Schematic of the Wein, Budapest and Monarch Battleships

Displacement (standard): 5878 t .   Length*width*draft: 99,22*17*6,6 m .   Output: 8500 HP (9180 HP for Budapest) .  Speed: 15,5 kn (17,5 kn for Budapest) .   Range: 2200 miles .  Armament: 4*240 mm L/40, 6*150 mm L/40, 10*47 mm L/44, 4x47 mm L/33, 1*8 mm MG, 2*450 mm TT .  Armour: 270 mm belt, 60 mm deck, 220 mm tower .  Crew: 423

In the 1890s Austria-Hungary had only 2 obsolescent battleships (the Rudolph and Stephanie). In 1893 Sterneck, the commander-in-chief of the navy, could acquire enough funds to build three new, powerful ships. But the two parliaments only agreed to smaller, so-called coastal defence battleships. They expressed so, that Austria-Hungary was not interested in conquering colonies, and that the country only wanted to defend himself. The three ships were not identical, the Budapest received more modern and more powerful engines. It was planed, that after the commission of the Tegetthoff-class these ships had to be scrapped, but since the war broke out, they remained in service.  

The Budapest and the Wien were built at Stabilimento Tecnico Trietino in Trieste, the Monarch at the Naval Arsenal Pola.

Laid down: 16.02.1893. .  Launched: 24.07.1896.   Commissioned: 12.05.1898.

The Budapest made 1899 a voyage to the eastern Mediterranean. When the war broke out she was allocated to training duties, and served mostly as an artillery training ship and a swimming battery. On 28.12.1915 she was part of the screening detachment for the cruisers and destroyers engaged in the Battle of Durazzo, but the detachment finally returned to port without firing one shot. On 09.01.1916 she bombarded the batteries on the mountain Lovcen, and she had a great part in the capture of this enemy fortress. In 1917 the ship was relocated from Cattaro to the northern front, where she bombarded the Italian ground troops several times. So on 16.11.1917, when she duelled with batteries on the Cortelazzo, and also Italian torpedo boats and MTBs attacked. In this engagement she only suffered minor damage. On 09.12.1917 the Italians attempted to sink her in the harbour of Trieste, but the torpedoes fired at her missed. In June of 1918 she received an 380 mm L/17 howitzer instead of her bow turret for coastal bombardment.

After the war she was handed over to the UK, and was subsequently scrapped.

Laid down: 16.02.1893.  Launched: 07.07.1895.   Commissioned: 13.05.1897.

The Wien participated 1897 on the ceremony for the 60. jubille of the crowing of Queen Victoria. Later she was part of the international blockade off Crete. In 1899 she made a voyage to the eastern Mediterranean. When the war broke out she was allocated to training duties, and served mostly as an artillery training ship and a swimming battery. In late 1917 she was relocated to Trieste, and bombarded the Italian troops several times. On 16.11.1917. she received 7 hits, but suffered only minor damage. On 09.12.1917 the Italians tried to sink both very dangerous coastal defence ships in their port by MTBs. The MAS-9 and MAS-13 entered port unnoticed, and fired their torpedoes. At 02:32 the Wien received two torpedo-hits, sank within five minutes. 46 men perished.

Laid down: 31.07.1893.   Launched: 09.05.1895.   Commissioned: 11.05.1898.

The Monarch was the flagship of her division, known as the 5^th BattDiv. She made 1899 a voyage to the eastern Mediterranean. When the war broke out she was allocated to training duties, and served mostly as an artillery training ship and a swimming battery. In late 1914 she bombarded the radio station, the barracks and several other targets at Volonica. After this she served mostly as harbour defence ship.

After the war she was handed over to the UK, and was subsequently scrapped.

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