THE TEGETTHOFF CLASS.: Austria-Hungary's Dreadnoughts (1909-1925)

For less than 5 years, (1913-1918) the Austria-Hungarian Empire had a navy that was in part comprised of all big gun dreadnoughts, (or battleships). They were in their short lifetime to see 4 years of war and by the time the guns fell silent across the battlefields of Europe, 50% of that new dreadnought force lay on the seabed. Aside from a bombardment of the Italian mainland, they were never to fire their powerful main armament in anger. They were to be lost not to a blow by blow exchange of fire with their peers, but to Italian torpedoes and limpet mines carried into battle by fast torpedo boats and frogmen. Of all the battleships that were created in the years prior to the First World War, the four ships of the Tegetthoff class, were probably the most flawed, born from a designer with failing eyesight and a growing deafness, who refused to take sage advice from the German Admiralty in ship design. They were conceived through a process that saw political scheming and ‘untruths’ told. But for all these flaws and the life’s they were to cost, the Tegetthoff class is one of the most fascinating in a genre of warship that has been lost to technological advancement in naval design. In conjunction with Andrew Wilkie’s stunning computerized images, that bring the class back to life, in a way no other battleship of the era has been so blessed, this ‘E’ book tells the story of the 4 dreadnoughts, from conception, to their ultimate demise. The book holds over 300 photographs and plans, having been heavily researched and drawing on a wide range of sources and experts. This the second edition of the book has been expanded prodigiously beyond the scope of its earlier predecessor, covering topics that the first publication only touched on. The final product is an in-depth study of the class that will hopefully appeal to a wide cross section of readers. On a final note, this volume is the second addition and the textual errors that were prevalent in its predecessor have been amended. This edition has been proofread by three s