Pisa-class cruiser

The Pisa class was a series of three armored cruisers built in Italy from 1905 - 1910.

Description
The ships were designed and built in Italy but were armed with British Elswick Ordnance Company guns.

History
The 3 Pisa-class armored cruisers were originally built for the Italian Regia Marina. However, budget problems led to the third ship being sold to Greece before completion. It was completed as Georgios Averof for Greece, armed with 9.2-inch instead of 10-inch main guns. Georgios Averof served with the Hellenic Navy in the Balkan Wars, World War I and World War II. It was decommissioned in 1952 and is now preserved as a museum ship in Faliron Bay near Athens. It is the only armored cruiser worldwide still in existence.

Amalfi served with the Regia Marina in World War I and was torpedoed and sunk in 1915. Pisa also served with the Regia Marina. It was reclassified as a coastal battleship in 1921 and was used as a training ship until being scrapped in 1937.