SMS Erzherzog Karl
| 300px SMS Erzherzog Karl | |
| Career (Austria–Hungary) | 100x35px |
|---|---|
| Name: | Erzherzog Karl |
| Namesake: | Erzherzog Karl |
| Builder: | STT |
| Laid down: | 24 July 1902 |
| Launched: | 04 October 1903 |
| Completed: | 17 June 1906 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Erzherzog Karl-class pre-dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement: | 10,472 long tons (10,640 t) |
| Length: | 414 feet 2 inches (126.2 m) |
| Beam: | 71 feet 5 inches (21.8 m) |
| Draft: | 24 feet 7 inches (7.5 m) |
| Installed power: | 18,000 ihp (13,423 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 2 shafts, 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines |
| Speed: | 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) |
| Complement: | 700 |
| Armament: |
4 x 24-centimeter (9.4 in)/40 cal. Škoda guns 12 x 19-centimeter (7.5 in)/42 cal. Škoda guns 12 x 6.6-centimeter (2.6 in)/45 cal. Škoda guns 4 x 4.7-centimeter (1.9 in)/44 cal Škoda QF guns 2 x 4.7-cm/33 cal Škoda QF guns 4 x 37-millimeter (1.5 in) Vickers guns 2 x 45-centimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes |
| Armor: |
Waterline belt: 210 mm (8.3 in) Deck: 55 mm (2.2 in) Turrets: 240 mm (9.4 in) Casemates: 150 mm (5.9 in) Conning tower: 220 mm (8.7 in) Bulkheads: 200 mm (7.9 in) |
SMS Erzherzog Karl was a pre-dreadnought battleship built by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1902-03. She was the lead ship of the Erzherzog Karl-class, and was launched on 04 October 1903.[1]
Contents
Design
General Characteristics
The Erzherzog Karl displaced 10,472 long tons (10,640 t). They were 414 feet 2 inches (126.2 m) long, had a beam of 71 feet (852.00000 in) and a draft of 24 feet 7 inches (7.5 m). They were manned by 700 men. It was one of the last and largest pre-dreadnought class built by the Austro Hungarian Navy, surpassing the Habsburg class battleship by approximately 2000 tons.[2]
Propulsion
The ships were propelled by two two shaft, four cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines. On trials, they developed 18,000 ihp (13,423 kW), which could move the ship along at a speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph).[2]
Armament
As with the Ersatz Monarch class battleship that was planned to be built 13 years later, the Erzherzog Karl carried a primary armament made by Škoda Works.[2] On the Erzherzog Karl , it was four 24-centimeter (9.4 in)/40 caliber guns in two twin turrets on the centerline. These guns were a Austro-Hungarian replica of the British 24 cm/40 (9.4") Krupp C/94, which was used on the Habsburgs.[3] The guns could be depressed to -5° and elevated to 30°.[3] The arc of fire of the guns was 300°, or 150° in each direction.[3] Each gun required a crew of twenty men, and had a manual ammunition hoist.[3] At maximum elevation, the gun could fire a 140 kilograms (310 lb) shell 16,900 metres (18,500 yd).[3] The shell could penetrate through 30 centimetres (12 in) through a vertical iron plate.[3] They could fire three to four armor piercing shells per minute at a muzzle velocity of 690 metres per second (2,300 ft/s). Each of the guns weighed at least 24,040 kilograms (53,000 lb).[3] Their secondary armament consisted of twelve 19-centimeter (7.5 in)/42 caliber guns that were also made by Škoda mounted in eight single casemates on either wing of the ship and two twin turrets on the centerline.[4] They could be depressed to -3° and elevated to 20°.[4] They also could be trained 150° to the left and right.[4] They could fire a 97 kilograms (210 lb) armor piercing shell 20,000 metres (22,000 yd) at maximum elevation with a muzzle velocity of 800 metres per second (2,600 ft/s). The gun weighed 12.1 tons and could fire three rounds per minute.[4] The ship had a tertiary armament for protection against torpedo boats in the form of the 6.6 centimetres (2.6 in)/45 caliber gun that was also made by Škoda.[5] They could be depressed to -10° and elevated to 20, and had an arc of fire of 360°, meaning that they could fire at any target within their range of fire.[5] The guns could fire about ten to fifteen rounds per minute.[5] At their maximum elevation, the guns could fire a 4.5 kilograms (9.9 lb) high-explosive charge 9,140 metres (10,000 yd) at a muzzle velocity of 880 metres per second (2,900 ft/s).[5] Anti-aircraft and airship protection was covered by the four 37-millimeter (1.5 in) Vickers anti-aircraft guns on the ship. They could be depressed to -5° and elevated to 80°. [6] They had an arc of fire of 360°, which meant that they also could engage any target within their range.[6] Manually operated by only one crewman,[6], they could fire a 0.7 kilograms (1.5 lb) shell 1,830 metres (2,000 yd) at maximum elevation with a muzzle velocity of 640 metres per second (2,100 ft/s).[6] Designed in 1910, the each of the guns weighed 57 kilograms (130 lb).[6] The Erzherzog Karl was also fitted with two above water 45-centimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes.[2]
Armor
The armor of the ship around the waterline belt, on of the more vulnerable areas of a ship, was 210 mm (8.3 in), while her deck armor was 55 mm (2.2 in).[2]The turrets and casemates had 240 mm (9.4 in) and 150 mm (5.9 in) armor, respectively, to protect against a possible hit on the turrets and the imminent explosion resulting from that.[2] The conning tower of the ship 220 mm (8.7 in) armor, while the bulkheads inside the ship that separated areas of the ship were 200 mm (7.9 in) thick.[2]
Service history
Due to limited dock size and Naval budgets, the three ships of this class were very compact and well protected. During the First World War, the ship served in the 3rd Division with her two sister ships. The Erzherzog Ferdinand Max class was mobilized on the eve of the war to support the flight of SMS Goeben and Breslau. The two German ships were attempting to break out of Messina, which was surrounded by British troops, and make their way to Turkey. The breakout succeeded. When the flotilla had advanced as far south as Brindisi in south eastern Italy, the Austro-Hungarian ships were recalled.[7]. The Erzherzog Karl also participated at the bombardment of Ancona and the quelling of a mutiny at Cattaro.[2] Following the end of the war, the ship was taken over by Yugoslavia, but was awarded to France as a war prize in 1920.[1]
Footnotes
References
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1860-1905. Annapolis: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851771335.
- Hore, Peter, Battleships, Lorenz Publishing Books
