Italian cruiser Tripoli

The keel for Tripoli was laid down at the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on 10 June 1885. Work proceeded quickly, and she was launched on 25 August 1886, and fitting out was completed by 1 December that year.^[1] The ship took part in the annual fleet maneuvers of 1887, which began on 10 June 1887. Tripoli was assigned to the "attacking squadron", along with the ironclads San Martino, Duilio, and Ancona, the protected cruiser Giovanni Bausan, and several other vessels. The first half of the maneuvers tested the ability to attack and defend the Strait of Messina, and concluded in time for a fleet review by King Umberto I on the 21st. The second phase consisted of joint maneuvers with the Italian Army; Tripoli and the torpedo cruiser Folgore were tasked with blockading Livorno. The exercises lasted until 30 July.^[5] In 1888, she took part in the annual fleet maneuvers, along with five ironclads, a protected cruiser, the torpedo cruisers Goito, Saetta, and Folgore, and numerous smaller vessels. The maneuvers consisted of close-order drills and a simulated attack on and defense of La Spezia. Later that year, the ship was present during a naval review held for the German Kaiser Wilhelm II during a visit to Italy.^[6]

Tripoli was assigned to the 2nd Division of the Active Squadron, along with the ironclad Francesco Morosini, the protected cruiser Ettore Fieramosca, and four torpedo boats.^[7] In 1895, Tripoli was stationed in the 2nd Maritime Department, split between Taranto and Naples, along with most of the torpedo cruisers in the Italian fleet. These included the four Goito and the eight Partenope-class cruisers.^[8] In 1896, she took part in the annual summer maneuvers in July as part of the Second Division of the Active Squadron, which also included the ironclads Francesco Morosini and Andrea Doria and the protected cruiser Giovanni Bausan.^[9]

Tripoli was taken out of service in 1897–1898 to be modernized. She was re-boilered with new water-tube boilers manufactured by the German firm Schichau-Werke, a new bow with a higher forecastle was fitted, and her masts were cut down.^[10][11] The ship was stationed in Naples in 1900, along with the old ironclads Regina Maria Pia, Castelfidardo, and Affondatore, the armored cruiser Marco Polo, the four Goito-class cruisers, and the two new Agordat-class cruisers.^[12] In 1910, Tripoli was converted into a minelayer, with capacity for 64 naval mines.^[1] At the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Goito was stationed in Venice along with Tripoli and Montebello. None of the vessels saw action during the war.^[13]

Italy had declared neutrality at the start of World War I, but by July 1915, the Triple Entente had convinced the Italians to enter the war against the Central Powers. Admiral Paolo Thaon di Revel, the Italian naval chief of staff, believed that the threat from Austro-Hungarian submarines and naval mines in the narrow waters of the Adriatic was too serious for him to use the fleet in an active way. Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the MAS boats, conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.^[14] She continued to serve as a minelayer during the war in support of Revel's strategy. She was officially reclassified as a minelayer on 1 July 1921, though she did not remain in service for very long, being stricken from the naval register on 4 March 1923 and thereafter broken up for scrap.^[1] At the time of her disposal, Tripoli was the last torpedo cruiser still in the Italian fleet's inventory, surpassing even the Agordat class, which had been built fifteen years after Tripoli entered service.^[15]

• Barry, E. B. (1897). "The Italian Manoevres". Notes on Naval Progress. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 131–140.
• Beehler, William Henry, ed. (1887). "Naval Manoevres, 1887: Italian". Information from Abroad. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 164–167. OCLC 12922775.
• Beehler, William Henry (1913). The History of the Italian-Turkish War: September 29, 1911, to October 18, 1912. Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. OCLC 1408563.
• Brassey, Thomas A., ed. (1889). "Foreign Naval Manoevres". The Naval Annual. Portsmouth: J. Griffin & Co.: 450–455. OCLC 5973345.
• Fraccaroli, Aldo (1979). "Italy". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 334–359. ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
• Garbett, H., ed. (1894). "Naval and Military Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XXXVIII. London: J. J. Keliher: 564–565. OCLC 8007941.
• Garbett, H., ed. (1895). "Naval and Military Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XXXIX. London: J. J. Keliher: 81–111. OCLC 8007941.
• Garbett, H., ed. (1898). "Naval Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XLII. London: J. J. Keliher: 199–204. OCLC 8007941.
• Garbett, H., ed. (1900). "Naval Notes – Italy". Journal of the Royal United Service Institution. XLIV. London: Harrison & Sons: 183–186.
• Halpern, Paul G. (1995). A Naval History of World War I. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-352-7.
• "Ships – Italy". Recent Naval Progress. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office: 263–265. 1887. OCLC 6960410.
• Sondhaus, Lawrence (2001). Naval Warfare, 1815–1914. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-21478-0.