inst a fleet of expensive battleships.

The torpedo boats would be supported by what

Sterneck termed "torpedo-ram-cruisers", which would protect the torpedo boats from
enemy cruisers.[1][2]

In his fleet plan for 1891, Sterneck proposed that the future Austro-Hungarian
fleet would consist of four squadrons, each consisting of one torpedo-ram-cruiser,
a smaller torpedo cruiser, a large torpedo boat and six smaller torpedo boats. The
first three of these squadrons would be led by the two Kaiser Franz Joseph I-class
protected cruisers and the armored cruiser Kaiserin und K�nigin Maria Theresia, and
in 1891 the design staff began work on the fourth cruiser. Three proposals were
considered, the first modeled on Kaiser Franz Joseph I, the second on the small
protected cruiser Panther, and the last derived from the British armored cruiser
HMS Royal Arthur. All three designs displaced 5,090 long tons (5,170 t). But by the
time work on Kaiserin und K�nigin Maria Theresia began that year, naval officers
who opposed Sterneck's theories forced him to postpone the fourth cruiser in favor
of beginning work on a new generation of capital ships, what would become the
Monarch-class coastal defense ships.[3]

Those opposed to Sterneck believed the new cruisers should be formed into their own
squadron to serve with the main battle fleet, and so in 1894, began preparations to
build another armored cruiser. Three competing designs were submitted, two by the
naval architect Josef Kellner and the third by Viktor Lollok. Kellner's initial
design was for a 5,800-long-ton (5,900 t) ship similar to Kaiserin und K�nigin
Maria Theresia, armed with the same battery of two 24 cm (9.4 in) guns and eight 15
cm (5.9 in) guns. The second was broadly similar with the same but differently
arranged armament, and displacement increased to 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) and two
funnels instead of the one in his other design. Lollok's proposal was also 6,000
tons, and instead of carrying all eight 15 cm guns in main-deck casemates, four
would be moved up to open mounts on the upper deck.[4]

The naval command selected Kellner's second design, although it mandated a change
to water-tube boilers for increased engine power, which in turn necessitated the
addition of a third funnel. She also received the latest version of 24 cm guns
manufactured by the German firm Krupp: the longer-barreled SK L/40 C/94 version.
The new cruiser, named Kaiser Karl VI, was about 1,000 long tons (1,000 t) larger
than her predecessor, Kaiserin und K�nigin Maria Theresia, and was a significantly
more effective vessel as a result, being a knot faster, mounting more powerful
guns, and carrying heavier armor.[5]
General characteristics and machinery
Line-drawing of Kaiser Karl VI showing the disposition of the armament and armor

Kaiser Karl VI was 117.9 meters (386 ft 10 in) long at the waterline and was 118.96
m (390 ft 3 in) long overall. She had a beam of 17.27 m (56 ft 8 in) and a draft of
6.75 m (22 ft 2 in). She displaced 6,166 long tons (6,265 t) as designed and up to
6,864 long tons (6,974 t) at full load. Having gained experience with the stability
problems caused by Kaiserin und K�nigin Maria Theresia's military masts, Kaiser
Karl VI was completed with lighter pole masts and a significantly smaller
superstructure. Her crew varied between 535 and 550 officers and men over the
course of her career. Kaiser Karl VI was fitted with two pole masts for
observation.[6][7]

The ship's propulsion system consisted of two 4-cylinder triple-expansion engines

that drove a pair of screw propellers.[6] The engines were built at the
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (STT) shipyard in Trieste that built the ship. Steam
was provided by water-tube Belleville boilers manufactured by Maudslay, Sons and
Field of Britain.[8][9] The engines were rated at 12,000 indicated horsepower
(8,900 kW) for a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), though on trials they
produced a top speed of 20.83 knots (38.58 km/h; 23.97 mph). Coal storage amounted
to 500 long tons (510 t) normally and up to 818 long tons (831 t) under wartime
loading.[6][9]
Armament and armor

Kaiser Karl VI was armed with a main battery of two large-caliber guns and several
medium-caliber pieces. She carried two 24 cm L/40 C/94 guns manufactured by Krupp
in single gun turrets on the centerline, one forward and one aft. Eight 15 cm (5.9
in) L/40 guns mounted individually in casemates rounded out her offensive armament;
these were carried in the main deck, two on either side amidships, sponsoned out
over the hull, and two abreast both of the main battery turrets. She was armed with
sixteen 47 mm (1.9 in) L/44 guns built by �koda and two 4.7 cm L/33 Hotchkiss guns
for close-range defense against torpedo boats. She carried several smaller weapons,
including a pair of 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine guns and two 7 cm (2.8 in) L/18
landing guns. Kaiser Karl VI was also equipped with a pair of 45 cm (17.7 in)
torpedo tubes, one on each broadside.[6][9]

The ship's armor consisted of Harvey armor.[5] She was protected by a main armored
belt that was 220 mm (8.7 in) thick in the central portion that protected the
ammunition magazines and machinery spaces, and reduced to 170 mm (6.7 in) on either
end. She had an armored deck that was 40 to 60 mm (1.6 to 2.4 in) thick. Her two
gun turrets had 200 mm (7.9 in) thick faces, and the 15 cm guns had 80 mm (3.1 in)
thick casemates. The conning tower had 200 mm thick sides and a 100 mm (3.9 in)
thick roof.[6]
Service history

Named for the 18th-century Holy Roman Emperor, Karl VI, Kaiser Karl VI was built at
the STT shipyard in Trieste. Her keel was laid on 1 June 1896 and her completed
hull was launched on 4 October 1898. Fitting-out work then commenced, which lasted
until 23 May 1900 when the ship was commissioned into the Austro-Hungarian fleet.
[6] Starting from her commissioning, Kaiser Karl VI frequently served in the
training squadron, along with the three Habsburg-class battleships, though she
alternated in the squadron with the armored cruiser Sankt Georg. Once the summer
training schedule was completed each year, the ships of the training squadron were
demobilized in the reserve squadron, which was held in a state of partial
readiness.[10] In 1900, she served as the flagship of then-Rear Admiral Rudolf
Montecuccoli in the training squadron, along with Kaiserin und K�nigin Maria
Theresia.[11] During the summer maneuvers of June 1901, she served as the flagship
of Rear Admiral G. Ritter von Brosch, commander of the reserve squadron. The other
major ships in the squadron included the old ironclad Tegetthoff and the cruiser
Kaiser Franz Joseph I.[12]

In mid-1910, Kaiser Karl VI conducted the last trans-Atlantic cruise of an Austrian

vessel, when she visited Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. On 25 May, she represented
Austria-Hungary at the centennial of Argentina's May Revolution, which won the
country's independence from Spain.[13]