Warships - Austria-Hungary: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Austro-Hungarian Battleships, 1914-18 (Osprey)

Austria-Hungary did not have an overseas empire; its empire lay within its own boundaries and the primary purpose of its navy until the beginning of the twentieth century was the defense of its coastline.
As its merchant marine dramatically grew, admirals believed that the navy should take a more proactive policy of defense. The 1890s saw the beginning of a series of naval building programs that would create a well-balanced modern fleet. Cruisers were constructed for the protection of overseas trade and for "showing the flag" but the decisive projection of Austria-Hungary's commitment to control the Adriatic was the construction of a force of modern battleships.
Despite the naval arms race throughout Europe at the time, the navy had difficulty obtaining funds for new ships. The difficulties experienced in battleship funding and construction mirrored the political difficulties and ethnic rivalries within the empire. Nevertheless by August of 1914, the Austro-Hungarian had a fleet of battleships.

This book details the five classes of Austro-Hungarian battleships in service during World War I.

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Austro-Hungarian Cruisers and Destroyers 1914-18 (Osprey)

At the outbreak of World War I Austria-Hungary had four modern light cruisers and twenty modern destroyers at their disposal, constructed in the early 20th century to defend their growing overseas interests.
It was these fast light vessels, not the fleet's prized battleships, which saw most action during the war; from the bombardment of enemy batteries during the Montenegrin Campaign to their victory over the Allied fleet at the Battle of the Strait of Otranto in 1917.

Using specially-commissioned artwork author Ryan Noppen examines the cruisers and destroyers that the Austro-Hungarian Empire had at their disposal during World War I. His study covers their design and development, with thrilling combat reports highlighting the way in which the strategies evolved throughout the Adriatic Campaign.

Contents: Introduction - Design and Technical Development - Cruiser and Destroyer Operations - Conclusion - Bibliography - Index.

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Austro-Hungarian Submarines in WW I

This book details the history of the development and operational use by the Austro-Hungarian navy of submarines in WWI. German use of submarines in WW1 is well known, but this is the fascinating and little-known history of their major ally's activities in undersea warfare.
Contains descriptions and specifications of all the boats involved. Profusely illustrated with scale drawings and many rare photos.

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Österreichisch-ungarische Kriegsschiffe: 1914 bis 1918

This volume deals with the warships of the naval power Austria-Hungary in the First World War and their whereabouts.
All battleships, armored cruisers, cruisers, destroyers, torpedo boats and submarines of the Austro-Hungarian Navy that existed or were under construction at the time, which was usually simply called the k. u. k., i.e. Kaiserliche and Königliche Kriegsmarine (Imperial and Royal Navy), are described in detail.
This refers to the technical data, which is presented uniformly in table form, the construction history, the performance of the ships and their classification in the international fleet construction and type history of their time.

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Österreichisch-ungarische Unterseeboote - und ihre Werften 1906-1918

At the turn of the century, the naval power Austria-Hungary also had no choice but to acquire submarines, although leading naval circles in Vienna were initially anything but enthusiastic about the new weapon.

In this volume, Wilhelm M. Donko describes the entire history of the creation and production of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy's submarine fleet. He not only presents all of the Austro-Hungarian submarines with their missions and successes, but also the strategic cooperation with the Imperial German Navy in the Mediterranean, whose boats operated over long distances under the red-white-red flag and achieved spectacular successes.

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Österreichs Kriegsmarine - Eine Seemacht und ihr Ende

The Austro-Hungarian Navy was not just a technical-administrative organization with a few ships and ports, but also something like "home" for thousands of people and their families from all parts of the monarchy.
In the First World War, it proved to be a powerful fighting force that remained fully operational until the final collapse of the monarchy, which is by no means to be taken for granted. The city of Pola, Croatian Pula, was the navy's main naval port, with a somewhat sophisticated touch.

100 years ago, in November 1918, time and the world known until then came to an abrupt end there too, as in the entire Danube Monarchy. It became "the world of yesterday".
The once eighth largest navy in the world, equipped with modern battleships, cruisers, submarines, seaplanes and its "own" city, was disbanded within a short time, the ships distributed among the victorious powers, officers and crew scattered in all directions.

This book offers an overview of the structure and development of the Imperial and Royal Navy up to its demise 100 years ago - with a wealth of photographic documents that show not only the large warships, but also the ports, life on board and scenes of everyday maritime life.

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Unsere Kriegsflotte 1556-1908/18 - Erweiterter Reprint des Marine-Prachtalbums 1908

Emperor Franz Joseph was not a particular fan of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. During his rare visits to the naval port of Pola, the sea evidently reminded him of his trip to the Orient in 1869, when he almost fell victim to the floods while embarking off Jaffa.
For his 60th anniversary in office, a magnificent naval album was dedicated to him. It was written by frigate captain Alfred von Koudelka and illustrated with 25 color plates by the first marine painter, Alexander Kircher.

Voyages of discovery, the fight against pirates, the glorious naval battle of Lissa, ironclads and submarines pass before the reader and viewer - a proud chapter of Austrian history.
The editors have continued the naval history, including additional illustrations by Alexander Kircher, until 1918, when the pride of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the battleship Viribus Unitis, and with it Austria-Hungary, sank.

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