio, on the other hand, remained in commission until 1909. Long ago disarmed, her hulk survived well into the 1920s, converted into a stationary oil tank -- the same humble rôle that preserved HMS Warrior for the ages.
Specifications for the Caio Duilio class:
Dimensions: 358'3" x 64'10" x 28'10" Displacement: 11,138 tons standard; 12,267 tons deep laden. Propulsion: 8 coal-fired boilers; (2) horizontal compound steam engines developing 7,710 HP; twin screw. Speed: 15 knots. Armament: (4) 17.7"/27 MLR (2x2), (3) 4.7"/32, (2) 3", (8) 2¼", and (22) 1½" guns; (3) 14" torpedo tubes. Compound armor: Waterline belt on citadel 21½", turrets 17.7", deck 3"/1.4". Crew: 420. Endurance: 3,760 nm @ 9 kts.
Ships in class: Caio Duilio · Dandolo.
Metric Specifications:
Dimensions: 109.2m x 19.79m x 8.8m. Displacement: 11,138 tons standard; 12,267 tons deep laden. Propulsion: 8 coal-fired boilers; (2) horizontal compound steam engines developing 5,346.7 kW; twin screw. Speed: 27.8 km/hr. Armament: (4) 450 mm/27 MLR (2x2), (3) 120 mm/32, (2) 75 mm, (8) 57 mm, and (22) 37 mm guns; (3) 356 mm torpedo tubes. Compound armor: Waterline belt on citadel 550 mm, turrets 460mm, deck 76 mm/35 mm. Crew: 420. Endurance: 6,964 km @ 16.7 km/hr.
A profile of Dandolo in original rig, quietly anchored at Taranto. You can make out the port guns, pointed aft, on the forward turret under the hurricane deck.
The broad decks of the Dandolo showing the big guns trained to starboard. Look at the size of those fatties! Photo also shows bridge and overhead network of hurricane decks.
Diagram showing the procedure for reloading the ships' big guns. As in Inflexible, the muzzle-loading guns were depressed under an armored shield or glacis for reloading, then retracted and re-trained to fire. A fully trained crew could loose a salvo once every quarter hour. Turret training gear was operated by steam, but shell hoists were hand-cranked. Late in their careers they were re-gunned with 10" rifles and retrofitted with electric ammo hoists. Look at the thickness of that armored girdle: 21½ inches of iron and steel backed with 18 inches of oak.
Stern quarter view of the Dandolo after her 1895-98 reconstruction, showing two-masted rig and installation of numerous secondary weapons.
Following the ambitious Italia class, the Admiralty in Rome turned to more conservative and less costly designs. The result was a return to a Duilio-like design in the 1885 Ruggiero di Lauria class. Following the extravagance of the Italia class, the Admiralty reverted to a design derived closely from the Duilio, with turrets mounted en echelon, little superstructure, and flying bridges or "hurricane decks" over the turret tops. These three later ships were the Ruggiero di Lauria class, named for the Aragonese/Sicilian victor in the naval Battle of Castellammare in 1284. The second of the class was named for Adm. Andrea Doria, the great 16th-century Genoese admiral (right). The third member of the class was the Francesco Morosini. The class took advantage of technological advances such as all-steel hulls, more powerful engines, and breech-loading 17" artillery, but otherwise were retrograde, merely adapting new materials to the 1870s Duilio design. Since these ships took 7-9 years to build, they were obsolescent when they hit the waves in 1888-1891. Their construction was affected by economy moves in the Italian government (taken over by the social reformers from 1880-1883, after which the militarists once again resumed power). The ships' size and armor were reduced by government order while they were under construction. Government parsimony notwithstanding, these ships were well put together: the name ship survived (albeit as a hulk) until 1943, not being scrapped until 1946. Morosini was expended as a target in 1909; Andrea Doria served as a floating battery in WWI and was finally scrapped in 1929.
Deck scene aboard the Ruggiero di Lauria. The giant guns poke out over small fieldpieces and ammunition caissons cradled against the turret side. These 47mm (1.85") guns were carried in small boats and used in landings.
Specifications for the class:
347'5" x 65'1½" x 27'2½" Displacement: 9,886 tons standard; 11,000 tons deep laden. Propulsion: 8 coal-fired boilers; (2) vertical compound steam engines developing 10,591 HP; twin screw. Speed: 17 knots. Armament: (4) 17"/27 BLR (2x2), (2) 6"/32 (152 mm), and (4) 4.7"/32 guns; (2) 14" torpedo tubes; guns and torpedoes all of Italian make. Compound armor: Waterline belt on citadel 18", turrets 17", deck 3"/1.4". Crew: 507. Endurance: 2,800 nm @ 10 kts, or 10.1 days at sea.
Ships in class: Ruggiero di Lauria · Francesco Morosini · Andrea Doria.
Metric Specs:
Dimensions: 105.9m x 19.84m x 8.29m. Displacement: 9,886 tons standard; 11,000 tons deep laden. Propulsion: 8 coal-fired boilers; (2) vertical compound steam engines developing 7,897.7 kW; twin screw. Speed: 31.5 km/hr. Armament: (4) 432 mm/27 BLR (2x2), (2) 152 mm/32, and (4) 120 mm/32 guns; (2) 356 mm torpedo tubes; guns and torpedoes all of Italian make. Compound armor: Waterline belt on citadel 457 mm, turrets 432 mm, deck 75/35 mm. Crew: 507. Endurance: 5,186 km @ 18.5 km/hr, or 10.1 days at sea.
