Giovanni Bausan carried an experimental form of protection alongside her armoured deck. A cork-filled belt at the waterline was intended to absorb water and swell after damage, helping to control leaks and preserve stability. A shell hit could destroy the cork before it performed that function. Two inches of armour protected the conning position and the main-gun breeches, concentrating hard protection around command and weapon systems. The design combined passive flooding control with limited local armour on a protected cruiser.
Notable Point · 16:57-17:43
A cork belt tests an experimental approach to survivability
Bausan's cork-filled waterline belt and localized armour show both the ingenuity and fragility of late nineteenth-century protective experiments.