Hajózástörténeti Közlemények

Mihaly Kramli:
The underwater explosion test to evaulate the torpedo protection of the improved TEGETTHOFF-class battleships and its report
Summary

  It is matter of common knowledge that the deficiences of torpedo protection of the Tegetthoff-class dreadnoughts moved the Austro-Hungarian Navy to carry out expesive underwater test. To evaulate the layout of underwater protection (torpedo wall, armor deck) a 1:1 middle section (Sprengobjekt) was constructed. All test reports were, however, withdrawn from the Kriegsarchiv Vienna in 1919/1920 by an allied fact finding team of unknown nationality, consequently the effects of test remained unknown up to this date.
 
  Recently, in the estate of a deceased Hungarian member (ing János Mladiáta) of the test committee, I have found the hitherto missing documentation of the abovementioned test. The experiment with the scale 1:1 section was ordained by the Navy Section on 9 September 1913. The Naval Technical Committee completed the plans for the 450 t deplacement Sprengobjekt by November 1913. The explosion was originally planned by a mine but the 8 March 1914 order of the Navy finally decided for a 110 kg 45 cm torpedo warhead.
 
  The experiment was executed in Valmaggiore Bay near Pola at 2:30 p. m. on 10 June 1914. Half an hour after the explosion the Sprengobjekt sank. After having been salvaged its wreck was carried Dock No. 22 (the greatest floating dock of the Pola Arsenal for battleships) for examination. The committe pointed out that the experiment was a succes, as the torpedo wall and the armoured deck remained watertight. The brief summary stressed: "On the basis of the experiment is can be stated that a ship constructed this way would not be endangered by a 110 kg 45 cm torpedo warhead and the 2 degree heeling can easily be compensated."