Austria's Central Battery Ships (1872 - 1878)
An illustration by Alex Kircher shows the 1870s fleet in its prime, with working sail and steam coexisting, and the rugged peaks of Montenegro forming a dramatic backdrop. Custoza hovers closest with a central battery shape flying Italian colours behind her, with sails furled.
After the Lissa victory of 1866 and creation of the Dual Monarchy the following year, the Austro-Hungarian navy moved up to iron-hulled central battery ironclads (kasemattschiffe). This was a conservative move, not embracing radical turret-ships (although small monitors were being built at the same time for the Danube patrol), and following the lead of big navies in Britain and France. The first vessel of this type was the armored wooden battleship Lissa of 6,080 tons, commissioned in 1871; the second was the 6,000-ton Albrecht, seen below. Note full hips -- the armored gunhouses built into the ship's flanks --, clifflike vertical sides allowing axial fire from the gunhouse, and towering 3-mast rig. The rig may have shown ties to the past, but the hull form was changing away from the sailing-ship model, being remarkably stout with a 1:6 beam-to-length ratio, yet having narrow main decks because of the cutouts on both sides. Starting in the late 1880s the sail rigs were replaced by a bare-bones military rig. Many of these ships lived on as hulks and tenders for decades after their squadron days were over -- from 1908 to 1946 in the case of the Albrecht.
SMS Archduke Albrecht, in 1872 the second of the KuK Kriegsmarine's central battery ironclads, in another illustration by Kircher. Fort, Kommandant's house, and shipbuilding slips at Pola naval base in background.
Specifications for the Erzherzog Albrecht:
Dimensions: 91.7m x 17.1m x 8m (301' x 56'2" x 26'3") Displacement: 5,994 tons std; 6,679 tons deep laden. Armament: (8) 10" (249 mm), (6) 3.5" (88 mm), (5) 1.85" (47 mm), and (2) 3" (70 mm) guns; (4) 14" (356 mm) torpedo tubes. 3-cyl horizontal compound steam engine developing 800 HP, single screw; 13 kts (24 km/hr) Built at Adriatic Naval Shipyard, San Marco, 1867-72.
Erzherzog Albrecht was commissioned in 1872 and served with the Adriatic fleet through the early 1890s, when she was renamed Feuerspeier and became a gunnery tender.
The ancient hulk became an accommodation ship (i.e., a floating dormitory) in 1915. She was awarded to Italy as reparations in 1920 and renamed Buttafuoco. The ship was finally scrapped in 1946.
Some Austro-Hungarian Kasemattschiffe
The Kasemattschiff Custoza was the Albrecht's big sister, built at STT 1869-1872. Her name commemorates Austria's victory over the Italians at Custozza, in the Hundred Days' War of 1866. The ship's bulging, box-like batteries are well rendered in this drawing by Aldo Cherini. Here and above, notice how the cutouts create a severe, straight-up hull profile on either side of the battery. This gave central battery ships their characteristic, imperious look. Custoza displaced 7,055 tons with normal load and 7,731 deep laden. Her armament was a touch heavier too: (8) 10¼" (260 mm), (6) 3.5" (88 mm), (2) 3" (66 mm), and (2) 1" (25 mm) guns. Originally built without torpedo tubes, she had four 14" tubes added in 1882, and was a knot faster than the Albrecht. Click here to enlarge.
The old 2-decker Kaiser was rebuilt into a central battery ironclad in 1878; another drawing by Aldo Cherini. This is quite close to the design of the original central battery ship Lissa -- the battery is the cylindrical structure at beam on the top deck, clearly derived from the early British battery ships of the 1860s. In this guise the ship survived until 1910. Click here to enlarge. In the 1870s, the Monarchy economized by building several small ships that recycled parts of earlire warships: the 3,559-ton, 76-meter long Kaiser Max class of 1876, and the slightly larger Prinz Eugen (below), which did not commission until 1880. All theese recycled wooden ships retained their former names.
S.M. Kasemattschiff Tegetthoff (1876/1881)
Austria-Hungary's most powerful central battery ironclad was the Tegetthoff, commissioned in 1881, 7 years after the great admiral's premature death. She is seen above in her original 3-mast barquentine rig. This drawing by Cherini admirably shows the system of cutouts allowing either straight-ahead or straight-astern fire. As shown in the schematic below, the ship's six 9.4-inchers were grouped in the armored structure (redoubt) amidships, while the 5.9" guns were deployed in broadside. The 9.4" chase guns could also be trained to fire on broadside to some degree. Enlarged view shows how the system of cutouts had evolved into a clever and convoluted set of shapes (compared to the more straightforward geometric shape of the earlier Custoza).
Specifications for the Kasemattschiff Tegetthoff:
Built at STT, Trieste, 1876-1881. Dimensions: 285'6" x 62'0" x 25'0" (87m x 18.9m x 7.62m). Displacement: 7,550 tons standard; 7,950 full load. Armament (as built): (6) 9.4"/35 cal (24cm) Krupp guns, (5) 5.9"/35 Krupp guns (15 cm), (15) 3-pdr, (4) 1-pdr; (4) 40 cm (15.75") torpedo tubes. Armor: Wrought-iron type. 14½" belt, 10" battery (368/254 mm). Propulsion: 3-cyl horizontal compound engine developing 1,200 HP (895 kW), shafted to single screw. Speed: 15 kts (25.6 km/hr). Sail rig: 3-mast barquentine rig (as built). Crew: 525 as originally built, 578 after reconstruction.
The 1878 Tegetthoff was designed by Josef von Romako, the Kriegsmarine's chief naval architect. As in HMS Alexandra and other ships of this type, cutouts in the hull allowed the main guns to be fired nearly straight ahead while ramming or chasing enemy vessels. The big 9.4s were also positioned to give overlapping arcs of fire. As can be seen from this schematic drawing, each of the main guns was protected with heavy, 14-inch armor; guns pivoted internally to train accurately. Magazines were positioned directly below the guns, with hoists between magazines and battery.
In a major reconstruction during 1892-93, the Tegetthoff was converted from single to twin screw and re-engined with new triple-expansion machinery and boilers from Schichau, Germany. Her sail rig was removed and two new military masts were stepped. The new arrangement increased her speed to 16 knots. Retired from active duty with the fleet in 1897, she served as harbor guardship at Pola from then onwards. On the advent of the dreadnought Tegetthoff in 1912, she was renamed the Mars. After WWI she was ceded to Italy as reparations, and finally scrapped in 1920.
Stern of the Tegetthoff in drydock, later in her career. The Von Tegetthoff coat of arms decorates the railing of the admiral's walk. Ship's tall, steep contours are evident in this shot.
The Tegetthoff in later years, as the Kasemattschiff Mars, in a sketch by Aldo Cherini. Click here to enlarge.
