SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth

SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth was a "Kaiser Franz Josef"-class protected cruiser of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Named in honor of the Empress Elisabeth, consort of Emperor Franz Josef, the cruiser was designed for overseas service and in fact was stationed in China at the outbreak of war in 1914.

Launched at Seearsenal Pola on 25 September 1890, "Kaiserin Elisabeth" was a steel-hulled vessel of 3,967 tons displacement. She measured 321 feet in waterline length with a beam of 49 feet and a mean draft of 19 feet. The crew comprised 450 officers and men.

Propulsion was provided by two sets of horizontal triple expansion engines with four cylindrical double-ended boilers. Designed performance was 6,400 horsepower for 18 knots and 8,000 horsepower for 19 knots; on trials she in fact reached 20 knots.

Originally "Kaiserin Elisabeth" was armed with two 24cm and six 15cm guns, both types Model 1886. In 1905-06 she was reconstructed with two long-barreled 15cm and six short-barreled 15cm guns, both types Model 1901. Rounding out her armament were 16 4.7cm quick-firing guns, one machine gun and four 14-inch torpedo tubes located above water, two on either beam.

Although "Kaiserin Elisabeth" burned enormous quantities of coal, in 1914 she could still steam at a very fair speed and was stationed in China. Upon the outbreak of the First World War, "Kaiserin Elisabeth" took part in the defense of the German naval base of Tsingtao, which was besieged by the Japanese on 25 August 1914. At Tsingtao with "Kaiserin Elisabeth" were the German light cruiser "Cormoran," gunboats "Iltis, Jaguar, Tiger" and "Luchs" and the torpedo boat "S90."

Early in the siege "Kaiserin Elisabeth" and "Jaguar" made a sortie against the Japanese. Later, "Kaiserin Elisabeth's" 15cm and 4.7cm guns were removed and mounted ashore in'Batterie Elisabeth'. As the siege progressed, the naval vessels trapped in the harbor were scuttled -- "Cormoran, Iltis and Luchs" on 28 September, "S90" on 17 October and "Tiger" on 29 October. Finally, "Kaiserin Elisabeth" was scuttled on 2 November, followed by "Jaguar" on 7 November, the day the fortress surrendered to the Japanese.

External Link

[http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/kuk_sms_kaiserin_elisabeth.html Österreich-Ungarn entry "SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth"]