KAISER SMS 1859

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

KAISER SMS 1859

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:53 pm

Built as a wooden ship-of-the-line by the navy arsenal at Pola (now Pula) for the Imperial Austro-Hungarian Navy.
25 May 1856 keel laid down.
04 October 1858 launched as the SMS KAISER.
Displacement 5,191 standard, 5,467 full load. Dim. 81.00 x 17.06 x 7.40m. length bpp. 77.5m.
Powered by Maudslay steam engine, 2,143 ihp, one shaft speed 12.5 knots.
Bunker capacity 60 ton coal
Armament: 16 – 60 pdr. 74 – 30 pdr. and 2 – 24 pdr guns.
Crew 904 during wartime.
06 December 1859 commissioned.

She was the last wooden ship built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy, and the only screw ship-of-the-line.
She had three masts and was full rigged.
She was first used as flagship in the Imperial Navy but after a few years as all of the wooden ships in the navy out of date technically.
In the German Danish War of 1864 she sailed to Schleswig Holstein under command of Rear Admiral von Wüllerstorff-Urbair in the Austrian squadron. After the navy battle at Helgoland in July 1864 and until the peace agreement on 30 October 1864 the squadron guarded the German North Sea coast against Danish attacks.
Two years later under Capt. Anton von Petz and as squadron flagship took part in the Battle of Lissa on 20 July 1866, and she is the only ship from about 100 wooden screw world wide which ever was used in combat.
She survived the battle and as seen on the photo of the KAISER she lost her foremast in the battle.
From 02 February 1869 till December 1873 was she at naval arsenal in Pola converted in a battleship.
While maintaining her underwater hull and machinery her wooden hull above the waterline was removed and replaced by an iron hull.
Fitted out with a ram and 10 – 23pdr. guns in turrets.

1902 Her machinery and armament removed and she was renamed BELLONA.
Till 1918 in Pola as accommodation hulk used.
1920 Broken up in Italy.
On the stamp is she depict after her conversion in 1873, and not as she was as given on the stamp in 1862.

Mali 1996 250fr. sg?, scott830d

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Kaiser_(1860) and various internet sites.
Attachments
sms_kaiser_1860.jpg
tmp151.jpg

Post Reply