SMS Radetzky
Encyclopedia
SMS*
Radetzky was the first of the three pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy
(K.u.K. Kriegsmarine). She was named for the 19th century Austrian Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
. Radetzky and her sisters, and , were the last pre-dreadnoughts built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy—they were followed by the larger and significantly more powerful dreadnought
s. Although SMS Radetzky was laid down and commissioned after the launching of HMS Dreadnought
in 1906, her design was begun before, and she had the characteristics of a pre-dreadnought battleship, rather than the later post-dreadnought
s.
Radetzky was built by the shipbuilding company Stabilimento Tecnico
in Trieste
and commissioned into the fleet on 15 January 1911. The ship conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean
before the outbreak of World War I
in mid-1914. During the war, Radetzky operated largely as part of a fleet in being
alongside the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Navy; in doing so, the ships tied down considerable naval forces from the Triple Entente
. Radetzky did participate in some offensive operations, primarily shore bombardments in the Adriatic Sea
against French, Montenegrin, and Italian targets.
Towards the end of 1918, with the war going against the Austrians, Radetzky was prepared to be transferred to the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
. On 10 November 1918—just one day before the end of the war—Yugoslav navy officers sailed the battleship out of Pola
and surrendered it to a squadron of American submarine chaser
s. Under the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the transfer was not recognized; instead, Radetzky was given to Italy and broken up for scrap
.
Radetzky was built at the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino
dockyard in Trieste
, the same place where her sister ships were built. She was the second ship of her class to be constructed and her kneel was laid down on 26 November 1907. The teak
used on Radetzkys deck was the only material Austria-Hungary had to purchase abroad to build the ship. Radetzky was launched
from the slipway
on 3 July 1909, and commissioned
into the Austro-Hungarian navy on 15 January 1911 and had a crew of 880 to 890 officers and men.
Radetzky was 138.8 m (455 ft 4 in) long, and had a beam
of 24.6 m (80 ft 8 in) and a draft
of 8.1 m (26 ft 9 in). She displaced 14508 LT normally, and up to 15845.5 LT with a full combat load. The ship was powered by two-shaft four-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines rated at 19,800 indicated horsepower and a top speed of 20.5 knots (11.2 m/s). She had a maximum range of 4000 nmi (7,408 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
The ship's primary armament consisted of four 30.5 cm (12 in) 45-caliber guns in two twin gun turret
s. This was augmented by a heavy secondary battery of eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four wing turrets. The tertiary battery consisted of twenty 10 cm L/50 guns in casemated
single mounts, two 66 mm (2.6 in) landing guns, four 47 mm (1.85 in) L/44 and one 47 mm L/33 quick-firing guns. Three 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were also carried, two on the beams and one in the stern.
in Spithead
in June 1911. Following her return to the Austro-Hungarian fleet, she conducted several training cruises in the eastern Mediterranean with her two sisters in 1912. Later that year, Radetzky and her sisters, under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian Njegovan
, took part in an international fleet demonstration in the Ionian Sea
to protest the Balkan Wars
. Among the ships from other navies were the British pre-dreadnought , the Italian pre-dreadnought Ammiraglio di Saint Bon, the French armored cruiser Edgar Quinet
, and the German light cruiser . The combined flotilla, under the command of British Admiral Cecil Burney
, proceeded to blockade the Montenegrin coast to prevent Serbian reinforcements from supporting the siege at Scutari
.
During the operation, the first seaplane
s to be used in combat were operated from Radetzky and her two sisters. This proved unsatisfactory, however, because the ships lacked cranes with which to lift the planes onto the deck, as well as the fact that the deck was too small to accommodate the aircraft. As a result of the pressure from the international blockade, Serbia withdrew its army from Scutari, which was then occupied by a joint Allied ground force. By 1913, the new dreadnoughts of the were coming into active service, and so Radetzky and her sisters were shifted from the 1st Division to the 2nd Division of the 1st Battle Squadron.
and Breslau were coaling in Messina; British warships had begun to assemble outside the port in an attempt to trap the German ships. The German navy called upon its Austro-Hungarian allies to come to their aid; the Austro-Hungarian high command was initially hesitant, as they wished to avoid initiating hostilities with the British. However, when the Germans made clear they wanted the Austro-Hungarian fleet to steam only as far as Brindisi
, the high command relented and sent the portion of the fleet that had by that time been mobilized, which included Radetzky, on the operation. The fleet sailed to the designated latitude, under strict orders to only actively assist the German ships while they were in Austro-Hungarian waters. After the German ships successfully broke out into the Mediterranean, the Austro-Hungarian fleet returned to port.
In October 1914, the French army established artillery batteries on Mount Lovčen to support the Army of Montenegro
against the Austrian army at Cattaro. By the time they were operational, on 15 October, the Austro-Hungarians were ready with the pre-dreadnoughts of the . However, their 24 cm guns were insufficient to dislodge the French artillery batteries, and so Radetzky was sent to assist them. On 21 October, the ship arrived, and the gunfire from her 30.5 cm guns forced the French to abandon the position.
On 23 May 1915, between two and four hours after the Italian declaration of war reached the main Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola,There is some debate on when the fleet departed Pola. Halpern states that it was four hours until the fleet set sail while Sokol claims that the fleet left Pola two hours after the declaration reached Admiral Haus. Radetzky and the rest of the fleet departed to bombard the Italian and Montenegrin coast. Their focus was on the important naval base at Ancona
, and later the coast of Montenegro. The bombardment of Montenegro was part of the larger Austro-Hungarian campaign against the Kingdoms of Montenegro and Serbia
, who were members of the Entente
, during the first half of 1915. During the attack on Ancona and the surrounding coastline, Radetzky, as well as the cruisers and SMS Helgoland , and the destroyers , , and traveled south to cover the ships attacking Ancona. Upon finding no enemy ships in the region, the group bombarded the Termiti Islands, Viests, Manfredonia, and Barletta. After leaving the Gulf of Manfredonia Radetzky and the rest of the ships accompanying her sighted the first enemy ships of the day, two Italian destroyers. During the encounter, one Italian destroyer managed to escape the Austrian ships but the other, Turbine, was severely damaged. Only when a larger Italian force appeared did Radetzky and her accompanying ships abandon their attempts to capture the damaged destroyer.
Aside from the encounter with Turbine, Radetzky managed to destroy a railroad bridge near the town of Fermo
, severely hampering the movement of troops and supplies in the region. Sixty-three Italian civilians and military personnel were killed in the bombardment. By the time Italian ships from Taranto and Brindisi arrived on the scene, the Austro-Hungarians were safely back in Pola.
The attack on Ancona was an immense success, and the Austro-Hungarian ships were largely unopposed during the entire operation. The objective of the bombardment was to delay the Italian Army from deploying its forces along the border with Austria-Hungary by destroying critical transportation systems. The surprise attack on Ancona succeeded in delaying the Italian deployment to the Alps
for two weeks. This delay gave Austria-Hungary valuable time to strengthen its Italian border and re-deploy some of its troops from the Eastern and Balkan fronts.
Aside from the attack on Ancona, the Austro-Hungarian battleships were confined to Pola for the duration of the war. Their operations were limited by Admiral Anton Haus
, the commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, who believed that he would need to husband his ships to counter any Italian attempt to seize the Dalmatia
n coast. Since coal was diverted to the newer Tegetthoff class battleships, the remainder of the war saw Radetzky and the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Navy acting as a fleet in being
. This resulted in the Allied blockade
of the Otranto Strait. With his fleet blockaded in the Adriatic Sea, and facing a shortage of coal, Haus attempted to use mines and submarines, rather than battleships, to reduce the numerical superiority of the Allied navies.
(later to become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
) in order to keep it out of Italian hands. On 10 November 1918, one day before the Allied Armistice with Germany, and six days after the Austrians and Italians agreed to the Armistice of Villa Giusti, Yugoslav officers with scratch crews sailed Radetzky and Zrinyi out of Pola. Once outside Pola, the ships spotted heavy units of the Italian fleet; the two battleships hoisted American flags and sailed south to escape. A squadron of US Navy submarine chasers operating off the city of Spalato
accepted the surrender of Radetzky and Zrinyi. However, under the subsequent peace treaty, the Allied powers ignored the transfer of the Austro-Hungarian ships to the Yugoslav navy which had already taken place; instead, the ships were ceded to Italy. Radetzky was broken up in Italy between 1920 and 1921.
Seiner Majestät Schiff
Seiner Majestät Schiff was the ship prefix used by the Prussian Maritime Enterprise , the Prussian Navy, the Imperial German Navy and the Austro-Hungarian Navy...
Radetzky was the first of the three pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
(K.u.K. Kriegsmarine). She was named for the 19th century Austrian Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
. Radetzky and her sisters, and , were the last pre-dreadnoughts built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy—they were followed by the larger and significantly more powerful dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s. Although SMS Radetzky was laid down and commissioned after the launching of HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1906)
HMS Dreadnought was a battleship of the British Royal Navy that revolutionised naval power. Her entry into service in 1906 represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of...
in 1906, her design was begun before, and she had the characteristics of a pre-dreadnought battleship, rather than the later post-dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s.
Radetzky was built by the shipbuilding company Stabilimento Tecnico
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino was a private shipbuilding company based in Trieste from the mid-19th to early 20th century, and the most important naval shipbuilding firm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....
in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
and commissioned into the fleet on 15 January 1911. The ship conducted training cruises in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
before the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in mid-1914. During the war, Radetzky operated largely as part of a fleet in being
Fleet in being
In naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy's actions, but while it remains safely in port the enemy is forced to...
alongside the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Navy; in doing so, the ships tied down considerable naval forces from the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
. Radetzky did participate in some offensive operations, primarily shore bombardments in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
against French, Montenegrin, and Italian targets.
Towards the end of 1918, with the war going against the Austrians, Radetzky was prepared to be transferred to the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
. On 10 November 1918—just one day before the end of the war—Yugoslav navy officers sailed the battleship out of Pola
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
and surrendered it to a squadron of American submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s. Under the terms of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the transfer was not recognized; instead, Radetzky was given to Italy and broken up for scrap
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
.
Construction
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino was a private shipbuilding company based in Trieste from the mid-19th to early 20th century, and the most important naval shipbuilding firm of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....
dockyard in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, the same place where her sister ships were built. She was the second ship of her class to be constructed and her kneel was laid down on 26 November 1907. The teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
used on Radetzkys deck was the only material Austria-Hungary had to purchase abroad to build the ship. Radetzky was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
from the slipway
Slipway
A slipway, boat slip or just a slip, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats. They are also used for launching and retrieving small boats on trailers and flying boats on their undercarriage. The...
on 3 July 1909, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
into the Austro-Hungarian navy on 15 January 1911 and had a crew of 880 to 890 officers and men.
Radetzky was 138.8 m (455 ft 4 in) long, and had a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 24.6 m (80 ft 8 in) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 8.1 m (26 ft 9 in). She displaced 14508 LT normally, and up to 15845.5 LT with a full combat load. The ship was powered by two-shaft four-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines rated at 19,800 indicated horsepower and a top speed of 20.5 knots (11.2 m/s). She had a maximum range of 4000 nmi (7,408 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s).
The ship's primary armament consisted of four 30.5 cm (12 in) 45-caliber guns in two twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s. This was augmented by a heavy secondary battery of eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns in four wing turrets. The tertiary battery consisted of twenty 10 cm L/50 guns in casemated
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
single mounts, two 66 mm (2.6 in) landing guns, four 47 mm (1.85 in) L/44 and one 47 mm L/33 quick-firing guns. Three 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were also carried, two on the beams and one in the stern.
Pre-war
One of Radetzkys first duties was to attend the British Coronation Review for King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
in June 1911. Following her return to the Austro-Hungarian fleet, she conducted several training cruises in the eastern Mediterranean with her two sisters in 1912. Later that year, Radetzky and her sisters, under the command of Vice Admiral Maximilian Njegovan
Maximilian Njegovan
Maksimilijan Njegovan was a Croatian admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the Navy's senior administrator as well as its fleet commander in 1917-18.-Background:Njegovan was born in 1858 in Agram...
, took part in an international fleet demonstration in the Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
to protest the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. Among the ships from other navies were the British pre-dreadnought , the Italian pre-dreadnought Ammiraglio di Saint Bon, the French armored cruiser Edgar Quinet
French armoured cruiser Edgar Quinet (1907)
The Edgar Quinet was an armoured cruiser of the French Navy, the lead ship of her class.After her commissioning, Edgar Quinet was appointed to the 1st light cruiser division in the Mediterranean, under Capitaine de vaisseau Émile Guépratte....
, and the German light cruiser . The combined flotilla, under the command of British Admiral Cecil Burney
Cecil Burney
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cecil Burney, 1st Baronet GCB GCMG was a British Royal Navy admiral.-Early life and service before flag rank:...
, proceeded to blockade the Montenegrin coast to prevent Serbian reinforcements from supporting the siege at Scutari
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
.
During the operation, the first seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
s to be used in combat were operated from Radetzky and her two sisters. This proved unsatisfactory, however, because the ships lacked cranes with which to lift the planes onto the deck, as well as the fact that the deck was too small to accommodate the aircraft. As a result of the pressure from the international blockade, Serbia withdrew its army from Scutari, which was then occupied by a joint Allied ground force. By 1913, the new dreadnoughts of the were coming into active service, and so Radetzky and her sisters were shifted from the 1st Division to the 2nd Division of the 1st Battle Squadron.
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the German battlecruiserBattlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
and Breslau were coaling in Messina; British warships had begun to assemble outside the port in an attempt to trap the German ships. The German navy called upon its Austro-Hungarian allies to come to their aid; the Austro-Hungarian high command was initially hesitant, as they wished to avoid initiating hostilities with the British. However, when the Germans made clear they wanted the Austro-Hungarian fleet to steam only as far as Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
, the high command relented and sent the portion of the fleet that had by that time been mobilized, which included Radetzky, on the operation. The fleet sailed to the designated latitude, under strict orders to only actively assist the German ships while they were in Austro-Hungarian waters. After the German ships successfully broke out into the Mediterranean, the Austro-Hungarian fleet returned to port.
In October 1914, the French army established artillery batteries on Mount Lovčen to support the Army of Montenegro
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe during the tumultuous years on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Legally it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolutist in practice...
against the Austrian army at Cattaro. By the time they were operational, on 15 October, the Austro-Hungarians were ready with the pre-dreadnoughts of the . However, their 24 cm guns were insufficient to dislodge the French artillery batteries, and so Radetzky was sent to assist them. On 21 October, the ship arrived, and the gunfire from her 30.5 cm guns forced the French to abandon the position.
On 23 May 1915, between two and four hours after the Italian declaration of war reached the main Austro-Hungarian naval base at Pola,There is some debate on when the fleet departed Pola. Halpern states that it was four hours until the fleet set sail while Sokol claims that the fleet left Pola two hours after the declaration reached Admiral Haus. Radetzky and the rest of the fleet departed to bombard the Italian and Montenegrin coast. Their focus was on the important naval base at Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, and later the coast of Montenegro. The bombardment of Montenegro was part of the larger Austro-Hungarian campaign against the Kingdoms of Montenegro and Serbia
Serbian Campaign (World War I)
The Serbian Campaign was fought from late July 1914, when Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia at the outset of the First World War, until late 1915, when the Macedonian Front was formed...
, who were members of the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
, during the first half of 1915. During the attack on Ancona and the surrounding coastline, Radetzky, as well as the cruisers and SMS Helgoland , and the destroyers , , and traveled south to cover the ships attacking Ancona. Upon finding no enemy ships in the region, the group bombarded the Termiti Islands, Viests, Manfredonia, and Barletta. After leaving the Gulf of Manfredonia Radetzky and the rest of the ships accompanying her sighted the first enemy ships of the day, two Italian destroyers. During the encounter, one Italian destroyer managed to escape the Austrian ships but the other, Turbine, was severely damaged. Only when a larger Italian force appeared did Radetzky and her accompanying ships abandon their attempts to capture the damaged destroyer.
Aside from the encounter with Turbine, Radetzky managed to destroy a railroad bridge near the town of Fermo
Fermo
Fermo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo.Fermo is located on a hill, the Sabulo with a fine view, on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway....
, severely hampering the movement of troops and supplies in the region. Sixty-three Italian civilians and military personnel were killed in the bombardment. By the time Italian ships from Taranto and Brindisi arrived on the scene, the Austro-Hungarians were safely back in Pola.
The attack on Ancona was an immense success, and the Austro-Hungarian ships were largely unopposed during the entire operation. The objective of the bombardment was to delay the Italian Army from deploying its forces along the border with Austria-Hungary by destroying critical transportation systems. The surprise attack on Ancona succeeded in delaying the Italian deployment to the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
for two weeks. This delay gave Austria-Hungary valuable time to strengthen its Italian border and re-deploy some of its troops from the Eastern and Balkan fronts.
Aside from the attack on Ancona, the Austro-Hungarian battleships were confined to Pola for the duration of the war. Their operations were limited by Admiral Anton Haus
Anton Haus
Anton Haus was an Austrian naval officer. Despite his German surname, he was born to a Slovenian-speaking family in Tolmein . Haus was fleet commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in World War I and was the Navy's Grand Admiral from 1916 until his death.-Biography:Haus entered the Navy in 1869...
, the commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, who believed that he would need to husband his ships to counter any Italian attempt to seize the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n coast. Since coal was diverted to the newer Tegetthoff class battleships, the remainder of the war saw Radetzky and the rest of the Austro-Hungarian Navy acting as a fleet in being
Fleet in being
In naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy's actions, but while it remains safely in port the enemy is forced to...
. This resulted in the Allied blockade
Otranto Barrage
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Albanian side of the Adriatic Sea in World War I. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations...
of the Otranto Strait. With his fleet blockaded in the Adriatic Sea, and facing a shortage of coal, Haus attempted to use mines and submarines, rather than battleships, to reduce the numerical superiority of the Allied navies.
End of the war
By October 1918, Austria prepared to transfer her entire fleet to the newly-created State of Slovenes, Croats and SerbsState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
(later to become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
) in order to keep it out of Italian hands. On 10 November 1918, one day before the Allied Armistice with Germany, and six days after the Austrians and Italians agreed to the Armistice of Villa Giusti, Yugoslav officers with scratch crews sailed Radetzky and Zrinyi out of Pola. Once outside Pola, the ships spotted heavy units of the Italian fleet; the two battleships hoisted American flags and sailed south to escape. A squadron of US Navy submarine chasers operating off the city of Spalato
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
accepted the surrender of Radetzky and Zrinyi. However, under the subsequent peace treaty, the Allied powers ignored the transfer of the Austro-Hungarian ships to the Yugoslav navy which had already taken place; instead, the ships were ceded to Italy. Radetzky was broken up in Italy between 1920 and 1921.