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The Austrian Imperial Frigate SMS Novara

1843-99

A History of "the most magnificent vessel"

Compiled byMichael Organ

10 April 2007

Table of Contents

Introduction

Construction in Venice 1843-51

Ship of the Line 1851-7

Round-the-world Scientific Expedition 1857-9

Steam Cruiser 1861-5

The Battle of Lissa 1866

Death of Ferdinand Maximillian 1867

Final Years 1868-99

References

Introduction

"...the most magnificent vessel..." - thus wrote 16

year old Australian Mary Caroline "Minnie" Mann

in her diary on 16 November 1858 in reference

to the Austrian Imperial frigate Novara, then in

port at Sydney. The sentiment most like arose out of a guided tour of the vessel given Minnie

The Austrian frigate Novara docked in

Sydney Harbour, November 1858. Original

photograph, published in L. Lind (1988).

Picture most likely taken by local

photographer and fellow Austrian Wilhelm

Hetzer.

earlier in the day by the ship's captain, Baron Frederick von Pöck. At the time the Novara was

engaged in a round-the-world scientific expedition which was to last from April 1857 through

to August 1859. A brief stopover in Sydney during November - December 1858 provided an

opportunity for repairs to the ship, rest and recreation on the part of the crew, and some

socialising with the young ladies of the Colony.

Miss Mann,despite her youth, was well qualified to make an assessment or otherwise of the

magnificence of the Novara. She lived on the harbour foreshore, and was the daughter of

Gother Kerr Mann, engineer-in-chief of Sydney's Cockatoo Island dockyard. Prior to her

personal tour of the Austrian frigate that November morning, she had acquired a deal of

knowledge about the structural and other details of contemporary warships, being privileged

to view them at close proximity as they underwent repairs in the recently opened (1857)

FitzRoy Dock on Sydney Harbour. She had also participated in guided tours of the English

frigates then operating out of the Australia station. The Austrian Novara was forced to avail

itself of dockyard facilities whilst in Sydney due to having sustained damage in a South China

Sea typhoon encountered on 18-19 August en route to Australia out of Shanghai. As the

frigate entered Port Jackson the pumps were working hard and it was said the vessel had a

decided list.

Frontispiece to the German edition

(Scherzer, 1861-3) of the three volume

account of the Round-the-world voyage of

the Novara between 1857-59, showing the

vessel under full sail. The various localities

From her residence 'Greenwich House', located

on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour

overlooking Cockatoo Island, "Minnie" Mann was

in a position to observe many of the grand passenger and trading vessels and men-o'-war

which visited the Colony's premier port during the 1850s. Sea traffic had increased markedly

over the previous decade due to the discovery of gold in New South Wales and Victoria in

1851. The resultant goldrushes brought thousands of fortune hunters to Sydney from all

corners of the globe, and whilst the Novara was not seeking fortune in 1858, she and her crew

were nevertheless in search of those equally valuable commodities - knowledge, experience

and reputation.

This Austrian frigate was also undoubtedly one of the finest of her class to have passed

through Sydney Heads and tied up off Cockatoo Island since the English penal colony of

'Botany Bay' had been founded back in 1788. During November 1858 the Novara, though

somewhat bruised and battered, stood out among the rag-tag fleet of British naval vessels,

immigrant and cargo ships, and small coastal trading barques and steamers then frequenting

the many coves and docks in this most picturesque of all harbours. She was the seagoing

embodiment of the Habsburg monarchy, rulers of the vast Austro-Hungarian empire which, at

the time, extended from the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea and Venice and Italy in the

west, south through Bosnia-Herzegovena towards the Baltic and Turkey, north to the German

States, and east as far as Rumania and Russia.

The circumstances which marked the Novara as the first Austrian man-o'-war to visit New

South Wales, and the largest vessel to have entered FitzRoy Dock up to that point in time, can

be traced back to the occupied Italian territory of Venice in 1843, when the Austrian

monarchy ordered a new vessel for its small, though ever-expanding, navy. Built during what

was to be the last phase of the wooden warships era - during the late 1850s and early 1860s

ironclad and steam-powered warships would taken their place - the Novara was, upon

completion in 1851, a state of the art, three-masted sailing frigate. Fast and sumptuously

fitted out with fine carpets and furnishings to serve the officers and crew of the Austrian

navy, she also carried substantial armaments for protection against enemy fleets. The need

for such firepower was real, as the Novara went on to participate in one of the most famous

sea battle of all time, namely that which took place between the Austrian and Italian fleets

off the Adriatic island of Lissa on 20 July 1866 (see below).

The Novara was built using the finest Adriatic timbers, and was meant to accommodate the

various Habsburg princes, barons, dukes and counts who would sail on her as cadets, fully

fledged naval officers, or free passengers. During the 1850s and 1860s she played an

important role as a flagship of the Austrian fleet, carrying the Austrian ensign and the

aspirations of the Habsburg monarchy to all corners of the globe, whilst in waters closer to

home serving as a sail training vessel, gunnery ship, and close fighting frigate.

The Novara was something of an oddity to the colonials when she arrived in Sydney late on

the afternoon of 5 November 1858. This magnificent vessel was sailing under a flag rarely

seen in Australia - composed of bold horizontal red-white-red stripes, it featured at its

centre the Austrian crest of a double-headed eagle. Whilst this was the official flag of the

visited during the expedition are listed

within the ornate surrounds.

Austrian Empire, the official ensign of the Austrian navy was similarly red-white-red barred,

though with ducal crown and seal at its centre.

The British colonists would have been largely unaware that the Austrian Empire possessed a

naval fleet, and that SMS (Seiner Majestät Schiff) Novara was one of the flagships of the

Austrian Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine (Imperial and Royal Navy). At the time

Austria was not recognised as a sea power in the same way as Great Britain or France, both of

whom had long and proud naval traditions. The Austrian monarchy had only started to develop

a navy in earnest during the late eighteenth century, however by the 1850s the Habsburgs

possessed the strongest fleet of the German Confederation of States.

This period of expansion during the early to middle part of the century was largely due to the

enthusiastic support of two Habsburg aristocrats. Firstly, the young Archduke Frederick who,

in 1837 - when aged just 16 - joined the navy and subsequently made it fashionable for other

members of the aristocracy to do likewise.

As a sailor, Archduke Frederick was involved in successful actions at Syria and Palestine

during 1839, and in 1844 was made Commander-in-Chief of the navy. During this period he was

able to engender an enthusiasm for the development of the fleet amongst a ruling bureauracy

which had long focussed its attention on the build-up of the Austrian army. This group was

slow to answer Frederick's calls for a modernisation and expansion of the fleet. Nevertheless,

in 1843 an order was placed with the shipwrights at the Venetian Arsenal (a large shipbuilding

complex) for the construction of a new fighting frigate to service the Austrian navy. It was

unfortunate that Archduke Frederick was not around to see that vessel launch as the Novara

in 1851. He died prematurely in 1847, when aged just 26, and left the navy without leadership

or influence during a period when revolution was sweeping Europe. His eventual replacement

was to be Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian (1832-67), younger brother of the Emperor Franz

Joseph I (1830-1916). Though a person of power and influence in aristocratic Austria,

Ferdinand Maximillian, in his attempts to build up the fleet during the 1850s, also faced

opposition from a cash-strapped bureaucracy and sections of the Empire - including Hungary -

which saw no need for a substantial naval presence. With a landlocked capital (Vienna), and

forced to rely on Adriatic coastal ports containing populations or ethnic minorities actively

opposed to Austrian 'occupation', the idea of a navy for the Empire was not widely supported,

unlike the circumstance in countries such as Great Britain or even the United States of

America, where the practical considerations of securing sea-going trade routes and

maintaining a naval fleet were inextricably linked to the welfare of the nation. Fortunately, or

unfortunately, the volatile political climate of the day and Austria's involvement in a number

of wars with her near neighbors, added weight to Archduke Ferdinand's (and later

Maximillian's) efforts to build up a modern, battle-ready fleet.

As we look back on this period of nineteenth century history from a vantage point some 150

years later, we now see Austria as a landlocked state, having lost its long-held Adriatic

seaports of Trieste and Pola. The Austro-Hungarian navy is likewise just a memory. Its once

proud fleet - which in 1914 was the world's sixth largest - last saw action during World War I.

Following on the defeat of November 1918, its vessels were dispersed to the victors as war

reparations, or ignominiously scrapped. The tale of the sailing frigate Novara therefore takes

us back to a grander period in the history of the Habsburg monarchy and the Austro-

Hungarian Empire - to a time when her splendour, both on land and at sea, rivaled that of the

other great powers of the day; to a time now all but forgotten.

Construction of the Novara, Venice 1843-51

The story of the construction of the Novara is one of incident and interruption, tied in with

the political turmoil of the time and the push for Italian unification. The frigate was first laid

down at the Arsenal shipyard, Venice, as the Minerva on 20 September 1843, with her sides

pierced to accommodate 42 guns. At this point the Austrian Empire did not have its own naval

yards, but instead made use of the long tradition of shipbuilding in Venice and the skills of the

Italian shipwrights. This was to change in the late 1850s when a local industry was created,

and ships for the Austrian navy were subsequently launched from yards such as the

Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino in Trieste (a private yard founded in 1857), and the nearby

Pola naval yard. Both facilities were located on the eastern Adriatic coast, somewhat removed

from the increasingly hostile Italians.

Vertical section of the Austrian frigate Novara at the time of her round-the-world voyage, 1857-59. Extratced from Scherzer (1861-3).

The building program of the Minerva / Novara was an unusually lengthy one, brought about by

the Empire's continuing conflict with Italy and its various semi-independent states, most

notably Sardinia in the south and Venetia in the north. Austria had acquired the Venetian

territory in 1797; lost it briefly to Napoleon the following decade; then regained it again in

1814. Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815 resulted in a lengthy period of relative peace,

however in 1848 revolutionary fervour again spread throughout Europe, impacting upon both

Austria and its Italian neighbour. The period of construction of the Novara (1843-51)

corresponded with a developing sense of Italian nationalism amongst the disparate states and

principalities then extending from the Alps south to Sicily. Austria, as aristocratic overlord

and oppressor, was an obvious target for Italian patriots as they fought to unite the peninsula.

Venetia was a focus for their efforts, and events there a trigger.

After some fifty years as an occupied territory, on 17 March 1848 Venice rose up against

Austrian rule, as did Milan to the west later in the month. The Venetians expelled the

Austrians and, in a bid for Italian independence, set up a republic. Three Austrian corvettes,

many smaller naval vessels, along with the associated shipbuilding yards, arsenal, and stores all

fell into rebel hands. The resultant disruption to the Novara building program was one of a

number which took place between 1843-50.

Partially completed, the Minerva was renamed Italia by the Venetian revolutionaries,

reinforcing their rebellious attitude towards the Austrians and in direct defiance of orders

forbidding the use of the word. Up until this fracture, the Austrian navy had a strong Italian

character, however following the events of 1848 it was to become more multicultural, with the

Austrians forced to draw sailors from other parts of the Empire, especially eastern Adriatic

coastal provinces such as Montenegro and Dalmatia.

Early in 1848 the momentum was definitely with the rebels. During April and May the Austrian

army suffered a series of defeats at the hands of the Italians at Goito and Pastrengo. It was

not until July-August that the Empire was able to mobilise its forces under the command of

Field Marshall Joseph Radetzky and retake Milan and parts of Venetia from the Sardinians.

An armistice (truce) was signed on 9 August 1848, and the Sardinians were expelled from

Venice on the 11th, though the city continued to maintain her independence from Austria. The

armistice ended on 12 March 1849 and on the 23rd Radetzky's army was victorious over King

Charles Albert of Piedmont (Monarchy of Sardinia) at the battle of Novara, in the

northwestern part of Italy. Despite this, Venetia continued to hold out. A siege of Venice

began on 20 July, though it only lasted until the 28th, when the ancient city submitted to

Austria, due in no small part to local starvation, the outbreak of disease, and Austrian naval

bombardment. The Peace of Milan was signed shortly thereafter on 2 August 1849, thus

ending the war between Sardinia and Austria.

Following the Austrians' retaking of Venice, Field Marshall Radetzky visited the shipyard

there and officers petitioned him to have the nearly-completed Italia renamed in honour of

his victory over King Charles Albert. The ship was subsequently christened Novara and work

restarted in earnest under Austrian supervision. Her hull was finally ready to leave the slipway

by November of the following year (1850).

Events back home were also to have an effect upon the future career of the yet to be

completed frigate. 1848 - 'the year of revolution' - was a tumultuous time for Austria and her

European neighbours. Revolutions in Vienna during that year saw the ousting of Emperor

Ferdinand I, followed by the temporary installation of responsible government, the abolition

of serfdom, and the introduction of an Austrian constitution. Despite this initial promise of

change, the revolution was short-lived. The end of 1848 saw a return to the old ways, with the

abdication of Ferdinand I in favour of his 18 year old nephew Franz Joseph I. Following

installation as Emperor - a position he held until his death in 1916 - Franz Joseph immediately

appointed the Dane Rear Admiral Hans Birch von Dahlerup to the position of Commander in

Chief of the Austrian navy. With the Emperor's support, von Dahlerup spent the next two and

a half years reorganising the fleet along the lines of the British navy, setting it in good stead

for the years ahead. He put the fleet into action as part of the Venetion blockade early in

1849, and restarted the construction program which had stalled during 1848. After his

resignation in 1851 - brought about by lack of support from the ruling aristocracy and political

bureauracy who sought to replace the Dane with an Austrian - von Dahlerup was replaced two

years later by Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian, who went on to serve as Commander-in-Chief

from 1854 through to 1862.

Ship of the Line 1851-7

Having survived revolution and some seven years on the stocks, the Novara was officially

launched from the Venetian slipway on 4 November 1850. At the time she was rated a three-

masted sailing frigate, 42 guns, length 165 feet, weight / displacement 2107 Austrian tonnes

(2630 English tons), and able to accommodate a complement of 403. The superficial area of

the principal sails amounted to 18,291 square feet. The precise dimensions of the vessel would

change during her lifetime, especially following a major rebuild in 1861-2 to facilitate the

installation of a steam engine. However, at the time of the vessel's 1857 refit in preparation

for a round-the-world scientific expedition, wherein no major changes to the original

dimensions were made, she was described as follows:

Length between perpendiculars - 165 ft 5 1/2 inches

Length of water line - 156 ft 5 inches

Greatest breadth - 44 ft 11 1/2 inches

Greatest breadth on water line - 43 ft 2 inches

Depth of hold - 19 ft 3/4 inches

Draught of water aft - 18 ft 9 inches

Draught of water fore - 17 ft 2/3 inches

The home port of the Novara was nominally Trieste, though she would be serviced from the

Venetian Arsenal and later the Pola naval yards. A notable feature of the vessel was the

Venetian gondola which served as one of her auxiliary boats, and was perhaps included as a

tribute to her builders. The gondola traveled with the Novara during her round-the-world

voyage between 1857-9. A young Australian girl - "Minnie" Mann - was to record in her diary

during November 1858 the thrill of cruising Sydney Harbour aboard this exotic gondola,

manned as it was by sailors from the frigate. This was undoubtedly the first such Venetian

craft to have visited Port Jackson since it was first colonised in 1788.

Though the Novara had

left the slipway in

November 1850, fitting

out was not completed

until June of 1851.

Undertaking her first

shakedown cruises on the

Mediterranean, she proved

a speedy vessel, and by

1857 was noted as the

fastest of the fleet.

During her first year in

service, the 19 year old

Archduke Ferdinand

Maximillian saw time on

board as a fledgling naval

officer. He was to develop

such a fondness for the

vessel during this period

that when he built his

residence Miramar Castle on a bluff overlooking the Adriatic Sea near Trieste, he included

within it a study room which resembled his quarters on board ship in precise detail. Daylight

entered the room through a round scuttle in the ceiling, like that on the Novara's own deck.

The room also featured richly carved wooden beams, centrally located to imitate the cramped

and crowded condition of the rooms on board the Novara which, during the course of a normal

cruise, would be called on to accommodate anywhere from 400-500 sailors.

Upon her initial period of service, the Novara acted as a sail-training vessel and ship of the

line. European powers such as Britain and France used their naval cruisers as station ships to

protect colonial possessions (e.g. the British frigates HMS Herald and HMS Iris were both

serving at the Sydney station during 1858 at the time of the Novara visit). The Habsburgs

had no such colonial aspirations and, as a result, the duties of the Austrian fleet were

relatively limited to sail training, patrol duties upon the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas,

fighting, or putting up in port in order to save expense and extend the naval budget. Due to a

large amount of indifference on the part of the Habsburg bureaucracy, this latter activity

occupied many vessels of the fleet for an inordinate period of time, resulting in an

unacceptable state of preparedness when called on to defend the Empire in battle. Archduke

Maximillian fought to overcome this, and was somewhat successful in his efforts. For example,

a report in the London Times of 2 September 1852 noted that some 2400 workmen were then

employed in the Venice Arsenal 'building new ships' for the Austrian navy, or 'rendering old

ones fit for war service.'

The 'Novara' Room, Miramar Castle, Trieste. Built for Archduke

Ferdinand Maximillian as a reminder of his years as a naval cadet

aboard the Austrian frigate.

The opportunity to show off her naval prowess came early in 1853 when a conflict broke out

between Austria and Turkey over the latter's despatch of troops into Montenegro. The

Novara and a squadron of Austrian naval vessels was despatched to the Montenegran coast to

show the flag and ward off further Turkish incursions. No action took place at this time, and

the vessels eventually returned to port and extended duties of a less exciting nature.

A Round-the-World Scientific Expedition 1857-9

Circumstances were to change for the Novara, however, when in 1856 she was selected for

duty in connection with a round-the-world scientific expedition to be sponsored by Ferdinand

Maximillian and the great German scientist Alexander von Humboldt. Instead of gathering

barnacles in port, the frigate would be dispatched on an extended voyage of discovery to the

Far East and the Pacific. This was indeed a noble task for any vessel during periods of war or

peace, and one which placed the Novara among that distinguished list of ships of exploration

which includes Captain James Cook's Endeavour, HMS Beagle with Captain FitzRoy and

Charles Darwin on board, the French Astrolabe, America's USS Peacock, and HMS

Challenger, to name but a few.

"Te Deum" Mass on board the Novara, 1857, officiated by Father von Marochini. Engraving after

original drawing by Joseph Selleny

The idea of an Austrian flag-waving exercise combined with a scientific expedition came at a

time of relative security for the Empire, and a lull in fighting on its borders. This followed on

the Italian uprising and internal revolutions of 1848-9, and a series of smaller conflicts during

the first half of the 1850s. When the Novara was launched from the Venetian stocks in 1850,

Austrian and Bavarian troops were in the process of occupying parts of Hanover, and tensions

had developed with neighbouring Prussia, the strongest of the Germanic states. However

these conflicts were resolved by 1851 when the Novara was commissioned, and there was

relative calm for a number of years. During 1853 tensions began to mount - the Montenegro

conflict flaired; there was insurrection in Milan; the Kosta affair at Smyrna was a severe

embarrasment to Austria and its navy, pointing to the simmering Hungarian indpeendence

movement; and there was an assassination attempt carried out on Franz Joseph during that

year.

Early in 1854 the Crimean War broke out. Austria tried to stay out of any direct involvement

in this conflict, though it was aligned with Great Britain and France, in defense of Turkey

against a Russia advance which sought control of the Baltic Sea and hoped to profit from the

breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Hostilities continued in the Crimea until February 1856, at

which point the allies claimed victory over the Russian incursion.

Following cessation of the war, the Austrian navy and scientific establishment could now

proceed undistracted with its plans for a round-the-world scientific expedition, no longer

fearful that her naval vessels would be attacked or confiscated by a hostile fleet. How long

this state of affairs would last remained unclear, however a window of opportunity opened in

1856 following the closure of the Crimean War.

When Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian received permission from his brother the Emperor

Franz Joseph to mount a round-the-world scientific expedition and sail-training exercise, he

immediately contacted Alexander von Humboldt, seeking support and guidance. Replying to the

request in December 1856, Humboldt was enthusiastic, as were other European scientists such

as English geologist Sir Roderick Murchison. All saw the opportunity to build upon the work of

previous non-Austrian expeditions in expanding the realms of scientific knowledge and

acquiring specimens of natural history from far off lands. It was agreed that Austria should

mount an official expedition to not only widen the skills of her most distinguished scientists

and allow them to gather items for study and display in local museums, but also to carry the

Habsburg banner to all corners of the globe, thereby proclaiming the Empire's existence as a

world power. A further task, as noted by the expedition's historiographer Karl Scherzer, was

"the practical instruction of our young and rapidly increasing navy."

Commodore Bernhard von Wüllerstorf-Urbair was given general commander of the expedition.

Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian selected the Novara to carry out this task, not only because

of his personal attachment to the ship, but also due to the practicalities of using sail as

opposed to steam on such a long voyage. A sailing frigate offered greater disposable storage

area on board, in comparison with the steaming equivalent, which required a large amount of

area below decks for coal and machinery. Also necessary on this occasion was room for the

scientific contingent, their supplies and equipment, and storage space for the many specimens

to be acquired during the course of the expedition. This was on top of the extra sailors and

marines who would also be on board. As the vessel was travelling to areas of the globe where

it was known that the winds blow freely and supplies of coal could not always be easily

obtained, sail won out over steam. The Novara was therefore given the honour of transporting

a contingent of scientists, naval officers, diplomats, sailors, marines, and even a musical band

on a two-year cruise around the world.

In order to prepare for the voyage ahead, the Novara was laid up at the Pola naval yards for a

refit early in 1857. The ventilation of the lower decks was improved and the number of cabins

increased in proportion to the number of individuals to be accommodated. The gun room was

converted into a reading room and provided with a well-selected library and various charts and

maps for use by the officers and scientists as they went about their respective tasks of

researching, recording, calculating and drawing. The store rooms for the sail and tackle were

enlarged so as to take double the normal quantity. A distilling apparatus was installed on the

gun deck, and shower-bath facilities were improved so that the health of the crew could be

maintained over a long period. Such precautions proved effective, with no major outbreaks of

disease occurring on board during the length of the expedition.

The refit was completed on 15 March 1857, at which point the Novara, accompanied by the

corvette Carolina, headed north for Trieste, the expedition's official point of departure.

Final farwells took place amid much fanfare and cannon fire on 30 April 1857. Both vessels

left Trieste not under sail, but in tow, courtesy of the steamer St. Lucia. They were taken

south as far as Sicily and the Straits of Messina, before sails were unfurled and the ships

headed west into the Mediterranean, past the Straits of Gibraltar and out into the Atlantic

Ocean. The Novara was accompanied as far as Rio de Janiero by the Carolina, and thereafter

traveled on alone to Africa, India, China, the Philippines and Indonesia, Australia, New

Zealand, and various South Pacific islands. Her precise itinerary was as follows:

SMS Novara Itinerary 1857-9

1857

April 30 - Departs Trieste

MAY 2-=30 Gibraltar 20-30

June 8-17 - Madeira

August 5-31 - Rio de Janeiro

October 2-26 - Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

November 9 - Islands of St Paul and Amsterdam

December 7 - Departs Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean

1858

January 8-16 - Ceylon

January 31 - Madras

February 10 - Leaves Madras

Library and former Gun Room on board the Novara, 1857. Engraving after original drawing by

Joseph Selleny.

February 23 - Nicobar Islands

March 26 - Departs Nicobar Islands

April 15-21 - Singapore

May 5-29 - Java

June 15-25 - Manila

July 5-18 - Hong Kong

July 25 - Shanghai

August 11 - Leaves Shanghai

September 17 - Island of Puynipet

Geologist Ferdinand von Hochstetter in his cabin on board the Novara. Engraving after

original drawing by Joseph Selleny.

October 17 - Sikyana (Stewart) Island

November 5 - Sydney

December 7 - Departs Sydney

December 21 - New Zealand

1859

January 2 - Departs New Zealand

February 2-23 - Tahiti

April 24 - Valparaiso

August 1 - Gibraltar

May 3 - Santiago, Chile

August 26 - Arrives at Trieste

The officer corps for the expedition included:

Commodore Bernhard von Wüllerstorf-Urbair as Commander of the Expedition

Captain Baron Friedrich Pöck, who transferred from the corvette Carolina to the Novara on 2

December 1857

First Lieutenant Bela Gaàl de Gyula

Lieutenants - Moriz Monfroni de Monfort, Count Alexander Keilmannsegge, William Lund,

Robert Müller, Ernstest Jacoby, Eugen Kronowetter, Gustavus Battlogg and Antonio Basso

(Purser)

Principal Surgeon Dr Franz Seligmann, Assistant Surgeons Dr Karl Kuziczka, Dr Eduard

Schwarz and Dr Ave Robert Lallemant

Chaplain - Fr. Eduard von Marochini

Midshipmen - Heirich Fayenz, Joseph Natty, Gustavus von Semsey, Baron Richard

Walterskirchen, Louis Meder, Alexander Kalmar, Baron Augustus Scribanek, Count Andreas

Borelli, Baron Franz Cordon, Baron Friedrich Haan, Eduard Latzina, Michal de Mariassi, Prince

Eugen Wrede, Joseph Berthold

Engineer Wenceslas (Wenzel) Lehmann

The scientific commission comprised geologist Dr Ferdinand Hochstetter, botanists Dr Eduard

Schwarz and Anton Jellinek, zoologists Georg Frauenfeld and Johann Zelebor, ethnographer

Dr Karl Scherzer and artist Joseph Selleny

Additional crew - 315

The entire compliment, including sailors, marines, gunners, servants, and the ship's band,

amounted to 352 individuals. The vessel's itinerary would prove to be a hectic one, with

stopovers lasting anywhere from a few days to up to 4-5 weeks, depending upon the needs of

the vessel, of its scientific contingent, and any political or diplomatic considerations.

During the course of the expedition the Novara covered some 51,686 miles, and spent 551

days at sea and 298 at anchor or on shore. Some 23,700 individual natural history specimens

were collected, comprising: 440 minerals, 300 reptiles, 1500 birds, 1400 amphibians, 1330

fish, 9000 insects, 8900 molluscs and crustaceans, 300 birds' eggs and nests, numerous

skeletons, and 550 ethnographic objects, including 100 human skulls.

There was a strict regimen on board ship during the term of the expedition. The vessel's

decks and equipment would be cleaned every day and an orderliness and discipline was

maintained to assist the officers and sailors in carrying out their duties while the scientific

contingent also went about its work. During visits to port, or at anchor off South Sea islands,

the scientists would scurry about on shore investigating the local flora, fauna, geology and

geography, and collecting all manner of objects. The ship's artist Joseph Selleny busily

sketched and recorded all he saw - landscapes, peoples, botanical specimens - his images later

being reproduced in the official published accounts of the voyage.

The Novara would take on supplies where needed, or dispatch the numerous items acquired by

her scientific contingent upon vessels heading home to Europe, to be deposited in various

museums and research institutes. As the cruise was also a flag-waving exercise, the officers

and scientists on board were often involved in social functions with local politicians and

members of expatriate Austrian and German communities. This tended to lighten the home-

sick hearts of those on board, while improving the spirits of German immigrants in faraway

countries such as Australia and New Zealand. The vessel itself largely survived the trip

unscathed, apart from suffering damage in a typhoon after leaving Shanghai on 11 August

1858. This required her putting into dry dock in Sydney. A contemporary newspaper report

noted the following with regards to the work carried out there:

The Austrian Frigate Novara

This fine ship which was received into the Government Dry Dock on the 13th

instant, was again floated on the 20th after receiving a thorough overhaul,

under the superintendence of Mr. Cuthbert. Her decks and wales have been

caulked throughout, her copper repaired, and several new spars supplied; great

satisfaction being expressed by her officers at the excellent quality of the

timbers obtainable in the colony for this purpose. This is the largest ship of

war yet docked in Australia, and the resources and capabilities of this splendid

establishment have been fully developed on this occasion. The Novara carries,

when fully armed, 44 guns; she was built at Venice about eighteen years since;

the timber used in her construction being entirely live and Adriatic

oak...(Shipping Gazette and General Sydney Trade List, 29 November 1858)

After leaving Sydney on 7 December 1858, the Novara sailed easterly towards New Zealand,

then on to Tahiti and South America. Meanwhile, back home in Europe, hostilities had broken

out in April 1859 between old foes Austria and Sardinia (Italy). France joined in and declared

herself at war with Austria on 3 May. In June the Austrian army was defeated by the French

at Magenta, and shortly thereafter at Solferino by a combined French and Sardinian force.

Austria hastily concluded an armistice at Villafranca on 11 July 1859, whereby she gave up

some of her Italian territories, though held on to Venice.

The Novara was on the high seas when hostilities broke out, and faced the real possibility of

attack or confiscation by French or Italian vessels. Diplomatic efforts were immediately put

into place to arrange her free passage through the then hostile waters of the Atlantic and

Mediterranean, with all parties agreeing that the vessel's cargo of scientific treasures, and

scientists, warranted such protection. The Novara therefore arrived back in her home port of

Trieste amid much fanfare on 26 August 1859.

The celebrations were tinged with a sense of relief at her safe return, and made more sombre

by the fact of the recent defeats in the war with Italy. This mood was compounded by the

precarious nature of the Empire's finances at that time, and the fear of revolution in the

Hungarian and Slavic states. Whilst the frigate's work in regard to transporting the scientific

expedition was now complete, it was only just beginning for the scientific contingent. They

would spend the next 17 years supervising the published findings of the expedition and the

dispersal of its various collections to local museums and scientific institutions. The successes

of the Novara scientific expedition were unfortunately overshadowed by the political turmoil

of the period and the slow breakup of the Austrian Empire. By the turn of the century and

with the fall of the Habsburg dynasty during World War I, Austria would come to be

remembered best for her musical heritage rather than any scientific endeavours or the feats

of her navy during the nineteenth century, though the fleet did occasionally bathe itself in

glory.

Steam Cruiser 1861-5

In 1860, with the success of the Novara expedition behind him, Vice-Admiral Ferdinand

Maximillian pushed forward with the task of modernising the Austrian navy. His grand plans

were as ever limited by financial constraints. Nevertheless, a three-decked wooden battleship

the Kaiser (5194t) was commissioned in 1860, even though the future lay in steam propulsion

and ironclad warships. During 1861 the Novara was set down for a rebuild as a steam screw

frigate at San Rocco's, Trieste. An auxiliary steam engine was added by Stabilimento Tecnico

Triestino, and the hull was cut in two to accommodate the addition of several extra hull

frames, along with a new bow and stern. This work increased the length of the vessel by some

15 metres, though she did not undergo iron-cladding as was common for the time.

The conversion from sail to steam and sail was completed on 10 July 1862. The new

displacement was 2615 tons (2865 tons full load), with an armament of 53 guns. Dimensions

were:

Length overall - 252 feet overall

Length between perpendiculars - 221 feet 10 inches

Greatest breadth - 47 feet

Depth of hold - 19 feet

She was powered by a single-shaft 2 cylinder 400hp engine, which gave her a top speed of 12

knots. The compliment was increased to 558.

Following the refit, in October 1862 the Emperor ordered a naval division under the command

of Captain Baron von Pöck and comprising the Novara, the corvette Archduke Frederick, and

2 gunboats, to proceed to Greece in order to protect Austrian commerce and citizens there.

By the following year (1863) the Novara's armaments comprised: 2 x 24 pounder breech-

loading guns; 4 x 60 pounder Paixhans shell guns; 28 x 30 pounder Novara guns; 1 x 12 pounder

landing gun; 1 x 6 pounder landing gun.

In April of 1864 the vessel had the important task of carrying Archduke Maximillian and his

wife Charlotte to Vera Cruz in the Americas, for their installation as the new Emperor and

Empress of Mexico. The Novara arrived in Mexico on 28 May 1864 with its valuable cargo.

Approximately one year later it returned to Europe to rejoin an Austrian fleet which had, in

the meantime, been uncharacteristically active.

The Novara at Martinique in 1864, with Ferdinand Maximillian and his entourage aboard,

en route Santa Cruz, Mexico, where he and his wife were to take on the title of Emperor

and Empress of Mexico. Reproduced in Aichelburg (1976, 92).

The years 1860-4 were a period of relative peace for the Austrian Empire. However in

February 1864 Austria and Prussia entered into a war with Denmark over the territories of

Schleswig and Holstein in northern Germany. Though the dispute was settled within the year,

and Austria was granted Holstein, the repercussions would be felt almost immediately as an

expansionist and distinctly militaristic Prussia sought to make Schleswig-Holstein part of a

greater German nation, under the leadership of Count Otto von Bismark.

Whilst the Novara was engaged in her mission transporting Ferdinand Maximillian to Mexico,

on 9 May 1864 the Austrian fleet - with assistance from some Prussian gun boats - was

involved in an encounter with the Danish squadron at Heligoland Bight, off the German port of

Hamburg. The prize was control of North Sea shipping lanes and trade with Germany. The

battle was a notable one - it was the first on the high seas since Trafalgar in 1815, and the

last to be fought solely between squadrons of wooden ships. During the encounter, the

Austro-Prussian flotilla suffered more damage and casualties than their Danish counterparts -

most notably the foremast of the Austrian flagship Furst Felix Schwarzenberg was burnt to

a stump. However the Austrians justly claimed the strategic victory as they succeeded in

lifting the German blockade. The reputation of the young Austrian commander Post-Captain

Wilhelm von Tegetthoff (1827-71), was also made as a result of the encounter. He was

immediately promoted to Vice-Admiral by the Emperor.

Though the Novara had departed for Mexico on 14 April 1864, she was not to return to

Trieste until May 1865. In the interim, the frigate was stationed off Mexican waters as a

precaution should the Mexican situation deteriorate and Ferdinand Max be required to quit

the country. It is also possible that the vessel visited the American east coast during this

period. After retuning from Mexico, the Novara was laid up at Pola, awaiting new orders. Now

entering her third decade since being laid down in Venice during 1843, the ship was rapidly

approaching the end of her time as a front-line fighting frigate. Though she had been involved

in the build up of the fleet and a round-the-world scientific expedition, her guns had never

been fired in anger. This situation, however, was to change rather quickly.

The Battle of Lissa 1866

Having returned to port in May 1865 after an extensive period of activity, the Novara could

look forward to a period of rest and refit. Unfortunately this was not to occur at the usual

leisurely pace, for two events were to dramatically effect the frigate over the following

twelve months - firstly, a fire on board whilst in port, and secondly, the war with Italy. A

contemporary engraving of the fire, published in an Italian illustrated newspaper during 1866,

perhaps reveals the fire to be worse then it was, for the vessel was repaired in time to take

part in the battle of Lissa during July of that year.

The Novara on fire at port during a refit. Contemporary

engraving from an Italian illustrated newspaper. 1866.

During April of 1866 Prussia concluded an alliance with Italy against Austria, sweetened with

the promise of passing on the Venetian territory if the allies should defeat the Austrian army

in battle. Italy subsequently declared war with Austria on 20 June. Things began to move

rapidly, and on the 24th Austrian troops defeated the Italians at Custozza. The victory was

short-lived, however, as on 3 July the Prussian army defeated the Austrians at the battle of

Königgrätz. Facing the enemy on two fronts, the picture looked grim for the Austrian military

forces and they were ready to capitulate. However the navy supplied a temporary morale

boost when, just over two weeks after the devastating defeat at Königgrätz, it was victorious

over the Italian fleet.

The Battle of Lissa, 20 July 1866. View of the triple-deck Austrian battleship Kaiser ramming

one of the Italian ironclads.

On 20 July 1866, off the island of Lissa in the eastern Adriatic, the Novara was one of 27

Austrian warships, carrying some 532 guns and commanded by the 38 year old Rear Admiral

Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, which defeated the Italian fleet of 37 ships (645 guns) under the

command of Admiral Persano. This was the first major naval battle on the high seas since

Trafalgar, and the first between squadrons of ironclad vessels. The largely wooden fleet of

the Austrians was forced to take on both wooden and ironclad vessels of the Italian navy - a

navy which had specifically been built up over the previous 6 years to take on the Austrian

fleet. The Novara's commander, Captain Erich von Klint (actually Swedish officer Erik af

Klint), was killed by a cannonball during the early stages of the engagement. The London Times

newspaper of 26 July reproduced a lively Viennese report of the encounter, as follows:

Vienna, 22 July 1866

"Admiral Tegethoff, the same who on May 12, 1864, had to retire before the brave little

squadron of Danes in the action off Heligoland, was on board the armour-plated frigate

Archduke Maximillian, lying off the port of Pola, when a signal from a sloop which had been

sent out to cruise denoted some movement of importance. There were then under steam only

two wooden ships of the line, the Kaiser, three-decker, and a two-decker, and an iron-plated

frigate. With this moderate force the Admiral put to sea, and was joined soon after by

several armoured gunboats.

When in sight of Zara he received intelligence that the Italian fleet, comprising 23 vessels,

most of them iron-plated, were about to attack Lissa. Three other vessels, of which two had

belonged to the fleet of the Austrian Lloyd's, but had recently been converted into vessels of

war, and an armoured corvette, joined the Admiral's squadron. This force, of which the three-

decked Kaiser formed the centre, took up its station at some distance from Lissa, the guns of

which town had on the previous evening crippled an Italian armoured frigate.

Upon the squadron coming into sight the firing both on sea and land became appalling. Four

Italian armoured vessels, two frigates, and two corvettes bore down under full steam upon the

Austrian three-decker. The action became furious, the three-decker, enveloped in smoke,

appeared like some monstrous animal standing at bay against a pack of hounds. Her gunners,

nearly all Dalmatians, and who were not under fire for the first time, replied to the

broadsides of their antagonists by a fire less rapid, but better aimed. The admiral, seeing the

danger in which that ship was placed, went to its aid and directed his own vessel at full speed

upon one of the large Italian frigates. This frigate, already damaged at the water line, was

stove in a little above the deck. A great cry was heard, a loud clamour, an immense gulf

seemed to open amid the waves, and then wide spreading circles were seen upon the surface

of the water which had again become smooth. The frigate had been swallowed up. Its

engulfment was, however, marked by a glorious episode. A half battalion of Bersaglieri, who

were on board, climbed up on to the tops, and, while holding on by the ropes, shouldered their

rifles as on a parade ground and sent a final volley upon the deck of the Archduke Maximillian.

The parting farewell produced terrible effects - 20 killed and 60 wounded falling around the

Admiral, who seemed to be invulnerable.

Scarcely had this event been concluded, when a fearful explosion was heard. A shower of iron

and wooden fragments, mingled with portions of human bodies, fell upon the decks of the

vessels, and an immense wall of water appeared to rise up near the Kaiser. The Austrian

Admiral then found that a hollow shot from one of the guns of the three-decker had caused

the explosion of a second Italian frigate. Thus, two vessels were destroyed, two crews lost,

besides other serious damage to the fleet. On board the Austrian ships the killed were

numerous, among them being one of the most distinguished officers of the Austrian marine,

the Irishman, Captain Eric O'Klin.

Trieste has been illuminated; Spalatro, Zara, and Ragusa, which have furnished the fleet with

many of its combatants, have been decked out with flags. This battle will have a great moral

effect, for it is no mystery that in all the towns just mentioned there exists a party which is

seeking to promote annexation to Italy."

----------

According to the official Austrian account, the battle had lasted some five hours, after which

period the Italian fleet was forced to retire in the direction of Ancona, followed by the

Austrian squadron. Those Italian vessels sunk during the action included the flagship ironclad

Re d'Italia and the cruiser Palestro. The outcome was reported quite differently in the

Italian papers, as the following notice from the same edition of the Times reveals:

Milan, 22 July 1866

"The [Italian] fleet has at last shaken off its immobility. After quitting the waters of Ancona

it proceeded towards the island of Lissa, which it bombarded. The Austrian fleet, although

inferior in number, offered battle to the Italian squadron. The information already received is

very confused, but from dispatches recently arrived, we gather some interesting facts.

It appears that on board the Austrian ships were embarked a number of Tyrolese

sharpshooters, whose fire inflicted much damage to the Italians. Two of the Italian vessels

are lost, but one the Palestro - although the official account is silent upon the point - was

captured by the enemy and blown up by its crew rather than haul down its flag. Besides the

two vessels lost, three others were entirely hors de combat.

The action in its results was indecisive, but the retirement of the Austrians gave an

appearance of victory to the Italians. One result of the action, however, was to demonstrate

the superiority of the French ironplating over that of other countries. The Italian squadron

comprised several vessels built and plated in France, not one of which has suffered,

notwithstanding the terrible fire of the Austrians. On the contrary, all the vessels

constructed in England are in a deplorable condition, and have their armour-plating pierced.

The Re d'Italia, which sunk almost at a stroke, was a vessel of very large dimensions, quite

new, and entirely constructed in English yards."

The official Italian account stated that, upon siting the Austrian fleet, Admiral Persano put

out to meet them, whereupon he "... hoisted his flag on the Affondatore, and bore down upon

the Austrian fleet under a heavy fire. The stern of the Austrian Admiral's vessel was

destroyed. The fight was very severe. We lost the ironclad Re d'Italia, which the Admiral

had left, and which sank from a collision with the enemy at the commencement of the battle.

The ironclad gunboat Palestro caught fire, and the commander and crew refused to leave the

vessel. She blew up amid their cries of "Long live the king! Long live Italy!" No other vessel

was lost or fell into enemy hands. The Admiral renewed the attack upon the Austrian

squadron, which retired to Lesina without waiting for our fleet to come up, and the Austrians

continuing their retreat the Italian squadron remained mistress of the scene of action. The

damages sustained by the enemy are considerable."

----------

The initial Italian reports of the engagement were erroneous, and it was not until three days

after the event that the true scale of their defeat was revealed. The Italian fleet was less

than five years old, having been specifically built up to face the Austrians. Unfortunately

Admiral Persano was not up to the task - he was old, and did not have the support of his

officers. He also made decisions during the Lissa campaign - decisions often forced upon him

by the government - which led directly to the defeat. For example, prior to the campaign he

had all the Italian vessels painted grey. This made it easier for Tegethoff to identify the

enemy during the heat of battle, as the grey stood out from the darker Austrian ships. As he

late boasted: "It was hard to make out friend from foe, so I just rammed away at anything I

saw painted grey."

In actual fact, the Italian fleet had been soundly defeated, in no small part due to the

incompetent leadership of Admiral Persano, the ill-preparedness of the Italian vessels and

crew, the absence of support from junior officers, and the tactical skill of Admiral

Tegetthoff. On the other side, and despite losses of men and extensive damage to the fleet,

Lissa was seen as an overwhelming victory for the Austrians. An Italian historian in 1895

spoke of their squadron's 'annihilation' at Lissa. A contemporary commission of inquiry put the

blame squarely at the feet of Admiral Persano, though he was merely a scapegoat - an old man

who never wanted the job anyway, and who had been forced to take on the Austrian fleet or

loose his rank. The Austrian victory did much to secure a sense of camaraderie and allegiance

to the Empire amongst the many disparate ethnic groups which made up the sailors of the

fleet, right through until the time of World War I. Unfortunately the Austrian navy's glorious

victory could not nullify the defeats of her land-based forces at the hands of the Italian and

Prussian armies. A week after the sea battle of Lissa, Austria concluded a peace with Prussia

and with Italy the following month. By the end of 1866 Schleswig-Holstein had been

incorporated into Prussia and Italy had gained the Venetian territory. In 1867 the Habsburg

Empire was split into the Empire of Austria and the Kingdom of Hungary, with a subsequent

cutback in support for the navy as a result of Hungarian indifference towards the fleet.

Unfortunately the navy's glorious victory at Lissa did not translate into a glorious peace.

Death of Ferdinand Maximillian 1867

While the Novara's fighting days were over following Lissa, other duties of import were on

the horizon. At a time when the country's morale was at an ebb following on the loss of the

war with Italy and Prussia, a further blow which hit hard at the navy came when their staunch

supporter and late Commander in Chief, Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian, was executed by

firing squad at Queretaro, Mexico, on 19 June 1867. His attempt to impose a European

monarchy upon the Mexican people was doomed from the start. It ended most tragically with

his execution by firing squad on the order of rebel leader Benito Juarez, and the descent into

insanity of his young wife Charlotte. The Archduke's favourite ship theNovara was called on

to perform the solemn task of bringing his body back to Austria for a State funeral. With

Admiral Tegetthoff travelling on ahead to make the necessary arrangements, the stately

frigate sailed to Vera Cruz to retrieve the former cadet and brother of the Emperor.

The Novara (left) at Vera Cruz receiving the body of Emperor Maximillian. The HMS Niger is seen at anchor in the right of

picture. Engraving from the Illustrated London News.

Tegetthoff had a great deal of difficulty in retrieving the body from the Mexicans, and its

condition upon receipt was far from ideal. Upon returning to Trieste on 16 January 1868, the

Archduke's body was transferred to a funeral barge and, amid much ceremony, buried in the

Habsburg imperial crypt under Vienna's Capuchin Church.

Thousands of people lined the piers and quays of Trieste as the Novara drew up on the

evening of the 15th, followed by other vessels of the squadron. On hand to accompany

Maximillian's body through the streets of Trieste was the Novara's former commander and

late Austrian Minister for Commerce, Vice-Admiral Baron Wüllerstorf-Urbair.

The reception of the body of Emperor Maximilian from the Novara at Trieste harbour. Engraving from the Illustrated London News.

American Visit 1871

At the time of Ferdinand Maximillian's death the Novara was coming to the end of her period

of active service. Modern ironclad and steam-powered vessels were taking her place as front-

line fighting frigates. Despite this, in 1868 her armaments were again upgraded, and

comprised: 13 x 24 pounder Wahrendorf breech-loading guns, and 32 x 30 pounder muzzle-

loading guns.

In 1870-1 the Novara was refitted a final time. She could now accommodate a crew of 447,

whilst her new armaments included: 20 x 24 pounder breech-loading guns; 10 x 24 breech-

loading guns on deck; 2 x 24 pounder breech-loading guns on pivots; 2 x 3 pounder landing

guns. Following the refit, she crossed the Atlantic to visit the American east coast, and was

morred in New York harbour when news came through of the premature death of Admiral

Tegetthoff on 7 April 1871. A memorial service in his honour was held on board the Novara on

1 May and attended by both naval and diplomatic dignitaries. The New York Times on 26 April

published a brief history of the ship and of its present mission - a fitting epitath to a grand

old vessel. It reads as follows:

Our Austrian Visitor

Honors to the Frigate Novara - Description and History of the Vessel - Her Officers and

Equipment

As stated in the Times yesterday, the Austrian screw-frigate Novara, now lying at anchor off the Battery,

arrived at this port on Monday, from Annapolis, and saluted the United States with twenty-one guns. The

military authorities, through some misunderstanding, did not return the salute until noon yesterday. During the

day a salute of nine guns was fired from the frigate in honor of the visit of the Austrian consul,and at 4 o'clock

the flag of Port-Admiral Stringham was saluted, which was duly and promptly returned by the United States

corvette Ticonderoga, Commander Oscar C. Badger.

The Times naval reporter visited the Novara yesterday, and was most courteously received by the officers,

who furnished him with much interesting information. The Novara was originally a sailing frigate, but when

the navy was reorganized she was converted into an auxiliary screw. Under canvas she has a speed of fourteen

knots, while under full steam she makes twelve knots. her engines are of 500 horse-power. her battery

consists of fifteen breech-loading rifles on the spar deck, and thirty muzzle-loading guns on the gun deck. the

rifles are 52 pounders, while the smooth bore guns are 42 pounders. The hull of the vessel is 215 feet in

length; 45 feet beam; draft, 20 feet 5 inches aft; 17 feet 9 inches forward. Her tonnage is 2.497 tons Austrian

measurement.

The Novara is a fovorite ship in the Austrian navy, having distinguished herself in the famous battle of Lissa.

The first shoot fired in this engagement was by the Italians, and that shot proved fatal to the commander of

this ship. He was standing on the bridge; the shot struck him fair in the breast, and a brave and noble officer

was no more. The identical spot is now marked on the bridge by a brass plate, inscribed as follows:

"Errik of Klint, Lissa, 20 Juli 1866"

To the officers this is a sacred spot, and is to them a constant reminder of the fate of war, and how a nation

will preserve the memory of her brave men. The plate is polished bright and will ever be an object of interest

to visitors.

The naval student, as well as the general visitor, will find much on board to interest and instruct him - among

other things, a mechanical arrangement fro firing an entire or any combination of either battery at a given

instant, which is under the control of the commanding officer on the bridge. The fifteen guns which have been

previously trained upon an object can, at the proper time, be firedsimultaneously.

The ship possesses no little attractiveness and interest from the fact that it was on her decks that the lamented

ex-Emperor Maximillian learned his rudiments of seamanship, and on whose books his illustrious name was

for a long time borne. He made a cruize around the world and to the brazils in her, and one of the officers on

board at the present time, Baron von Haun, was attached to his personal staff.

The vessel at the time of our visit was in fine order., considering the work going on. Her crew consists of 520

men, speaking no less than seven different languages. The official language is German, and the orders are

transmitted in that tongue; still, comparatively few of the crew speak it, therefore the junior officers repeat the

order in Dalmatian, Italian, and variations of other tongues. A finer or heartier set of men are seldom seen on

a foreign man-of-war in our port. The following is a list of her officers:

Captain Josef Aucruhamer von Auconstein; First Lieutenant Frauz Tichisnatch; Lieutenant-Commanders

Baron von Haun, Josef Wostag and Carl Barth; Watch Officers Arthur Muldner,Josef Telchl and Moritz

Bachs; Surgeons Franz gregor, Josef Weil and Carl Marouschek; Paymaster Carl Masena; Midshipmen

Archduke Ritter von Raunam, Adolf Gotz, Gustav Kork, Julius James Haflner, Josef C. Nemling, Herman

Schruber, Euench Gyjerjso von Saint-Szepei Martonos, Max Kubscheva, August Marno Rebler von

Eichenhorst, Rucien Zeigler, Carl Frees, Richard Tizzighelli, Richard Basso and Hugo von Balmote;

Engineers jacob Furcho, Auben Frey, Carl Rehberger, Henrich Binger and Avdio Celbrecht.

The Novara was named in honor of the battle of Novara, fought and won by Redetsky in 1848. In 1856 she

made a voyage around the globe, having on board Prince Maximillian, who was then a lieutenant under

instructions. She has a class of active midshipmen, fifteen in number, on board; many of whom are from the

noblest families in Austria. The midshipmen are all nominated by the Admirals. None of the officers have

ever visited the United States before.

The Novara will remain in port about three

weeks, when she will proceed to the

eastward, and possibly will call at Boston.

New York was visited by an Austrian man-

of-war in 1832 and again in 1867, these

times being the only ones, we believe, that

a naval vessel of that country has been in

our waters. Most of the officers speak

English very fluently, and are a fine lot of

gentlemen. It is understood that a veriety of

festivities will takep lace on board the

vessel during her stay here.

----------

Gunnery Trainer: Final Days

Following the Novara's return to Pola

from America, sail-training duties

continued until 22 August 1876 when

the vessel became a hulk. In 1881 her

engines were removed and she was transformed into a gunnery training ship on 22 June 1881.

The Novara saw out her final days in this role, before being stricken on 22 October 1898, and

scrapped the following year.

Thus ended the career of a once grand sailing frigate of the Austrian navy. A favourite of the

Commander-in-Chief Ferdinand Maximillian, she had been built to the highest standards by

Venetian shipwrights, and as such during the 1850s was a seagoing personification of the

Habsburg monarchy and Austrian society of the day. The Novara goes down in history as the

first German warship to undertake a round-the-world scientific expedition, and for this alone

is perhaps remembered before any other vessel of the once proud Austrian navy. Her

association with the unfortunate Ferdinand Maximillian is also noteworthy; whilst she played a

significant support role in the victory at Lissa in 1866.

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The Novara as a gunnery training ship at Pola circa

1890. Original photograph, reproduced in Aichelburg

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Turner, Brian, 'Novara: Austria's Ship of Fate', in 'Heligoland Bight - Wooden Ship's Last Sea

Battle [9 May 1864],' Military History, February 1997, 54-61.

Williams, N., Chronology of the Modern World: 1863 to the Present Time, Barrie & Rockliff,

London, 1966.

Index | Ship History | Scherzer Diary | Expedition Narrative | Sydney | Selleny |

Bibliography | Novara Expedition

Hochstetter I Blanche Mitchell Diary | Minnie Mann Diary | Hochstetter II | FitzRoy Dock |

Scherzer in Sydney

Frauenfeld Diary | Incident at Sikyana | Sydney Chronology | Appendicies

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