The Affontadore was lost in the Battle of Lissa during the Austro-Prussian War, attempting to ram Austrian vessels. By Staff Writer
The Affondatore was an ironclad vessel serving the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. She led a short life on the seas, eventually seeing her demise in the Battle of Lissa (1866) during the Austro-Prussian War where her attempt to ram Austrian vessels led to her taking on more damage than she could stand. The Affondatore was lost at Ancona Harbor as a result.
The Affondatore warship served the Italian fleet in the "ironclad" age - a period where wooden-hulled ships were giving way to steel vessels - taking part in battles for control of the Adriatic. The vessel was armed with two muzzle-loading rifled cannons of 254mm and an additional 2 x smoothbore type cannons, featured two smoke stacks dispersing the excess from the single screw horizontal compound engines and a shaped ram at the bow (which in all actuality made it the primary weapon of the type). The turrets were a design by Captain Cowper Coles of the British Navy and the Affondatore was itself constructed in Millwall, London for the Italians.
The Affondatore served as the flagship to Admiral Persano's fleet for a time and fought in the Battle of Lissa against Austria. She was initially constructed in 1963 and was commissioned in 1866, meeting her fate that same year.
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Navy Ship Profile:
Photo Courtesy of Domenico P.
1866
Designation: Affondatore Classification Type:Ironclad Warship Ship Class:Affondatore Country of Origin: Italy Number in Class: 1
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