Italian cruiser Goito

{{main|Goito-class cruiser}}

{{lang|it|Goito}} was {{convert|73.4|m|sp=us}} long overall and had a beam of {{convert|7.88|m|abbr=on}} and an average draft of {{convert|3.6|m|abbr=on}}. She displaced {{convert|829|LT|lk=on}} normally. Her propulsion system consisted of three double-expansion steam engines each driving a single screw propeller, with steam supplied by six coal-fired locomotive boilers. Exact figures for the ship's performance have not survived, but the members of the {{lang|it|Goito}} class could steam at a speed of about {{convert|18|kn|lk=in}} from {{convert|2500|to|3180|ihp|lk=in}}. {{lang|it|Goito}} had a cruising radius of {{convert|1100|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}. She had a crew of between 105 and 121.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

The primary armament for {{lang|it|Goito}} was five {{convert|14|in|abbr=on|0}} torpedo tubes. She carried a light gun battery for defense against torpedo boats. This consisted of five QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss 40-caliber guns, two {{convert|37|mm|abbr=on|1}} 20-cal. guns, and three 37 mm revolving Hotchkiss guns, all mounted singly. The ship was protected with an armored deck that was {{convert|1.5|in|abbr=on}} thick.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

{{lang|it|Goito}} was built by the {{lang|it|Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia}} shipyard; her keel was laid down in September 1885 and her completed hull was launched on 6 July 1887. She was completed on 16 February 1888 and commissioned into the fleet, the first member of her class to enter service.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}} That year, she took part in the annual fleet maneuvers, along with five ironclads, a protected cruiser, the torpedo cruisers {{ship|Italian cruiser|Tripoli||2}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Saetta||2}}, and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Folgore||2}}, and numerous smaller vessels. The maneuvers consisted of close-order drills and a simulated attack on and defense of La Spezia. Later that year, the ship was present during a naval review held for the German Kaiser Wilhelm II during a visit to Italy.{{sfn|Brassey 1889|p=453}}

File:Italian cruiser Goito2.jpg

The ship served in the 3rd Division of the Active Squadron during the 1893 fleet maneuvers, along with the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Affondatore||2}} and {{ship|Italian ironclad|Enrico Dandolo||2}} and four torpedo boats. During the maneuvers, which lasted from 6 August to 5 September, the ships of the Active Squadron simulated a French attack on the Italian fleet.{{sfn|Clarke & Thursfield|pp=202–203}} The following year, the ship took part in the annual fleet maneuvers in the 1st Division of the Active Squadron, along with the ironclad battleship {{ship|Italian ironclad|Re Umberto||2}} and the protected cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Stromboli||2}}.{{sfn|Garbett 1894|p=564}} That year, {{lang|it|Goito}} had her coal-fired boilers replaced with oil-fired models, and her center engine and propeller shaft were removed. Her engines now produced {{convert|2521|ihp|abbr=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|17.2|kn}}.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

In 1895, {{lang|it|Goito}} was stationed in the 2nd Maritime Department, split between Taranto and Naples, along with most of the torpedo cruisers in the Italian fleet. These included her sister ships {{ship|Italian cruiser|Monzambano||2}}, {{ship|Italian cruiser|Montebello||2}}, and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Confienza||2}}, the eight {{sclass|Partenope|cruiser|1}}s, and {{lang|it|Tripoli}}.{{sfn|Garbett 1895|p=90}} {{lang|it|Goito}} was converted into a minelayer in 1897. Her torpedo tubes were removed and equipment to handle sixty naval mines was installed.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}} In 1898, {{lang|it|Goito}} was assigned to the Reserve Squadron, which included the ironclads {{ship|Italian ironclad|Lepanto||2}}, {{ship|Italian ironclad|Francesco Morosini||2}}, and {{ship|Italian ironclad|Ruggiero di Lauria||2}}, and three protected cruisers.{{sfn|Garbett 1898|p=200}} The following year, she returned to the Active Squadron, where she served with six ironclads, the armored cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Vettor Pisani||2}}, the protected cruiser {{ship|Italian cruiser|Lombardia||2}}, and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Calatafimi||2}}.{{sfn|Garbett 1899|p=792}} During the 1907 fleet maneuvers, {{lang|it|Goito}} was attached to the main fleet to lay mines at a simulated advance base that would be created during the exercises.{{sfn|Brassey 1908|p=77}}

At the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, {{lang|it|Goito}} was stationed in Venice along with {{lang|it|Tripoli}} and {{lang|it|Montebello}}. None of the vessels saw action during the war.{{sfn|Beehler|p=11}} Italy had declared neutrality at the start of World War I, but by July 1915, the Triple Entente had convinced the Italians to enter the war against the Central Powers.{{sfn|Halpern|p=140}} Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel, the Italian naval chief of staff, believed that the threat from Austro-Hungarian submarines and naval mines in the narrow waters of the Adriatic was too serious for him to use the fleet in an active way. Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the MAS boats, conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=141–142, 150}} {{lang|it|Goito}} was initially used to lay a series of defensive minefields, along with the torpedo cruisers {{ship|Italian cruiser|Partenope||2}} and {{ship|Italian cruiser|Minerva||2}}, in support of this strategy.{{sfn|O'Hara, Dickson, & Worth|p=201}} The ship remained in service until early 1920; she was stricken from the naval register on 15 March 1920 and subsequently broken up for scrap.{{sfn|Fraccaroli|p=347}}

{{reflist|20em}}

• {{cite book

|last=Beehler

|first=William Henry

|title=The History of the Italian-Turkish War: September 29, 1911, to October 18, 1912

|year=1913

|location=Annapolis

|publisher=United States Naval Institute

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OWcoAAAAYAAJ

|oclc=1408563

|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 1889}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|editor-last=Brassey

|editor-first=Thomas A.

|journal=The Naval Annual

|title=Italian Manoevres

|pages=76–81

|year=1908

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|ref={{sfnref|Brassey 1908}}

|oclc=5973345

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Clarke

|first1=George S.

|last2=Thursfield

|first2=James R.

|title=The Navy and the Nation, or Naval Warfare and Imperial Defence

|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924030750636

|year=1897

|location=London

|publisher=John Murray

|oclc=3462308

|ref={{sfnref|Clarke & Thursfield}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{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

|title=Naval and Military Notes – Italy

|journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution

|publisher=J. J. Keliher

|location=London

|year=1894

|volume=XXXVIII

|pages=564–565

|oclc=8007941

|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 journal

|editor-last=Garbett

|editor-first=H.

|title=Naval Notes – Italy

|journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution

|publisher=J. J. Keliher

|location=London

|year=1898

|volume=XLII

|pages=199–204

|oclc=8007941

|ref={{sfnref|Garbett 1898}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|editor-last=Garbett

|editor-first=H.

|title=Naval Notes – Italy

|journal=Journal of the Royal United Service Institution

|publisher=J. J. Keliher

|location=London

|year=1899

|volume=XLIII

|pages=792–796

|oclc=8007941

|ref={{sfnref|Garbett 1899}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Halpern

|first=Paul G.

|title=A Naval History of World War I

|year=1995

|location=Annapolis

|publisher=Naval Institute Press

|isbn=978-1-55750-352-7

|ref={{sfnref|Halpern}}

}}

• {{Cite book

|last1=O'Hara

|first1=Vincent

|last2=Dickson

|first2=David

|last3=Worth

|first3=Richard

|title=To Crown the Waves: The Great Navies of the First World War

|publisher=Naval Institute Press

|location=Annapolis

|date=2013

|isbn=978-1-61251-082-8

|name-list-style=amp

|ref={{sfnref|O'Hara, Dickson, & Worth}}

}}

• [https://www.marina.difesa.it/noi-siamo-la-marina/mezzi/mezzi-storici/Pagine/EFGHI/goito.aspx Classe Goito] Marina Militare website {{in lang|it}}

{{Portal bar|Italy|Engineering}}

{{Goito-class cruiser}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goito}}

Category:Goito-class cruisers

Category:1887 ships

Category:Ships built in Castellammare di Stabia