Austrian Battleshipsin World War I
Th. p.uposeof this exhibit is to conduct a postal study of one of the world's more obscurefleets of battleships,that of the Austro-HungarianEmpire. For centuriesAustria was one of the most powerful nationsin Europe,but by the end of the 19th Centuryits power was waning, despitethe 1867union with I{ungary.lts royal family resistedthe democraticreforms that sweptmost of the restof Europe,and World War I beganin Austria with the assassinationof a memberof the royal family. In the war, Austria was allied with Germanyand Turkey againstBritain and France,later joined by Itaty andthe United States.With seacoastson the Adriatic andBlack Seas,Austria brought a powerful navy to the war. Its fleet of 16 battleshipswas basedin the Adriatic, oppositeold enemyItaly. Although there were many skirmishesin the Adriatic, pre-warstrategies had neveraddressed the questionof what to do if the enemy'sbattle fleet would not come out and fight. Throughoutmost of the war, Austria's battleships,well awareof the potentialthreat allied against them,remained secure at their protectedbases, and no greathigh seasbattle ever took place.Nevertheless, the verSzexistence of thesemighty shipsforced the Allies to devoteconsiderable resources to keepingthem there- a classicexample of the "Fleetin Being."
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Ali l6 battleshipsare represented here by postmarks,censor and other types of ship'smarkings. The primary battleshipbrase was at Pola.which alsohad the only FleetPost Office ("MarinefeldpostamtPola"). On-board pcrstof'fices \ /eresuperviscd by the First Lieutenant.who also censoredmail. 'fhe standardreterence is'frarurer's Postal|ularking,r of the Austro-Hungarianl{avy, I9l1-1918. Of lranmer'smany types of-postal markings, only his Types3, 6a and7 wereused on battleships:
-2 V 1gl5 :-;*"----r* \- A:.tYt.:. \ / \v'- ^4.,./ lrd.Y'd) 'I'ype 3 I'ype6a T'ype7 SMS VIRIBUS UNITIS VIRIBUS UNITIS Class
Leadship of theclass. 22,000 tons, length 500 feet, complement 988. A.rmament:12 l}-inch gunsin four triple turrets,two eachfore andaft. Builtat StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed October 1912.
Sailedfrom her baseat Polaonly once,in June,1918, in companywith SMS PRINZ EUGEN, in an effort to relieve the French-Italian blockade of the Adriatic. The mission was abandonedwhen SZENT ISTVAN was sunk by an Italian torpedo boat. VIRIBUS LTNITIS remained at her base in Pola thereafter. On October 31, 1918 the Austro-HungarranEmpire was dissolvedand the greatbattleship raised the red-white-blue flag of the new nation of Yugoslavia. That night, however, Italian frogmen made their way into the harbor and attacheda mine to VIRIBUS UNITIS' hull. The explosionwas fatal, and the shipcapsized and sankaround dawn. She was Austria's finest battleship,symbolic of the country'seffort to becomeareal seapower.
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I'ranmerType 3 cancelSeptember 15, 1915,with ship'scensor mark Pola Marinefeldpostamttransit cancel same date.
VIRIRUS UNITIS is one of few battleshipsto be picturedon a contemporarynational postage stamp, an Austrian semi-postalissued in 1915to raisefunds for the war. VIRIBUS UNITIS Class SMS TEGETTHOFF
Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste' Completed July 1913'
with szENT ISTVAN in an Sailedfrom her baseat Pola only once,in June,1918, in company mission was abandonedwhen szENT effort to relieve the French-Italianblockade of the Adriatic. The ISTVAN was sunk by an Italian torpedo boat' through the 1920s' Surrenderedtt ttaty after the war; servedas a naval museumat Venice
(Above)Tranmer Type 3 postmark,dated Nov. 1, 1915;Pola transitmachine cancel Nov. 3.
(Below)Boxed censormark, Pola Marinefeldpostamttransit cancel Oct. t2,1917.
(SMSis the German equivalent to "His Majesty's Ship.") SMS PRINZ EUGEN VIRIBUS UNITIS CIASS
Builtat Stabilimento Tecnico, Trieste. Completed June 1914.
Sailedfrom her baseat Polaonly once,in June,1918, in companywith SMS VIRIBUS LTNITIS, in an effort to relievethe French-Italianblockade of the Adriatic. The missionwas abandonedwhen SZENT ISTVAN was sunkby an Italian torpedoboat.
Givento Francein 1918as war reparation.
Registered coverwith TranmerType 3 cancel.Pola station"2d" postmarkon * 35-heller ',{'" stamp;the ,l"v \6) sailor'sfiee ? \i_,7 mail privilege /**t*7*rr, ^ //A/4.e/f,--- (i.,'4,n rtit'' Ar-?^f -'^'%*tf* -L -, ?L-L .-1-- -\1 \ L u a ", -r.v! + I r.NN$fN$+i illa; 'nf/(r'J.r/?:)" Rectangularcensor /u % _-.: mark30.luly 1917, !" - 'iil,$is$s$i.il ,tu .-V?r.t't1\. with Pola 't$$,$ Marinef-eldpostamt R$$$NNY== ffi transitcancel same day. fi$$$|i\$s,l :$*$iN,$f$$l- a&a ( '.u/' r, "${'$tN$.s's$N\il-e\{$ t l? fuL112fu, .-l -t. -N$\N$$ N ^ I /a G'&*7aa; i d'$$tN,u$| SMS SZENT ISTVAN VIRIBUS UNITIS Class Builtat DanubiusCo., Fiume. Completed September 1915. Last of theAustrian dreadnoughts. Sailedfrom her baseat Pola on June9, 1918,in companywith SMS TEGETTHOFF,in an effort to relieve the French-Italianblockade of the Adriatic. The small flotilla was interceptedby the Italian torpedoboats Mas-15 and Mas-21.The former was captainedby LT Rizzo, who had earliersunk SMS WIEN in the harborat Trieste.Both boatsfired on the pair of battleships,but only LT Rizzo's torpedo struckhome on SZENT ISTVAN. The greatship was mortally woundedin the 3:30 am attack,and rolled over and sankabout 6:00 am. The eventwas filmed; the sight of the men scramblingfor a foothold on the capsizinghull is one of the most riveting early live motion picture films. Austrianfeldpost card,ship's large circularcensor mark with Pola Marinefeldpostamt transitcancel Dec. 25,1915.Text at upperleft indicates placefor sender's name("Absender" in German);in seveudifferent languages, reflectingthe culturalscope of the late Austro-Hungarian Empire. Christmas postcardwith ImperialEagle censormark, postrnarked Pola Marinepostamt Dec.2l ,1916. SMS ERZHER.ZOGFRANZ FERDINAND RADETZKY Class First ship of the class,although not the namesake. 14,500tons, length 456 feet,complement 830; a semi-dreadnoughtdesign. Armament: 4 l2-inch suns in two twin turrets. one each fore and aft. Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed in 1910. Remained at Pola throushout the war. and saw no action. Given to France in 1918 as a war reparation. NNI Nl{t$\il TranmerType 3 postmark,January 3,1976. Pola Marinefeldpostamttransit cancelsame date. Real photographicpostcard of the ship. SMS RADETZKY RADETZKY Class Namesakeship of theclass, although not the first completed. Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed in 191L On October 21, l9l4 RADETZKY arrived at the harbor at Cattaroand took under fire French artillery gunsthat had beenplaced on hills surroundingthe strategicallyimportant harbor. Her 12-inch gunssoon persuaded the Frenchto abandonthe position. Shesaw no further action in the war. Briefly occupiedby United Statesforces after the war. Given to Italy in 1918 as a war reparation. TranmerType 7 postmark,November 4, 1916.Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel same day. \ .T\ ,\. \- i.. ?;l /7zu \ .i_" oj:*\'\ I ..'..\ \- .\\\.\ \ t "., i t-\ Boxedship's identity mark, verif ing free postage.Pola Marinef'eldpostamt cancclJurre 23. 1918. /44' //, /L.14'r./ t t/'- ,'1,/---,r/ /.i SMS ZRINYI RADETZKY Class Builtat StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed in 1911 . Saw no real action in the war. Absorbed into the newly-organizedYugoslavian Navy as the war ended.On November22,1919 shewas turnedover to United Statesrepresentatives at Spalato,Dalmatia and commissionedin the United StatesNarry as USS ZRINYI. Sheremained inactive at Spalatountil November7, 7920,when shewas towed by USS CHATTANOOGA to Papada,Italy, and turned over to the Italian governmentat Venice. Shewas later scrapped. q*b ?:i:.ei, ^3, 'lranrner Type 7 postmark,April 13, 1915.Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel same date. - ', .or" " Picturepost card of Polaharbor in morepeaceful times. SMS ERZHERZOG KARL ERZHERZOG KARL Class Leadship of theclass. 10,600tons, length 390 feet, complement'748. A pre-dreadnought design. Armament:4 9.4-inchguns in iwo twin turrets,one each fore and aft. Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed February 1905. Basedat Pola during the early part of the war, the three sister ships of the ERZHERZOG KARL classwere moved to the harbor at Cattaroin l9l7 and operatedas harbor defensevessels during heavy fighting in the southernpart of the Balkans. They remainedthere for the rest of the war. Given to Francein 1918as a war reparation.She ran agroundin the harbor atBrzerta,Tunisia and was scrappedthere in 1921. Tranmer Type 6a postmark, May 2, 1915.Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel. Patrioticpost card of an imaginary battle sceneat sea. ll " Tranmer Type 7 ,{,{: r[,tt (variant: ooKund K", datevertical), Sept.29,1974, early in the war. " Erzherzog" is Germqnfor Archduke. SMS ERZHERZOG FRIEDRICH ERZHERZOG KARL Class Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. completed october 1906. As fighting in the Balkans grew more significant in the later part of the war, the three sister ships of the ERZHERZOG KARL class shifted to the harbor at Cattaroin I9l7 to guard the harbor against potential enemy artillery positions on the high hills surroundingthe anchorage.They remainedt-here for the rest of the war. Given to Francein 1918 as a war reparation. Bottom: TranmerTlpe 6a postmark.May 13, 1915on a custom-printedfeldpost card for the ship. Pola o'Censored" Marinefeldpostamttransit cancel. Top: samemarking in 1916usage with removedand usual transit cancel,on a patriotic post card. SMSERZHERZOG FERDINAND MAX ERZHERZOG KARL Class Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed April 1907. The three sister ships of the ERZHEP.ZOGKARL classwere moved to the harbor atCattaro (now the town of Kotor, Montenegro) in 1917 to serveas harbor defensevessels. They remainedthere for the rest of the war. Given to Francein 1918 as a war reparation. Tranmer Type 3 postmark,October 10,1915. Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel. Patrioticpost card of the launching of a ship. 'i''Jltt;'('"'' :' ':iir"'r' i'.1' . '-i *. rrt,,\ ,: tlr,,,,",,",, ;r,, l'' d,j{d-.). ,ii;i'in Ship's censormark on a scenicviewcard, postmarkedOct. 28, 1918at KuK Etappenpostarrfi267 (AustrianBase Post Office) at Cattaro l SMS HABSBURG HABSBURG CUCIuu ,/ Leadship of the class. 8,340tons, length354 feet,complement 653. A pre-dreadnoughtdesign. Armament: 3 9'4-inchguns in two turrets,twin fore andsiigle aft. Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste.Completed in 1903;substantially rebuilt in 1911. Saw no action in the war, her design being too early for effeptive use in__ the era of the dreadnought. Remained in pola harbor throughout the war. Given to Britain in 1918 as a war reparation. TranmerType 7 postmark,April 14, 1916.Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel same date. Comic post card. SMSARPAD HABSBURG Class Builtat Stabilimento Tecnico. Trieste. Completed in 1903:substantiallv rebuilt in 1912. Saw no actionin the war, her designbeing too early for effectiveuse in the era of the dreadnought.Remained in Pola harborthroughout the war. Given to Britain in 1918as a war reparation. Tranmer1'ype 7 postmarkon art carddated Feb. 8, I 915. Straightline censor. %wz*,,/ -,/Z,t/u-Z/ 71, / 4,,a2/lt ( //,/"ayrfu ".%so)zt.fu7r.rl*a,| /"4 | ltv/ .Dn .'' Largeship's mark %a 4r with imperial /;4 ,6A ,,-Z eaglein the center, ,(7A. ",'1,,**, *"/") ,;/ o-,/ but no onboard postalmarking. f3.%oi7/416'; fu+zzry/ Overstrr.rcku'ith U.4'/;_ Pola Marinefeldpostamt Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste. Completed in 1903;substantially rebuilt in 1913. Saw no action in the war, her designbeing too early for effective use in the era of the dreadnought.Remained in Pola harbor throughout the war. Givento Britainin 1918as a war reparation.Scrapped in Italy in 192I. TranmerType 7 postmark,June 6, 1916.Pola Marinefeldpostamt transit cancel same date. Austrianfeldpost card; "sender" now printed'in nine languages. lmperialeagle ship'smark. PostmarkedPola Marinefeldpostamt cancelOct. 3, 1915. SMS MONARCH MONARCH Class 5,60btons, rengrh 323 reetffi['#L1?r"]Hirry or"-ar"adnought design. Armament:4 9.4-inchguns in two turrets,twin fore andaft. Built at StabilimentoTecnico, Trieste, Completed in 1895. Servedas an accommodationship during the laterpart of the war. The three ships of the MONARCH classwere moved to Cattaro Harbor in 1914 to counter French artillery guns placed on Mount Lovden overlooking the harbor. The ship's small guns proved ineffective, and SMS RADETZKY eventually arrived to drive the French from their positions. Givento Britain in 1918as a war reparation. Originallyposted in SM BOOT 65F, a 200-tonoceangoing torpedo boat with a complementof 29. Given overto the postoffice in MONARCH, andstruck with TranmerType 7 canceldated March 8, 1915. View cardof a monastery. SMS BUDAPESTand WIEN MONARCH Class Completedin 1895(WIEN) and 1896 (BUDAPEST). Both ships sailed from Trieste in November 1917 and bombardedthe Italian coast only a few miles from venice' In retaliation,LT Rizzo entered the harborat Triesteon December r0, r9l7 commandingthe torpedoboats Mas-9 and Mas-10. WIEN was torpedoedand sank;BUDApEST was badly damagedand was eventually demilitarized and used as a barracksship. She was given to Britain in 1918as a war reparationand scrapped. :.,,tr: : f\^l ,ontsn F Vien T* 'franmer Type 7 cancelsdated l9l4 and 1917. Additionalcensor and ship's marks for each.