In 1906 their was a new club in town. One that only the richest and most powerful of nations could really afford to join. It’s chief asset was bigger, faster, shapelier and more powerful than all that had gone before. Membership of this ‘exclusive’ club sent the message “don’t mess with us”. As with all new ‘must-haves’ those who couldn’t afford to join, ‘wanted-in’ all the more, so they too would be seen as a ‘Great Power’. In 1906 the must have item was the dreadnought, and the Hapsburg’s wanted in.The Austro-Hungarian empire only ever built one class of dreadnought, the four ships of the Tegetthoff class. They were poorly designed, poorly built and suffered 50% losses during the First World War. They were possibly the least successful of their type, but for all their flaws, they have a amazing tale to impart. A tale of corruption, a blind and deaf designer, Italian frogmen and torpedo boats, of revolutions and of an ill-conceived design.This is new edition of a old book, rewritten and I hope an improvement on its poorer predecessor. The tale is told chronologically and draws from a number of sources which I have credited at the back.

The Tegetthoff Class.: Austria-hungary’s Dreadnoughts (1909-1925) PDF

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