SMS Emperor Franz Joseph I.

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SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I. before the renovation in 1906
Bridge of Emperor Franz Joseph I before the renovation

SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph I was a small cruiser of the Austro-Hungarian Navy .

history

In response to the Italian 3000 t cruiser Giovanni Bausan , which was built from 1882 to 1885 in the British shipyard of Armstrong , the kuk shipyard STT ( Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino ) San Rocco in Trieste laid the torpedo on January 3, 1888 Rammkreuzer A on Kiel. Since the arms industry in Austria-Hungary was not yet able to produce the required artillery , the heavy artillery had to be ordered from Friedrich Krupp AG and the rapid-fire artillery from Hotchkiss in the United Kingdom. The decisive factor for the construction of this type of ship was the cost, as an armored cruiser with an estimated 18 million kroner would have exceeded the price of the torpedo ram cruiser by 13 million kroner. For these reasons, the very thrifty Austro-Hungarian administration was very impressed by the French concept of the “jeune école”, coastal defense with as few resources as possible. Launching of I. Emperor Franz Joseph was May 18, 1889, and the commissioning took place on 2 June 1890th

This type of ship was intended as a command unit to lead the torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers into battle and to protect them against enemy torpedo boats and destroyers with the help of its powerful rapid-fire armament . The two heavy guns were intended to combat long-range targets. Torpedo tubes and a ram bow were available for their own attacks.

Because of the lack of financial resources in the naval budget, the Italian navy quickly fell behind, which had already put seven ships of this category ( Giovanni Bausan , Dogali , Piemonte and four ships of the Etna class) into service when they were in Austria-Hungary on January 24, 1892 only the second ship of this type ( SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth ) could hand over.

In view of the rapid development in the field of weapon technology, the ships became obsolete very quickly, and design-related defects made modernization imperative. The main artillery was replaced, the casemate guns of the middle artillery, which can only be used when the sea is calm due to their unfavorable installation too close to the water surface, were relocated to the upper deck. The Kaiser Franz Joseph I received two closed armored turrets instead of the weakly armored gun platforms. After the conversion work was completed, the ship was reclassified as a 2nd class cruiser in 1908. In 1911 there was another reclassification as a small cruiser.

The combat value of the ship can be viewed as doubtful. In expert circles of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, this class was disparagingly referred to as "Sternecks Sardinenbüchsen" (after the naval commander in chief, Admiral von Sterneck).

Trips, missions, whereabouts

  • 1890: First voyage with an Austro-Hungarian ship association in the North and Baltic Seas .
  • September 3, 1890: In Kiel visit by SM Kaiser Wilhelm II.
  • 1892: Friendship visits to Genoa and Huelva on the occasion of the Columbus celebrations
  • 1897: Journey to East Asia
  • 1897: Participation in the international demonstration fleet off Crete
  • 1898: Friendship visit to Lisbon on the occasion of the Vasco-da-Gama celebrations
  • 1903: Training trips in the Mediterranean
  • 1904: Training trips in the Mediterranean
  • 1905–1908: Station ship in East Asia
  • 1909: Training trips in the Mediterranean
  • 1910: Training trips in the Mediterranean
  • 1910–1913: Station ship in East Asia
  • 1914: Stationed in the Bay of Cattaro at the start of the war .
  • September 9, 1914: Bombardment of the Lovćen batteries as part of the association
  • 8th - 9th January 1916: In association, bombardment of the Lovćen batteries
  • 1st - 3rd January 1918: No participation in the mutiny in Cattaro
  • February 7, 1918: Barge in Cattaro - all guns on board
  • 1919: Anchored under French supervision as an ammunition hulk in the Bay of Zanjica outside the Bay of Cattaro.
  • October 17, 1919: Due to improper loading (top-heavy) the ship sinks with open portholes during a storm.
  • 1922: the wreck is located and partially lifted by a Dutch salvage company.
  • 1967: The Yugoslavian salvage company BRODOSPAS lifts further parts of the ship.

Technical specifications

  • Displacement : 3967.52 ts / max. 4332.7 ts
  • Length: 102.56 meters
  • Width: 14.72 meters
  • Draft: 5.7 meters
  • Drive: 4 steam boilers / 2 vertical 3-cylinder triple expansion machines / 2 screws
  • Power: 8000 PSi
  • Top speed: 19.17 knots
  • Armament:
2 × 24 cm Krupp L35 / C86 cannons
6 × 15 cm Krupp L35 / C86 cannons
5 × 4.7 cm Hotchkiss L44 rapid fire cannons (SFK)
4 × 4.7 cm Hotchkiss L33 SFK
2 × 3.7 cm Hotchkiss L33 SFK
4 × 40 cm surface torpedo tubes
  • After reconstruction in 1905/06
2 × 15 cm Skoda L40 cannons
6 × 15 cm Krupp L35 / C86 cannons (adapted)
14 × 4.7 cm Skoda L44 SFK
2 × 4.7 cm Skoda L33 SFK
4 × 40 cm surface torpedo tubes
  • Armor:
Deck: 3.8 cm
Embankment: 5.7 cm
Barbettes : 9 cm
24 cm gun platform: 4 cm
Bay window for casemate guns: 4 cm
Shield for 15 cm deck guns: 4–6 cm
Navigating bridge: 4.5–5 cm

annotation

For the sake of authenticity, the place names are given in the spelling of the Imperial and Royal Navy. The links refer to today's conditions.

literature

  • Erwin S. Sieche: The cruisers of the k. and k. Navy (= naval arsenal with international naval news and naval overview 27). Podzun-Pallas et al., Wölfersheim-Berstadt et al. 1994, ISBN 3-7909-0506-2 .
  • Robert Gardiner, Roger Chesneau, Eugene Kolesnik (eds.): Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. Conway Maritime Press, London 1979, ISBN 0-85177-133-5 .