Austro-Hungarian TORPEDO SHIPS

Career:
12/12/1877
The Emperor Franz Joseph I confirmed her name.
1 /08/1878 Her keel was laid down. This was the first Austrian warship what was built with
use of Bessemer steel.
13/11/1879
She was launched. The shipbuilding with steel proved good.
In January of 1880 her main engines were built in. Her sea trial run was interrupted because
the ship’s speed had not met the requirement.
In April of 1881 carried out another sea trial run. Electric lighting was installed. 13/06 Her
building was completed. She made the next sea trials with bigger screws and longer shafts,
but on the trial carried out in November her speed improved only a minimal rate.
17/07/1882
She was commissioned and carried out more experimental trips. 16/09 Carried out
en exercise with five torpedo boats off Pola in presence of the Emperor. The performance of
her main engines was well under the expectations. She was assigned to the VELEBICH Torpedo
Training Ship as a tender.
In 1883 her conning tower was heightened to provide better lookout.
16/02/1884
She was assigned as a tender to the Torpedo School.
In 1885 the triple torpedo tube was removed from her deck.
In 1886 – 1887 she was reconstructed. Her inner configuration was altered; four 4.7 cm quick
firing guns were mounted on her foredeck and one 4.7 cm quick firing gun was placed on her
superstructure deck. Besides them she got four 4.7 cm/L33 quick firing guns to her superstructure
and quarterdeck. Two side torpedo tubes were built into her forward twin-deck. Got
two 40 cm diameter searchlights. Her whole machinery and boiler installation was reconstructed.
In 1888 was in reserve.
In 1889 served in the Summer Squadron.
Between 1890 and 1893 she was in reserve.
From 1893 she served as the seagoing training ship of the ALPHA torpedo school ship.
3/03/ 1894 She gave assistance to Lloyd steamers Orion and Electra which collided off Porer
and were stranded on shore. After pulling free Orion she went to Trieste, while the Electra
was towed to Pola for docking. 1/04 Gave assistance to the British Cunard steamer Palmyra
which ran aground at Fenera near to Pola.
In 1895 – 1896 she was in reserve.
In 1898 her original 5 drum boilers were replaced with 3 locomotive-type fire tube boilers;
watertight bulkheads were built in. 14-26/08 Carried out sea trial runs. The performance of
her main engines was 707 ihp, her speed 10.94 knots. In November she was transferred again
to the Torpedo School.
In 1900 was in reserve.
In 1901 belonged to the Summer Squadron.
In 1902 she was in reserve.
From 1903 she served as training ship of the Torpedo School.
In July 1906 her reconstruction to the training ship of the cadets of the Naval Officers‘
Academy was started. She got one more superstructure on quarterdeck to aft from the Frame
No. 38. Davits were built in for the gigg and the jollyboat; got ventilators, Sellner-type signal
facility, railings, lights and hatches. The searchlights of quarterdeck were replaced by 60 cm
diameter searchlights. 2 new 4.7 cm quick firing guns were mounted and got one torpedo tube
to the stern. Though she remained training ship of the Torpedo School, carried out training
cruising with the cadets of First Class of Naval Officers’ Academy along the Dalmatian
coasts.
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