Folgore-class cruiser

{{lang|it|Folgore}} and {{lang|it|Saetta}} were designed by Benedetto Brin;{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}} Brin had previously designed several classes of very large ironclad battleships, including the {{sclass|Duilio|ironclad|5}} and {{sclass|Italia|ironclad|4}}es, but by the 1880s, he had begun to embrace the ideas of the {{lang|fr|Jeune École}}, which emphasized small, fast, torpedo-armed vessels that could damage or destroy the much larger battleships at a fraction of the cost.{{sfn|Sondhaus|p=149}} After the two {{lang|it|Folgore}}s, which were rated as {{lang|it|torpediniere-avisos}} (torpedo-avisos), the eight ships of the {{sclass|Partenope|cruiser|4}} were laid down, continuing Brin's ideas at the time.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

File:Italian cruiser Saetta.jpg

The ships of the {{lang|it|Folgore}} class were {{convert|56.7|m|sp=us}} long overall and had a beam of {{convert|6.31|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. {{lang|it|Folgore}} displaced {{convert|364|LT|sp=us|lk=on}} normally, while {{lang|it|Saetta}} displaced {{convert|394|LT|sp=us}}. {{lang|it|Folgore}} had an average draft of {{convert|2.15|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, while {{lang|it|Saetta}} sat slightly lower in the water as a result of her greater displacement, with a draft of {{convert|2.27|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. Their hulls were constructed from steel and featured a pronounced ram bow. The ships had a crew of between 57 and 70 that varied in size over the course of their careers.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal double-expansion steam engines manufactured by Hawthorn Leslie and Co., each driving a single screw propeller. Steam for the engines was supplied by four coal-fired locomotive boilers that were trunked into a single funnel amidships. In 1892, {{lang|it|Saetta}} was re-boilered with oil-fired models for experimentation purposes. {{lang|it|Folgore}} could steam at a speed of {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|2150|ihp|lk=in}}, while {{lang|it|Saetta}} reached the same speed from {{convert|2130|ihp|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}} The ships had a coal storage capacity of {{convert|60|MT|sp=us}}.{{sfn|Clowes|p=475}}

The primary armament for the {{lang|it|Folgore}} class was three {{convert|14|in|abbr=on|0}} torpedo tubes. They also carried a small gun armament for defense against torpedo boats, consisting of two QF 6 pounder Nordenfelt 43-caliber (cal.) guns, two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and four {{convert|37|mm|abbr=on|1}} 25-cal. guns, all mounted singly. The ships carried no armor protection.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

{{clear left}}

File:Italian cruiser Saetta2.jpg

After entering service, both vessels were assigned to the main Italian fleet. They were primarily occupied with annual training exercises, along with occasional fleet reviews for monarchs, including one for the King of Italy, Umberto I in 1887 and German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1888.{{sfn|Brassey|p=453}}{{sfn|Beehler|pp=164, 166}} In 1889, {{lang|it|Folgore}} was badly damaged in a collision with the protected cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Giovanni Bausan||2}} and could not be repaired to her original condition. As a result, she spent most of the rest of her career in reserve.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

For much of the 1890s, {{lang|it|Saetta}} was frequently reduced to reserve, in part to reduce maintenance on the vessel. {{lang|it|Folgore}} made a temporary return to active service in 1895, when she joined {{lang|it|Saetta}} for the annual maneuvers.{{sfn|Garbett 1893|p=567}}{{sfn|Garbett 1894|p=565}}{{sfn|Garbett 1895|p=90}} In 1897, she was withdrawn from front-line service and employed with the gunnery school; her gun armament was accordingly increased in 1902 to provide a variety of weapons for gunnery trainees to practice operating. In the meantime, {{lang|it|Folgore}} was stricken from the naval register in 1900 and broken up for scrap. {{lang|it|Saetta}} continued in her service with the gunnery school until 1908, when she too was broken up.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

{{reflist|20em}}

==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=Clowes

|first=W. Laird

|title=The Naval Pocket-Book

|year=1897

|location=London

|publisher=Neville Beeman Ltd.

|oclc=228787098

|ref={{sfnref|Clowes}}

}}

• {{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 – Italy

|journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution

|publisher=J. J. Keliher

|location=London

|year=1893

|volume=XXXVII

|pages=566–568

|oclc=8007941

|ref={{sfnref|Garbett 1893}}

}}

• {{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 book

|last=Sondhaus

|first=Lawrence

|title=Naval Warfare, 1815–1914

|location=London and New York

|publisher=Routledge

|year=2001

|isbn=978-0-415-21478-0

|ref={{sfnref|Sondhaus}}

}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}

{{Folgore-class cruiser}}

{{Italian torpedo cruisers}}