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SMSNovara(1913)

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For other ships with the same name, seeSMS Novara.

Novaraduring World War I
History
Austro-Hungary
NameNovara
NamesakeBattle of Novarain 1849
BuilderDanubius
Laid down9 December 1912
Launched15 February 1913
Commissioned10 January 1915
FateCeded to France as awar prize,1920
France
NameThionville
NamesakeThionville
Acquired1920
Decommissioned1932
FateScrapped, 1941
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typeNovara-classscout cruiser
Displacement3,500long tons(3,600 t)
Length130.64 m (428 ft 7 in)
Beam12.79 m (42 ft 0 in)
Draft4.6 m (15 ft 1 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed27knots(50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range1,600nmi(3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at a speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Complement340
Armament
Armor

SMSNovarawas aNovara-classscout cruiserof theAustro-Hungarian Navywhich served duringWorld War I.Built by theDanubiusshipyard between December 1912 and January 1915,Novarawas the third and final member of her class to enter service, some six months after the start of the war. She was armed with a battery of nine 10-centimeter (3.9 in) guns and had a top speed of 27knots(50 km/h; 31 mph).

The ship saw extensive service during World War I, owing to the cautious strategies adopted by the Austro-Hungarian fleet and their opponents in theTriple Entente.Novarawas frequently used to raid enemy shipping and theOtranto Barrage,including a patrol in November 1915 where she destroyed a stranded Frenchsubmarine.These operations culminated in theBattle of the Strait of Otrantoin May 1917, the largest naval battle of theAdriatic Campaign.There, she and her twosisterssank fourteendrifters,though she was badly damaged by a British cruiser and had to be towed back to port.Novarawas involved in theCattaro Mutinyin January 1918 and led the loyalist vessels to safety.

Novarachanged hands several times as the war ended, being transferred first to theKingdom of Yugoslavia,a successor state to Austria-Hungary, and then to France as awar prizeunder the terms of theTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.Commissioned into the French fleet asThionville,the ship served from 1920 to 1932 as atraining ship,and from 1932 to 1941 as abarracks shipin Toulon before beingbroken upfor scrap.

Design[edit]

Main article:Novara-class cruiser

Novarawas 130.64 meters (428 ft 7 in)long overall,with abeamof 12.79 meters (42 ft 0 in) and a meandraftof 4.6 meters (15 ft 1 in). She displaced 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) at normal load, and up to 4,017 long tons (4,081 t) atdeep load.Her propulsion system consisted of two sets ofAEGsteam turbinesdriving two propeller shafts. They were designed to provide 25,600shaft horsepower(19,100 kW) and were powered by 16Yarrowwater-tube boilers.These gave the ship a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).Novaracarried about 710 metric tons (700 long tons) of coal that gave her a range of approximately 1,600nautical miles(3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph). The ship had a crew of 340 officers and men.[1][2]

Novarawas armed with nine 50-caliber10 cm (3.9 in)guns in single pedestal mounts. Three were placed forward on theforecastle,four were located amidships, two on either side, and two were side by side on thequarterdeck.A Škoda7-centimeter (2.8 in)/50 K10anti-aircraft gunand six 53.3 cm (21.0 in)torpedo tubesin twin mounts were added in 1917. The navy planned to remove the guns on the forecastle and quarterdeck and replace them with a pair of 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns fore and aft, but nothing was done before the end of the war. The ship was protected by a waterlinearmored beltthat was 60 mm (2.4 in) thick amidships and a 20 mm (0.79 in) thick deck. Theconning towerhad 60 mm thick sides, and the guns had 40 mm (1.6 in) thickshields.[1][2]

Service history[edit]

Construction and early World War I[edit]

Novarawaslaid downat theDanubiusshipyard inFiumeon 9 December 1912, the last member of her class to begin construction. She was launched on 15 February 1913; the ship was still undergoingfitting-outwork whenWorld War Ibroke out in July 1914. The ship was completed on 10 January 1915 and commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian fleet.[2]The commander of the Austro-Hungarian fleet, AdmiralAnton Haus,adopted a cautious strategy to preserve his fleet, since he was outnumbered by the Anglo-French fleets in theMediterranean,and the attitude of Austria-Hungary's erstwhile ally Italy remained unknown. Haus decided the best course of action would be to act as afleet in being,which would tie down Allied naval forces, whiletorpedo boats,mines,and raids with fast cruisers likeNovaracould be used to reduce the numerical superiority of the enemy fleets before a decisive battle could be fought.[3]

In March, after the beginning of the BritishDardanelles Campaignagainst the Ottoman Empire, Germany began to pressure Austria-Hungary to assist their ally; Haus considered sendingNovarawith a cargo of munitions. Haus ultimately decided the operation was too risky for what would have been a minimal gain, as the ship would not have been able to carry a particularly large amount.[4]On 2 May,Novaratowed the GermanU-boatUB-8fromPolaout of theAdriatic Sea.They evaded French patrols until 6 May, offCephalonia,they were spotted by a French vessel.Novaracut the tow and sped north, whileUB-8submerged and evaded the French patrol.[5]Following the Italian declaration of war against the Central Powers on 23 May, the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet sortied to bombard Italian coastal targets.Novaratook part in the operation; along with adestroyerand two torpedo boats, she bombardedPorto CorsininearRavenna.Defensive fire from Italian coastal guns killed six men aboardNovara.[6]

By late in the year, the Austro-Hungarian high command decided to begin attacking theEntentesupply shipments being sent toSerbiaviaAlbania.The first such raid, conducted byNovara'ssister shipsSaidaandHelgoland,took place on the night of 22–23 November. Haus transferredNovara,Helgoland,and six destroyers toCattaroat the end of the month to facilitate further attacks. On 5 December,Novara,four destroyers, and three torpedo boats made an attack on the shipping lanes; they sank three transport ships and numerous fishing boats. While on their way back to Cattaro, they spotted the FrenchsubmarineFresnel,which had run aground off the mouth of theBojana river.Novaraand the other vessels took the crew captive and destroyed the submarine.[7]

On 29 December,Novara,the cruiserAdmiral Spaun,and the oldcoastal defense shipBudapestsortied to supportHelgolandand six destroyers after they had run into aminefield,which sank a destroyer and badly damaged another.Novaraand the other vessels did not reachHelgoland's flotilla before they were able to disengage from pursuing Italian warships.[8]On 29 January 1916,Novaraand two destroyers began another raid, this time on the port ofDurazzo.While en route, the two destroyers collided and had to return to port, leaving justNovarato conduct the attack. Upon reaching the target, she encountered the Italianprotected cruiserPugliaand a French destroyer. After a short engagement,Novarabroke off the action and retreated, since the element of surprise was no longer available.[9]Then-Linienschiffskapitän(Captain)Miklós Horthy,who commandedNovaraat the time, launched an attack on theOtranto Barrageon 9 July.Novarasank a pair ofdrifters,damaged two more, and captured nine British sailors.[10]

Battle of the Strait of Otranto[edit]

Main article:Battle of the Strait of Otranto (1917)
Novarain action with the British cruisers

In February 1917, Horthy began preparations for a major raid on the drifters; he planned to useNovaraand both of her sisters, which he modified to look like large British destroyers by cutting down theirmainmasts.Each of the ships also received a 7 cm anti-aircraft gun, and their engines were thoroughly cleaned and repaired. While the preparations were being made in late April and early May, destroyers made several sweeps down to the coast of Albania to reconnoiter theEntentedefenses in the area; they found none. On 13 May,Konteradmiral(Rear Admiral)Alexander Hansaissued the order to begin the operation the following morning.[11]The three cruisers steamed south to the drifter line, arriving after night fall; at the same time, a pair of destroyers,BalatonandCsepel,mounted a diversionary attack off the coast of Albania. At around 03:30 on 15 May,Novaraand the other cruisers opened fire on the drifters, sinking fourteen and damaging four more before they broke off the attack and withdrew, hoping to return to port beforeEntenteforces could react.[12]

At 06:45, the British cruisersHMSDartmouthandBristoland five Italian destroyers sortied to interceptNovara,Helgoland,andSaida.By 09:00, the faster British cruisers had caught up to the Austro-Hungarian vessels, and both sides called for reinforcements; a flotilla centered on thearmored cruiserSankt Georgwas sent to assist Horthy's cruisers.Dartmouthopened fire first and scored a hit onNovara,and the three Austro-Hungarian cruisers laid smoke screens and turned back toward their pursuers, scoring several hits onDartmouthin the process.Novarawas hit several more times, and her main feed pumps and starboard auxiliary steam pipe were damaged, which caused the ship to begin losing speed. Horthy was badly injured as well, though he remained in command. At 11:05, theEntentecommander, AdmiralAlfredo Acton,turned away in an attempt to separateSaidafromNovaraandHelgoland.At this point,Sankt Georgwas approaching the scene, which prompted Acton to temporarily withdraw to consolidate his forces. This break in the action was enough time for the Austro-Hungarians to save the crippledNovara;Saidatook the ship under tow whileHelgolandcovered them.[13][14]

Unaware thatNovarahad been disabled, and fearing that his ships would be drawn too close to the Austrian naval base at Cattaro (Kotor), Acton broke off the pursuit. The destroyerAcerbimisread the signal, and attempted to launch a torpedo attack, but was driven off by the combined fire ofNovara,Saida,andHelgoland.At 12:05, Acton realized the dire situationNovarawas in, but by this time, theSankt Georggroup was too close. TheSankt Georggroup rendezvoused withNovara,Saida,andHelgoland,andCsepelandBalatonreached the scene as well. The entire group returned to Cattaro together.[15]

End of the war[edit]

Novarasometime during World War I

By early 1918, the long periods of inactivity had begun to wear on the crews of several warships at Cattaro, primarily those of the little-used armored cruisers. On 1 February, theCattaro Mutinybroke out, starting aboardSankt Georg.They then rapidly gained control of the cruiserKaiser Karl VIand most of the other major warships in the harbor.[16]The crews ofNovaraandHelgolandresisted the mutiny,[17]with the latter preparing their ship's torpedoes butSankt Georg's gunners aimed their 24 cm (9.4 in) guns atHelgoland,which convinced them to back down.Novara's commander,Prince Johann of Liechtenstein,initially refused to allow a rebel party to board his vessel, but afterKaiser Karl VItrained her guns onNovara,he relented and let the crew fly ared flagin support of the mutiny. Liechtenstein and Erich von Heyssler, the commander ofHelgoland,plotted overnight how to extricate their vessels, their crews having abstained from actively supporting the rebels.[18]

The following day, many of the mutinous ships abandoned the effort and rejoined loyalist forces in the inner harbor after shore batteries opened fire on the rebel guard shipKronprinz Erzherzog Rudolf.Liechtenstein tore down the red flag before ordering his ship to escape into the inner harbor; they were joined by the other scout cruisers and most of the torpedo boats, followed by several of the other larger vessels. There, they were protected by shore batteries that opposed the rebellion. By late in the day, only the men aboardSankt Georgand a handful of destroyers and torpedo boats remained in rebellion. The next morning, theErzherzog Karl-class battleshipsarrived from Pola and put down the uprising.[19][20]

On 3 November 1918, the Austro-Hungarian government signed theArmistice of Villa Giustiwith Italy, ending their participation in the conflict.[21]Following the armistice, the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet was transferred to the newly formedYugoslavia.[22]

French service[edit]

In 1920, under the terms of theTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye,Novaraand the rest of the fleet was surrendered to the Allied powers aswar prizes;[23]Novarawas awarded to France in the post-war distribution of ships.[2]She sprang a leak in the Adriatic and put intoBrindisi,Italy,where she sank on 29 January 1920.[24]She was refloated in early April 1920.[25]The ship was renamedThionvilleand incorporated into the French fleet after repairs.Thionvillewas assigned to the torpedo school for use as atraining ship,a role she filled until 1 May 1932.[26]The ship was then disarmed and converted into abarracks shipbased inToulon.She remained there until 1941, when she wasbroken upfor scrap.[2]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^abFraccoli, p. 317
  2. ^abcdeGardiner & Gray, p. 336
  3. ^Halpern, p. 141
  4. ^Sondhaus, p. 266
  5. ^Sondhaus, p. 268
  6. ^Sondhaus, pp. 274–275
  7. ^Halpern, p. 154
  8. ^Halpern, pp. 156–157
  9. ^Halpern, p. 158
  10. ^Halpern, p. 161
  11. ^Koburger, p. 72
  12. ^Halpern (1994), pp. 162–163
  13. ^Halpern (1994), pp. 163–164
  14. ^Sondhaus, p. 306
  15. ^Halpern (1994), p. 165
  16. ^Halpern (2004), pp. 48–50
  17. ^Koburger, p. 96
  18. ^Halpern (2004), p. 50
  19. ^Halpern (2004), pp. 52–53
  20. ^Sondhaus, p. 322
  21. ^Gardiner & Gray, p. 329
  22. ^Halpern (1994), p. 177
  23. ^Sondhaus, pp. 359–360
  24. ^"Imperial and Foreign News Items".The Times.No. 42321. London. 30 January 1920. col F, p. 11.
  25. ^"Imperial and Foreign News Items".The Times.No. 42376. London. 5 April 1920. col F, p. 7.
  26. ^Jordan & Moulin, p. 167

References[edit]

  • Fraccarolli, Aldo (1976). "Question 14/76: Details of Italian Cruiser Brindisi".Warship International.XIII(4). International Naval Research Organization: 317–38.ISSN0043-0374.
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985).Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-85177-245-5.
  • Greger, René (1976).Austro-Hungarian Warships of World War I.London: Ian Allan.ISBN0-7110-0623-7.
  • Halpern, Paul G. (1994).A Naval History of World War I.Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-352-4.
  • Halpern, Paul (2004)."The Cattaro Mutiny, 1918".In Bell, Christopher M.; Elleman, Bruce A. (eds.).Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century: An International Perspective.London: Frank Cass. pp.45–65.ISBN0-7146-5460-4.
  • Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2013).French Cruisers: 1922–1956.Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing.ISBN978-1-84832-133-5.
  • Koburger, Charles (2001).The Central Powers in the Adriatic, 1914–1918: War in a Narrow Sea.Westport: Praeger Publishers.ISBN978-0-313-00272-4.
  • Sondhaus, Lawrence (1994).The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867–1918.West Lafayette: Purdue University Press.ISBN978-1-55753-034-9.
  • Freivogel, Zvonimir (2017).Austro-Hungarian Cruisers in World War One.Zagreb: Despot Infinitus.ISBN978-953-7892-85-2.

Further reading[edit]

  • Sieche, Erwin (2002).Kreuzer und Kreuzerprojekte der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1889–1918[Cruisers and Cruiser Projects of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, 1889–1918] (in German). Hamburg.ISBN3-8132-0766-8.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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