Italian cruiser Etna Italian cruiser Etna Etna was a protected cruiser of the Italian "Regia Marina" (Royal Navy) built in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the , which included three sister ships. Named for Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, the ship was laid down in January 1883, was launched in September 1885, and was completed in December 1887. She was armed with a main battery of two and six guns, and could steam at a speed of around . "Etna" frequently cruised abroad throughout her career, including visits to the United States for the World's Columbian Exposition and
Italian cruiser Etna which time she made a visit to Sydney, Australia. She returned home in 1902 and was disarmed; she was then commissioned as the flagship of the Superior Torpedo-Boat Command in 1904. In 1907, "Etna" was converted into a training cruiser for naval cadets. "Etna" visited the United States in September 1909 for the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City, which also included ships from the German, British, and French fleets, among others, in addition to the hosting US Navy. On this occasion, she was joined by the cruiser . "Etna" saw limited action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–12. At