 The superior Italian fleet lost its two ironclads , Re d 'Italia and Palestro , while the Austrian unarmoured screw two @-@ decker SMS Kaiser remarkably survived close actions with four Italian ironclads . The battle ensured the popularity of the ram as a weapon in European ironclads for many years , and the victory won by Austria established it as the predominant naval power in the Adriatic . 
 The superior Italian fleet lost its two ironclads , Re d 'Italia and Palestro , while the Austrian unarmoured screw two @-@ decker SMS Kaiser remarkably survived close actions with four Italian ironclads . The battle ensured the popularity of the ram as a weapon in European ironclads for many years , and the victory won by Austria established it as the predominant naval power in the Adriatic . 
The superior Italian fleet lost its 2 ironclads , Re d 'Italia and Palestro , while the Austrian unarmoured screw two @-@ decker SMS Kaiser remarkably survived close actions with four Italian ironclads . The battle ensured the popularity of the ram as a weapon in European ironclads for many yrs , and da victory won by Austria established it as the predominant naval power in the Adriatic .