the sinking of sms wien

8/10/2019 The Sinking of SMS Wien

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The Sinking of SMS WienAn article by Russell Phillips

On the 10th of December 1917, the Austro-Hungarian onarch class battleship !! "ien #$ienna%

&as attac'e( in port at )rieste* All three ships of the onarch class ha( been relegate( to harbour(uties in 191+, since they &ere obsolete an( (ue to be replace( by the ne& (rea(nought battleshipsof the mproe( )egetthoff class* Although the .rst mproe( )egetthoff &as sche(ule( to be lai(

(o&n in 191+, the outbrea' of &ar meant that no &or' &as (one on their construction, an( so the

operational life of the onarch class &as e/ten(e(*

n oember an( December of 1917 !! "ien, along &ith !! u(apest #another onarch class

battleship% &as inole( in shore bombar(ment operations in the 2ulf of )rieste in support of theleft 3an' of the Austro-Hungarian army* n the early morning of 14th oember the t&o battleships,escorte( by nine torpe(o boats, .e mines&eepers an( three seaplanes left )rieste an( opene( .re at

1056 from a range of 10,000 yar(s* )he range &as later re(uce( to 4,00 yar(s to allo& the 1cm

secon(ary guns to 8oin the bombar(ment* talian naal units &ere sent from $enice to attac' theAustro-Hungarian force, but they ma(e no serious attempt to interfere &ith the bombar(ment,

&hich continue( until 1+560, &hen the force retire( to )rieste* During the bombar(ment, "ien &ashit seen times on her superstructure, but (i( not suffer serious (amage, &hile the u(apest &as hit

by a single shell belo& the &aterline &hich faile( to penetrate her armour*

All the Austro-Hungarian ports &ere &ell (efen(e(, but ieutenant uigi Ri::o, an e/-erchant!erice ;aptain comman(ing the small motor torpe(o boat A! 9, ha( ma(e many

reconnaissances of the harbour at )rieste* )hese ha( le( him to beliee that access coul( be gaine(

through the moles, as long as a &ay coul( be foun( to brea' through the steel ha&sers stretche(

SMS Wien at anchor
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across them* Po&erful cutters, (esigne( to cut through a +-inch ha&ser, &ere therefore .tte( to the

bo&s of A! 9*

On the 9th December 1917, the talian torpe(o boats 9 P an( 11 P left $enice, to&ing A! 9

an( A! 16, comman(e( by ;hief >5+, 10 miles from )rieste, the

A! boats &ere (roppe( off an( ?uietly ma(e their o&n &ay to the harbour* Haing reache( the

harbour, Ri::o climbe( one of the moles an( listene( to the loo'outs tal'ing, before returning to hiscraft to (eal &ith the ha&sers* )he main +@ ha&ser presente( little problem, but the si/ 6@ cablestoo' t&o hours to cut, as the cutters &ere not (esigne( to (eal &ith these thinner cables* As the t&o

boats entere( the harbour, they ha( to ta'e shelter from a searchlight in the sha(o& of the mole*

After the searchlight &as s&itche( off the A! boats hea(e( to&ar(s the "ien an( u(apest* Afterlocating the targets an( inspecting them to ma'e sure there &ere no anti-torpe(o nets, Ri::o

or(ere( A! 16 to attac' the farther ship, &hile he attac'e( the nearer one*

At about 0>560, Ri::o .re( his t&o torpe(oes, an( almost imme(iately &as illuminate( by asearchlight from the Austrian ship* He &as not illuminate( for long, though, as his torpe(oes foun(

their target an( the searchlight &ent out* ot long after, there &ere t&o more e/plosions, lea(ing the

talians to hope that =errariniBs torpe(oes ha( also hit, although in fact they ha( misse( their targetan( e/plo(e( harmlessly* )he t&o A! boats left the harbour at full throttle, to meet their torpe(o

boats, an( &ere bac' in $enice later that morning*

)he "ien &as hit on the starboar( si(e, an( assume( a seere list, &hich counterC3oo(ing faile(

to rectify* "ithin fie minutes, she ha( rolle( oer an( sun'* )he sin'ing of the "ien to torpe(o

attac' (ramatically illustrate( a (esign &ea'ness in the onarch class5 an armoure( longitu(inalbul'hea( on the centre line* ronically, this (esign 3a& ha( been inten(e( to protect the ships from

torpe(o attac'* Ho&eer, the bul'hea( actually le( to instability &hen the one si(e &as 3oo(e(*Ha( the bul'hea( not been .tte(, the 3oo(ing &oul( hae been more generally (istribute( across

the hull, lea(ing to a loss of buoyancy, but no list*


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About usse!! Phi!!ipsorn an( brought up in a mining illage in !outh For'shire, RussellPhillips has lie( an( &or'e( in !outh For'shire, incolnshire,

;umbria an( !taffor(shire* He &rites boo's an( articles about military

technology an( history* His articles hae been publishe( in iniature"argames, "argames llustrate(, an( the !ociety of )&entieth ;entury

"argamersE Gournal* Russell has been interie&e( for the Americane(ition of )he $oice of Russia* He currently lies in !to'e-on-)rent

&ith his &ife an( t&o chil(ren*

Books b" usse!! Phi!!ips

A =leet in eing5 Austro-Hungarian "arships of ""

A Damn ;lose-Run )hing5 A rief History of the =al'lan(s ;onflict

Re( !teel5 !oiet )an's an( ;ombat $ehicles of the ;ol( "ar

)he ear arches "est5 1> !cenarios for 190s A)O s "arsa& Pact "argames

)his "eEll Defen(5 )he "eapons an( ?uipment of the I*!* Army

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the sinking of sms wien

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