Italian cruiser Saetta

Saetta in 1905

Saetta was a Folgore-class torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1880s.

Design

Saetta was 56.7 meters (186 ft) long overall and had a beam of 6.31 m (20.7 ft) and an average draft of 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in). She displaced 364 metric tons (358 long tons; 401 short tons) 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. Saetta could steam at a speed of17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) from 2,150 indicated horsepower (1,600 kW). She had a crew of between 57–70.^[1]

The primary armament for Saetta was three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes. She was also equipped with two57 mm (2.2 in) /43 guns and four 37 mm (1.5 in) /25 guns, all mounted singly. The ship carried no armor protection.^[1]

Service history

Saetta was built at the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia (Royal Dockyard in Castellammare di Stabia). She was launched on 30 May 1887 and was completed on 16 February 1888.^[1]

In 1892, the Regia Marina used Saetta to conduct experiments with oil-fired boilers.^[1]

In 1895, Saetta was stationed in La Spezia in the 1st Maritime Department, along with her sister ship Folgore,^[2] though the latter had been badly damaged in a collision and was decommissioned.^[1]

From 1897 to 1900, the ship served as a torpedo training ship. The following year, she was transferred to the gunnery school, where she train gunners for the fleet. In 1902, her gun armament was expanded to increase the types of weapons available for training.^[1] She was still serving in this capacity in 1904–05, along with the old ironclad Enrico Dandolo.^[3]

Saetta was ultimately discarded on 14 May 1908 and subsequently broken up for scrap.^[1]

Notes

1. Gardiner, p. 347
2. "Naval and Military Notes – Italy", p. 90
3. "Naval Notes – Italy", p. 1429

References

• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
• "Naval Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution (London: J. J. Keliher). XLVIII: 1428–1431. 1904. OCLC 8007941.
• "Naval and Military Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution (London: J. J. Keliher). XXXIX: 81–111. 1895. OCLC 8007941.