Italian Cruiser Folgore

''Folgore'' was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy), the lead ship of the . Armed with three torpedo tubes and six light guns, she was capable of a top speed of . She was built in the mid-1880s, was launched in September 1886, and was completed in February 1887. The ship spent her first two years in service either conducting training maneuvers with the main Italian fleet or in reserve status. She was badly damaged in a collision with the cruiser in 1889, which reduced her effectiveness and cut her career short. ''Folgore'' spent the next eleven years primarily in the reserve, until she was sold for scrap in April 1901 and broken up.

Design

''Folgore'' was long overall and had a beam of and an average draft of . She displaced normally. Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal double-expansion steam engines each driving a single screw propeller, with steam supplied by four coal-fired locomotive boilers. ''Folgore'' could steam at a speed of from . She had a crew of between 57 and 70.

The primary armament for ''Folgore'' was three torpedo tubes. For defense against torpedo boats, she was also equipped with two /43 guns, two guns and four /25 guns, all mounted singly. The ship carried no armor protection.

Service history

''Folgore'' was built at the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia (Royal Dockyard in Castellammare di Stabia). She was launched on 29 September 1886 and was completed on 16 February 1887. On 10 June, the annual fleet maneuvers began; ''Folgore'' was assigned to the "defending squadron", along with the ironclads , , , and , the protected cruiser , and several smaller vessels. The first half of the maneuvers tested the ability to attack and defend the Strait of Messina, and concluded in time for a fleet review by King Umberto I on the 21st. The second phase consisted of joint maneuvers with the Italian Army; ''Folgore'' and the torpedo cruiser were tasked with blockading Livorno. The exercises lasted until 30 July.

The following year, she took part in the annual fleet maneuvers, along with five ironclads, a protected cruiser, the torpedo cruisers ''Tripoli'', , and , and numerous smaller vessels. The maneuvers consisted of close-order drills and a simulated attack on and defense of La Spezia. Later that year, the ship was present during a naval review held for the German Kaiser Wilhelm II during a visit to Italy. The ship's career was cut short on 5 July 1889, when she collided with the protected cruiser while the two ships were steaming off Capri. ''Folgore'' was badly damaged, and she could not be restored to her original capabilities. She was accordingly laid up.

''Folgore'' was briefly recommissioned to take part in the annual fleet maneuvers in 1894, along with her sister ship ''Saetta''. After two months in service, both vessels returned to the reserve. As of 1895, she was located in La Spezia, along with ''Saetta''. That year, unrest in the Ottoman Empire that killed hundreds of foreign nationals prompted several of the European great powers to send an international fleet to pressure the Ottomans into compensating the victims. In November, a small Italian squadron was sent to Smyrna to join the fleet in there; ''Folgore'' was mobilized as part of a larger force in Naples that consisted of the ironclads ''Francesco Morosini'', , and , the protected cruiser , the torpedo cruiser , and five torpedo boats. This second squadron was stocked with coal and ammunition in the event that it would need to reinforce the squadron at Smryna.{{{sfn, The Fleets in the Levant, p=16,664 She remained in reserve until 12 April 1900, when the ''Regia Marina'' sold the ship for scrap. ''Folgore'' was thereafter broken up.{{sfn, Fraccaroli, p=347

Notes

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References

* {{cite journal
, editor-last=Beehler
, editor-first=W. H.
, journal=Information from Abroad
, title=Naval Manoevres, 1887: Italian
, pages=164–167
, year=1887
, location=Washington, D.C.
, publisher=Government Printing Office
, oclc=12922775
, ref={{sfnref, Beehler

* {{cite journal
, editor-last=Brassey
, editor-first=Thomas A.
, journal=The Naval Annual
, title=Foreign Naval Manoevres
, pages=450–455
, year=1889
, location=Portsmouth
, publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
, oclc=5973345
, ref={{sfnref, Brassey

* {{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 journal
, editor-last=Garbett
, editor-first=H.
, title=Naval and Military Notes
, journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution
, year=1894
, volume=XXXVIII
, location=London
, publisher=Harrison & Sons
, pages=557–572
, ref={{sfnref, Garbett 1894

* {{cite journal
, editor-last=Garbett
, editor-first=H.
, title=Naval and Military Notes – Italy
, journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution
, publisher=J. J. Keliher
, location=London
, year=1895
, volume=XXXIX
, pages=81–111
, oclc=8007941
, ref={{sfnref, Garbett 1895

* {{cite journal
, title=The Fleets in the Levant
, journal=Scientific American Supplement
, volume=XL
, number=1043
, location=New York
, pages=16,663–16,664
, oclc=809204954
, ref={{sfnref, The Fleets in the Levant

External links

Incrociatori
Marina Militare website

{{Portal bar, Italy, Engineering, Military
{{Folgore-class cruiser

{{Good article

{{DEFAULTSORT:Folgore
1886 ships
Ships built in Castellammare di Stabia
Folgore-class cruisers