History of Croatian Navy
Encyclopedia
Early history
According to Longobard writer Pavlo Đakon from the year 642, CroatsCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
have many ships under the city of Siponto
Siponto
Siponto was an ancient port town of Apulia in southern Italy. The town was abandoned after earthquakes in the 13th century; today the area is administered as a frazione of the comune of Manfredonia, in the province of Foggia...
(Manfredonia
Manfredonia
Manfredonia is a town and comune of Puglia, Italy, in the province of Foggia, from which it is 35 kilometres northeast by rail. Manfredonia is situated on the coast, facing east, to the south of Monte Gargano, and giving its name to the gulf to the east of it...
in Southern Italy). There are many records of the problems of the Venetian Republic with Croatian pirates in the Venetian records from the second half of the 7th century. At the time it was a considerable source of revenue for all countries. The same sources speak about Croats as successful ship builders. Already at the time of Prince Vladislav
Vladislav of Croatia
Vladislav was a nephew and successor of Duke Borna of Littoral Croatia. He reigned, as Duke of Littoral Croatia, from February 821 to ca. 835.Most information about Vladislav is carried by the Royal Frankish Annals when it speaks about Borna's death...
(821-835), the sources mention a strong navy. Thanks to the maritime power of Croatia, prince Mislav of Croatia
Mislav of Croatia
Mislav was the Duke of Littoral Croatia in 835–845.Mislav succeeded Vladislav as the Duke of Littoral Croatia. He ruled from Klis in central Dalmatia, when he made Klis Fortress seat to his throne. Mislav was pious ruler. He built the Church of Saint George in Putalj . Today's Kaštel Sućurac...
(835-845) enabled Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
to establish control on the Eastern Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. During the rule of Prince Trpimir
Trpimir I of Croatia
Trpimir I was a duke of Croatia in 845–864, and the founder of the Croatian House of Trpimirović. Although he was formally vassal of the Frankish Emperor Lothair I, Trpimir used Frankish-Byzantine conflicts to rule on his own.-Reign:...
(845-864), Croats broke through to Friuli
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
and in front of the Venice itsef. During the rule of Prince Domagoj
Domagoj of Croatia
Domagoj was a duke of Dalmatian Croatia in 864–876. He is the founder of the House of Domagojević.Domagoj was a powerful Croatian nobelman, with lands around Knin. Following the death of Trpimir I in 864, he usurped the throne of Zdeslav in a civil war...
(864-876) the strong Croatian Navy successfully defended its coast from Venice and in 866 the Venetian Doge
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
Partezipazio was forced to conclude peace treaty. A great pest at that time in the Adriatic Sea was the Saracens. Therefore an alliance was made between the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Venetia and Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (Medieval)
The Kingdom of Croatia , also known as the Kingdom of the Croats , was a medieval kingdom covering most of what is today Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Balkans.Established in 925, it ruled as a sovereign state for almost two centuries...
and later on between the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
. In 871 the Croatian Navy distinguished itself as ally of Frank Emperor Ludovik II in liberation of Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
from the Saracens.
At the time of Prince Branimir
Branimir of Croatia
Branimir was a ruler of Dalmatian Croatia who reigned as Knez from 879 to 892. He was recognized by Pope John VIII as the Duke of the Croats...
(879-892) or at the time when Croatia becomes a completely independent state, the Croatian Navy continues its rise. That was the time of the famous battle in the Middle Dalmatian local waters and when the Venetians were completely defeated on 18 September 887. Venetian Doge Petar Candiano was killed. Venetians paid to Croats tribute-money for the following hundred years so as to sail the Adriatic Sea freely.
In the work of Constantine Porphyrogenitus
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
, De administrando imperio
De Administrando Imperio
De Administrando Imperio is the Latin title of a Greek work written by the 10th-century Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine VII. The Greek title of the work is...
it is stated that Croatia, during reign of King Tomislav had 80 sagenas (larger ships with 40 sailors) and 100 konduras (smaller ships with 10 to 20 sailors, not counting oarsmen). Beside this powerful navy the King Tomislav (910-928) also had strong army with 60 000 horsemen and 100 000 infantrymen. The era of King Stjepan Držislav (969-996) was marked with successful maritime trade and safekeeping of maritime routes and domination of Croatia on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea.
The King of Croatia and Dalmatia Petar Krešimir IV
Petar Krešimir IV of Croatia
Peter Krešimir IV, called the Great , was a notably energetic King of Croatia from 1059 to his death in 1074/1075. He was the last great ruler of the Krešimirović branch of the House of Trpimirović....
(1058–1074) expanded its kingdom "on land and on sea". In his deed of donation to the convent of Saint Krševan in Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
in 1069, it is stated that he donates the island of Maun situated "in our Dalmatian sea" (in nostro dalmatico mari). The Duke of the Croatian Royal Navy Rusin is mentioned at the time and the fact that the very title of Duke could be borne only by governmental dignitaries is proof of the navy importance.
In the first year of the rule of King Dmitar Zvonimir (1074–1089) Normans invaded the Adriatic Sea. As Normans ally, Dmitar Zvonimir joined in wars against Byzantium. When Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia, invaded the western Balkan provinces of the empire in 1084, Zvonimir sent his fleet to his aid.
Normans conquered cities on the eastern coast. The only thing that is sure is that the island of Rab never fell. The alliance of Normans and Croats made under the influence of the Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
lasted from 1082 to 1084: they led together a series of naval battles against Byzant-Venetian navy.
During the period of personal union with Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, the Croatian coast fell under Venice and its naval power deteriorated. But this is the time when the fleet of the Republic of Dubrovnik
Republic of Ragusa
The Republic of Ragusa or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia , that existed from 1358 to 1808...
, which kept its independence, started to rise.
Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
which shows its strength and effective diplomacy. But the strength of the Republic of Ragusa was also manifested in its maritime power. The size of the Fleet of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
in 1800, together with fishing ships, was 673 clipper
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
s. 255 of them were bigger ships that sailed outside the territorial waters of Dubrovnik. The total number of transatlantic clippers was 230 ships. The Republic had its consulates in over 80 cities. At that time Dubrovnik had about 7000 seamen, shipbuilders, shipowners and members of other maritime professions.
The period from 1806 to 1813 was the era of the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
rule of Marshall Marmont in Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and development of maritime trade. Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's rule of Dalmatia was followed by Austro-Hungarian rule and on 2 November 1818 the first steam ship Carolina sailed the Adriatic Sea. In early 1838 the free steamship navigation in the Adriatic Sea with regular steamship route Triest-Mali Lošinj-Zadar-Šibenik-Split-Hvar-Korčula-Dubrovnik-Kotor was proclaimed. This year was also marked with cessation of the domination of the clipper
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
s and entrance of steamship
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
in the war fleet.
Austro-Hungary
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
declared war to Austria. Like many times before the Adriatic Sea was a battlefield. Both fleets fought on 20 September opening fierce artillery fire. Wilhelm von Tegetthoff
Wilhelm von Tegetthoff
Wilhelm von Tegetthoff was an Austrian admiral. Considered one of the prominent naval commanders of the 19th century, Tegetthoff was known for his innovative tactics as well as his inspirational leadership....
, a commander of the Austrian fleet sails into the harbour of Vis
Vis (town)
Vis is a town on the Vis island of the same name in Croatia. It has a population of 1960 residents . It is the center of the Vis municipality and part of Split-Dalmatia County.-History:...
with all gunboats. With victory in Battle of Lissa
Battle of Lissa (1866)
The Battle of Lissa took place on 20 July 1866 in the Adriatic Sea near the Dalmatian island of Lissa and was a decisive victory for an outnumbered Austrian Empire force over a superior Italian force...
(Vis) Austria secured dominance on the Adriatic Sea. In 1866 a Croatian officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, Ivan Lupis
Giovanni Luppis
Giovanni Biagio Luppis von Rammer was an officer of the Austrian Navy who had the idea of the first self-propelled torpedo.-Early years:...
, together with Robert 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...
, constructed the first self-propelled torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
in Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
.
In 1869 the Austrian frigate SMS Donau undertook a trip around the world. Donau displaced 2000 tons and carried 350 crew members who were sailors from islands and coast of the Eastern Adriatic, mostly Croats. The ship left Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
in July and returned in March 1871 having sailed the whole Earth. There is a ship log written by a crewmember, Matija Politeo from Starigrad
Starigrad
Starigrad is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. The total population is 1,875 . According to the 2001 census, 95% of the population are Croats.The list of settlements in the municipality is:* Seline, population 454...
on the island of Hvar
Hvar
- Climate :The climate of Hvar is characterized by mild winters and warm summers. The yearly average air temperature is , 686 mm of precipitation fall on the town of Hvar on average every year and the town has a total of 2800 sunshine hours per year. For comparison Hvar has an average of 7.7...
.
The period from 1911 to 1914 is especially important for development of the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
in which most of the crew consisted of Croats. The biggest ships of Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
were launched at that time: SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis was the first Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Its name, meaning "With United Forces", was the personal motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I.Viribus Unitis was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1908...
, SMS Tegetthoff
SMS Tegetthoff
SMS Tegetthoff was an Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the Tegetthoff class named after Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, a 19th-century Austrian admiral most notable for defeating the Italian Navy in the Battle of Lissa....
, SMS Prinz Eugen
SMS Prinz Eugen
SMS Prinz Eugen was an Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Prinz Eugen was built at the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino yard, Trieste...
and SMS Szent István
SMS Szent István
SMS Szent István was a dreadnought , the only one built in the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary. The Ganz & Company's Danubius yard in Hungarian-owned Fiume was awarded the contract to build the battleship in return for the Hungarian government agreeing to the 1910 and 1911 naval budgets...
. This is also the period in which we can find Croats as high-ranking officers, like admiral Maximilian Njegovan
Maximilian Njegovan
Maksimilijan Njegovan was a Croatian admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the Navy's senior administrator as well as its fleet commander in 1917-18.-Background:Njegovan was born in 1858 in Agram...
(Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, 1917–1918) or admiral Janko Vuković
Janko Vukovic
Janko Vuković, sometimes spelt Janko Vukovich or von Vukovich, also known as Janko Vuković de Podkapelski or Janko Vuković-Podkapelski was a Croatian sailor who served in the Austro-Hungarian navy...
(commander of SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis was the first Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Its name, meaning "With United Forces", was the personal motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I.Viribus Unitis was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1908...
).
Post WWI
After the end 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 1918 the Austro-Hungarian navy on the admiral ship SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis
SMS Viribus Unitis was the first Austro-Hungarian dreadnought battleship of the . Its name, meaning "With United Forces", was the personal motto of Emperor Franz Joseph I.Viribus Unitis was ordered by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1908...
in Pula was forced, under order of the Emperor Charles I of Austria, to surrender to delegates of the National Council of newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
from Zagreb - Ante Tresić Pavičić, Vilim Bukšeg and Ivan Čop and members of the Local National Council in Pula. The Croatian flag was flown then. On the very same day a specially constructed Italian boat called mignata, similar to a guided torpedo, broke through the harbour of Pula and sank the battleship Viribus Unitis together with 250 sailors and Commander Janko Vuković
Janko Vukovic
Janko Vuković, sometimes spelt Janko Vukovich or von Vukovich, also known as Janko Vuković de Podkapelski or Janko Vuković-Podkapelski was a Croatian sailor who served in the Austro-Hungarian navy...
.
Yugoslavia
The navy and merchant navy led by Croatian maritime experts continued to develop at the time of the Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
and later in socialist Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. During this period, many Croats took over high duties in Yugoslav Navy whose main bases were on the territory of Croatia.
Modern Croatia
During the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1991, by the decision of Croatian President from 12 September 1991, began formation on new Croatian Navy. For first Navy commander appointed was admiralAdmiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sveto Letica
Sveto Letica
Sveto Letica , was a Croatian admiral, and the first commander of the Croatian Navy.-Biography:...
. First ship in naval fleet was landing craft 103, but soon Croatia gained possession over 34 ex-ships of Yugoslav navy. The main fleet was formed on 24 September, consisting of six ships.
- List of Croatian warships (as of 24 September 1991)
- RTOP-402 - later RTOP-21 Šibenik
- TČ-222 - later TB-51 Vukovar
- RČ-301 - later OBM 41 Dubrovnik
- PČ-171 - later OB-61 Novigrad
- PČ-180 - later OB-63 Cavtat
- PČ-181 - later OB-64 Hrvatska Kostajnica
Two other warships captured by Croatia, the Osa I class
Osa class missile boat
The Project 205 Tsunami, more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the early 1960s. The Osas are probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed for both the Soviet Navy and for...
RČ-310 Velimir Škorpik and the Shershen class
Shershen class torpedo boat
The Shershen class was the NATO reporting name for a class of torpedo boats built for the Soviet Navy and allies. The Soviet designation was Project 206 Shtorm.-Design:...
TČ-219 Streljko were not regarded as seaworthy and were eventually sunk by the missile boats Kralj Petar Krešimir IV and OBM-41 Dubrovnik in October 1994, during a live firing exercise known as operation Posejdon. The main actions of the new Croatian navy during the war of independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
were the lifting of the Yugoslav blockade of Dalmatia
Battle of the Dalmatian channels
The Battle of the Dalmatian channels was a three-day long confrontation between two task forces of the Yugoslav War Navy and coastal defenses of the Croatian Navy along Šolta island, the port of Split, and the islands of Brač, Hvar and Korčula, which took place from 14 to 16 November 1991...
and the relief of Dubrovnik
Siege of Dubrovnik
The Siege of Dubrovnik is a term marking the battle and siege of the city of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area in Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence. Yugoslav People's Army invaded the Dubrovnik area in October 1991 from Montenegro, Bosnia and even parts of Croatia, surrounding...
.