Radetzky class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Radetzky class were a group of three semi-dreadnought battleship
s built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy
between 1907 and 1910. All ships were built by the STT shipyard
in Trieste
. They were the last pre-dreadnoughts built by the Austro-Hungarians, and the penultimate class of any type of Austro-Hungarian battleship completed. The class comprised three ships: , , and . They were armed with four 30.5 centimeter (12 inch) guns in two twin turrets and eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four twin turrets; the heavy secondary guns set the Radetzky class ships apart from other pre-dreadnought type battleships.
Commissioned only a few years before the outbreak of World War I, the ships had limited service careers. All three of the battleships conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean Sea
in 1912. In 1913, they took part in an international naval demonstration in the Ionian Sea
that protested the Balkan Wars
. After Italy declared war on Austro-Hungary and the other Central Powers
in 1915, the three Radetzky class ships bombarded coastal targets in the Adriatic Sea
. After 1915, their participation in the war became minimal. All three ships were handed over to Italy after the end of the war, and broken up for scrap between 1920 and 1926.
s, eight scout cruisers, 18 destroyer
s, 36 large torpedo boat
s, and six submarine
s. A navy design board evaluated five designs for the new battleship type between September 25–29, 1905.
The first design was armed with four 28 cm (11 in) guns in two twin turrets, four 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in single turrets, and eight 19 cm (7.5 in) guns in casemates. The second design retained the 28 and 24 cm guns as in the first version, though altered the tertiary guns to twelve 10 cm guns. The third design, representative of the new dreadnought
type of battleship that was being contemplated in other navies, featured eight 28 cm guns in four twin turrets, one fore, one aft, and two wing turrets. The heavy secondary guns were dispensed with altogether, and the light-caliber guns were increased to sixteen 10 cm guns. The fourth design was a variation on the third type; the eight 28 cm guns were replaced by six 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, in two twin turrets and two single turrets. The 10 cm guns remained the same. The final design mounted four 30.5 cm guns in two twin turrets, eight 19 cm guns in four wing turrets, and twelve 10 cm guns in casemates. The leader of the design staff, Siegfried Popper
, advocated the construction of an "all-big-gun" ship. However, Austro-Hungarian dock facilities at the time limited displacement to 16000 LT; the two "dreadnought" type designs were too heavy.
Popper eventually relented, after admitting that the larger dreadnought type design would also warrant the construction of a new floating dry dock, which would significantly increase the cost of the project. The design board selected the fifth design, though during refinement of the design, the secondary guns were increased in caliber from 19 cm to 24 cm. The 30.5 cm gun was chosen because the breech of the new 28 cm was unreliable. The resulting design was the last pre-dreadnought type of battleship built by the Austro-Hungarian navy.
Underwater protection was also emphasized. Between August and November 1906, the Austro-Hungarian navy conducted explosive tests using the 50-year old ironclad . The tests were conducted with 10 kilograms (22 lb), in an attempt to investigate blast effects of the standard 100 kilograms (220.5 lb) naval mine
on a 1:10 scale. The tests were generally unsuccessful; as a result, Popper devised a mathematical model to predict the strength the underwater protection system would require to adequately protect the new battleships. The ships were ultimately equipped with an armored double bottom
for defense against mines and torpedoes.
The Radetzky class ships were 137.5 m (450 ft 11 in) long at the waterline and 138.8 m (455 ft 4 in) long overall. They had a beam
of 24.6 m (80 ft 8 in) and a draft
of 8.1 m (26 ft 9 in). The ships were designed to displace 14508 LT normally, and up to 15845.5 LT with a full combat load. Machinery consisted of two four-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines. Each engine was powered by six Yarrow boilers. Power output was 19,800 indicated horsepower, for a top speed of 20.5 knots (11.2 m/s). The ships carried 1350 LT of coal, which enabled a maximum range of 4000 nmi (7,408 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
s. The guns were built by Škoda Works
in Pilsen
. They were capable of a rate of fire
of three shells in the first minute, and then 1 to 2 rounds per minute afterward. The guns fired armor-piercing
(AP) shells that weighed 450 kg (992 lb) and required a 138 kg (304 lb) propellant
charge. Their muzzle velocity
was 800 meters per second (2,625 fps). The turrets could depress to −3° and elevate to 20°. At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 20,000 m (21,870 yards). These turrets suffered from a number of design faults; among them were the overly-large cupola
s on top. If a cupola was struck by gunfire, the thin top armor could be peeled back. Another serious issue was a defect in the ventilation system: when the turret was being ventilated under combat conditions, the system would duct toxic propellant gases into the gun house. It was estimated that the turrets contained only 15 minutes of oxygen once the ventilation system was activated.
The ships carried a heavy secondary battery of eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four twin turrets. The turrets were mounted amidships, two on either side. These guns had nearly half the penetration power of the larger 30.5 cm guns, and approximately 25% shorter range. The secondary armament was augmented by twenty 10 cm L/50 guns in single mounts. These guns fired 26.2 kg (57.7 lb) shells at a rate of between 8 and 10 rounds per minute. The shells were fired at a muzzle velocity of 880 mps (2,790 fps) and could hit targets out to 11,000 m (12,030 yd). Radetzky and her sisters also carried several smaller caliber guns, including two 66 mm (2.6 in) landing guns, four 47 mm (1.85 in) L/44 and one 47 mm L/33 quick-firing guns. Three 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were also carried, two on the beams and one in the stern.
s, the belt reduced in thickness to 100 mm (3.9 in). A 54 mm (2.1 in) thick torpedo bulkhead
ran the length of the hull to provide a second layer of underwater protection should the main belt be penetrated. The armored deck was 48 mm (1.9 in) thick, and supported by a sloped deck that was also 48 mm thick.
The main battery turrets were heavily armored. Their sides and face were 250 mm (9.8 in) thick, while their roofs were 60 mm (2.4 in) thick. The turrets for the secondary 24 cm guns had slightly less armor, with 200 mm (7.9 in) thick sides and 50 mm (2 in) thick roofs. The casemate
s that mounted the 10 cm guns were protected with 120 mm (4.7 in) worth of armor plating. The armored conning tower
had 250 mm-thick sides and a 100 mm-thick roof.
in Trieste
.
after their commissioning in 1910–11. Radetzky was present during the British Coronation Review at Spithead
in 1911. In 1912, Zrinyi took part in a training cruise with the recently commissioned dreadnoughts and in the eastern Mediterranean, which included a stop at Malta
. The following year, the three ships were involved in an international naval demonstration to protest the raging Balkan Wars
; during the operation the first seaplane
s to be launched from a warship in combat were operated from Radetzky and her sisters.
, before returning to port.
In October 1914, the French army established artillery batteries on Mount Lovčen to support the Army of Montenegro
against the Austrian army at Cattaro. By the time they were operational, on October 15, the Austro-Hungarians were ready with the pre-dreadnoughts of the . However, their 24 cm guns were insufficient to dislodge the French artillery batteries, and so Radetzky was sent to assist them. On October 21, the ship arrived, and the gunfire from her 30.5 cm guns forced the French to abandon the position. On May 24, 1915, all three ships bombarded the Italian coast, including the important naval base at Ancona
, following the entrance of Italy into the war on the side of the Triple Entente
.
By October 1918, Austria prepared to transfer her entire fleet to Yugoslavia
in order to keep it out of Italian hands. On November 10, 1918, one day before the armistice, Yugoslav officers with scratch crews sailed Radetzky and Zrinyi out of Pola. As they cleared the breakwater at Pola, they sighted the approaching Italian fleet. The two battleships hoisted American flags and sailed south along the Adriatic coast to Castelli Bay near Spolato
. They appealed for American naval forces to meet them and accept their surrender, which a squadron of USN submarine chasers in the area did. However, under the subsequent peace treaty, the Allied powers ignored the transfer of the Austro-Hungarian ships to the Yugoslav navy; instead, the ships were to be ceded to Italy. Radetzky and Zrinyi were broken up in Italy between 1920–21; Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand survived until 1926, when she too was scrapped in Italy.
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s built for 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....
between 1907 and 1910. All ships were built by the STT shipyard
Stabilimento 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....
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...
. They were the last pre-dreadnoughts built by the Austro-Hungarians, and the penultimate class of any type of Austro-Hungarian battleship completed. The class comprised three ships: , , and . They were armed with four 30.5 centimeter (12 inch) guns in two twin turrets and eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four twin turrets; the heavy secondary guns set the Radetzky class ships apart from other pre-dreadnought type battleships.
Commissioned only a few years before the outbreak of World War I, the ships had limited service careers. All three of the battleships conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
in 1912. In 1913, they took part in an international naval demonstration in the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
that protested the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. After Italy declared war on Austro-Hungary and the other Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
in 1915, the three Radetzky class ships bombarded coastal targets in the Adriatic Sea
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...
. After 1915, their participation in the war became minimal. All three ships were handed over to Italy after the end of the war, and broken up for scrap between 1920 and 1926.
Development
Design work for a new class of battleships started about two weeks after the launching of , an , which took place on April 30, 1904. By the end of July 1905, the Austrian Commander in Chief of the Navy, Admiral Monteccuccoli, laid out his vision for an expanded Austro-Hungarian fleet. This included 12 battleships, four armored cruiserArmored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
s, eight scout cruisers, 18 destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, 36 large torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s, and six submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. A navy design board evaluated five designs for the new battleship type between September 25–29, 1905.
The first design was armed with four 28 cm (11 in) guns in two twin turrets, four 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in single turrets, and eight 19 cm (7.5 in) guns in casemates. The second design retained the 28 and 24 cm guns as in the first version, though altered the tertiary guns to twelve 10 cm guns. The third design, representative of the new dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
type of battleship that was being contemplated in other navies, featured eight 28 cm guns in four twin turrets, one fore, one aft, and two wing turrets. The heavy secondary guns were dispensed with altogether, and the light-caliber guns were increased to sixteen 10 cm guns. The fourth design was a variation on the third type; the eight 28 cm guns were replaced by six 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, in two twin turrets and two single turrets. The 10 cm guns remained the same. The final design mounted four 30.5 cm guns in two twin turrets, eight 19 cm guns in four wing turrets, and twelve 10 cm guns in casemates. The leader of the design staff, Siegfried Popper
Siegfried Popper
Siegfried Popper was an eminent naval architect in late-nineteenth- and early twentieth-century middle Europe.-Biography:...
, advocated the construction of an "all-big-gun" ship. However, Austro-Hungarian dock facilities at the time limited displacement to 16000 LT; the two "dreadnought" type designs were too heavy.
Popper eventually relented, after admitting that the larger dreadnought type design would also warrant the construction of a new floating dry dock, which would significantly increase the cost of the project. The design board selected the fifth design, though during refinement of the design, the secondary guns were increased in caliber from 19 cm to 24 cm. The 30.5 cm gun was chosen because the breech of the new 28 cm was unreliable. The resulting design was the last pre-dreadnought type of battleship built by the Austro-Hungarian navy.
Underwater protection was also emphasized. Between August and November 1906, the Austro-Hungarian navy conducted explosive tests using the 50-year old ironclad . The tests were conducted with 10 kilograms (22 lb), in an attempt to investigate blast effects of the standard 100 kilograms (220.5 lb) naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
on a 1:10 scale. The tests were generally unsuccessful; as a result, Popper devised a mathematical model to predict the strength the underwater protection system would require to adequately protect the new battleships. The ships were ultimately equipped with an armored 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...
for defense against mines and torpedoes.
General characteristics
Beam (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 24.6 m (80 ft 8 in) 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 8.1 m (26 ft 9 in). The ships were designed to displace 14508 LT normally, and up to 15845.5 LT with a full combat load. Machinery consisted of two four-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines. Each engine was powered by six Yarrow boilers. Power output was 19,800 indicated horsepower, for a top speed of 20.5 knots (11.2 m/s). The ships carried 1350 LT of coal, which enabled a maximum range of 4000 nmi (7,408 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
Armament
The Radetzky class ships, as noted above, carried a main battery of four 30.5 cm (12 in) 45-caliber guns in two twin gun 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...
s. The guns were built 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
Pilsen
Plzeň, or Pilsen is a city in western Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is the capital of the Plzeň Region and the fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic. It is located about 90 km west of Prague at the confluence of four rivers—the Radbuza, the Mže, the Úhlava, and the Úslava—which...
. They were capable of 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 three shells in the first minute, and then 1 to 2 rounds per minute afterward. The guns fired 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 that weighed 450 kg (992 lb) and required a 138 kg (304 lb) propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
charge. Their muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
was 800 meters per second (2,625 fps). The turrets could depress to −3° and elevate to 20°. At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 20,000 m (21,870 yards). These turrets suffered from a number of design faults; among them were the overly-large cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s on top. If a cupola was struck by gunfire, the thin top armor could be peeled back. Another serious issue was a defect in the ventilation system: when the turret was being ventilated under combat conditions, the system would duct toxic propellant gases into the gun house. It was estimated that the turrets contained only 15 minutes of oxygen once the ventilation system was activated.
The ships carried a heavy secondary battery of eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four twin turrets. The turrets were mounted amidships, two on either side. These guns had nearly half the penetration power of the larger 30.5 cm guns, and approximately 25% shorter range. The secondary armament was augmented by twenty 10 cm L/50 guns in single mounts. These guns fired 26.2 kg (57.7 lb) shells at a rate of between 8 and 10 rounds per minute. The shells were fired at a muzzle velocity of 880 mps (2,790 fps) and could hit targets out to 11,000 m (12,030 yd). Radetzky and her sisters also carried several smaller caliber guns, including two 66 mm (2.6 in) landing guns, four 47 mm (1.85 in) L/44 and one 47 mm L/33 quick-firing guns. Three 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were also carried, two on the beams and one in the stern.
Armor
The ships had an armored belt that was 230 mm (9.1 in) thick in the central portion of the ship, where it protected the ammunition magazines, machinery spaces, and other critical areas of the ship. Forward and to the rear of the main battery barbetteBarbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s, the belt reduced in thickness to 100 mm (3.9 in). A 54 mm (2.1 in) thick torpedo bulkhead
Torpedo bulkhead
A torpedo bulkhead is a type of armor common on the more heavily armored warships, especially battleships and battlecruisers of the early 20th century. It is designed to keep the ship afloat even if the hull was struck underneath the belt armor by a shell or by a torpedo...
ran the length of the hull to provide a second layer of underwater protection should the main belt be penetrated. The armored deck was 48 mm (1.9 in) thick, and supported by a sloped deck that was also 48 mm thick.
The main battery turrets were heavily armored. Their sides and face were 250 mm (9.8 in) thick, while their roofs were 60 mm (2.4 in) thick. The turrets for the secondary 24 cm guns had slightly less armor, with 200 mm (7.9 in) thick sides and 50 mm (2 in) thick roofs. The 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 that mounted the 10 cm guns were protected with 120 mm (4.7 in) worth of armor plating. The armored 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....
had 250 mm-thick sides and a 100 mm-thick roof.
Construction Program
All three ships were built by the STT shipyardStabilimento 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....
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...
.
| Ship | Namesake | Laid Down | Launched | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand | Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia... |
12 September 1907 | 30 September 1908 | 5 June 1910 |
| Radetzky | Joseph Radetzky von Radetz Joseph Radetzky von Radetz Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March... , Austrian Fieldmarshall |
26 November 1907 | 3 July 1909 | 15 January 1911 |
| Zrinyi | House of Zrinski, hereditary bans of Croatia | 20 January 1909 | 12 April 1910 | 15 September 1911 |
Pre-war
The three Radetzky class battleships were assigned to the 2nd Division of the 1st Battle Squadron, alongside the Tegetthoff ships in the 1st Division. The three ships conducted several training cruises in the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
after their commissioning in 1910–11. Radetzky was present during the British Coronation Review at Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
in 1911. In 1912, Zrinyi took part in a training cruise with the recently commissioned dreadnoughts and in the eastern Mediterranean, which included a stop at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. The following year, the three ships were involved in an international naval demonstration to protest the raging Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
; during the operation the first seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s to be launched from a warship in combat were operated from Radetzky and her sisters.
World War I
The assistance of the Austro-Hungarian fleet was called upon by the German Mediterranean Division, which consisted of the battlecruiser and light cruiser . The German ships were attempting to break out of Messina, where they had been coaling prior to the outbreak of war—British ships had begun to assemble off Messina in an attempt to trap the Germans. By this time, the Austro-Hungarians had not yet fully mobilized their fleet, though the three Radetzkys and three s, along with several cruisers and smaller craft, were available. The Austro-Hungarian high command, wary of instigating war with Great Britain, ordered the fleet to avoid the British ships, and to only openly support the Germans while they were in Austro-Hungarian waters. On August 7, when the Germans broke out of Messina, the Austro-Hungarian fleet, including the Radetzky class battleships, sailed as far south as BrindisiBrindisi
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...
, before returning to port.
In October 1914, the French army established artillery batteries on Mount Lovčen to support the Army of Montenegro
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
against the Austrian army at Cattaro. By the time they were operational, on October 15, the Austro-Hungarians were ready with the pre-dreadnoughts of the . However, their 24 cm guns were insufficient to dislodge the French artillery batteries, and so Radetzky was sent to assist them. On October 21, the ship arrived, and the gunfire from her 30.5 cm guns forced the French to abandon the position. On May 24, 1915, all three ships bombarded the Italian coast, including the important naval base at 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....
, following the entrance of Italy into the war on the side of the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
.
By October 1918, Austria prepared to transfer her entire fleet to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in order to keep it out of Italian hands. On November 10, 1918, one day before the armistice, Yugoslav officers with scratch crews sailed Radetzky and Zrinyi out of Pola. As they cleared the breakwater at Pola, they sighted the approaching Italian fleet. The two battleships hoisted American flags and sailed south along the Adriatic coast to Castelli Bay near Spolato
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
. They appealed for American naval forces to meet them and accept their surrender, which a squadron of USN submarine chasers in the area did. However, under the subsequent peace treaty, the Allied powers ignored the transfer of the Austro-Hungarian ships to the Yugoslav navy; instead, the ships were to be ceded to Italy. Radetzky and Zrinyi were broken up in Italy between 1920–21; Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand survived until 1926, when she too was scrapped in Italy.