NAVYPEDIA

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Erzherzog Albrecht 1882

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Erzherzog Albrecht			STT, Triest	1.6.1870	24.4.1872	6/1874	accommodation hulk 1908

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	5980
Displacement full, t
Length, m	89.7 oa 87.9 wl
Breadth, m	17.2
Draught, m	6.72
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 2-cyl HRCR, 8 rectangular boilers
Power, h. p.	3969
Max speed, kts	12.8
Fuel, t	coal 500
Endurance, nm(kts)	2300(10)
Armour, mm	wrought iron; belt: 205, casemates: 175
Armament	8 x 1 - 235/20 G. L/22 C.74, 6 x 1 - 87/22 G. L/24 M.75
Complement	540

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Chief Engineer Romako designed two casemate ships, Custoza and Erzherzog Albrecht - the first iron ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy - after studying the results of the Battle of Lissa. He arranged the guns at two levels, so that they could bear forward while the ship was speeding up to ram the enemy. His designs emphasised less speed and fewer guns, in favour of high defensive capability.

Ship protection

The belt protected all ship length and extended from 1.2m under wl to 2.4m above. It was 203mm-thick amidships and 120mm at ship ends and was backed by 200mm teak layer. Two-deck casemate (16m long) was connected with upper edge of the belt and was backed by 260mm wood. Lower part was protected by 178mm sides and 127mm transverse bulkheads, upper part by 152mm sides and 127mm fwd and 114mm aft transverse bulkheads.

Modernizations

1880s: + 2 x 1 - 66/16 G. L/18, 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)

1892: + 4 x 1 - 47/30 SFK L/33 H, 5 x 5 - 47/22 SFK L/25 H, 2 x 5 - 25/41 Nordenfeldt; also one funnel was replaced by two

Naval service

Erzherzog Albrecht saw active service from 1874 to 1908. In 1908 she was renamed Feuerspeier and became the tender of the gunnery training ship, and from October 1915 she served as accommodation ship for German naval personnel. In 1920 she was ceded to Italy as war reparation and renamed Buttafuoco.