Italian ironclad Francesco Morosini
Francesco Morosini was an ironclad battleship built in the 1880s and 1890s for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). The ship, named for Francesco Morosini, the 17th-century Doge of Venice, was the second of three ships in the Ruggiero di Lauria class, along with Ruggiero di Lauria and Andrea Doria. She was armed with a main battery of four 356 mm (14 in) guns, was protected with 451 mm (17.75 in) thick belt armor, and was capable of a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).
Francesco Morosini underway | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Italy | |
| Name | Francesco Morosini |
| Namesake | Francesco Morosini |
| Operator | Regia Marina |
| Builder | Venetian Arsenal |
| Laid down | 4 December 1881 |
| Launched | 30 July 1885 |
| Completed | 21 August 1889 |
| Stricken | August 1909 |
| Fate | Sunk as target, 15 September 1909 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Ruggiero di Lauria-class ironclad battleship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 105.9 m (347 ft 5 in) length overall |
| Beam | 19.84 m (65 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 8.29 m (27 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Endurance | 2,800 nmi (5,186 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 507–509 |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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The ship's construction period was very lengthy, beginning in August 1881 and completing in February 1888. She was quickly rendered obsolescent by the new pre-dreadnought battleships being laid down, and as a result, her career was limited. She spent her career alternating between the Active and Reserve Squadrons, where she took part in training exercises each year with the rest of the fleet. The ship was stricken from the naval register in August 1909; the following month, she was expended as a target ship for experiments with torpedoes.