The Ship Model Forum

Make them yourself then !

Would love to see more K.u.K. subjects. Habsburg class pre-dreadnought would be nice.

Just to give the good news - that Trumpeter of China have released the lovely
completed Model in 1/350 Scale open to inspection in Japan of the [b]KuK [color=#800000]Viribus Unitis [/color][/b]at The 59th All Japan Model & Hobby Show 2019

[img]https://i.imgur.com/kbik2rI.jpg[/img]

enjoy !

( sorry photo is not clearer - it was taken from Facebook's page for Trumpeter )

@wefalck

Thanks very much for the biblio.

I am aware of the two Sokol brothers(?), but other than the cursory book by Anton S., I have not been able to locate the one on your list, or the multi-volume work on the navy in WWI by Hans Hugo.

Anyway, thanks for your efforts.

Cheers,
Mike

Below is the excerpt of works on the k.(u.).k. Navy from my maritime bibliography ([url]https://www.maritima-et-mechanika.org/maritime/maritimebibliography.pdf[/url]).

Beware that this is not a systematic collection and that it largely terminates in the years before WW1, the end of the era I am interested in. I suppose much of what was published after 1914 had propaganda purposes as the actual technical information would have been classified. There are various publications on WW1 ships and boats (e.g. the austrian answers to the italian M.A.S.) , which are not listed for the said reason.
If you are interested in particular ships and their post-WW1 fate, it may be useful to have a look at italiean and (former) yugoslavian sources. Both states took over ships, when the k.u.k. Navy was distributed among the victorious allies.

A small range of kits is available from here: [url]https://www.doppeladler.com/themodeller/[/url]

B means, I own the book, E means that there is an ebook/scan available, K means that I have photostat copy.

[b]Bibliography on the k.u.k. Navy [/b]

AICHELBURG, W. (1981): K.u.K. Segelschiffe in alten Postkarten.- 224 p.
AICHELBURG, W. (1982): K.u.K. Dampfschiffe.- 223 p.
B AICHELBURG, W. (1996): K.u.K. Dampfschiffe - Kriegs-, Handels- und Passagierschiffe in alten Photographien.- 224 p., Wien (�sterr. Staatsdruckerei)
B AICHELBURG, W. (1996): K.u.K. Segelschiffe in alten Photographien.- 224 p., Wien (�sterr. Staatsdruckerei).
B AICHELBURG, W. (1996): K.u.K. Yachten und Yachtclubs �sterreich-Ungarns in alten Photographien.- 112 p., Wien (�sterr. Staatsdruckerei).
ANONYM (1866): Artillerie-Unterricht f�r die Mannschaft der Festungs- und K�sten-Artillerie-Compagnien. Zweite Unterrichts-Classe.- 104 p.- Wien (kaiserlich-k�nigliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei).
ANONYM (1867): Artillerie-Unterricht f�r die Mannschaft der Batterien. Zweite Unterrichts-Classe.- 114 p., Wien (kaiserlich-k�nigliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei).
(K) ANONYM (1880-82): Artillerie-Unterricht f�r die k.k. Kriegs-Marine.- 3 Bde., Taf., Laibach (I. von Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg). (�NB 52.303-B)
B ANONYM (1880-81): Artillerie-Unterricht f�r die k.k. Kriegs-Marine.- 2 Bde., 514 p., Laibach (I. von Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
ANONYM ? (1905): Schiffsmaschinenkunde und Materialkunde - Leitfaden f�r die Ein�hrigfreiwilligenschule der K.K. Kriegsmarine.- p., 55 Taf., Pola(?).
ANONYM (1906): Vorschrift f�r die Beleuchtung der k.u.k. Kriegsschiffe und Torpedoboote.- Marine-Normalverordnungsblatt, XXXIV, Abt. 6/M.S., Nr. 11.981: 28 p., Laibach (I. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
ANONYM (1909): Handbuch f�r Unteroffiziere des Decks- und Steuerdienstes.- Pola.
ARCHIV F�R SEEWESEN, hrsg. von J. Ziegler, Jg. 1-8, Wien/Triest. (�NB 153.595-B)
ARVAY, F. VON (1918): Handbuch des Seemannswesens � Mit besonderer Ber�cksichtigung f�r die K.u.K. Kriegsmarine.- 1017 p., 1 pl., 3 tab., Wien (Wilhelm Braum�ller).
B BAUMGARTNER, L., SIECHE, E. (1999): Schiffe der k.(u.).k. Kriegsmarine im Bild, Bd. I: 1848-1895.- 184 p., Wien (Verlagsbuchhandlung St�hr).
B BAUMGARTNER, L., WINKLER, D. (2005): Flottenrock und Kaiseradler. Uniformierung im Spiegel der Geschichte der k.(u.)k. Kriegsmarine von 1815 - 1918.- 261 p., Wien (Verlagsbuchhandlung St�hr).
B BILLE, W.H. (19??): Torpedo Vessels of the Imp. & Royal Austro-Hungarian Navy 1875-1918,- o.S., Wien? (unver�ffentlicht).
DESCOVICH, E., SEELIGER, E. (1915): Das U-Boot.- 64 p., Wien (�sterr. Flottenverein).
DISLERE, P. (1877): Die Panzerschiffe der neuesten Zeit (aus dem Franz�sischen �bersetzt von Constantin Pott).- 135 p., Pola (C. Gerold, Wien).
FASSEL, J. (1878): Anleitung zum Betriebe und zur Instandhaltung der Schiffsdampfkessel und Schiffsdampmaschinen.- 158 p., Wien (Gerold). (�NB 57.302-B)
B FASSEL, J. (1897): Atlas zur Schiffsmaschinenkunde. Lehrbehelf f�r den Unterricht an der k.u.k. Marine-Akademie.- 45 Taf., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
F.L. (1885): Die Nordenfelt�schen Maschinen-Gesch�tze. Ihre Einrichtung und Verwendungs-f�higkeit f�r die Zwecke der Kriegs-Marinen und der Land-Armeen.- 42 p., 2 pl., Wien / Bukarest (Ch. Reisser & M. Werthner).
B GERSTENBERGER, E.A. (2003): Festung Pola. Die Verteidigungsanlagen des k.(u.)k. Hauptkriegshafens 1823-1918.- 192 p., Wien/Graz (Neuer wissenschaftlicher Verlag).
K HAUSKNECHT, F. (1852): Leitfaden zum Studium der Marine-Artillerie � Nach den besten Quellen bearbeitet von F.H., Marine-Artillerie-Hauptmann.- 395 p., Taf., Wien (C. Gerold & Sohn).
HENGELHAUPT, H. (2002): Die Go�lette Saida: der Stolz der �sterreichischen Marine: eine Dokumentation.- 195 p., Wien? (Eigenverl. H. Hengelhaupt).
HERRMANN, H. (1905): Schiffsmaschinenkunde samt Schiffsmaschinendienst und Materialkunde.- XIII+398 p., 55 pl., Pola (Maschinenschule).
H�BNER, P. (2010): Die K.u.K. Segelfregatte F�rst Felix Schwarzenberg und ihre Zeit 1853-1861.- 408 p., Wien.
(K) KAISER, G. (19002): Construction der gezogenen Gesch�tzrohre.- 14 Pl., Wien (Verlag von L. Seidel & Sohn, K.u.k. Hofbuchh�ndler).
KIRCHHOFF, H. (1915): U-Boot und Luftboot.- Deutsche Kraft, H. 18: 30 p., Berlin/ Leipzig/Wien (Collingnon).
B K.K. ARTILLERIE-COMIT� (1867): Mittheilungen �ber Gegenst�nde der Artillerie- und Kriegs-Wissenschaften, 1867(1-8): 532 p., 28 Pl., Wien (W. Braum�ller).
KLUGER, O. (1895): Elemente der Schiffbaukunde.- Fiume (Hof- und Staatsdruck Wien).
B K�RNER, K.K. (2016): Die glatte Vorderlader-Artillerie der k.k. Marine 1750-1866.- 476 p., Wien (Verlag Militaria).
E KOUDELKA,, A. (1899): Unsere Kriegs-Marine.- 506 S., 4 Farbendrucke, 3 doppelseitige, 25 ganzseitige und 90 Textabb. nach Aquarellen und Zeichnungen von August Freiher von Ramberg, 1 Faltkarte, Wien (Alfred H�lder).
B KRONENFELS, J.F. VON (1881): Das schwimmende Flottenmaterial der Seem�chte.- 599 p., Wien/Pest/Leipzig (A. Hartleben�s Verlag).
B KRONENFELS, J.F. VON (1883): Die Kriegsschiffbauten 1881-1882 (Nachdruck 1976, C. Schmidt's Maritime Reprints, Bd. II, M�nchen).- 279 p., Wien, Pest, Leipzig (A. Hartleben's Verlag).
E K.U.K. MARINE-TECHNISCHES COMIT� (1894): Handbuch des Bootswesens (Auf Anordnung des k.u.k. Reichs-Kriegsministeriums (Marine-Section) ausgearbeitet).- 325 p., Pola/Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
B K.U.K. MARINETECHNISCHES COMIT� (1902): Torpedo-Unterricht f�r die k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine. I. Theil.- 429 p., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
B K.U.K. MARINETECHNISCHES COMIT� (1894): Atlas zum Torpedo-Unterricht f�r die k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine. I. Theil.- 41 pl., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
B K.U.K. MARINETECHNISCHES COMIT� (1894): Supplement�r-Atlas zum Torpedo-Unterricht f�r die k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine. I. Theil.- 20 pl., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
E K.U.K. MARINE-TECHNISCHES COMIT� (1894): Handbuch des Bootswesens (Auf Anordnung des k.u.k. Reichs-Kriegsministeriums (Marine-Section) ausgearbeitet).- 325 p., Pola/Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
B K.U.K. MARINETECHNISCHES COMIT� (1895): Torpedo-Unterricht f�r die k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine. II. Theil. Beschreibung der in der k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine eingef�hrten Lancier-Apparate.- 258 p., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
B K.U.K. MARINETECHNISCHES COMIT� (1895): Atlas zum Torpedo-Unterricht f�r die k.u.k. Kriegs-Marine. II. Theil.- 22 pl., Laibach (I. v. Kleinmayr & F. Bamberg).
LEHNHART VON LENNINGSFELD, P. (1895): Takelung und Ankerkunde f�r die k.u.k Kriegs-marine. Unter Anleitung des Milit�r-Hafencommandanten von Pola Contreadmiral Freiherr von Sterneck verfa�t von mehreren k.u.k. Seeoffizieren. Neu bearbeitet von p. L.v.L., k.u.k. Fregatten-Capit�n.- 2 Bde., 436 p. + LXXXVII Taf., Wien (k.-k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei). (�NB 260.662-B.Fid. = 108-049)
B LEHNHART VON LENNINGSFELD, P. (1895): Takelung und Ankerkunde f�r die k.u.k Kriegs-marine. Figurentafeln. Unter Anleitung des Milit�r-Hafencommandanten von Pola Contreadmiral Freiherr von Sterneck verfa�t von mehreren k.u.k. Seeoffizieren. Neu bearbeitet von P. L.v.L., k.u.k. Fregatten-Capit�n.- LXXXVII Taf., Wien (k.-k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei).
K LITTROW, H. VON (1859): Handbuch der Seemannschaft.- Textbd., 305 p.; Atlas, XII Taf. Wien (Gerold).
MARCHETTI, H. (1894): Die Erdumseglung S.M.Schiffes "Saida" in den Jahren 1890,1891,1892. Zusammengestellt im Auftrage des k.u.k. Reichs-Kriegs-Ministeriums, Marine Section, auf Grund der Berichte des k.u.k.Schiffskommandos.- 529 p., 17 Kt., 12 Lichtdrucke, Wien (Gerold, Hrsg. Redaction der "Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens�).
K MIELICHHOFER, C. (1857): Anleitung zur Schiffbau-Kunst.- 187 p., Wien (Carl Gerold�s Sohn).
NAWRATIL, H. (1915): Atlas zur Schiffsmaschinenkunde. Im Auftrage des K. u. K. Kriegsministeriums Marinesektion.- 112 Pl., Pola (Selbstverlag der Maschinenschule Pola).
PALLA, R. (2011): Die Weltreise Seiner Majest�t Korvette SAIDA in den Jahren 1884-1886.- 128 p., Wien.
B PAWLIK, G. (2000): Tegethoff und das Seegefecht vor Helgoland - 9. Mai 1864.- 176 p., Wien (Verlag �sterreich GmbH).
B PAWLIK, G. (2001): Gr��e aus Neptuns Reich. Die �sterreichische Kriegsmarine im Spiegel historischer Postkarten.- 118 p., Wien (Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag).
B PAWLIK, G. (2002): Im Taifun beinahe gekentert. Die abenteuerliche Reise der k.u.k. Korvette Fasana 1891-1893 (�sterreichs Schiffahrt in alten Ansichten, Album 4).- 112 p., Wien (Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag).
B PAWLIK, G. (2003): Des Kaisers schwimmende Festungen - Die Kasemattschiffe �sterreich-Ungarns (�sterreichs Schiffahrt in alten Ansichten, Album 6).- 112 p., Wien (Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag).
PAWLIK, G., BAUMGARTNER, L. (1986): S.M. Unterseeboote - Das k.u.k. Unterseebootswesen 1907�1918.- 128 p., Graz (Herbert Weishaupt Verlag).
B PAWLIK, G., CHRST, H., WINKLER, H. (19772): Die K.u.K Donauflottille 1870�1918.- 180 p., Graz (Herbert Weishaupt Verlag).
PITZINGER, F. (1910): Tafeln zur Schiffbaukunde.- Pola (Krmpotic).
POTT, (1877): Die Panzerschiffe der neuesten Zeit.- Pola.
PRAMER, K. (1913): Der Torpedo und seine Verwendung im Kriege k.u.k. Kriegsmarine.- ? p., 6 pl., Pola (?).
E PRASKY, F. (1982): Bootsriemen.- ModellWerft, 6(4): 320-321.
E PRASKY, F. (1982): Donaumonitor S.M. MAROS.- ModellWerft, 6(5): 406-409.
RAUCHENSTEINER, M. (1980): �sterreich zur See. Austria at Sea.- Revue Internationale d�histoire Militaire, 45: 200 p., Wien (�sterreichischer Bundesverlag).
E SALCHER, P. (1902): Geschichte der k.u.k. Marine-Akademie.- 82 p., Pola (Carl Gerold�s Sohn).
B SCHUPITA, P. (2006): Die Waffen der k.(u.)k. Kriegsmarine im Bild 1860-1918.- 254 p., Wien (Verlagsbuchhandlung St�hr).
SIRK, V.-H. (1875): Der Betrieb von Schiffs-Dampfkesseln und Maschinen.- 232 p., Wien (Gerold).
SOKOL, A.E. (1972): Seemacht �sterreich. Die Kaiserliche und K�nigliche Kriegsmarine 1382-1918.- 224 p., Wien (Fritz Molden).
B STERNECK, . VON [Ed.] (1875): Takelung und Ankerkunde. Text+Atlas.- 362 p., 69 pl., Wien (k.-k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei).
WILHELMI, A. (1869): Versuch zu einem Leitfaden f�r den Unterricht in der Marine-Artillerie.- Wien (Gerold).
B WINKLER, D. (1997): K.(u.).K. Matrosenleben 1860-1914.- 120 p., Wien (Verlag f�r Photographie).
E ZVOLENSKI, A. VON (1897): Handbuch �ber die k.k. Kriegsmarine.- 99 p., Wien (A. Hartleben's Verlag).

[quote="Mike Benedict"]
They sound like Harry Flashman novels! That alone makes them interesting. I will look for them, and thank you.[/quote]

In a way, yes, they are quite similar to the Flashman series of novels, but in my view much superior, if only because otto Prohaska is a positive, if unenthusiastic hero. A professional officer of middle rank doing his duty to the best of his ability. There is none of the improbable, and quite corrupt, behaviour of Harry Flashman in him.

Another attraction in my view is that the four novels provide a vivid and consistent description of the [i]Zeitgeist[/i] of the Habsburg monarchy in its twilight years, with quite a dose of nostalgia, but also with a fair and accurate description of the political upheavals and the centrifugal forces at play: Prohaska is a Czech, with a German-nationalist father, and a Hungarian noblewoman as a wife from a Transylvanian background. He is at one point on the staff of Franz-Ferdinand, and quite close to archduchess Sophie and their chidren, with all the issues afflicting that family (morganatic marriage, ostracism at the court, etc.).

Finally, there are excellent, although brief, discussions of technical, tactical and strategic matters, naval and air, regarding submarine operations in the Adriatic and Mediterranean during the first world war.

On the whole, a compelling must-read for all of us, I'd say.

[quote="Timmy C"]Separate threads on individual KUK ships/classes can be found in the ship type subsections of the CASF forum, so do try looking there as well.[/quote]

Thank you Timmy.

Cheers,
Mike

[quote="Jean-Paul Binot"]To all lovers of the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, I cannot recommend loud enough the series of four novels by John Biggins, beautifully written under the form of the memoirs of Otto Prohaska, a naval officer in the Imperial Navy before and during the First World War. All four books are available in e-format.

1. [i]A Sailor of Austria[/i]: "In which, without really intending to, Otto Prohaska becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire"
2. [i]The Emperor�s Coloured Coat[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska, future hero of the Habsburg Empire, has an unexpectedly interesting time while not quite managing to avert the First World War"
3. [i]The Two-Headed Eagle[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska takes a break as the Habsburg Empire's leading U-Boat ace and does something even more thanklessly dangerous"
4. [i]Tomorrow the World[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska carries the Habsburg Empire's civilising mission to the entirely unreceptive peoples of Africa and Oceania"
[img]https://www.mcbooks.com/assets/large_photo/Biggins-Set.jpg[/img]

The entire series provides an entertaining and educative reading experience. The author was very well-documented. I even learned a few things, not so much about the KuK Kriegsmarine, but about he air war in the Italian Alps, in which the hero takes a break from being a submarine commander in the Adriatic to fight during the Summer of 1917 in the KuK Fliegtruppen. That's in the third book (The Two-Headed Eagle)

In the second book of the series, (The Emperor�s Coloured Coat), the hero finds himself on the staff of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, then is detached as an officer on board a river monitor on the Danube, just in time to get involved in the Sarajevo plot, and ends up in Tsingtao in China to see the beginning of the First Wold War.

The fourth book (Tomorrow the World) is a prequel in which the hero recalls his training at the Imperial and Royal Naval Academy, and the memorable world cruise of his cadet ship in the Pacific Ocean.[/quote]

They sound like Harry Flashman novels! That alone makes them interesting. I will look for them, and thank you.

[quote="wefalck"]The k.(u.)k. Navy is quite well documented, albeit by German language literature. There are also sseveral associations in Vienna and other places dealing with its history. And there is a large section in the Vienna Military History Museum dedicated to it.
Much of its archives seem to have survived, but the move out of Trieste and finally Pola/Pula at the end of WW1. It seesms that there boxes in the National Archives that have never been opened since 1919 ...
I am currently travelling, but will put up here a fairly comprehensive bibliography, once I am back at my computer.

P.S. it seems that the events of the emigration of the Trapp-family have been rather overdramatised in the film - they simply stepped on a train to Switzerland ...[/quote]

I will look forward to your bibliography. Other than the books mentioned above (Vego, Sondhaus and Anton Sokol) most of what I am aware is from several internet sites (kuk-kriegsmarine.at, mateinfo.hu/oldmate, and kriegsmarine.at).

As for von Trapp, I think he held citizenship of Italy (there were other similar post-war arrangements for A-H persons), and he could travel freely on that passport since Italy had close relations with Germany. In 1938 he would have been about 60 years old, so I don't think he was going to be a U-boat sailor as implied in the film :smallsmile:.

[quote="73north"]I recommend the book -[b] Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904-14 [/b]by Milan N. Vego
Published by [b]Frank Cass books [/b]
rare book and out of print paperback - I had it before I sold it a few years ago on ebay ( and got quite a bit of money )
its a fascinating read -
Quote
" This unique and comprehensive account describes the interplay of internal and external factors in the emergence of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from a coastal defence force in 1904 to a respectable battle force capable of the joint operations with other Triple Alliance fleets in the Mediterranean by the eve of World War I.
By 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Navy was the sixth largest navy in the world and the quality of its officers and men was widely recognised by most European naval observers at the time.

The book describes the relationships between naval leaders, the heir to the throne Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and the Parliament in shaping the dual Monarchy's naval policy.
It also shows how the changes in foreign policy in Italy and underlying animosities between Rome and Vienna led to a [b]naval race in the Adriatic [/b]that eventually bolstered Germany's naval position in respect to Great Britain in the North Sea."[/quote]

Thanks for replying. I have Milan Vego's book, and I got it on Amazon Prime, so it is available. Also, there is another book published around the same time (1996):

Lawrence Sondhaus, [i]The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867-1918[/i] (Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, IN, 1994)

The subtitle is "Navalism, Industrial Development and the Politics of Dualism." Although an academic book, it is highly readable and very well done. I also got that on Amazon Prime.

Two things about Sondhaus's book are the attention to how the industrial development of A-H led the navy to be able to expand, and also the importance of seaborne commerce in the role of the increase of the fleet. Much of that information was new to me.

(Austria-Hungary was the fourth largest user of the Suez Canal behind Britain, Germany and France, every year but one from 1893 to 1913, and A-H was not a colonial power. Her trade with the Far East had become important to the economy, and A-H had the seventh largest merchant marine in Europe.)

The k.(u.)k. Navy is quite well documented, albeit by German language literature. There are also sseveral associations in Vienna and other places dealing with its history. And there is a large section in the Vienna Military History Museum dedicated to it.
Much of its archives seem to have survived, but the move out of Trieste and finally Pola/Pula at the end of WW1. It seesms that there boxes in the National Archives that have never been opened since 1919 ...
I am currently travelling, but will put up here a fairly comprehensive bibliography, once I am back at my computer.

P.S. it seems that the events of the emigration of the Trapp-family have been rather overdramatised in the film - they simply stepped on a train to Switzerland ...

When I get around to building the few Austro-Hungarian ships in the stash, I will pull "The Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian navy" by Anthony E Sokol down off the shelf.

To all lovers of the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, I cannot recommend loud enough the series of four novels by John Biggins, beautifully written under the form of the memoirs of Otto Prohaska, a naval officer in the Imperial Navy before and during the First World War. All four books are available in e-format.

1. [i]A Sailor of Austria[/i]: "In which, without really intending to, Otto Prohaska becomes Official War Hero No. 27 of the Habsburg Empire"
2. [i]The Emperor�s Coloured Coat[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska, future hero of the Habsburg Empire, has an unexpectedly interesting time while not quite managing to avert the First World War"
3. [i]The Two-Headed Eagle[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska takes a break as the Habsburg Empire's leading U-Boat ace and does something even more thanklessly dangerous"
4. [i]Tomorrow the World[/i]: "In which Otto Prohaska carries the Habsburg Empire's civilising mission to the entirely unreceptive peoples of Africa and Oceania"
[img]https://www.mcbooks.com/assets/large_photo/Biggins-Set.jpg[/img]

The entire series provides an entertaining and educative reading experience. The author was very well-documented. I even learned a few things, not so much about the KuK Kriegsmarine, but about he air war in the Italian Alps, in which the hero takes a break from being a submarine commander in the Adriatic to fight during the Summer of 1917 in the KuK Fliegtruppen. That's in the third book (The Two-Headed Eagle)

In the second book of the series, (The Emperor�s Coloured Coat), the hero finds himself on the staff of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, then is detached as an officer on board a river monitor on the Danube, just in time to get involved in the Sarajevo plot, and ends up in Tsingtao in China to see the beginning of the First Wold War.

The fourth book (Tomorrow the World) is a prequel in which the hero recalls his training at the Imperial and Royal Naval Academy, and the memorable world cruise of his cadet ship in the Pacific Ocean.

I recommend the book -[b] Austro-Hungarian Naval Policy, 1904-14 [/b]by Milan N. Vego
Published by [b]Frank Cass books [/b]
rare book and out of print paperback - I had it before I sold it a few years ago on ebay ( and got quite a bit of money )
its a fascinating read -
Quote
" This unique and comprehensive account describes the interplay of internal and external factors in the emergence of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from a coastal defence force in 1904 to a respectable battle force capable of the joint operations with other Triple Alliance fleets in the Mediterranean by the eve of World War I.
By 1914 the Austro-Hungarian Navy was the sixth largest navy in the world and the quality of its officers and men was widely recognised by most European naval observers at the time.

The book describes the relationships between naval leaders, the heir to the throne Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and the Parliament in shaping the dual Monarchy's naval policy.
It also shows how the changes in foreign policy in Italy and underlying animosities between Rome and Vienna led to a [b]naval race in the Adriatic [/b]that eventually bolstered Germany's naval position in respect to Great Britain in the North Sea."

Separate threads on individual KUK ships/classes can be found in the ship type subsections of the CASF forum, so do try looking there as well.

Even though the [i]K.u.K. Kriegsmarine[/i] is becoming increasingly obscure, please bear with me. With the demise and breakup of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I, the navy was disestablished and, with the authorization of the Emperor, the fleet turned over to representatives of the new Yugoslav state on 31 October, 1918. The navy's river monitors on the Danube still saw action into early November, but the navy as an institution was finished.

So, it has been a century, and virtually all direct connection to that navy has disappeared along with it. About the only thing anyone has seen of the navy has been Christopher Plummer wearing the handsome frock coat of a K.u.K. naval officer in the wedding scene from the [i]Sound of Music[/i]. Upon becoming aware of Georg J.L. Ritter von Trapp and his experience in WW I, I was intrigued that Austria had once had a navy, and that it was a well regarded one at that.

Thank God for university libraries. :smallsmile:

As far as available models go, at one time there were quite a few K.u.K. ships in either 1:700 or 1:1250 ranges. Some of those seem to have disappeared, but Navis-Neptun still have a selection of WW I battleships, cruisers and torpedo boats in 1:1250, though the destroyers seem to be missing now. NNT have the Radetzky class semi-dreadnoughts in 1:700, and Combrig offers a few, but only in 1:350 (too large for me). So the model pickings are pretty slim it seems.

If anyone has better information on either 1:700, or on 1:1250 waterline warships for Austria-Hungary, it would be appreciated.

If anyone is interested in the [i]K.u.K. Kriegsmarine[/i], its ships, its organization and its history, I for one would be very happy to discuss it . Thanks for putting up with the obsessions of an old history major.