SMS Erzherzog Karl

SMS Erzherzog Karl at anchor
History
Austria–Hungary
Name:	Erzherzog Karl
Namesake:	Erzherzog Karl
Builder:	STT
Laid down:	24 July 1902
Launched:	4 October 1903
Completed:	17 June 1906
Fate:	Scrapped, 1921
General characteristics
Class and type:	Erzherzog Karl-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	10,472 long tons (10,640 t)
Length:	414 ft 2 in (126.2 m)
Beam:	71 ft 5 in (21.8 m)
Draft:	24 ft 7 in (7.5 m)
Installed power:	18,000 ihp (13,423 kW)
Propulsion:	2 shafts 4-cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines
Speed:	20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Complement:	700
Armament:	4 × 24 cm (9.4 in)/40 cal. Škoda guns 12 × 19 cm (7.5 in)/42 cal. Škoda guns 4 × 7 cm (2.8 in) anti-aircraft guns 12 × 7 cm (2.8 in)/45 cal. Škoda guns 4 × 4.7 cm (1.9 in)/44 cal Škoda QF guns 2 × 4.7-cm/33 cal Škoda QF guns 4 × 37 mm (1.5 in) Vickers guns 2 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Waterline belt: 210 mm (8.3 in) Deck: 55 mm (2.2 in) Turrets: 240 mm (9.4 in) Casemates: 150 mm (5.9 in) Conning tower: 220 mm (8.7 in) Bulkheads: 200 mm (7.9 in)

SMS Erzherzog Karl  (German: "His Majesty's ship Archduke Karl") was a pre-dreadnought battleship built by the Austro-Hungarian navy in 1902. The lead ship of the Erzherzog Karl class, she was launched on 3 October 1903. They were assigned to the III Battleship Division.

For most of World War I, Erzherzog Karl remained in her home port of Pula, in present-day Croatia, except for four engagements. In 1914, she formed part of the Austro-Hungarian flotilla sent to protect the escape of the German ships SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau from the British-held Mediterranean; she advanced as far as Brindisi before being recalled to her home port. Her sole combat engagement occurred in late May 1915, when she participated in the bombardment of the Italian port city of Ancona. She also took part in suppressing a major mutiny among the crew members of several armored cruisers stationed in Cattaro between 1–3 February 1918. She also attempted to break through the Otranto Barrage in June of that year, but had to retreat when the dreadnought SMS Szent István was sunk. After the war, Erzherzog Karl was awarded to the French as a war prize, but ran aground at Bizerte. She was scrapped in Italy in 1921.

Erzherzog Karl displaced 10,472 long tons (10,640 t). She was 414 feet 2 inches (126.2 m) long, had a beam of 71 feet 5 inches (21.8 m) and a draft of 24 feet 7 inches (7.5 m). She was manned by 700 men. She and her sisters were the last and largest pre-dreadnought class built by the Austro Hungarian Navy, surpassing the Habsburg class by approximately 2,000 tonnes (1,968 long tons). The ships were propelled by two two-shaft, four cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines. On trials, they developed 18,000 ihp (13,423 kW), which propelled the ship at a speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph). On trials, Erzherzog Karl's engines managed to produce a knot more speed than was originally planned.

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