 Image of frigateNovara from expedition reportVoyage of the Austrian Frigate Novara around the Earth (1861–1876), published in 21 volumes written over 15 years. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Austria-Hungary | |
| Name | SMSNovara |
| Namesake | Battle of Novara (1849) |
| Builder | Venetian Arsenal,Venice |
| Laid down | 20 September 1843 |
| Launched | 4 November 1850 |
| Completed | June 1851 |
| Commissioned | (pre-1862)Full-rigged frigate |
| Decommissioned | Hulked, 22 August 1876 |
| Reclassified | Gunnerytraining ship, 22 June 1881 |
| Stricken | 22 October 1898 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1899 |
| General characteristics as reconstructed in 1862 | |
| Type | Screwfrigate |
| Displacement | 2,615 t (2,574long tons) |
| Length | 76.79 m (251 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 14.32 m (47 ft 0 in) |
| Draft | 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) |
| Installed power | 1,200 ihp (890 kW) |
| Propulsion | 1 shaft, 1steam engine |
| Speed | 12knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Range | 3,300 nmi (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 550 |
| Armament |
|
SMSNovara was a sailfrigate of theAustro-Hungarian Navy most noted for sailing the globe for the Novara Expedition of 1857–1859 and, later for carryingArchduke Maximilian and wifeCarlota toVeracruz in May 1864 to reign asEmperor and Empress of Mexico.
SMSNovara[1] was afrigate thatcircumnavigated the Earth in the course of theAustrian Imperial expedition of 1857–1859, during the reign of (Kaiser)EmperorFranz Joseph I of Austria.[2][3]It was a sailing ship with threemasts of sails and six decks, outfitted with 42cannons, and had a waterdisplacement of nearly 2,107tons.[3]
Between 1843 and 1899, SMSNovara had several different names and configurations:[4]originally namedMinerva when the lengthy construction started inVenice during 1843, the partially completed frigate was renamedItalia by Venetian revolutionaries in 1848, finally launched with the nameNovara in 1850, and converted to a steam cruiser during 1861–1865.
The nameNovara originated with theBattle of Novara in March 1849: following the Austrians' retaking ofVenice in August 1849, Field MarshalRadetzky visited the shipyard there, and the officers petitioned him to have the nearly-completedItalia renamed in honour of his victory overKing Charles Albert at the Italian town ofNovara.[4] The ship was subsequently christened "Novara" in 1849, and construction restarted in earnest under Austrian supervision. The hull left the slipway the following year, in November 1850.[4]
The circumnavigation of the earth from April 1857 to August 1859[4] byNovara was one of the most important journeys for what became theNaturhistorisches Museum inVienna.[2]A number of eminentnatural scientists joined the voyage, includingGeorg Ritter von Frauenfeld, curator in the invertebrate department of the Imperial museums.[2] The material collected during the expedition was voluminous and prominent scientists continue to examine and write it to the present day;[2] (see details below).
TheNovara expedition of 1857–1859 was the first large-scale scientific, around-the-world mission of theAustrian Imperial navy. Authorized byArchduke Maximillian, the journey lasted 2 years 4 months, from 30 April 1857 until 30 August 1859.[3]
The expedition was accomplished by the frigateNovara, under the command of KommodoreBernhard von Wüllerstorf-Urbair, with 345 officers and crew, plus 7 scientists aboard.[3] Preparation for the research journey was made by the "Imperial Academy of Sciences in Vienna" and by specialized scholars under direction of thegeologistFerdinand von Hochstetter and thezoologistGeorg von Frauenfeld.The firstcoca plant (cocaine) investigations, in particular onSt. Paul Island, theNicobar Islands, and on New Zealand (first geological mapping by Hochstetter), created the bases for future geological research.The oceanographic research, in particular in theSouth Pacific, revolutionizedoceanography and hydrography.
The collections ofbotanical,zoological (26,000 preparations), and cultural material brought back enriched the Austrian museums (especially the natural-history museum). They were also studied byJohann Natterer, a scientist who collected Vienna museum specimens during 18 years in South America.The geomagnetic observations made throughout the whole expedition significantly increased the scientific knowledge in this field.Finally, the expedition's introduction ofcoca plant leaves made it possible to isolatecocaine in its pure form for the first time in 1860.
The results of the research journey were compiled into a 21-binder report of the Viennese Academy of Sciences, titled"Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde (1861–1876)" ("journey of the Austrian frigate Novara around the earth"). Also published were many woodcuts under the same title. An account of the voyage was also published in English, in 3 volumes, byKarl Scherzer. (See§ Legacy.)
The Novara-Expedition report included a drawing of the frigate SMSNovara surrounded by an oval border with the names of locations visited:Gibraltar,Madeira,Rio de Janeiro,Cape Town,St. Paul island,Ceylon,Madras,Nicobar Islands,Singapore,Batavia,Manila,Hong Kong,Shanghai,Puynipet Island,Stewart Island or Stuart Island (16-17 October 1858),[5]Sydney (5 November 1858),Auckland,Tahiti,Valparaíso,Gravosa, andTriest (returning on 26 August 1859).
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In April 1864, SMSNovara carried the Archduke Maximilian and his wife Charlotte toVeracruz, in the Americas, for their establishment as the new Emperor and Empress of Mexico during theSecond Mexican Empire.Novara arrived at Veracruz, Mexico on 28 May 1864.[2]
Over 3 years later, upon the capture and execution ofMaximilian I of Mexico, by the constitutional Mexican government (ofBenito Juárez), AdmiralWilhelm von Tegetthoff was sent withNovara to bring Maximilian's body home to Austria, arriving in the port ofTrieste on 16 January 1868.
SMSNovara saw active service during theBattle of Lissa which took place on 20 July 1866 in the Adriatic Sea near the island ofVis (Italian: Lissa). SMSNovara belonged to AdmiralWilhelm von Tegetthoff's 2nd Division, commanded by BaronAnton von Petz, which consisted mainly of wooden steam warships.Novara's commander, theSwedish naval officerErik af Klint, was killed in the engagement. The battle was a decisive victory for an outnumbered Austrian Empire force over a superior Italian force. It was the first major sea battle between ironclads and one of the last to involve deliberate ramming.
The Novara was hulked in 1881, being put into use as an immobilised training ship. The vessel was finally broken up eighteen years later.
SMSNovara has left such a legacy behind that a depiction of her was selected for a commemorative coin: the 20 euroS.M.S. Novara coin minted on 16 June 2004. The obverse shows the frigate SMSNovara under sail during hercircumnavigation of the globe in 1857-1859.Novara was the first Austrian ship in theAustro-Hungarian Navy to circumnavigate the world. In the background, there is a representation of the Chinese coast. Seagulls, showing the nearness to land, circle the ship.
Approximately 30,000 copies of Karl von Scherzer's book on the circumnavigation of the world of the frigateNovara were sold, a huge number in that era. It is considered the second most successful popular scientific work in the German language in the 19th century; second only toAlexander von Humboldt's 5-volume Cosmography. An English edition was published shortly after, printed by Saunders, Otley and Co. in London in three volumes 1861-1863, containing more than 1200 pages. The complete title of the book is: Karl von Scherzer: "Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate "Novara" (B. von Wullersdorf-Urbair,) Undertaken by Order of the Imperial Government, Under the Immediate Auspices of His I. and R. Highness the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander in-Chief of the Austrian Navy."[6]
