Gun Boats Austro-Hungarian "Zara" Class
- Torpedo Gunboat -
As early as the torpedo was introduced as a new lethal weapon designers were forced to develop torpedo carrying units. In March 1872 the A.H. navy decided to design a torpedo gunboat based on the design of the British HMS Vesuvius and the German gunboat Zieten. The three units of the Zara-class (Zara, Sebenico, Spalato) had elegant yachtlike lines but soon turned out to be too slow – only 12 kts - to follow modern torpedo boats into battle. They were soon relegated to other duties like training and exercise ships. All three were allocated to Italy in 1920 and sold for scrap.
Zara 1882.jpg (44 kByte)
  Line drawing of S.M. Tb "Zara" by F Bilzer [MGH]
Technical Data:
Laid down:
Launched:
Commissioned:
Displacement:
Dimensions:
Propulsion:

Max. Speed:
Range:
Crew:		 1. Aug 1878
13. Nov 1879
13. Jun 1881
852.22 / 930 ts
62.71 × 8.23 × 4.01 m
2,000 / 2,600 ihp; 5 boilers; 2 VTE; 2 shafts;
addional sail area 275.6 square meters
14.29 kts
4,000 / 12 - ?
13 + 139
Tactical Data:
Main:
Minor:
Torpedoes:
Searchlights:		 4x90 (1887: 4x90; 1x70; 1x47 QF; 4x47 cal 33 QF)
1x70
3x350
2x400 (1906: 2x600)
Zara:
Sebenico:
Spalato:
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Quellen/Sources: MGH, E. Sieche
Updated: 01/09/05 © hgs 8/98
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