Italian cruiser Minerva
![]() Minerva shortly after her launching, still incomplete
| |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Minerva |
Namesake | Minerva |
Builder | Gio. Ansaldo & C., Genoa |
Laid down | 1 February 1889 |
Launched | 27 February 1892 |
Commissioned | 20 August 1892 |
Fate | Scrapped 1921 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Partenope-class torpedo cruiser |
Displacement | Normal: 833 long tons (846 t) |
Length | 73.1 m (239 ft 10 in) |
Beam | 8.22 m (27 ft) |
Draft | 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 18.1 to 20.8 knots (33.5 to 38.5 km/h; 20.8 to 23.9 mph) |
Complement | 96–121 |
Armament |
|
Armor |
|
Minerva was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1880s. The second of eight ships, Minerva was built by Gio. Ansaldo & C.; her keel was laid down in February 1889, she was launched in February 1892, and she was commissioned in August that year. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Minerva spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was converted into a minelayer in 1909–1910. She did not see significant action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911 or World War I in 1915–1918, though she was used to lay defensive minefields during the latter conflict. The ship was sold for scrap in 1921.
Design
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1a/Partenope-class_cruiser_plan_and_profile_drawing.jpg/220px-Partenope-class_cruiser_plan_and_profile_drawing.jpg)
The Partenope-class cruisers were derivatives of the earlier, experimental Goito-class cruisers, themselves based on the preceding cruiser Tripoli.[1] The class marked a temporary shift toward the ideas of the Jeune École in Italian naval thinking. The doctrine emphasized the use of small, torpedo-armed craft to destroy expensive ironclads.[2]
Minerva was 73.1 meters (239 ft 10 in)
Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal
Minerva was armed with a
Service history
Minerva was laid down on 1 February 1889 at the
Minerva served in the active squadron in 1902.[7] In 1903, Minerva was assigned to the 1st Squadron, along with Euridice. The unit also included eight battleships, six other cruisers, and six destroyers. The 1st Squadron was kept in active service for seven months of the year for training, and had reduced crews for the remainder of the year.[8] She remained in the squadron the following year, which was reduced in size, with the two oldest battleships having been withdrawn, though three destroyers were added.[9] Between 1909 and 1910, the ship was modernized and converted into a minelayer. She received new oil-fired boilers and had her armament reduced to two 3 in (76 mm) guns, four 57 mm guns and two 37 mm guns. Minerva's speed was reduced to 18.28 knots (33.85 km/h; 21.04 mph) on 3,524 ihp (2,628 kW).[3] At the start of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Minerva was attached to the 4th Division of the 2nd Squadron of the Italian fleet. By this time, she was being used as a minelayer. She did not see significant action during the war.[10]
Italy had declared neutrality at the start of World War I, but by July 1915, the
Footnotes
Notes
Citations
- ^ Fraccaroli, pp. 347–348.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 149.
- ^ a b c d e f Fraccaroli, p. 347.
- ^ Notes on Ships and Torpedo Boats — Italy, p. 68.
- ^ Clarke & Thursfield, pp. 202–203.
- ^ Garbett 1895, p. 90.
- ^ Garbett 1902, p. 1075.
- ^ Brassey, p. 60.
- ^ Garbett 1904, p. 1429.
- ^ Beehler, p. 9.
- ^ Halpern, pp. 140–142, 150.
- ^ O'Hara, Dickson, & Worth, p. 201.
References
- Beehler, William Henry (1913). The History of the Italian-Turkish War: September 29, 1911, to October 18, 1912. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. OCLC 1408563.
- OCLC 5973345.
- Clarke, George S. & Thursfield, James R. (1897). The Navy and the Nation, or Naval Warfare and Imperial Defence. London: John Murray. OCLC 3462308.
- 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.
- Garbett, H., ed. (1895). "Naval and Military Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XXXIX. London: J. J. Keliher: 81–111. OCLC 8007941.
- Garbett, H., ed. (1902). "Naval Notes". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XLVI. London: J. J. Keliher: 1060–1079. OCLC 8007941.
- Garbett, H., ed. (1904). "Naval Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XLVIII. London: J. J. Keliher: 1428–1431. OCLC 8007941.
- Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-352-7.
- "Notes on Ships and Torpedo Boats — Italy". Notes on the Year's Naval Progress. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office: 65–69. 1896.
- O'Hara, Vincent; Dickson, David & Worth, Richard (2013). To Crown the Waves: The Great Navies of the First World War. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-61251-082-8.
- Sondhaus, Lawrence (2001). Naval Warfare, 1815–1914. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21478-0.
External links
- Minerva Marina Militare website