 Illustration ofAugusta, c. 1885 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg) Prussia | |
| Name | Augusta |
| Namesake | Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach |
| Builder | Arman Brothers,Bordeaux |
| Laid down | 1863 |
| Launched | 1864 |
| Acquired | 13 May 1864 |
| Fate | Sank in a storm, 2 June 1885 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Augusta-class corvette |
| Displacement | Full load: 2,272metric tons (2,236long tons) |
| Length | 81.5 meters (267 ft 5 in) (loa) |
| Beam | 11.1 m (36 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Sail plan | Full ship rig |
| Speed | 13.5knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) |
| Range | 2,500nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Crew |
|
| Armament |
|
SMSAugusta was a woodensteam corvette built in the 1860s, thelead ship of theAugusta class. She had onesister ship,Victoria; the ships were armed with abattery of fourteen guns.Augusta waslaid down in 1863 at theArman Brothers shipyard inBordeaux, France, and waslaunched in early 1864. Originally ordered by theConfederate States Navy, her delivery was blocked by the French EmperorNapoleon III, and she was instead sold to thePrussian Navy in May 1864. The Prussians had been in search of vessels to strengthen their fleet before and during theSecond Schleswig War against Denmark, butAugusta arrived too late to see action in the conflict.
Augusta was activated during theAustro-Prussian War of 1866, but since theAustrian Navy was occupied with the Italian fleet in theAdriatic Sea, she saw no action. In December 1867, she embarked on the first of three major overseas cruises under what was now theNorth German Federal Navy, with the secret objective of securing a naval base inCentral America. Objections from theUnited States over an attempt to lease the port ofPuerto Limón, Costa Rica caused a minor diplomatic incident and led the Germans to abandon the idea. During theFranco-Prussian War of 1870–1871,Augusta was used as acommerce raider against neutral vessels carrying arms and othercontraband to France; she captured three vessels, two of which were taken aswar prizes before beingblockaded by a superior French naval force inVigo, Spain.
The ship went on two more cruises abroad, the first in 1874–1876 and the second in 1876–1878. The first cruise again went to Central American waters, but also saw a stint off the coast of Spain to protect German interests amidst unrest in the country during theThird Carlist War. The second cruise sawAugusta travel to thePacific Ocean, where her captain negotiated trade agreements with the chiefs inSamoa. She also spent time in China, enforcing treaties signed with the Chinese government. In 1885,Augusta embarked on one last voyage to bring replacement crews to several German ships in Australia, but she sank in acyclone in theGulf of Aden while en route; no trace of the vessel or her crew of 222 was ever found.
The twoAugusta-class corvettes were originally ordered by theConfederate States Navy during theAmerican Civil War from the FrenchArman Brothers shipyard, but after the French Emperor,Napoleon III intervened to block the sale, thePrussian Navy purchased the ships in 1864. TheKingdom of Prussia, in the midst of theSecond Schleswig War against Denmark, initially anticipated a long war, and sought to acquire vessels that could be completed quickly to strengthen its fleet, though the war ended before theAugusta class entered service.[1]
Augusta was 81.5 meters (267 ft 5 in)long overall, with abeam of 11.1 m (36 ft 5 in) and adraft of 5.03 m (16 ft 6 in) forward. Shedisplaced 2,272metric tons (2,236long tons) atfull load. The ship's crew consisted of 15 officers and 215 enlisted men. She was powered by a singlemarine steam engine that drove a pair of 2-bladedscrew propellers, with steam provided by four coal-firedfire-tube boilers, which gave her a top speed of 13.5knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) at 1,300metric horsepower (1,300 ihp). She had a cruising radius of 2,500nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). As built,Augusta was equipped with afull ship rig, but this was later reduced to abarque rig.[2][3]
Augusta was armed with abattery of eight 24-pounder guns and six 12-pounder guns. After 1872, these guns were replaced with four 15 cm (5.9 in) 22-caliber (cal.), six 12 cm (4.7 in) 23-cal. guns, and a single 8 cm (3.1 in) 23-cal. gun. Later in her career, she had six 37 mm (1.5 in)Hotchkiss revolver cannon installed.[2][3]
.jpg)
Thekeel forAugusta had been laid down at the Arman Brothers shipyard in France in mid-1863 as part of a secret order from the Confederate States Navy; the ship was originally namedYeddo, supposedly for Japan.Korvettenkapitän (KK—Corvette Captain)Ludwig von Henk inspected the ship, which was purchased on 13 May 1864. The contract was finalized on 25 May, which stipulated that the ship would be delivered complete, though without armament toBremerhaven. Six days after the contract was signed, the ship's name was changed toAugusta in honor of KingWilhelm's wife,Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. After conducting briefsea trials,Augusta arrived in Bremerhaven on 20 June, where she received her battery of guns and conducted additional trials, including shooting trials, in theJade Bight. On 20 July,Augusta joined the squadron sent by theAustrian Navy to fight the Danish fleet, though the ceasefire that ended the Second Schleswig War went into effect the following day. As a result,Augusta went to the recently acquired port ofKiel on 20 November,[2][4] which had become the Prussian fleet's primary base,Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral)Eduard von Jachmann having moved the bulk of the fleet there after the end of the conflict.[1]
Augusta spent the winter of 1864–1865 in service with a reduced crew. In early 1865, the ship received her full crew and began a series of short training cruises in theBaltic Sea, and from 20 to 24 April, was present inSonderburg for the one-year anniversary celebrations of theBattle of Dybbøl, which the Prussians had decisively won during the Second Schleswig War. On 29 June, she returned to Sonderburg to participate in the commemoration of the crossing from Sonderburg to the island ofAls. Toward the end of the year, she again had her crew reduced in Kiel over the winter of 1865–1866. She was reactivated on 1 July 1866 during theAustro-Prussian War, and was assigned to the squadron commanded by Jachmann in theNorth Sea.[4] She saw no action during the war, however, as the Austrian Navy was forced to confront the Italian fleet in theAdriatic Sea and the German states that had allied with Austria possessed no significant naval forces.[5] As a result,Augusta conducted training cruises in the Baltic and was decommissioned on 21 October inDanzig.[6]
Augusta was reactivated on 23 August 1867 for an extended cruise toCentral American waters. In the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War, Prussia created theNorth German Confederation, and the Prussian Navy became theNorth German Federal Navy. To protect the expanded scale of North German maritime commerce and overseas interests, the new Federal Navy began to examine plans to acquire foreign stations where warships could be based. Initial plans called for bases inEast Asia and Central America or theCaribbean, butChancellorOtto von Bismarck was averse to provoking a conflict with theUnited States over itsMonroe Doctrine, and so instructed the ship's captain,KKFranz Kinderling to avoid the appearance of having colonial designs on the region. BeforeAugusta could depart, however, repairs were necessary to reinforce the hull and patch leaks; the work was done in Bremerhaven. On 11 December, she left the port, but she had to stop inPortsmouth, Great Britain, after having been damaged in a storm in the North Sea. Repairs there lasted until February 1868, when she could resume her voyage to Central America. She stopped inFunchal,Madiera before crossing theAtlantic Ocean toBarbados and continuing on to visit the Venezuelan ports ofMaracaibo andCaracas,Barranquilla, Colombia, andColón, Panama.[7]
The ship reachedPuerto Limón, Costa Rica on 10 April, where Kinderling visitedJosé María Castro Madriz, thePresident of Costa Rica; Kinderling inquired about securing a lease on Puerto Limón for use as a naval base, but Castro refused the request. The United States learned of the request and strongly criticized it, and to preserve good relations, Bismarck declared that Kinderling had exceeded his authority. Kinderling and a group of officers then departed Puerto Limón and traveled overland to theGulf of Nicoya on the Pacific coast of the country, before returning toAugusta on 15 May, which had since moved to Colón to avoid storms. The ship visitedPuerto Barrios, Guatemala, and Kinderling intended to continue the voyage north to several Mexican ports, but he was prevented from doing so. The reason for the change of plans is unknown, but the historians Hans Hildebrand, Albert Röhr, and Hans-Otto Steinmetz speculated that an outbreak ofyellow fever or political pressure relating to the Puerto Limón incident may have been the cause. Already on 30 April,Augusta had received orders to return home. On the way, she stopped inNew Orleans in the mouth of theMississippi River from 2 to 5 June, before arriving in Kiel on 27 July. There, she was decommissioned on 7 September for a thoroughoverhaul and modernization of her armament.[8]
Augusta remained out of service until the outbreak of theFranco-Prussian War in July 1870. She was initially kept in reserve, since the more powerful corvetteNymphe was more suitable for the task of harbor defense. After the defeat of the regular French armies and the formation of theFrench Third Republic, British and United States arms manufacturers began to ship weapons to arm the new French armies being formed, and so the German command decided to embark on a strategy ofcommerce raiding to interdict the arms shipments.Augusta was recommissioned for this purpose on 26 October,[9] and owing to the lack of manpower, the crew fromNymphe had to be transferred to activate the ship.[10] A shortage of coal delayed her sortie until 12 December. She remained in Swedish territorial waters to avoid Danish vessels that might warn France of her departure.Flying the flag of a merchant vessel, she crossed the North Sea to theOrkney Islands and proceeded toBantry Bay, Ireland, on 21 December. While inCastletownbere the following day, she raised the North Germannaval ensign and began replenishing coal from a German steamer, which was completed on 25 December.[9]
On the night of 25 December,Augusta left Bantry Bay in search of merchant vessels carrying weapons from the United States to France. The ship's commander, assuming that such shipments would be unloaded inBrest, began to patrol off the island ofUshant to the west of the port. The next day,Augusta stopped and inspected two neutral ships; not finding anycontraband, she allowed them to proceed. Severe storms prevented the searching of any vessels for the next several days. On 2 January 1871, the ship's commander decided to move to the area off theGironde estuary in the hopes of finding vessels carrying war materials. Two days later, she stopped the FrenchbrigSt. Marc, which was carrying food intended for the French army, bound forBordeaux. Anaval cadet and five crewmen went aboard the ship, which was seized as awar prize, and taken north around Scotland back to a German port. Shortly thereafter,Augusta stopped the French barquePierre Adolphe, which was also carrying food for the army. Another cadet and five sailors tookPierre Adolphe as a prize; with both vessels, the French crews continued to operate the vessels under the German officers' direction.Augusta then captured the French governmentsteamshipSS Mars, which was discovered to be carrying a cargo of weapons, also on 4 January. Unable to provide a prize crew for the third vessel,Augusta took off the ship's crew and then sank her.[9][10]
By this time,Augusta's coal stocks were running low, and the risk of encountering French warships grew as a result of her successes in the area. She accordingly sailed toCape Finisterre, where she inspected three neutral vessels. On 7 January, she proceeded toVigo, Spain, to replenish her coal supply. The ship's commander inexplicably did not order coaling to begin until 12 January, which allowed French warships to arrive andblockade the harbor, the first of which was theironcladHéroïne. Three more vessels arrived in the following days, trappingAugusta in the neutral harbor. TheArmistice of Versailles was signed on 28 January, ending the fighting, and the French warships subsequently left the Spanish coast. On 7 February,Augusta also departed Vigo, and by way of a coaling stop inMandal, Norway, arrived in Wilhelmshaven on 21 February. In the meantime, the prizePierre Adolphe had evaded a French warship and reached the coast of Norway, but she ran aground there on 13 February. The crew was rescued by Norwegian fishermen and then picked up bySt. Marc, which was then towed to Kiel byAugusta. Once theTreaty of Frankfurt was signed, officially ending the war, the French crews were repatriated aboardSt. Marc.[11][12]
Augusta was slated to leave for another deployment to Central America on 18 December 1871, but the voyage was cancelled and on 26 January 1872, the ship was decommissioned for another overhaul. During this period, she had her armament replaced with more modern guns. After the work finished in 1873, the naval command planned to send her to theMediterranean Sea in November that year, but that deployment was also cancelled. She remained out of service until 1 March 1874, when she finally recommissioned for another overseas cruise, again to Central and South America. She left Wilhelmshaven on 19 March, under the command ofKKMax von der Goltz. After arriving in the cruising area,Augusta began a tour of South American ports, including a stop inMontevideo, Uruguay on 5 January 1875. Unrest in Spain during theThird Carlist War prompted the naval command to sendAugusta there to protect German interests. She arrived there on 29 January, and over the next three months, the situation calmed to the extent that thegunboatsNautilus andAlbatross were sufficient for the task. As a result,Augusta left and, after visitingLisbon, Portugal from 5 to 25 May, returned to Central American waters. In July,Augusta visitedHaiti, though her stay was interrupted by unrest in Uruguay that necessitated her presence. In August and September, she went to Colombia for the same reason. On 25 November, hersister shipVictoria arrived to replace her on the Central American station.Augusta began the voyage back to Germany and arrived in Wilhelmshaven on 6 January 1876. There, she was decommissioned for another overhaul, which included the replacement of her boilers.[11]
She returned to service on 20 September, and on 3 October departed for another cruise, this time to the South Pacific. She sailed around Africa, through theIndian Ocean, and then into the Pacific, arriving in the port ofApia, Samoa on 25 March 1877. The ship's commander and the Germanconsul Weber negotiated trade agreements with the Samoan chiefs to ensure German equality with British and United States merchants.Augusta then went toNukuʻalofa, the capital ofTonga, where an agreement that had been established previously byEduard von Knorr was formally ratified. The ship remained there from 4 to 11 April.Augusta returned to Apia, where in December she received orders to move to the East Asia station. On 21 February 1878, she left Apia and joined the two gunboats on station on the Chinese coast,Nautilus andCyclop. The three ships were tasked with enforcing trade agreements with the Chinese government.Augusta's stay on the station was short lived, and after her replacement, the corvetteLeipzig arrived, she left Chinese waters on 5 July to return to Germany. Her route home was via theSuez Canal and the Mediterranean, rather than around Africa, and she arrived in Wilhelmshaven on 14 October. Two weeks later, she was decommissioned again. From August 1879 to December 1881, the ship was overhauled and her rigging was reduced.[13]
An old ship by the mid-1880s, and cramped compared to newer vessels,Augusta was recommissioned on 14 April 1885 to transport replacement crews to ships on foreign stations. On 28 April, she embarked crews for the corvetteGneisenau and the gunboatsAlbatross andHyäne and left Germany, bound for Australia. She passed through the Suez Canal and reached the island ofPerim on 31 May, where she coaled for the next day. She departed on the night of 1/2 June, but was not heard from again. She was due inAlbany, Australia on 17 June, but four weeks after she left Perim,Augusta had still not arrived which prompted an investigation into the disappearance of the ship and her 222-man crew. Merchant ships that ran the routeAugusta was to have taken reported no sighting of the ship, and German warships from the East Africa station were sent to search for wreckage. No trace of the ship or her crew was found, and on 13 October, she was officially declared lost. The investigation determined that acyclone had sunk the ship, which was not strongly enough built to weather a powerful storm, in theGulf of Aden; the cyclone also sank the FrenchavisoRenard, along with a British and an Ottoman steamer. The loss ofAugusta was the third worst sinking in German naval history at that point, after theschoonerFrauenlob in 1860 and the corvetteAmazone in 1861.[11][14]
| Shipwrecks |
|
|---|---|
| Other incidents |
|
