The Pegaso class was a class of 18 Italian sea-going steam-powered torpedo boats built between 1904 and 1909. They served in the Italo-Turkish War and the First World War, when one was sunk, and continued in use until the 1920s.

Design In 1904, four High-Seas Torpedo Boats were laid down at the Pattison shipyard of Naples, to a design licensed from the British shipbuilder Thornycroft. They were powered by two triple expansion steam engines fed by two Thornycroft coal-fired water-tube boilers which gave driving two shafts and allowing the contract speed of to be reached. Two funnels were fitted. Torpedo armament consisted of three torpedo tubes, with a gun armament of two 57 mm/43 guns and one 47 mm/43 gun.Fraccaroli 1970, p. 78.

While these four ships (known as the Perseo series) were built, launching and completing in 1905–06, work began on two further batches, with eight more being ordered from Pattison (the Cigno series) and six from Odero, Sestri (the Alcione series). These ships were built with thicker plating than those of the Perseo series, and so were slightly heavier (displacing compared with for the earlier ships).Fraccaroli 1970, pp. 78, 80–81. Two of the Cignos, Calipso and Climene were fitted with oil fired boilers during construction, while six more ships (Pallade, Pegaso, Procione, Airone, Alcione and Ardea) were converted to oil fuel between 1908 and 1913.

The ships were re-armed during the First World War, with the Perseo and Cigno series replacing their armament with two 76 mm (3 in)/40 guns, one 13.2 mm machine gun and two 450 mm torpedo tubes. The Alcione series' new armament differed in that one of the 76 mm guns was an anti-aircraft gun.

Service In September 1911, the Italo-Turkish War broke out. The Italian Navy, including its torpedo boats, was highly active during the war. Actions involving the Pegaso class included Cigno carrying out shore bombardment along with larger units of the fleet in support of Italian land forces near Tripoli in November 1911,Beehler 1913, p. 35. and a reconnaissance of the Dardanelles by five torpedo boats (the Sirio-class ship Spica and four Pegaso-class ships, Perseo, Astore, Climene and Centauro).Beehler 1913, pp. 87–90.

Several of the Pegaso class were used as high-speed minesweepers during the First World War. Perseo collided with sister ship Astore on 6 February 1917, and sunk when one of its torpedoes exploded. Arpia struck the wreck of the Neapolitan frigate Torquato Tasso (which had sunk off Porto d'Ascoli in 1861) on 17 January 1918. It sustained major damage and sank in shallow water, but was raised and repaired, re-entering service in July 1918.Fraccaroli 1970, p. 82.

The surviving vessels were discarded from 1923 to 1927.

Ships

Perseo series + Construction data (Perseo series) Ship Builder Fraccaroli 1970, p. 80. Laid down Launched Completed Operational history PerseoPattison, Naples10 August 19045 December 190526 August 1906Sank 6 February 1917 following collision with torpedo boat Astore off StromboliChesneau and Kolesnik 1979, p. 359. PegasoPattison, Naples13 August 190412 August 190523 September 1906Discarded 4 March 1923 ProcionePattison, Naples23 August 190416 December 190526 September 1906Converted to minesweeper 1917; Discarded 17 April 1923 PalladePattison, Naples25 August 19041 June 190626 September 1906Discarded 4 March 1923

Cigno series + Construction data (Cigno series) Ship Builder Fraccaroli 1970, pp. 80–81. Laid down Launched Completed Operational history CignoPattison, Naples17 April 19059 May 190626 September 1906Discarded 4 March 1923 CassiopeaPattison, Naples28 April 19057 July 190626 September 1906Minesweeper 1917–18; Discarded 27 November 1927 CentauroPattison, Naples21 June 190520 December 190626 May 1907Ran aground off Antalya, Turkey 5 November 1921 and sankGardiner and Gray 1985, p. 272. ClioPattison, Naples27 July 190520 October 190617 April 1907Discarded 4 March 1923 CanopoPattison, Naples22 August 190528 February 190722 June 1907Discarded 4 March 1923 CalliopePattison, Naples28 September 19057 August 190622 December 1906Discarded 13 November 1924 CalipsoPattison, NaplesJanuary 190826 April 190916 July 1909Discarded 1 September 1927 ClimenePattison, NaplesJanuary 190815 May 190916 August 1909Discarded 25 July 1927

Alcione series + Construction data (Alcione series) Ship Builder Fraccaroli 1970, pp. 81–82. Laid down Launched Completed Operational history Alcione Odero, Sestri18 August 190513 September 19061 August 1907Minesweeper 1917; Discarded 4 March 1923 Odero, Sestri18 August 190510 January 190723 May 1907Discarded 4 March 1923 AlbatrosOdero, Sestri18 August 190522 January 190714 August 1907Discarded 4 March 1923 AironeOdero, Sestri19 April 190613 May 190728 November 1907Minesweeper 1918; Sank Austro-Hungarian submarine U-23 in Strait of Otranto using explosive paravane, 21 February 1918;Greger 1976, p. 76.Grant 1964, p. 163. Discarded 25 September 1923 AstoreOdero, Sestri19 April 190622 June 190727 January 1908Discarded 14 June 1923 ArpiaOdero, Sestri8 June 190622 August 190725 April 1908Struck wreckage off Porto d'Ascoli and sunk 17 January 1918; Salvaged and repaired, recommissioned 25 July 1918; Discarded 15 March 1923

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External links Classe Pegaso Marina Militare website