Friday, 11 January 2013

H.G. Wells Amalfi armored cruiser

Here is an italian armored cruiser of the Pisa class, converted for aerial service.





This ship was laid down in 1906 and launched in 1912 -slow construction being typical of the Italian yards of the time. It took the Italian navy less time than others to adapt to the use of the cavorite (gravity-bending metal alloy, read the entry on the German Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm pre-dreadnought below). Indeed, the Italian navy was among the most innovative of the day: they were the first to design a ship with triple-gun turrets, complete wireless communications and later electrical controlled rocket impulse propulsion.


The Pisa class, despite its elegant lines, was soon rendered obsolete by the advent of the British Dreadnought: it was not fast enough to escape nor armored enough to prevail against battle-cruisers or battleships. It was relegated to colonial service and space-commerce raiding, for which it was quite suited. Nevertheless, its bow contra-rotating propellers forbade the inclusion of  most of the axial-firing weapons used in space (more on this in a later post).

Below it is compared with the Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm.

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