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Austro-Hungarian Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The official name in German was the Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine (Imperial and Royal Navy, also known by the acronym K.u.K.). This navy existed from establishment of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until the end of World War I. Prior to 1867, Austria's naval forces were those of the Austrian Empire.
The Austro-Hungarian navy saw little action during the First World War, spending most of its time in its base at Pola (now Pula, Croatia), but the mere fact of its existence tied up the Italian navy and the French navy in the Mediterranean for the duration of the war. On 15 May 1915, when Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, the Austro-Hungarian navy left their harbors in Pola, Sebenico and Cattaro at 7 pm to bomb the eastern Italian coast between Venice and Barletta. Main targets were the cities of Ancona, Rimini, Vieste, Manfredonia, Barletta and bridges and railway tracks along the coast. As the Allies controlled the Strait of Otranto the Austro-Hungarian navy could not leave the Adriatic sea. This, together with a lack of coal, and a fear of mines in the Adriatic, limited the Austro-Hungarian navy to be used for shelling the Italian and Serbian coastlines. 
Two attempts of breaking through the blockade were made. The first of these led to the biggest battle of the Austro-Hungarian navy ever. During this battle, in the summer of 1917, the allies lost two destroyers, 14 steam ships and one glider while the Austro-Hungarian navy suffered only minor damage and few losses. But as the Austro-Hungarian navy had to return to its ports up north in order to repair and resupply the allies rebuilt the blockade. The second attemtp took place in June 1918. A surprise attack was planned but the allied forces spotted and destroyed one of the four Austrian Dreadnoughts, the SMS Szent István. This loss together with the lost element of surprise made the Austro-Hungarian navy break off its attack. In 1918, in order to avoid giving the fleet to the victors, the Austrian Emperor gave the entire Austro-Hungarian Navy and merchant fleet, with all harbours, arsenals and shore fortifications to the People's Council of the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. They in turn sent diplomatic notes to the governments of France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States of America and Russia, to notify them that the State of SCS was not at war with any of them and that the Council had taken over the entire Austro-Hungarian fleet. However, the navy was soon attacked and dismembered by the Italian Regia Marina.
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