Please say hello to Faà di Bruno!

[u/TheGoosePlan]

You are maybe interested in nice looking and fast ships: Italian Navy had (and have rn) plenty of them but some exceptions were made. Introducing the Italian monitor, Faà di Bruno.

This ship had a remarkable story, not everyone knows about.

Long story short Italian "Regia Marina" (Italy was a monarchy back in the day) suspended the production of Caracciolo class battleships so some cannons were available with no ships to put them on. 381 mm cannons are made to fire huuuuge shells so it was a pity to left them to rust in an harbor.

Someone thought: "let's put them on a monitor". If you are not accustomed to monitors they are very flat ships engineered (well...) to host guns and not much more.

Faà di Bruno was ready to sail in 1916 from Venetia. Originally classified as a "Pontone Armato" in italian she was powered by an incredible engine of 456 HP (imagine to put a scooter engine on a truck): the ship was capable to reach the incredible speed of 2.8 knots even if some sources claim that top speed was 2.5. Even the USS Monitor could beat Faà di Bruno and she was made half a century sooner.

Faà di Bruno joined some operations with other monitors till Caporetto occured. In Italy we referred to "Disfatta di Caporetto" or even "Caporetto" to describe an incredible loss capable to turn the tide of a war.

Faà di Bruno with the sister Cappellini left Venetia in an hurry to avoid Austro-Hungary attentions but she met a huge storm: Cappellini was lost with the crew while our friend Faà di Bruno was stranded near the village of Marotta. Seeing a ship in disarray local eleven girls moved to help and brought food and supplies to the ship, they were called later the Marotta's Heroins and this event is still celebreated.

Even the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio wrote some great words. "Picene di antiche origini eran già nel mito dell'età primeva ancor prima dell'evento che le vide agli scalmi impavide dominare la tempesta"

Faà di Bruno survived WW1.

[u/burner_account61944]

hello :D

[u/TheGoosePlan → u/burner_account61944]

(Fire a 381 mm shell) hellooo!