Tegetthoff's cohesion and Persano's burden

Wilhelm von Tegetthoff knows his officers and crews, while Carlo Persano takes a political appointment burdened by a severe organizational problem. Persano had spent roughly four years away from active naval command and repeatedly warned the government that his ships and men needed time to become a unified force. Tegetthoff, already experienced at Heligoland, possessed the trust of his captains and crews. Persano still made serious mistakes, but he inherited a deeply difficult command rather than a ready-made battle fleet. The Italian Senate later condemned him for incompetence and cashiered him, a punishment presented here as disproportionate to the task he had been given.