 Panther in port, date unknown
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | Armstrong |
| Operators |  Austria–Hungary |
| Preceded by | SMS Lussin |
| Succeeded by | SMS Tiger |
| Built | 1884–1886 |
| In commission | 1885–1920 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo cruiser |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 73.19 m (240 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 10.39 m (34 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 4.28 m (14 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 18.4 to 18.7 knots (34.1 to 34.6 km/h; 21.2 to 21.5 mph) |
| Range | 2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Crew | 186 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Deck: 12 mm (0.47 in) |
The Panther class was a group of two torpedo cruisers, Panther and Leopard, built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the 1880s. The ships' primary armament was their four torpedo tubes, though they also carried a battery of medium and light-caliber guns. The ships were ordered in an effort to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, during a period where funding for more expensive ironclad warships could not be secured from parliament. Since Austro-Hungarian naval designers did not have sufficient experience designing vessels of the type, the navy ordered the ships from the British Armstrong shipyard; work took from late 1884 to early 1886. After arriving in Austria-Hungary in 1886, the two ships served in a variety of roles. These included active duty with the main fleet in home waters, overseas training cruises, and showing the flag abroad. During World War I, the cruisers were mobilized for coastal defense duties, but saw no major action, apart from Panther shelling Montenegrin forces in 1916. After the war, both vessels were surrendered to Britain as war prizes and were broken up for scrap in 1920.