The Battle of Lissa on 20 July 1866 received close attention because there were few actions between early ironclad fleets. Formations dissolved into a close-range melee, in which Ferdinand Max rammed and sank Re d'Italia. Another Italian ship was lost after a shell-started fire reached its magazine despite the large quantities of ammunition fired overall. The reading explains the resulting enthusiasm for rams as a judgment that gunfire had failed to defeat armor. Later accidental ram sinkings, including HMS Victoria, demonstrate the danger carried by that design choice. The attacking arrowhead formation also encouraged demands for stronger fire directly ahead, which broadside batteries and ordinary fore-and-aft turret layouts struggled to provide.
Notable Point · 2:06:24-2:08:34
Lissa's influence on rams and ahead fire
A rare ironclad battle encouraged ram bows and new firing-arc requirements, with costly consequences.