 Elba, c. 1899
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Kingdom of Italy | |
| Name | Elba |
| Namesake | Island of Elba |
| Builder | Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia |
| Laid down | 22 September 1890 |
| Launched | 12 August 1893 |
| Commissioned | 27 February 1896 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 5 January 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Regioni-class protected cruiser |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 88.2 m (289 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 12.72 m (41 ft 9 in) |
| Draft | 4.86 m (15 ft 11 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 17.9 knots (33.2 km/h; 20.6 mph) |
| Range | 2,100 nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 213–278 |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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Elba was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). She was the fifth of six Regioni-class ships, all of which were named for regions of Italy, with the exception of Elba, which was named for the island. Elba was built by the Regio Cantieri di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard; her keel was laid in September 1890, she was launched in August 1893, and she was commissioned in February 1896. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of nearly 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).
Elba spent much of her career abroad. She participated in the blockade of Venezuela during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903 and was present in East Asia during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905. In February 1904, her crew witnessed the Battle of Chemulpo Bay between Japanese and Russian warships; after the battle ended in Russian defeat, Elba and British and French cruisers picked up survivors. She took part in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912 but saw no action, being used primarily to blockade Turkish ports in the Red Sea. In 1914, Elba was converted into the first seaplane tender of the Regia Marina, with equipment to handle three seaplanes. This service did not last long, however, as she was too small and too old. Decommissioned by 1916, the old warship was sold for scrap in January 1920 and broken up.