Habsburg class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Habsburg class was a group of pre-dreadnought battleships built by Austria-Hungary
at the turn of the 20th century. They were the first sea-going battleship built by Austria-Hungary since the center-battery ship Tegetthoff in 1876. The class was composed of three ships: , , and . They were armed with three 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in two turrets and were capable of slightly better than 19.5 knots (10.6 m/s) at full speed. Habsburg and Árpád were modernized in 1910–11.
Habsburg was launched on 9 September 1900, Árpád just over a year later on 11 September 1901, and Babenberg on 4 October 1902. The ships saw limited service during World War I
in the IV Division of the Austro-Hungarian fleet. Babenberg and Árpád bombarded the Italian port of Ancona
in 1915, but the three battleships were largely inactive for the remainder of their service. They were decommissioned in 1916 to free up the majority of their crews for service in the submarine and air forces. All three ships were ultimately ceded to Great Britain following the end of the war; they were sold to Italian ship-breakers and scrapped in 1921.
of 19.8 m (65 ft) and a draft
of 7.5 m (24 ft 6 in). Freeboard
was approximately 5.8 m (19 ft) forward and about 5.5 m (18 ft) aft. They displaced 8,364 metric tons (8,232 long ton
s). The ships had a crew of 638 officers and enlisted men. The ships had a flush main deck that was planked with wood, while the upper decks were covered with linoleum
or corticine.
The hulls for each ship were constructed from transverse and longitudinal steel frames, over which the outer hull plates were rivet
ed. The hull incorporated a double bottom
that ran for 63% of its length. A series of watertight bulkheads extended from the keel
to the gun deck; there were a total of 174 watertight compartments in each ship. The ships had a metacentric height
of between 0.82 m (2.7 ft) and 1.02 m (3.3 ft). Bilge keel
s were mounted on either side of the hull to reduce rolling.
Their machinery system consisted of 2-shaft 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines. They were supplied with steam by 16 Belleville boiler
s. Habsburgs powerplant was rated at 15,063 indicated horsepower (ihp), which produced a top speed of 19.62 knots (10.7 m/s). Árpáds system was slightly less efficient, at 14,307 ihp, though it achieved a comparable speed of 19.65 knots (10.7 m/s) on trials. Babenberg had the most powerful engines of the three, which ran at 16,000 ihp and provided a top speed of 19.85 knots (10.8 m/s).
forward and one mounted in a single turret aft of the main superstructure. The guns were manufactured by Krupp
in Germany, and were the C 97 type. The guns had a rate of fire
of between three to four 215 kg (474 lb) armor-piercing
(AP) shells per minute. The gun turrets could depress to −5° and elevate to 30°. At maximum elevation, the guns had a range of 16,900 m (18,500 yd). At a range of 10,000 m (11,000 yd), the armor-piercing shell could penetrate up to 30 cm (11.8 in) of iron plate, the standard form of armor for contemporary ships. Armor penetration was significantly reduced against the newer Harvey steel
, to 18 cm (7 in). Krupp cemented steel
was even more difficult to penetrate; the AP shells could penetrate only 12 cm (4.7 in) at 10,000 m.
Secondary armament included twelve 15 cm (5.9 inch) SK L/40 guns in casemate
s. They were mounted in an unusual arrangement: there were two decks of three guns each on either side amidships. These guns could fire armor-piercing shells at a rate of 4–5 per minute. The guns could depress to −7 degrees and elevate to 20 degrees, for a maximum range of 13,700 m (14,990 yd). They were manually elevated and trained.
The ships carried a wide array of smaller weapons, for defense against torpedo boats. These included ten 7 cm (2.75 in) L/45 guns, six 4.7 cm (1.85 in) L/44 quick-firing (QF) guns, and two 4.7 cm (1.45 in) L/33 QF guns. All of these guns were emplaced in single mounts, either on the upper decks and superstructure, or in casemates at the bow and stern. With the exception of the main battery 24 cm weapons, all of the guns carried on the ships were manufactured by Škoda Works
in Pilsen. The ships also carried two Whitehead
45 cm (17.7 in) submerged torpedo tubes.
chrome-nickel steel. The main armored belt
was 220 mm (8.7 in) in the central portion of each ship, where the ammunition magazines, machinery spaces, and other critical areas were located. The belt tapered slightly to 180 mm (7.1 in) on either end of the central section. Past the barbettes, the hull was protected by about 50 mm (2 in) of armor plate, up to the bow and stern. The entire belt, including the thinner portions forward and aft of the main battery barbettes, extended for 1.3 m (4.3 ft) below the waterline
and 1.06 m (3.5 ft) above. The belt was widened at the bow to cover the ram
. Side protection was supplemented by 100 mm (3.9 in) thick armor above the main belt; this section of armor extended up to meet the gun deck. The armored deck was 40 mm (1.6 in) thick.
The main battery turrets were protected by armor plate that was 210 mm (8.3 in) thick on the sides and faces of the gun mounts. The armored barbettes that held the turrets, working chambers, and shell rooms were protected with 183 mm (7.2 in) of armor. The casemates for the 15 cm guns were 137 mm (5.4 in) on the outboard side and 88 mm (3.5 in) on the less vulnerable inboard side. The forward conning tower
was armored with sides that were 200 mm (7.9 in) thick and contained a 150 mm (5.9 in) thick communications tube; the aft conning tower was less well-protected. Its sides were 100 mm thick, and its communication tube was only 50 mm thick.
shipyard in Trieste
on 13 March 1899. She was launched
on 9 September 1900, after which fitting-out
work was conducted. The ship was finally finished by December 1902; she was commissioned
into the Austro-Hungarian fleet on the 31st of that month. Árpád followed Habsburg three months later; she was laid down at the STT shipyard on 10 June 1899 and launched on 11 September 1901. She was commissioned into the fleet on 15 June 1903. Babenberg, the last ship of the three, was laid down at the STT dockyard on 19 January 1901. She was launched on 4 October 1902 and completed on 15 April 1904, when she joined her sisters in the fleet.
in late July 1914, Habsburg was serving as the flagship
of the III Battleship Division of the Austro-Hungarian fleet, under the command of Captain
Miklós Horthy
, alongside her two sisters. They were later transferred to the IV Division after the new s came into service. At around the same time, she was mobilized along with her sisterships and and the remainder of the Austro-Hungarian Navy to support the flight of and . The two German ships were stationed in the Mediterranean and were attempting to break out of the strait of Messina, which was surrounded by British troops and vessels and make their way to Turkey. After the Germans successfully broke out of Messina, the navy was recalled. The fleet had by that time advanced as far south as Brindisi
in south eastern Italy. After Italy entered the war on the side of France and England, the Austro-Hungarian navy bombarded several Italian installations; Babenberg took part in the attack on Ancona
in 1915. They were later decommissioned and served as harbor defense ships for the latter portion of the conflict. Their crews were then transferred to man new U-boat
s and aircraft. By 1918, Árpád was converted into a training ship. Following the end of the war, the ships were awarded to Great Britain as war prizes, but were instead sold and broken up for scrapping in Italy in 1921.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
at the turn of the 20th century. They were the first sea-going battleship built by Austria-Hungary since the center-battery ship Tegetthoff in 1876. The class was composed of three ships: , , and . They were armed with three 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in two turrets and were capable of slightly better than 19.5 knots (10.6 m/s) at full speed. Habsburg and Árpád were modernized in 1910–11.
Habsburg was launched on 9 September 1900, Árpád just over a year later on 11 September 1901, and Babenberg on 4 October 1902. The ships saw limited service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in the IV Division of the Austro-Hungarian fleet. Babenberg and Árpád bombarded the Italian port of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
in 1915, but the three battleships were largely inactive for the remainder of their service. They were decommissioned in 1916 to free up the majority of their crews for service in the submarine and air forces. All three ships were ultimately ceded to Great Britain following the end of the war; they were sold to Italian ship-breakers and scrapped in 1921.
General characteristics and machinery
The ships of the Habsburg class were 113.11 m (371 ft) long at the waterline and 114.55 m (375 ft 10 in) long overall. They had a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 19.8 m (65 ft) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 7.5 m (24 ft 6 in). Freeboard
Freeboard (nautical)
In sailing and boating, freeboardmeans the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship...
was approximately 5.8 m (19 ft) forward and about 5.5 m (18 ft) aft. They displaced 8,364 metric tons (8,232 long ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
s). The ships had a crew of 638 officers and enlisted men. The ships had a flush main deck that was planked with wood, while the upper decks were covered with linoleum
Linoleum
Linoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil , pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing; pigments are often added to the materials.The finest linoleum floors,...
or corticine.
The hulls for each ship were constructed from transverse and longitudinal steel frames, over which the outer hull plates were rivet
Rivet
A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the buck-tail. On installation the rivet is placed in a punched or pre-drilled hole, and the tail is upset, or bucked A rivet...
ed. The hull incorporated a double bottom
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
that ran for 63% of its length. A series of watertight bulkheads extended from the keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
to the gun deck; there were a total of 174 watertight compartments in each ship. The ships had a metacentric height
Metacentric height
The metacentric height is a measurement of the static stability of a floating body. It is calculated as the distance between the centre of gravity of a ship and its metacentre . A larger metacentric height implies greater stability against overturning...
of between 0.82 m (2.7 ft) and 1.02 m (3.3 ft). Bilge keel
Bilge keel
A bilge keel is used to reduce the hull's tendency to roll. Bilge keels are employed in pairs . A ship may have more than one bilge keel per side, but this is rare. Bilge keels increase hydrodynamic resistance to rolling, making the ship roll less...
s were mounted on either side of the hull to reduce rolling.
Their machinery system consisted of 2-shaft 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines. They were supplied with steam by 16 Belleville boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
s. Habsburgs powerplant was rated at 15,063 indicated horsepower (ihp), which produced a top speed of 19.62 knots (10.7 m/s). Árpáds system was slightly less efficient, at 14,307 ihp, though it achieved a comparable speed of 19.65 knots (10.7 m/s) on trials. Babenberg had the most powerful engines of the three, which ran at 16,000 ihp and provided a top speed of 19.85 knots (10.8 m/s).
Armament
The ships' primary armament was three 24 cm (9.4 in) L/40 guns, with two mounted in a twin turretGun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
forward and one mounted in a single turret aft of the main superstructure. The guns were manufactured by Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
in Germany, and were the C 97 type. The guns had a rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
of between three to four 215 kg (474 lb) armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
(AP) shells per minute. The gun turrets could depress to −5° and elevate to 30°. At maximum elevation, the guns had a range of 16,900 m (18,500 yd). At a range of 10,000 m (11,000 yd), the armor-piercing shell could penetrate up to 30 cm (11.8 in) of iron plate, the standard form of armor for contemporary ships. Armor penetration was significantly reduced against the newer Harvey steel
Harvey armor
Harvey armor was a type of steel armor developed in the early 1890s in which the front surfaces of the plates were case hardened. The method for doing this was known as the Harvey process....
, to 18 cm (7 in). Krupp cemented steel
Krupp cemented armour
Krupp Cemented Armour is a further evolved variant of Krupp Armour, developed during the early years of the 20th Century. The process is largely the same with slight changes in the alloy composition: in % of total – carbon 0.35, nickel 3.90, chromium 2.00, manganese .35, silicon .07, phosphorus...
was even more difficult to penetrate; the AP shells could penetrate only 12 cm (4.7 in) at 10,000 m.
Secondary armament included twelve 15 cm (5.9 inch) SK L/40 guns in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s. They were mounted in an unusual arrangement: there were two decks of three guns each on either side amidships. These guns could fire armor-piercing shells at a rate of 4–5 per minute. The guns could depress to −7 degrees and elevate to 20 degrees, for a maximum range of 13,700 m (14,990 yd). They were manually elevated and trained.
The ships carried a wide array of smaller weapons, for defense against torpedo boats. These included ten 7 cm (2.75 in) L/45 guns, six 4.7 cm (1.85 in) L/44 quick-firing (QF) guns, and two 4.7 cm (1.45 in) L/33 QF guns. All of these guns were emplaced in single mounts, either on the upper decks and superstructure, or in casemates at the bow and stern. With the exception of the main battery 24 cm weapons, all of the guns carried on the ships were manufactured by Škoda Works
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
in Pilsen. The ships also carried two Whitehead
Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead was an English engineer. He developed the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. His company, located in the Austrian naval centre in Fiume, was the world leader in torpedo development and production up to the First World War.- Early life:He was born the son of a...
45 cm (17.7 in) submerged torpedo tubes.
Armor
Habsburg and her sisters were protected by face-hardenedCase hardening
Case hardening or surface hardening is the process of hardening the surface of a metal, often a low carbon steel, by infusing elements into the material's surface, forming a thin layer of a harder alloy...
chrome-nickel steel. The main armored belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
was 220 mm (8.7 in) in the central portion of each ship, where the ammunition magazines, machinery spaces, and other critical areas were located. The belt tapered slightly to 180 mm (7.1 in) on either end of the central section. Past the barbettes, the hull was protected by about 50 mm (2 in) of armor plate, up to the bow and stern. The entire belt, including the thinner portions forward and aft of the main battery barbettes, extended for 1.3 m (4.3 ft) below the waterline
Waterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
and 1.06 m (3.5 ft) above. The belt was widened at the bow to cover the ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
. Side protection was supplemented by 100 mm (3.9 in) thick armor above the main belt; this section of armor extended up to meet the gun deck. The armored deck was 40 mm (1.6 in) thick.
The main battery turrets were protected by armor plate that was 210 mm (8.3 in) thick on the sides and faces of the gun mounts. The armored barbettes that held the turrets, working chambers, and shell rooms were protected with 183 mm (7.2 in) of armor. The casemates for the 15 cm guns were 137 mm (5.4 in) on the outboard side and 88 mm (3.5 in) on the less vulnerable inboard side. The forward conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
was armored with sides that were 200 mm (7.9 in) thick and contained a 150 mm (5.9 in) thick communications tube; the aft conning tower was less well-protected. Its sides were 100 mm thick, and its communication tube was only 50 mm thick.
Construction
Habsburg was laid down at the Stabilimento Tecnico TriestinoStabilimento Tecnico Triestino
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino was a private shipbuilding company based in Trieste from the mid-19th to early 20th century, and the most important naval shipbuilding firm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....
shipyard in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
on 13 March 1899. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 9 September 1900, after which fitting-out
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
work was conducted. The ship was finally finished by December 1902; she was commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
into the Austro-Hungarian fleet on the 31st of that month. Árpád followed Habsburg three months later; she was laid down at the STT shipyard on 10 June 1899 and launched on 11 September 1901. She was commissioned into the fleet on 15 June 1903. Babenberg, the last ship of the three, was laid down at the STT dockyard on 19 January 1901. She was launched on 4 October 1902 and completed on 15 April 1904, when she joined her sisters in the fleet.
Peace-time
Habsburg and Árpád took part in their first fleet maneuvers in mid 1903. By the following summer, Babenberg was ready for active service, and she too participated in fleet drills. During the 1904 training exercises, the three Habsburgs engaged the three s in simulated combat; the maneuver marked the first time two homogeneous squadrons consisting of modern battleships operated in the Austro-Hungarian navy. The three Habsburg-class ships formed the I Division while the Monarchs formed the II Division. The ships were also active in the Mediterranean. Habsburg conducted a training cruise with the three Monarch-class battleships in January 1903. She was joined by Árpád the following year. With the commissioning of the s in 1906–1907, the three Habsburg-class ships were transferred to the II Division, and the three Monarchs went to the III Division.World War I
At the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in late July 1914, Habsburg was serving as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the III Battleship Division of the Austro-Hungarian fleet, under the command of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
, alongside her two sisters. They were later transferred to the IV Division after the new s came into service. At around the same time, she was mobilized along with her sisterships and and the remainder of the Austro-Hungarian Navy to support the flight of and . The two German ships were stationed in the Mediterranean and were attempting to break out of the strait of Messina, which was surrounded by British troops and vessels and make their way to Turkey. After the Germans successfully broke out of Messina, the navy was recalled. The fleet had by that time advanced as far south as Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
in south eastern Italy. After Italy entered the war on the side of France and England, the Austro-Hungarian navy bombarded several Italian installations; Babenberg took part in the attack on Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
in 1915. They were later decommissioned and served as harbor defense ships for the latter portion of the conflict. Their crews were then transferred to man new U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s and aircraft. By 1918, Árpád was converted into a training ship. Following the end of the war, the ships were awarded to Great Britain as war prizes, but were instead sold and broken up for scrapping in Italy in 1921.