SMS Tegetthoff, also known as His Majesty's Ship Tegetthoff, belonged to the Tegetthoff-class dreadnought battleships, the second vessel among four constructed for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Her namesake, Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, was a renowned 19th-century Austrian naval commander, notably celebrated for his triumph over the Italian Regia Marina during the Battle of Lissa in 1866. Armed with a primary battery consisting of twelve formidable 30.5 cm (12.0 in) guns, housed within four triple turrets, this vessel took shape just before the outbreak of World War I. The Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino shipyard in Trieste was the site of her construction, commencing in September 1910 and culminating in her launch in March 1912.
Tegetthoff's conception took place during a highly competitive naval arms race between Austria-Hungary and its nominal ally, Italy. Since the decisive Battle of Lissa in 1866, Italy's Regia Marina had held the position of the foremost naval power in the region, against which Austria-Hungary measured itself, often finding itself at a disadvantage. The naval imbalance between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian navies had persisted since the unification of Italy. By the late 1880s, Italy boasted the third-largest fleet globally, trailing only the French Republic's Navy and the British Royal Navy.
In the year 1903, just prior to Vice-Admiral Montecuccoli's appointment, Italy had a staggering 18 battleships either in active service or under construction, compared to Austria-Hungary's mere six battleships. Following the completion of the last two ships of the Regina Elena-class battleships in 1903, the Italian Navy opted to focus on constructing a series of sizable cruisers instead of further battleships. Moreover, a significant scandal involving armour contracts with the Terni steel works prompted a government investigation, leading to the postponement of several naval construction programs for a period of three years. These delays translated into the Italian Navy not commencing the construction of another battleship until 1909, providing the Austro-Hungarian Navy with an opportunity to narrow the gap between the two fleets. Against this backdrop of intense rivalry, the construction of Tegetthoff takes on added significance, representing Austria-Hungary's broader efforts to contend with Italy's formidable naval might.
Crafted under the guidance of naval architect Siegfried Popper, Tegetthoff boasted an impressive physical profile. She measured 152 meters in length overall, with a beam spanning 27.90 meters and a draught of 8.70 meters at deep load. Her original design aimed for a displacement of 20,000 tonnes (equivalent to 19,684 long tons or 22,046 short tons) at regular load, but at maximum combat load, her displacement swelled to 21,689 tonnes (equivalent to 21,346 long tons or 23,908 short tons).
Tegetthoff's hull incorporated a double bottom structure, reaching a depth of 1.22 meters (about 4 feet), which included a fortified inner bottom composed of two layers of 25-millimeter plates. The hull's design, conceived by Popper, held the primary objective of safeguarding the battleship against naval mines. However, it regrettably proved ineffective for Tegetthoff's sister vessels, Szent István and Viribus Unitis. The former succumbed to a torpedo attack in June 1918, while the latter fell victim to a mine explosion in November of the same year.
Tegetthoff also incorporated the installation of two Barr and Stroud optical rangefinder posts, each measuring 2.74 meters (about 9 feet) in height. These posts were strategically positioned on both the starboard and port sides to facilitate the targeting of the battleship's secondary guns. Notably, these rangefinders were outfitted with armoured cupolas for added protection. Initially, To increase her protection, Tegetthoff was equipped with torpedo nets, although these were removed from the vessel in 1917.
The ship was equipped with four shafts and four Parsons steam turbines, contained within a dedicated engine room. These turbines were driven by a dozen Babcock & Wilcox boilers, with the aim of generating a combined output of either 26,400 or 27,000 shaft horsepower (equivalent to 19,686 or 20,134 kW). Theoretically, this power was sufficient to achieve her maximum designed velocity of 20 knots (about 37 km/h or 23 mph).
Reports from her speed trials indicated that Tegetthoff managed to reach a top speed of 19.75 knots (approximately 36.58 km/h or 22.73 mph). However, her precise ultimate top speed remains undisclosed since official sea trial data and records for all the Tegetthoff-class ships were unfortunately lost in the aftermath of the war.
When operating at full capacity, Tegetthoff had the capability to cover a distance of 4,200 nautical miles (approximately 7,800 km or 4,800 mi) while maintaining a speed of 10 knots (about 19 km/h or 12 mph).
Built at the Škoda Works in Plzeň, Bohemia, Tegetthoff featured a primary armament of twelve 45-caliber 30.5-centimeter (12-inch) Škoda K10 guns within four triple turrets arranged in superfiring pairs—two forward and two aft. The choice of triple turrets allowed for a more compact design, enhancing the ship's broadside firepower and facilitating quicker construction.
Tegetthoff's secondary armament included twelve 50-caliber 15-centimeter (5.9-inch) Škoda K10 guns in casemates amidships, along with eighteen 50-caliber 7-centimeter (2.8-inch) Škoda K10 guns on open pivot mounts on the upper deck, three more 7-centimeter (2.8-inch) Škoda K10 guns on the upper turrets for anti-aircraft duties, and two 8-millimeter (0.31-inch) Schwarzlose M.07/12 anti-aircraft machine guns atop rangefinder cupolas. Further armament comprised two 7-centimeter (2.8-inch) Škoda G. L/18 landing guns, two 47-millimeter (1.9-inch) Škoda SFK L/44 S guns for anti-torpedo boat and submarine defense, and four 533-millimeter (21.0-inch) submerged torpedo tubes. Tegetthoff typically carried twelve torpedoes.
Tegetthoff's armor protection included a central citadel with a formidable 280-millimeter (11-inch) thick armor belt, while the upper belt reached a maximum of 180 millimeters (7.1 inches). The casemate armor was also 180 millimeters thick. Main gun turrets, barbettes, and the conning tower boasted 280 millimeters of armor, with slightly thinner protection on the turret and conning tower roofs (60 to 150 millimeters). Decks ranged from 30 to 48 millimeters in thickness. Underwater protection featured a double-bottom extension reaching the lower edge of the waterline armor belt, backed by a torpedo bulkhead composed of two 25-millimeter plates. However, this system, totalling 1.60 meters in thickness, left the ship vulnerable to torpedo warhead detonations or mine explosions without rupturing—a vulnerability demonstrated by her sister ships, Szent István and Viribus Unitis.
Before World War I, Tegetthoff and her sister ship Viribus Unitis held a prestigious place in the Austro-Hungarian Navy, actively participating in various missions across the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas as vital members of the First Battle Division, commanded by Vice-Admiral Maximilian Njegovan. In the spring of 1914, both vessels, alongside the pre-dreadnought battleship Zrínyi and coastal defense ship Monarch, embarked on an extensive journey through the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. They made port calls at Smyrna, Beirut, Alexandria, and Malta, further enhancing their presence and influence in the region.
Meanwhile, Tegetthoff and Viribus Unitis reached Malta on May 22 and set sail for Pola on May 28. This was precisely one month before the tragic assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and two months prior to the outbreak of the war. Upon receiving the shocking news of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie's assassination on June 28 in Sarajevo, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Anton Haus swiftly departed from Trieste, leading an escort fleet comprised of Tegetthoff, the cruiser Admiral Spaun, and a number of torpedo boats. Following the murders, the bodies of Ferdinand and Sophie were transferred to Viribus Unitis, which had been waiting off the coast of Bosnia to receive the Archduke for his return. Tegetthoff and the accompanying ships under Haus' command then guided Viribus Unitis back to Trieste. Throughout this voyage, the fleet made its way along the Dalmatian coast, often staying within sight of land. Coastal communities marked their passing with the ringing of church bells, while onlookers observed the spectacle from the shoreline. It was this tragic event, the assassination of the Archduke, that triggered Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on the Kingdom of Serbia on July 28, 1914.
In Part 2 of this article, we will explore the series of events that unfolded for this vessel from the outbreak of World War I until its eventual fate.