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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY
TORPEDO SHIPS
KAIMAN torpedo boats (1905-1910)


Photo



Echse 1910 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Kaiman, 4.1914- 50E   1172 Yarrow, Cubitt Town, UK 10/1904 3.6.1905 9/1905 to United Kingdom 1920
Anaconda, 4.1914- 51T   354 STT, San Marco 10/1905 8.5.1906 9/1906 to United Kingdom 1920
Alligator, 4.1914- 52T   355 STT, San Marco 10/1905 30.6.1906 12/1906 wrecked 12.1918
Krokodil, 4.1914- 53T   356 STT, San Marco 11/1905 25.7.1906 12/1906 to United Kingdom 1920
Wal, 4.1914- 54T   357 STT, San Marco 12/1905 10.9.1906 6/1907 to Yugoslavia 1920 (T12)
Seehund, 4.1914- 55T   358 STT, San Marco 12/1905 15.9.1906 6/1907 to United Kingdom 1920
Delphin, 4.1914- 56T   359 STT, San Marco 5/1906 29.11.1906 6/1907 to United Kingdom 1920
Narwal, 4.1914- 57T   360 STT, San Marco 6/1906 17.12.1906 6/1908 to United Kingdom 1920
Hai, 4.1914- 58T   361 STT, San Marco 7/1906 24.3.1907 6/1908 to United Kingdom 1920
Möwe, 4.1914- 59T   362 STT, San Marco 8/1906 30.3.1907 6/1908 to United Kingdom 1920
Schwalbe, 4.1914- 60T   363 STT, San Marco 9/1906 8.4.1907 3/1909 to Yugoslavia 1920 (T9)
Pinguin, 4.1914- 61T   364 STT, San Marco 9/1906 18.4.1907 3/1909 to Yugoslavia 1920 (T10)
Drache, 4.1914- 62T   365 STT, San Marco 1/1907 13.7.1907 3/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Greif, 4.1914- 63T   366 STT, San Marco 1/1907 8.7.1907 3/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Triton, 4.1914- 64F   1 Danubius, Fiume 7/1907 18.7.1908 12/1908 to United Kingdom 1920
Hydra, 4.1914- 65F   2 Danubius, Fiume 7/1907 11.10.1908 1/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Skorpion, 4.1914- 66F   3 Danubius, Fiume 8/1907 15.11.1908 1/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Phönix, 4.1914- 67F   4 Danubius, Fiume 1/1908 10.1.1909 8/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Krake, 4.1914- 68F   5 Danubius, Fiume 6/1908 7.2.1909 9/1909 to United Kingdom 1920
Polyp, 4.1914- 69F   6 Danubius, Fiume 7/1908 17.4.1909 9/1909 to Yugoslavia 1920 (T11)
Echse, 4.1914- 70F   7 Danubius, Fiume 10/1908 8.5.1909 6/1910 to United Kingdom 1920
Molch, 4.1914- 71F   8 Danubius, Fiume 11/1908 14.7.1909 6/1910 to United Kingdom 1920
Kormoran, 4.1914- 72F   9 Danubius, Fiume 1/1909 31.7.1909 3/1910 to United Kingdom 1920
Alk, 4.1914- 73F   10 Danubius, Fiume 2/1909 2.10.1909 6/1910 to United Kingdom 1920


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

209 - 211

Displacement full, t 
Length, m

56.0 wl 54.9 pp

Breadth, m

5.50

Draught, m

1.30

No of shafts

1

Machinery

1 VTE, 2 Yarrow boilers

Power, h. p.

3000

Max speed, kts

26

Fuel, t

coal 47

Endurance, nm(kts)1030(16)
Armament

4 x 1 - 47/30 SFK L/33 H, 3 x 1 - 450 TT

Complement

31



Standard scale images


K<i>aiman </i>1905
Kaiman 1905


Graphics


<i>Echse </i>1910 <i>Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.</i>
Echse 1910 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.


Project history

After the commissioning of the four Cobra class boats there was a break of four years in Austrian torpedo-boat and destroyer construction. In 1904 a prototype boat was ordered from Yarrow, which was christened Kaiman. Both Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (representing the Austrian half of the domestic yards) and the new Danubius, Fiume yard (representing the Hungarian part) received British plans and engineering assistance and eventually built 23 units of this class. By an order of 19 November 1913 all torpedo-boats in service gave up 1.1.1914 their names and were given arabic numbers instead. This was carried out by 1 April 1910. Kaiman became Tb 50E (the suffix letter denoting 'England', since she was the Yarrow-built unit) and locally-built boats became Tb 51T - 63T (T denoting Trieste, for the STT-built units) and Tb 64F - 73F (F meaning Fiume, for the Danubius boat). This suffix letter was omitted by the order of 21 May 1917, so from this time on all Austrian torpedo-boats had only numbers. The Kaiman class proved to be a very successful design, all boats seeing extensive active service during World War One.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

All survived, although some boats were badly damaged after collisions or mining. After the war they were distributed between Great Britain and Yugoslavia, Great Britain scrapping her boats in 1920 in Italy. Yugoslavia kept her boats in service until 1927-28.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.