 Leopard, date unknown | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Austria-Hungary | |
| Name | Leopard |
| Laid down | January 1885 |
| Launched | 10 September 1885 |
| Completed | 31 March 1886 |
| Fate | Broken up, 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Panther-classcruiser |
| Displacement | 1,557long tons (1,582 t) |
| Length | 73.19 m (240 ft 1 in) |
| Beam | 10.39 m (34 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 4.28 m (14 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 18.7knots (34.6 km/h; 21.5 mph) |
| Range | 2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Crew | 186 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Deck: 12 mm (0.47 in) |
SMSLeopard was atorpedo cruiser (Torpedoschiff) of theAustro-Hungarian Navy. She and hersister ship,SMS Panther, were part of a program to build up Austria-Hungary's fleet oftorpedo craft in the 1880s. Both ships, the only members of thePanther class, were built in Britain at theArmstrong shipyard inElswick.Leopard waslaid down in January 1885, launched in September 1885, and completed in March 1886. She was armed with a battery of two 12 cm (4.7 in) guns and ten 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, along with four 356 mm (14 in)torpedo tubes.
Leopard spent much of her career in the main Austro-Hungarian fleet. During this period, she visited Spain for the1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, and took part in an international naval demonstration offCrete in 1897 in an attempt to limit theGreco-Turkish War. From 1900,Leopard made two major overseas deployments, including a tour of thePacific Ocean in 1900–1901, and a stint in the East Asia squadron in 1907–1909. Upon returning to Austria-Hungary, the ship was modernized in 1910 and then decommissioned in May 1914, shortly before the start ofWorld War I in July. The ship was immediately reactivated and stationed inPola as aguard ship, where she remained for the duration of the conflict. After Austria-Hungary's defeat,Leopard was ceded to Britain as awar prize and sold toship breakers in Italy in 1920.
In the early 1880s,Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral)Maximilian Daublebsky von Sterneck pressed for new naval construction to strengthen the chronically neglectedAustro-Hungarian Navy, but realizing that newironclad battleships could not be built given the parliaments' unwillingness to fund such expensive projects, he requested a pair of smallprotected cruisers. These ships would be used defensively against the larger and more expensive ironclads possessed by Austria-Hungary's rivals.[1][2] Because the small Austro-Hungarian shipbuilding industry lacked experience building modern cruising vessels, the contracts for the new ships were given toArmstrong in the United Kingdom, though the experience the navy gained was used to build the follow-on cruiserTiger domestically.[3][4]
Leopard was 73.19 meters (240 ft 1 in)long overall, with abeam of 10.39 m (34 ft 1 in) and adraft of 4.28 m (14 ft 1 in). Shedisplaced 1,557long tons (1,582 t) atnormal loading. Hersuperstructure was fairly minimal, consisting primarily of a smallconning tower forward. The ship had aninverted bow and aforecastle deck that extended for the first third of the vessel. She was fitted with a pair of polemasts. Her crew numbered 186 officers and men.[5]
The ship'spropulsion system consisted of a pair of two-cylinder verticalcompoundsteam engines that drove a pair ofscrew propellers. Steam was provided by six cylindricalfire-tube boilers that were trunked into twofunnels. On trials,Leopard reached a speed of 18.7knots (34.6 km/h; 21.5 mph) from 6,380indicated horsepower (4,760 kW). The ship had a cruising radius of 2,800nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at a more economical speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[5][6]
The ship was armed with amain battery of two 12-centimeter (4.7 in) 35-caliber (cal.) guns manufactured byKrupp in single mounts, which were placed insponsonsamidships, one per side. These were supported by asecondary battery of four47 mm (1.9 in)quick-firing guns and six 47 mmrevolver cannon, which provided close-range defense againsttorpedo boats. The ship's primary offensive armament was her four 14 in (356 mm)torpedo tubes. Thetorpedo tubes were located singly, in thebow,stern, and at either beam.Leopard was protected with a thin 12 mm (0.47 in) armored deck.[5]
Thekeel forLeopard waslaid down in January 1885 at theArmstrong shipyard inElswick in Britain. Her completedhull was launched on 10 September that year, andfitting-out work was completed on 31 March 1886.[5] On 1 April, the Austro-Hungarian crew took possession of the ship and left for home, arriving inPola on 2 May. Upon arrival, she was taken into the shipyard to have her armament installed, including her torpedo tubes in 1887.[7] She participated in the annual fleet maneuvers in 1888, along with the ironcladsDon Juan d'Austria,Kaiser Max,Custoza,Tegetthoff, and thecruisersPanther andMeteor.[8] That year,Leopard andPanther joined a squadron that included the ironcladsTegetthoff,Custoza,Kaiser Max,Don Juan d'Austria, andPrinz Eugen to represent Austria-Hungary in the opening ceremonies for theBarcelona Universal Exposition. This was the largest squadron of the Austro-Hungarian Navy that had operated outside theAdriatic. While on the way back home,Leopard,Custoza,Kaiser Max, andPrinz Eugen stopped inMalta.[9]
On 9 June 1888,Leopard made a stop inGravosa. While on training exercises off the island ofCurzola on 25 June,Leopard ran aground, but was able to free herself under her own power two days later. In the subsequent investigation, the ship's captain was judged to be at fault and was sentenced to 30 days'house arrest. On 4 July, the ship was decommissioned in Pola for repairs for damage sustained in the accident. She spent the years 1889 and 1890 inreserve, before returning to service with the main squadron from 8 May 1891 to 28 June.Leopard waslaid up in 1892, but served with the active squadron from 8 May 1893 to 1 August. Another lengthy reserve period followed between 1894 and 1896.[7]
In February 1897,Leopard deployed toCrete to serve in theInternational Squadron, a multinational force made up of ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy,French Navy,Imperial German Navy, Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina),Imperial Russian Navy, and BritishRoyal Navy that intervened in the 1897-1898 Greek uprising on Crete against rule by theOttoman Empire. She arrived as part of an Austro-Hungarian contingent that also included theironcladKronprinzessin Erzherzogin Stephanie, thearmored cruiserKaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia, and the torpedo cruisersTiger andSebenico, threedestroyers, and eight torpedo boats, the third-largest contingent in the International Squadron after those of theUnited Kingdom and theKingdom of Italy. The International Squadron operated off Crete until December 1898, but Austria-Hungary, displeased with the decision to create an autonomousCretan State under thesuzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, withdrew its ships in March 1898.[10]
From 1 October 1900 to 1 October 1901,Leopard embarked on a tour of thePacific Ocean, which included a visit to Australia, Polynesia, and various ports in East Asia.Leopard carried a group ofnaval cadets on the training cruise, and she brought a memorial to the island ofGuadalcanal, where men from the gunboatAlbatross had died during their expedition in the Pacific Ocean. During this period, she was temporarily assigned to the East Asia squadron, under the command of then-CaptainAnton Haus, who went on to command the Austro-Hungarian fleet duringWorld War I.[7][11] After returning to Austria-Hungary,Leopard served with the main squadron in 1902 and 1903, was laid up in 1904, and served with the fleet again in 1905. She made another deployment to East Asian waters in 1907–1909, departing Austro-Hungarian waters on 20 September 1907. She visited numerous Chinese, Russian, and Japanese ports, and cruised up theYangtze river; she was relieved by her sisterPanther on 13 April 1909, allowing her to return home.[7][12]
Leopard was placed in reserve from 1910 to 1913; during this period, she was rearmed, losing most of her gun battery and being equipped with four66 mm (2.6 in) 45-cal. guns and ten 47 mm QF guns. On 14 February 1914, she was reactivated for service with the torpedo training school, a role she filled until 15 May, when she was decommissioned again. Following the outbreak of World War I, she was reactivated for coastal defense, assigned to the II Coastal Defense Division. She was stationed as a harborguard ship in Pola, where she remained for the duration of the war. Under the terms of theTreaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Britain receivedLeopard as awar prize in 1920, but she was instead sold toship breakers in Italy and scrapped.[7][6]
