 Puglia in 1901
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Italy | |
| Name | Puglia |
| Namesake | Apulia (Italian: Puglia) |
| Builder | Arsenal of Taranto |
| Laid down | October 1893 |
| Launched | 22 September 1898 |
| Commissioned | 26 May 1901 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 22 March 1923 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Regioni-class protected cruiser |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 88.25 m (289 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 12.13 m (39 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 5.45 m (17 ft 11 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 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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Puglia was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). She was the last of six Regioni-class ships, all of which were named for regions of Italy. She was built in Taranto between October 1893 and May 1901, when she was commissioned into the fleet. 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 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).
Puglia served abroad for much of her early career, including periods in South American and East Asian waters. She saw action in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912, primarily in the Red Sea. During the war she bombarded Ottoman ports in Arabia and assisted in enforcing a blockade on maritime traffic in the area. She was still in service during World War I; the only action in which she participated was the evacuation of units from the Serbian Army from Durazzo in February 1916. During the evacuation, she bombarded the pursuing Austro-Hungarian Army. After the war, Puglia was involved in the occupation of the Dalmatian coast, and in 1920 her captain was murdered in a violent confrontation in Split with Croatian nationalists. The old cruiser was sold for scrapping in 1923, but much of her bow was preserved at the Vittoriale degli italiani museum.