Ammiraglio di Saint Bon

Predreadnought Battleship [ 1901 ]

The Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was a true performer for the Italian Navy for over two decades.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/11/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was accepted into the Regia Marina (Italian Navy) at the turn of the last century, prior to The Great War and the Italian involvement in other campaigns. She was classified as a "predreadnought" battleship following the industry shakeup caused by the British Royal Navy's introduction of HMS Dreadnought. HMS Dreadnought, appearing in 1906, rewrote the concept of the big-gunned warship and brought this about with improved speed when compared to her contemporaries. As such, all previous battleships came to be known as "predreadnought" battleships and were more or less made obsolete by the arrival of HMS Dreadnought. Ammiraglio di Saint Bon made up the first (lead) of two in her class, her sister becoming Emanuele Filiberto in 1901. Ammiraglio di Saint Bon saw her keel laid down on July 18th, 1893 by the Venice Naval Shipyard. She was launched on April 29th, 1897 and completed on May 24th, 1901. She was then officially commissioned on February 1st, 1901.

As built, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon displaced at 10,700 tons with a length of 367 feet, a beam of 69 feet and draught of 25 feet. Her propulsion system consisted of 12 x cylindrical boilers feeding triple expansion steam engines while driving 2 x shafts with 14,300 horsepower output. Maximum speed was 18 knots in ideal conditions with an extreme range out to 5,500 nautical miles. Her crew complement numbered 557 officers and enlisted. Armor protection included nearly 10 inches at the belt with 2.75 inches registered on deck. The turrets were protected in 9.8 inches of armor plating as was the conning tower. Casemates were given up to 5.9 inches of armor. She proved a well-armored vessel for her time.

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon's profile consisted of a single, centralized superstructure atop a wide hull design conventionally tapered at either end. There was a single mast at amidships which split the two smoke funnels. The main guns were housed in a forward and an aft turret with lower-caliber guns fitted about the superstructure.

At the heart of every warship remains its armament and the installations fitted to Ammiraglio di Saint Bon did not disappoint. Her primary units were 4 x 10" (254mm) /40 main guns fitted across a fore and aft turret with a good combined force when unleashing a broadside attack. This was backed by 8 x 6" (152mm) /40 guns which could also be brought to bear. There proved 8 x 4.7" /40 guns for additional firepower and close-range fighting was handled through 8 x 2.2" 6-pounder (57mm) /43 guns and 2 x 1.5" (37mm) guns. To combat surface vessels from below the waterline at range, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was also outfitted with 4 x 17.7" (450mm) torpedo tubes. As with her armor protection, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon also fielded considerable firepower for her day.

When inducted into service, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon became the pride of the Italian Fleet and served in as such for over two decades. As part of the Regia Marina's 3rd Division, she served against the Ottoman Empire during the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912) which proved an Italian victory and eventually led to the formation of oil-rich Libya. After the war, the vessel was scheduled for the scrapyard until the arrival of World War 1 (1914-1918) changed plans for all European powers. Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was pressed back into service with the Italian navy and took on a defensive posture at Venice during the conflict where Italy eventually sided with the Allies. From April 1916 onwards, she was relocated as required and where her guns could be put to best use in defense. After the war, Ammiraglio di Saint Bon served out her days in relative anonymity and was officially struck from the Naval Register in June of 1920. This time, she did not escape the scrapman's torch and was dismantled and sold off after having her armament and vitals removed.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1901

Origin

Italy

Status

DECOMMISSIONED
Destroyed, Scrapped.

Complement

557
PERSONNEL

Class

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon

Number-in-Class

2
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon; Emmanuele Filiberto

Kingdom of Italy

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.

✓ Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.

✓ Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.

✓ Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.

✓ Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.

✓ Flag Ship / Capital Ship
Serving in the fleet Flag Ship role or Capital Ship in older warship designs / terminology.

Length

367.0 ft
111.86 m

Beam

70.0 ft
21.34 m

Draught

25.0 ft
7.62 m

Displacement

10,700
tons

Installed Power: 12 x Cylindrical boilers feeding vertical triple expansion engines while developing 14,300 horsepower to 2 x shafts.

Surface Speed

18.0 kts
(20.7 mph)

Range

4,449 nm
(5,120 mi | 8,240 km)

4 x 10" (254mm) /40 main guns (two turrets)

8 x 6" (152mm) /40 guns

8 x 4.7" (119mm) /40 guns

8 x 2.2" (57mm) /43 6-pounder guns

2 x 1.5" (37mm) /20 guns

4 x 17.7" (450mm) torpedo tubes

Supported Types

Graphical image of a historical warship turreted main gun armament

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period

Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image courtesy of the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)