New York shipyard building an ironclad for the Italian Navy, USA, sometime between 1861-1864

62 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

PugJesus@piefed.social · 12 pts · 236d (4 replies)

I believe this is the ship in question.

USA: "We're currently in the middle of a brutal civil war for the future of our country."

Italy: "Oh, such a shame, I really wanted to commission a ship for my new navy-"

USA: "Do I smell money? This civil war, it's not THAT important. Let's talk specifications..."

olosta@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 236d (1 reply)

After her rudder was disabled by an Austrian vessel, the Austrian flagship...

We don't hear much about the Austrian navy these days, I wonder why.

ChicoSuave@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 236d

Same reason the Austria army had no victories after 1850 but somehow continued on for 70 years. Austria Hungary is the great classic example of failing up.

They built 3 battleships and then promptly never did anything with them. The one day they decide to use them, they hit a mine and one of them sinks. The other two are so expensive and the navy so afraid of losing another that they never get used again.

aeronmelon@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 236d (1 reply)

Probably helped that New York City was 40% Italian or something.

PugJesus@piefed.social · 7 pts · 236d

Not at the time, actually! Mass Italian immigration didn't start for another decade or so.