Italian battleship Regina Margherita

Regina Margherita on speed trials in July 1904
History
Italy
Name:	Regina Margherita
Namesake:	Margherita of Savoy
Builder:	La Spezia Naval Shipyard
Laid down:	20 November 1898
Launched:	30 May 1901
Completed:	14 April 1904
Fate:	Sunk by mines 11 December 1916
General characteristics
Type:	Regina Margherita-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	13,215 long tons (13,427 t) (standard) 14,093 long tons (14,319 t) (full load)
Length:	138.65 m (454 ft 11 in)
Beam:	23.84 m (78 ft 3 in)
Draft:	9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Installed power:	21,790 ihp (16,249 kW)
Propulsion:	2 shafts, triple expansion steam engines, 28 boilers
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range:	10,000 nmi (18,520 km; 11,508 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	812/900
Armament:	2 × 2 - 305 mm (12 in)/40 guns 4 × 1 - 203 mm (8 in)/40 guns 12 × 1 - 152 mm (6 in)/40 guns 20 × 1 - 76 mm (3 in)/40 guns 2 × 1 - 47 mm (1.9 in)/40 guns 2 × 1 - 37 mm (1.5 in)/40 guns 4 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Harvey armor Belt and side: 6 in (152 mm) Deck: 3.1 in (78.7 mm) Turrets: 8 in (203 mm) Conning tower: 6 in (152 mm) Casemates: 6 in (152 mm)

Regina Margherita was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Italian Regia Marina between 1898 and 1904. She had one sister ship, Benedetto Brin. Regina Margherita saw action in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the battleship had been reduced to a training ship. She struck two naval mines on the night of 11–12 December 1916 while steaming off Valona. She sank with heavy loss of life: 675 men were killed, and only 270 survived.

Regina Margherita was 138.65 meters (454.9 ft) long overall and had a beam of 23.84 m (78.2 ft) and a draft of 8.81 m (28.9 ft). She displaced 14,093 metric tons (13,870 long tons; 15,535 short tons) at full combat load. Her propulsion system consisted of two triple expansion engines. Steam for the engines was provided by twenty-eight coal-fired Niclausse boilers. The ship's propulsion system provided a top speed of 20.3 knots (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph) and a range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Regina Margherita had a crew of 812 officers and enlisted men.

As built, the ship was armed with four 12 in (300 mm) 40-caliber guns placed in two twin gun turrets, one forward and one aft. The ship was also equipped with four 8 in (200 mm) 40-cal. guns in casemates in the superstructure, and twelve 6 in (150 mm) 40-cal. guns, also in casemates in the side of the hull. Close-range defense against torpedo boats was provided by a battery of twenty 3 in (76 mm) 40-cal. guns. The ship also carried a pair of 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, two 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, and two 10 mm (0.39 in) Maxim guns. Regina Margherita was also equipped with four 17.7 in (450 mm) torpedo tubes placed in the hull below the waterline. Regina Margherita was protected with Harvey steel manufactured in Terni. The main belt was 6 in (150 mm) thick, and the deck was 3.1 in (79 mm) thick. The conning tower and the casemate guns were also protected by 6 in of armor plating. The main battery guns had stronger armor protection, at 8 in (200 mm) thick.