Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:31:58-3:40:16

Terribile as Italy's earliest plausible Trafalgar winner

The 1861 ironclad Terribile is the earliest candidate selected, based on her commission date and place among the first Italian ironclads.

Alberto di Giussano Class Light CruisersAndrea Doria BattleshipBattle Of LissaBattle Of TrafalgarCounterfactual HistoryGiuseppe Garibaldi Class Armoured CruisersIroncladsItalian Ironclad TerribileRegia Marina
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Question

Which Italian warship built by the Second World War could defeat the Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, with the earliest possible ship preferred?

Short answer

The 1861 ironclad Terribile is the earliest candidate selected, based on her commission date and place among the first Italian ironclads.

Notes

The panel works backward from later Italian warships to find the earliest plausible winner. Andrea Doria and the Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armoured cruisers are among the candidates, along with an unbuilt Alberto di Giussano-class conversion armed with 90 mm guns. Terribile wins the comparison because she was commissioned in 1861, earlier than the other choices. Her connection with the Lissa campaign prompts the qualification that she did not take part in the main battle. The selection rests on age, with no detailed Trafalgar engagement worked through.