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General News of the Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine
Topic Started: Jan 4 2010, 03:21 PM (447 Views)
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General News of the Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine

January 14th, 1836

It was revealed today from the war department that preparations for a Austrian naval expedition have begun. The frigate
Venus began taking on stores earlier this week.
To add to the expedition, a unidentified merchantman of 450 tons was purchased by the Emperor for 45,000 afl. to accompany the Venus on her voyage as a supply vessel. It will be named the Maria Theresa.

Preparations will be completed in the early summer.
Edited by Austria, Jan 12 2010, 02:42 AM.
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July 29th, 1836

The War Ministry has announced that it has ordered a small steam-warship for experimentation purposes from the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has graciously permitted the use of a slip at the Royal Dockyard of Chatham.

The design will be complete by the end of 1836, at which time it will be laid down.

The expense works out as so:

242,180 afl. for the hull, the rigging, etc.
75,000 afl. for the importation and use of teak.
250,000 afl. for the machinery which will produce 250 Nominal Horse Power.
9,980 afl. for the armament.
122,840 afl. for the supplier and builder commission.
700,000 afl. total.

Completion has been estimated to be sometime around the year 1840.
Edited by Austria, Jan 12 2010, 02:49 AM.
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February 10th, 1837

The draught of the steam ship which was designed in the United Kingdom, and which is currently under construction, arrived today in Austria; attached below is a simplified drawing of the ship. As can be seen, it will mount two cannon on swivels, and it will have three guns on each broadside.

Total length of the vessel will approach 250 feet, breadth will be 28 feet, and it will draw approximately 12 feet of water.

The lines on the bow are more straight than usual, this is in an attempt to maximize the speed of the vessels, although a compromise was found to satisfy the more conservative members of the Austrian naval service.

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Edited by Austria, Jan 19 2010, 06:13 PM.
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July 1837

It was with great fanfare that Archduke Friedrich of Austria, born in 1821, took to sea for the first time on the frigate Princesse de Bologne. Earlier this year he entered the Austrian navy as a midshipman and this is his first excursion. The Princesse de Bologne is taking a short cruise through the Mediterranean.
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August 12th, 1838
The hull of the Cesare came off the stocks at Venice today. It has been in storage for the past two decades, however the Austrian government felt the need to complete her.

She will be armed with 28 32 pounders, 30 24 pounders, 16 12 pounders, and 8 32 pounder carronades.
Fitting out is projected to be completed by the start of December.

To man her, 500 men will be brought together from around the fleet, and 150 new men recruited to fill the spaces. 500 new recruits are also going to be attracted to fill the slots opened in the rest of the fleet.
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July 1839
The 114 gun ship of the line, San Josef, has been kindly gifted to the Austrian Empire by the British government. This ship is famous for being on the receiving end of "Nelson's patent bridge for boarding enemy vessels." Consideration is being given to a possible new name for the ship, though it may be decided to leave it as it is.

A crew was assembled from the idle ships at home, and she expects to join the allied battlefleet in the near future.

May 19th, 1840
With the successful participation of the Austrian navy in the Mediterranean Crisis of last year, and with the gift of the San Josef to the Austrian fleet, there has been a new awareness of the navy in Austria.

The government is considering giving the navy its own governmental department, removing it from under the War Ministry. This movement has been strongly supported by Archduke Friedrich who has proven to be one of the most consistent supporters of the navy in the few years he has been involved.

The hull of the Austrian steam-ship nearing completion at Chatham has been provisionally names after the capital, Vienna. It is projected to be completed fitting out in July from whence it will sail to Venice to join the fleet.

To man the ships of the fleet, a recruitment campaign has been started to bring in a further 1,300 men by the end of the year, both for the Marines and the ranks of seamen. Recruits with experience in the machining industry are being sought to operate the steam-engine in the SMS Vienna.

Consideration is also being given to constructing a drydock somewhere in Austria to service the fleet. This would be an long and expensive undertaking so it is not known when such a project could be started.

Expansion of the Tschaikisteflotte with the growing duties required of it due to the expansion of water traffic on the Danube is being looked into. The suggestion to build a steam gun-boat for service in the Tschaikisteflotte has also garnered some interest.

The idea of a merchant marine has also been bandied about, however it is not known how practical this would be so it is not likely to take shape for some time.
Edited by Austria, Mar 10 2010, 07:35 PM.
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February 1841
The ship Montenotte took to water this month and is arming up from the stocks in Venice. It will carry 42 32 pounders, 30 24 pounders, 2 12 pounders and 8 32 pounder carronades.
She will enter service in July.
Further recruitment of 200 marine infantry and 500 men has begun, this time in the German held areas to try and establish a cadre of German speaking men in the force.
Edited by Austria, Mar 19 2010, 02:53 AM.
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November 1841 - February 1842
In this period three ship of the line completed. All were nearly finished previously but were left on stocks through the intervening years. It was decided to launch them and add them to the active force of the Austrian navy.
The ships are to be named the Königin Victoria, the König Louis-Philippe, and the König Friedrich Wilhelm in honour of our three allies in the latest war. All carry 74 long guns.
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June 1842
With the war over, the sailors conscripted from the merchant navy have been returned to shore, however a new recruiting effort to bring in a further 1500 seamen and 200 marine infantry to bring the totals up to 7,500 and 1,500.
The squadron with the British Mediterranean fleet is returning home, and the intent is to utilize their observation of Royal Navy methods, and practical experience gained in the operations, to further the development of the Kriegsmarine.
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April 1845
A deal has been arranged with a firm in Britain to supply a 250 hp steam engine, one shaft screw machinery, and an expert to demonstrate installation techniques for the cost of £40,000.
The Austrian government has agreed to allow construction of a screw frigate of 32 guns for the Austrian navy at the Venice Arsenal.
The ship will be approximately 170 feet long, a beam of 40 feet and a tonnage of 1,500. She will carry 24 8 inch shell guns and 8 10 inch shell guns, although some have advocated contacting a foreign navy and purchasing a number of the new Paixhans guns to army the ship.
Total cost is estimated around 600,000 florins, including the machinery.

The survey of Trieste has completed its work and found the location suitable for a major naval dockyard. The naval ministry is working on a dockyard set up they would like to build there, including drydocks, slips, machinery workshops, rope workshops, warehousing, housing, consideration even being given to establishment of an arsenal for production of guns for the fleet.
Edited by Austria, May 13 2010, 02:25 PM.
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July 1846
It has been decided to complete the work on the three frigates still on stocks at Venice. Due to the time they have had to season it is expected they will be stout ships.
Work is almost complete on all of them and it is expected that they will be done October of this year, and ready to arm.

With the experience being gained from work on the SMS Archduke Friedrich, designs for a large, steam powered ship of the line are being drawn up. The aim is to have her carry 120 or 124 guns on three decks, and she would replace the San Josef in Austrian service.

A new design of steam riverine gunboat has also been designed. 100 feet long and 20 feet wide with a shallow draught, she would have two masts, a small steam engine of 100 horsepower, and carry four shell guns and two heavy carronades for the riverside and policing work expected of her.

Construction of two such vessels is to begin at Vienna in 1847.
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September 1846
With the finances of the empire finally determined for the year, it was found that there was surplus revenue, and the decision was taken to begin work on the long discussed dockyard at Trieste.

The main construction will be the large 500ft by 200ft drydock which will cost just over 13 and a half million florin. Two covered slips will be constructed at the start, as well as a machinery works, a ropery, large warehouses and other vital infrastructure.
Breakwaters are being built to the south of the penninsula which the yard is to be located to form a fitting basin and 14.5 miles of track are being laid to connect it with Trieste, as well as in the yard itself.
Living quarters able to accommodate nearly two thousand men are also being constructed.

The cost of the original construction has been estimated at 18,014,770 fl, including the cost to reimburse the current occupants, but additions may be made as the yard progresses.

Work on the drydock is to begin immediately with the excavation of the area, but it is expected to take at least ten years labour to complete.
The machinery works will begin construction in October, and should be completed in two years time.
Work on all the other infrastructure will start in a few months time as well, and should be completed a year after construction commences.

The sum of 6,600,000 fl is to be allocated from the 1846 spending, with the remainder spread out over the ensuing years.

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...................................................................................The plan of the Dockyard

Edited by Austria, Jun 2 2010, 02:50 PM.
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February 1848
The SMS Archduke Friedrich completed outfitting today, two months later than planned. She is armed with a number of Paixhan guns purchased from the United States of America.
She will be accompanying the majority of the fleet on exercises in the Mediterranean this year, the fleet departing from Venice a the end of the month.

The Minster for the Marine has convinced the government to institute yearly exercises of at least half the fleet, but the details have yet to be worked out.
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