Re d'Italia (King of Italy) was the lead ship of the armored frigates built in the United States for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the early 1860s. She was laid down at the William H. Webb Shipyard in New York in November 1861, was launched in April 1863, and was completed a year later in September 1864; the two Re d'Italia-class ships were the only Italian ironclads built in the United States. The ships were broadside ironclads, armed with a battery of six 72-pounder guns and thirty-two guns. Re d'Italia initially served as the flagship of the Italian fleet, though she was replaced by the turret ship shortly before the Battle of Lissa in 1866. During that battle, Re d'Italia was at the center of the melee. After her rudder was disabled by an Austrian vessel, the Austrian flagship, rammed her and tore a large hole in her hull. Re d'Italia quickly rolled over and sank, taking some 400 of her crew with the ship, including her captain, Emilio Faà di Bruno. Design Re d'Italia was long overall; she had a beam of and an average draft of . She displaced normally and up to at full load. Her hull was built from green wood. She had a crew of 565. The ship's propulsion system consisted of one single-expansion marine steam engine that drove a single screw propeller. Steam was supplied by four coal-fired, rectangular fire-tube boilers, which were vented through a single funnel located amidships. Her engine produced a top speed of from . She could steam for about at a speed of . For long-distance travel, Re d'Italia was fitted with three masts and was barque-rigged. Re d'Italia was a broadside ironclad, and she was armed with a main battery of six 72-pounder guns and thirty-two rifled muzzle-loading guns. The ship was equipped with a spur-shaped ram at the bow. The ship's hull was sheathed with wrought iron armor that was thick. Her rudder and propellers, however, were not protected by her armor. Service history Re d'Italia was built by William H. Webb at his shipyard in New York City. She was laid down on 21 November 1861 and launched on 18 April 1863. The ship arrived in Italy in April 1864 and was commissioned into the Italian fleet on 18 September 1864. Less than two years later, in June 1866, Italy declared war on Austria,