Lissa was a major open-water clash between worked-up ironclad fleets, although the Italian commander faced the difficult task of welding together a new and divided naval organisation. The new Italian fleet combined personnel who had recently belonged to hostile states and disagreed about doctrine, tactics, signals, and command. Because guns struggled against armour, ramming appeared to offer a decisive alternative. The battle's perceived lessons helped encourage forward firing arcs and arrangements later visible in Dreadnought-era thinking.
Notable Point · 1:07:16-1:09:50
Lissa and the return of ramming doctrine
The Battle of Lissa encouraged designers to prize ramming and forward fire when armour seemed stronger than guns.