 SMS Erzherzog Ferdinand Max
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  Austro-Hungarian Navy |
| Preceded by | Habsburg class |
| Succeeded by | Radetzky class |
| Built | 1902–07 |
| In commission | 1906–1918 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Scrapped | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Pre-dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 10,472 long tons (10,640 t) |
| Length | 414 ft 2 in (126.2 m) |
| Beam | 71 ft 5 in (21.8 m) |
| Draft | 24 ft 7 in (7.5 m) |
| Installed power | 18,000 ihp (13,423 kW) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) |
| Complement | 700 |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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The Erzherzog Karl class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy built before World War I. All of the battleships of the Erzherzog Karl-class were built in the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino shipyards in Trieste. The first battleship, Erzherzog Karl was laid down in 1902. Construction on the remaining two battleships, Erzherzog Ferdinand Max and Erzherzog Friedrich continued up to 1905.[1] Erzherzog Karl was commissioned in 1906, while Erzherzog Ferdinand Max and Erzherzog Friedrich were commissioned in 1907.[1] The three Erzherzog Karl-class battleships were considered relatively modern by the time they were commissioned. However, small docking space and budget restraints resulted in the class being fairly compact. Nevertheless, they were well designed and properly protected.[1] The Erzherzog Karl class were the last and largest pre-dreadnoughts built by the Austrian Navy. They were named after senior members of the Austrian Imperial family.
Despite these qualities, the Erzherzog Karl-class battleships were slightly inferior to the Dreadnought type battleships (launched 1906) – with their "all big gun" armament. They only played a limited role during World War I.[1] At the beginning of the war, the members of the Erzherzog Karl class formed the III division of the Austrian-Hungarian battle-fleet and were active in May 1915 in the combined fleet operation of bombardment of Italian ports and other vital communications. The battleships of the Erzherzog Karl class also participated in the flight of SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau during the opening days of the war.[1]
The ships also took part in suppressing a major mutiny among the crew members of two armoured cruisers stationed in Cattaro between 1–3 February 1918.[2] Following Austria-Hungary's collapse in at the end of World War I, Erzherzog Karl and Erzherzog Friedrich were handed over to France. The remaining battleship, Erzherzog Ferdinand Max, was given to Great Britain. Erzherzog Karl ran aground at Bizerte and was broken up there in 1921. The remaining two battleships were scrapped in 1921 in Italy.[3]