Contemporary wood-engraving of sister-ship Avnillah when new. The sails would go, but the hull shape endured.
Built overseas in 1868 - 70, these two ships were called casemate corvettes -- the lighter version of the early central battery ship. This is an important distinction, since the Ottoman Navy also included corvettes -- light patrol steamers with little armor, prototype light cruisers built later in the 19th century. Muin and Avnillah (also spelled Avni Illah) were only 2,350 tons but carried a robust belt of 6" wrought-iron armor. Avnillah had one screw and Muin-i Zafer two, to compare the advantages and disadvantages of these two dispositions. When new they were formidable ships, at least to anything smaller or without armor. As originally built, the ships had a two-mast hermaphrodite brig rig, but this was replaced by a single military mast in 1891. Unfortunately most of their careers were spent tied up at the Haliç at the sultan's orders. When they finally came into battle in 1912 and later, they were completely obsolete and highly vulnerable.Designed by G.C. Mackrow, these two ships had an unusual layout: a central battery with a "dimple" in the middle of either side, allowing piercing for four more gunports. The ships carried four 9" guns in their batteries, and this arrangement allowed them to pivot and fire all forward or all astern at certain angles. Though ingenious, this was in practice an awkward arrangement. In 1882 the inboard ports were filled with 3.4" guns and the 9" mounts fore and aft made permanent. In 1906 the 9" muzzle-loaders were replaced by 6"/40 quick-firing (QF) weapons. Both sisters were built at by Thames Iron Works, Blackwall, London.
The two ships the Ottomans had posted at Beirut were Avnillah and Angora, a torpedo boat. She was a relatively new vessel completed in 1906 and armed with two 37 mm cannons as well as two 14-inch torpedo tubes with a pair of torpedoes supplied per tube. The Avnillah was far from modern. After a 1907 reconstruction, she was armed with four 3" guns and eight 6-pounders. In addition to her guns she was equipped with a single 14" torpedo tube at this time. However, by 1911 her engines were worn out and she had to be maneuvered by tow or tug; in effect, a floating battery, and not a very formidable one at that. In 1912 the Italians decided to eliminate the Turkish ships at Beirut, in order to ensure safe passage of their troopships and safe access to Suez in their war against Turkey, mainly fought in Libya. Rome sent two Garibaldi class armored cruisers armed with 8- and 10-inch guns (below right), completely outclassing the Turks at Beirut and all but guaranteeing victory. The Italian ships were the name ship Giuseppi Garibaldi and the Francesco Ferruccio (some sources say the sister-ship Varese).The two Italian cruisers approached the harbor and fired a blank shot at the Turkish vessels lying there. Upon sighting the Italian ships, Avnillah's commander sent out a launch under a flag of truce to communicate with the enemy. While negotiating, the Turkish commander ordered the TB Angora to take station near the harbor mole. At 0730 Admiral Revel ordered the Turkish launch to return with an ultimatum addressed to the Wali of Beirut, demanding that he surrender his two warships by 0900. The message was received by the Wali at 0830. The official was in the process of issuing a decree of surrender, which however was not received by the Italians before the deadline. Accordingly, at 0900 the Italians attacked the Ottoman ships in the harbor (chart).
At a distance of 6,000 meters the Italians opened fire upon the Ottoman corvette. The Turks returned fire ineffecually until 0935, when the Italian gunfire set the Avnillah afire. Receiving heavy damage and outgunned, the old corvette struck her colours and the crew abandoned ship. At this point the Garibaldi moved in close and engaged the Angora at a range of 600 meters, but her gunfire but failed to damage the target. The Garibaldi then attempted to finish off Avnillah by firing a torpedo at her. However, the torpedo deviated from its trajectory and instead hit several lighters moored nearby, sinking six of them. Undeterred, the Italian cruiser fired a second torpedo that struck the Turkish corvette amidships. By 1100 hours the corvette was sunk in shallow water and the Italian cruisers withdrew to the north. The action was not over, however; at 1345 the Italians returned and once more engaged the Turkish forces. The only warship remaining to engage was the torpedo boat Angora, so the Ferruccio moved in close and attacked. This time the cruiser's gunfire was accurate, and in three minutes Angora joined the Avnillah at the bottom of Beirut's harbor. Once the fighting had ended the two Italian cruisers stood off in a westerly direction.
The Turkish naval presence at Beirut was completely annihilated, removing the only Ottoman naval threat to Italian transports in the area and giving the Italians complete naval dominance of the southern Mediterranean for the remainder of the war.
The Muin-i Zafer, by contrast, lived to an even riper old age. She took part in the Fleet Demonstration at Selanik, the First Balkan War, and the First World War, the latter two as a torpedo training ship. Her 3" QF and 6-pdr guns were removed at the time of conversion (1913) and all remaining ordnance in 1916-17. In the late Twenties she was converted yet again, this time becoming a submarine tender. The venerable ironclad was junked in 1932.
Specifications for the Avnillah class:
Dimensions (as built - 1870): 236' x 35'9" x 16'5" Displacement: 2,362 tons. Armament (1870): (4) 9" MLR; (1882) (2) 3.4" MLR added to above; 1891 - (2) 2.5" BLR, (2) 37 mm revolving cannon, and (2) 1" MG added to 1882 armament, also (1) 18" TT; 1906 - (4) 6"/40 QF, (6) 3" QF, (10) 57 mm QF. Avnillah sunk 1912, Muin disarmed 1913. Armor: Wrought-iron type. Belt: 6"/3", battery 6", bulkheads 5". Sail rig: Hermaphrodite brig. Fuel capacity: 750 tons of coal. Propulsion: 4 rectangular Thames IW boilers; 1906 rebuilt with 2 cylindrical boilers. Original engine: Maudslay horizontal compound engine developing 2,200 ihp, shafted to single screw. Speed: 12 kts trials, 10 kts 1877, 8 kts 1892.
Ships in class: Avnillah · Muin-i Zafer
Metric specifications:
Dimensions (as built - 1870): 71.9m x 10.9m x 5m Displacement: 2,362 tons. Armament (1870): (4) 229 mm MLR; (1882) (2) 87 mm MLR added to above; 1891 - (2) 63 mm BLR, (2) 37 mm revolving cannon, and (2) 25.4 mm MG added to 1882 armament, also (1) 45 cm TT; 1906 - (4) 5.9"/40 QF, (6) 3" QF, (10) 57 mm QF. Avnillah sunk 1912, Muin disarmed 1913. Armor: Wrought-iron type. Belt: 150/76 mm, battery 76 mm, bulkheads 126 mm. Sail rig: Hermaphrodite brig. Fuel capacity: 750 tons of coal. Propulsion: 4 rectangular Thames IW boilers; 1906 rebuilt with 2 cylindrical boilers. Original engine: Maudslay horizontal compound engine developing 1,641 kW, shafted to single screw. Speed: 22.2 km/hr trials, 18.52 kts 1877, 14.8 km/hr 1892.
The Muin undergoing conversion to a torpedo training ship at the Istanbul Naval Dockyard, 1913. Her main guns were removed at this time.
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