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The Austrian victory of the battle of Lissa in 1866 left the Italian navy,
Regia Marina, with the certainity that newer and better capital ships had to be developed.
Italian naval architect Benedetto Brin designed in 1872 the turret ships of the Duilio-class,
displacing about 12,000 tons at full load and armed with four formidable 100-t-guns 45 cm
cal 30. Constructed in 1873-76 and commissioned in 1880 the two units caused fear on the
French side.
The French answer was the 11,000-ton barbette ship Amiral Duperré armed with
four 48-ton guns 34 cm cal 18 in open barbettes while the guns of the Italian opponent
were placed in revolving turrets. She was built 1877-79 and commissioned in 1883. |
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Only after long internal debates the then Imperial-Royal Navy [k.k. Kriegsmarine] got
funds for two new battleships in the 1880 budget. |
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In this period Austrian design policy very much relied on French 'jeune école' ideas and
designs. So naval architect Moriz Soyka designed a ship of half the size and the armament
of the French Amiral Duperré. The main battery consisted of only two 12"
[30,5 cm] 48-ton Krupp C/80 cal 35 heavy guns situated in a protruding sponson on each
broadaside. The medium 15-cm-guns were placed in an old fashioned broadside battery. The
reason why she differs so much from her contemporary companion Kronprinz Erzherzog
Rudolf is unclear but may originate in the lack of founds; five 12" guns were
ordered from Friedr. Krupp, Essen, and had to be distributed between two units resulting
in their different armament layout. Originally she was intended to be named Erzherzog
Ferdinand Max, replacing the old 1st class armoured frigate
of the same name built in 1865. When this unit was earmarked for another modernisation for
further service with the active battlefleet the name of the new unit was changed into Kronprinzessin
Erzherzogin Stefanie to honour the wife of the then heir to the throne and probably
future Empress of Austria-Hungary. Commissioned on 1 June 1890, six years after the keel
had been laid. 
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Becoming rapidly outdated her active service ended after only eight years
when she was placed into first reserve; in 1906 she was finally stricken from the fleet
list. From 2 June 1906 she served as guard ship at Kumbor, Bocche di Cattaro, and was
finally hulked on 19 August 1910. In 1913 she was stripped of her arms, her machinery and
her armour to replace the obsolete tender to the mine warfare training school, Gamma
the hulked former frigate Fasana.  . |
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| ~ 1895 |
Line drawing of Kronprinzessin
Erzherzogin Stefanie by Erwin Sieche |
[ES] |
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