SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia

SMS "Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia" was an armoured cruiser in the imperial Austro-Hungarian Navy from 1895-1917 (the German name can be translated as "Empress and Queen Maria Theresa").

Construction

The ship was a torpedo-Rammkreuzer of the class "Emperor Franz Joseph I", and the third ship (number "C") of the class. The class was already obsolete by even the planning stage, which soon led to significant changes to the ship's plan. The displacement was enlarged around 1000 tons, and a side-tank, stronger propulsion systems and increased artillery were added. Most ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in this period were built in Britain - five British shipyards were competing for the contract - but the contract was awarded to the Shipyard STT (Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino) San Rocco in Trieste. The keel was laid on 1 July 1891 with actual construction beginning on 29 July 1891. The "Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia" was launched on 29 April 1893, and she was commissioned on 24 March 1895.

ervice history

* 1895 - with the Imperial Ship Association for the opening of the Kiel Canal;
* 1896 – In the Levant;
* 1897 - Participated in the international fleet demonstration off Crete;
* 1898 - Special Mission to the West Indies on the occasion of the Spanish-American War;
* 1900-1902 - With the international fleet to East Asia during the Boxer Rebellion.

Following the 1910 renovation of the "Kampfwertsteigerung", the ship made a significant number of foreign trips. She was the Station ship in the Levant from 1911 to 1913, but she was no longer battle-ready by the beginning of the First World War. She spent the period between 1914-1917 as a support ship in Sebenico. She was decommissioned on 7 February 1917 in Pola, becoming an accommodation ship for the German Mediterranean-submarine flotilla. The guns were removed and taken ashore.

By October 1918, "Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia" was a hulk in Pola. At the end of January 1920, Great Britain granted the cruiser from the allied naval delegation in Paris, which sent her to the Italian steel mill Vaccaro & Co. to be scrapped. She was towed to Portoferraio (Elba) and scrapped there.

Technical Description

The ship was a tank battle cruiser with tubular poles, a design heavily based on the French battleship "Dupuy de Lome". As Austria-Hungary did not have the manufacturing capabilities to provide the main armament, the guns had to be purchased from the firm of Krupp in Essen. These heavy guns were no longer hydraulically operated but electrically driven, causing a reduction in the overall weight. The construction costs for the SMS "Maria Theresia" were 7.5 million crowns ("kronen"), 25% higher compared to the two existing torpedo-Rammkreuzers.The "Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia" was intended to carry out the tasks of a typical battleship, protecting the battle fleet and carrying out reconnaissance, but was shortly after the "Indienststellung" already putting the potential opponents, was arming and speed contexts, no longer increased. The ship underwent a refit in 1910, so that she was able to continue to provide effective training whilst a school-ship. The two top-heavy tube masts were replaced by battle masts and the Krupp guns were exchanged for 19 cm-Škoda guns. The casemate-guns were moved into the four corners of the upper decks and modernized to fast-fire cannon.

Note: The authenticity of the place names follows the spelling of the imperial navy. The links point to the current circumstances.

References

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* Marine Arsenal Volume 27, Podzun Pallas-Verlag, 1996.