# SMS Orjen

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**SMS *Orjen***[Note 1] was one of six [*Tátra*-class destroyers](/source/T%C3%A1tra-class_destroyer) built for the *[kaiserliche und königliche](/source/Kaiserlich_und_k%C3%B6niglich) Kriegsmarine* ([Austro-Hungarian Navy](/source/Austro-Hungarian_Navy)) shortly before the [First World War](/source/First_World_War). Completed in 1914, she helped to sink an Italian destroyer during the [action off Vieste](/source/Action_off_Vieste) in May 1915 after Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. Two months later the ship participated in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture a small island in the central [Adriatic Sea](/source/Adriatic_Sea) from the Italians. In November and early December *Orjen* was one of the ships conducting raids off the [Albanian](/source/Albania) coast to interdict the supply lines between Italy and Albania, although she did not participate in the [First Battle of Durazzo](/source/Battle_of_Durazzo_(1915)) in late December. *Orjen* participated in several raids on the [Otranto Barrage](/source/Otranto_Barrage) in 1916–1917 with limited success. She was transferred to Italy in 1920 in accordance with the peace treaties ending the war and renamed *Pola*. She mostly served as a [training ship](/source/Training_ship) or in [Italian North Africa](/source/Italian_North_Africa) when she was not in [reserve](/source/Reserve_fleet) from 1924 to 1928. Renamed *Zenson* in 1931, the ship was [scrapped](/source/Ship_breaking) in 1937.

## Design and description

The *Tátra*-class destroyers were faster, more powerfully armed and more than twice as large as the preceding [*Huszár*-class destroyer](/source/Husz%C3%A1r-class_destroyer). The ships had an [overall length](/source/Length_overall) of 83.5 meters (273 ft 11 in), a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 7.8 meters (25 ft 7 in), and a maximum [draft](/source/Draft_(hull)) of 3 meters (9 ft 10 in).[1] They [displaced](/source/Displacement_(ship)) 870 long tons (880 t) at normal load and 1,050 long tons (1,070 t) at [deep load](/source/Deep_load).[2] The ships had a complement of 105 officers and enlisted men.[1]

The *Tátra*s were powered by two [AEG](/source/AEG_(German_company))-Curtiss [steam turbine](/source/Steam_turbine) sets, each driving a single [propeller shaft](/source/Propeller_shaft) using steam provided by six [Yarrow boilers](/source/Yarrow_boiler). Four of the boilers were [oil](/source/Fuel_oil)-fired while the remaining pair used coal. The turbines, designed to produce 20,600 horsepower (15,400 kW), were intended to give the ships a speed of 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h; 37.4 mph). The ships carried enough oil and coal to give them a range of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).[2]

The main armament of the *Tátra*-class destroyers consisted of two 50-[caliber](/source/Caliber_(artillery)) [Škoda Works](/source/%C5%A0koda_Works) [10-centimeter (3.9-inch) K10](/source/%C5%A0koda_10_cm_K10) guns, one each fore and aft of the [superstructure](/source/Superstructure) in single, unprotected mounts. Their [secondary armament](/source/Secondary_armament) consisted of six 45-caliber [66-millimeter (2.6-inch)](/source/%C5%A0koda_7_cm_guns) guns, two of which were on [anti-aircraft](/source/Anti-aircraft) mountings. They were also equipped with four 450-millimeter (17.7-inch) [torpedo tubes](/source/Torpedo_tube) in two twin rotating mountings [amidships](/source/Amidships).[3]

## Construction and career

*Orjen* was [laid down](/source/Laid_down) by [Ganz-Danubius](/source/Ganz-Danubius) at their [shipyard](/source/Kraljevica_Shipyard) in [Porto Ré](/source/Porto_R%C3%A9) in the [Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia](/source/Kingdom_of_Croatia-Slavonia) of the [Austro-Hungarian Empire](/source/Austro-Hungarian_Empire) on 4 September 1912, [launched](/source/Ceremonial_ship_launching) on 26 August 1913[2] and completed on 11 August 1914.[4] The *Tátra*-class ships did not play a significant role in the minor raids and skirmishing in the Adriatic in 1914 and early 1915 between the [Entente Cordiale](/source/Entente_Cordiale) and the [Central Powers](/source/Central_Powers).[5] From 9 to 24 December, *Orjen* had her propeller shaft [bearings](/source/Bearing_(mechanical)) replaced in [Pola](/source/Pula).[6]

### Action off Vieste

Main article: [Action off Vieste](/source/Action_off_Vieste)

The [Kingdom of Italy](/source/Kingdom_of_Italy) signed a [secret treaty in London](/source/Treaty_of_London_(1915)) in late April 1915 breaking its [alliance](/source/Triple_Alliance_(1882)) with the [German Empire](/source/German_Empire) and Austro-Hungary and promising to declare war on the Central Powers within a month. Austro-Hungarian intelligence discovered this and Admiral [Anton Haus](/source/Anton_Haus), commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, planned a massive surprise attack on Italian ports and facilities on the northern Adriatic coast, outside of interception range of the modern ships of the *[Regia Marina](/source/Regia_Marina)* (Royal Italian Navy) stationed at [Taranto](/source/Taranto). To warn of any Italian warships able to interfere with the bombardments, Haus prepositioned three groups of destroyers, each led by a [scout cruiser](/source/Scout_cruiser). Placed in the central Adriatic between the island of [Pelagosa](/source/Palagru%C5%BEa) and the Italian coast, four days prior to the Italian declaration of war on 23 May, were four *Tátra*-class destroyers, including *Orjen*, and the cruiser [SMS *Helgoland*](/source/SMS_Helgoland_(1912)). Around midnight on the night of 23/24 May, Haus ordered the reconnaissance groups to move west and attack Italian coastal targets. About an hour later the four Tátras encountered a pair of Italian [*Nembo*-class destroyers](/source/Nembo-class_destroyer), [Italian destroyer *Turbine*](/source/Italian_destroyer_Turbine_(1901)) and [Italian destroyer *Aquilone*](/source/Italian_destroyer_Aquilone_(1902)), but in the darkness they were believed by the Italians to be friendly ships.[7]

The Italian ships separated when *Aquilone* went to investigate a sighting; *Helgoland* began bombarding the city of [Barletta](/source/Barletta) at 04:00 and the Italian destroyer spotted the cruiser at 04:38. *Aquilone* turned away to the southeast and was able to disengage without any damage. *Turbine*, however, encountered *Helgoland* several minutes later and believed that she was an Italian ship until she was disabused by a [salvo](/source/Salvo) from the cruiser. The destroyer turned to the north, towards [Vieste](/source/Vieste), to escape, with *Helgoland* and *Orjen* in pursuit. Alerted by *Helgoland**s commander, *[Linienschiffskapitän](/source/Linienschiffskapit%C3%A4n)* (Captain) Heinrich Seitz, the destroyers [SMS *Csepel*](/source/SMS_Csepel) and [SMS *Tátra*](/source/SMS_T%C3%A1tra), which had been bombarding [Manfredonia](/source/Manfredonia), moved to intercept and spotted*****Turbine*at 05:10, opening fire at 05:45. The destroyer [SMS *Lika*](/source/SMS_Lika), which had been bombarding Vieste, was ordered to block her escape to the north while*Helgoland*stayed to the east to cut off her access to the Adriatic.*Lika*scored the critical hit of the battle when one of her 66-millimeter shells broke*Turbine**s steam pipe and caused her to rapidly lose speed. *Tátra* and *Helgoland* also scored hits and *Turbine* was dead in the water with a [list](/source/List_(watercraft)) when her crew abandoned ship at 06:51. She had hit *Tátra* and *Csepel* during the engagement, but failed to inflict any significant damage. The Austro-Hungarians rescued 35 survivors before torpedoing the derelict ship. As they were withdrawing they were engaged by the [protected cruiser](/source/Protected_cruiser) [Italian cruiser *Libia*](/source/Italian_cruiser_Libia) and the [armed merchant cruiser](/source/Armed_merchantman#Armed_merchant_cruisers) [SS *Cittá di Siracusa*](/source/SS_Citt%C3%A1_di_Siracusa) between 07:10 and 07:19. *Helgoland* was struck by one shell before they were able to disengage from the slower ships.[8]

On 28 July, all six *Tátra*-class ships and the scout cruisers [SMS *Saida*](/source/SMS_Saida_(1912)) and *Helgoland*, reinforced by the German submarine , attempted to recapture Pelagosa which had been occupied by the Italians on 11 July. Despite a heavy bombardment by the ships, the 108-man [landing party](/source/Landing_party) was unable to overcome the 90-man [garrison](/source/Garrison) and was forced to withdraw. Three weeks later, *Saida*, *Helgoland*, *Orjen*, *Lika* and two other destroyers bombarded the island, destroying its freshwater [cistern](/source/Cistern), which forced the Italians to withdraw on 18 August.[9]

The [Bulgarian](/source/Kingdom_of_Bulgaria) declaration of war on [Serbia](/source/Kingdom_of_Serbia) on 14 October cut the existing supply line from Serbia to [Salonika](/source/Thessaloniki), [Greece](/source/Kingdom_of_Greece), and forced the [Allies](/source/Allies_of_World_War_I) to begin supplying Serbia through ports in [Albania](/source/Principality_of_Albania). This took about a month to work out the details and the Austro-Hungarians took just about as long to decide on a response. Haus ordered Seitz to take *Helgoland*, *Saida* and all six *Tátra*-class destroyers on a reconnaissance mission off the Albanian coast on the night of 22/23 November. They encountered and sank a small [cargo ship](/source/Cargo_ship) and a motor [schooner](/source/Schooner) carrying flour for Serbia; four Italian destroyers were unable to intercept them before they reached friendly territory. Haus was initially reluctant to send his ships so far south, but an order from the *[Armeeoberkommando](/source/Armeeoberkommando)* (High Command) on 29 November to patrol the Albanian coast and to disrupt Allied troop movements caused him to transfer *Helgoland*, her sister [SMS *Novara*](/source/SMS_Novara_(1913)) and the *Tátra*-class ships to [Cattaro](/source/Cattaro). On 6 December, *Helgoland* and the *Tátra*s swept down the coast to [Durazzo](/source/Durazzo), sinking five motor schooners, including two in Durazzo harbor.[10]

### 1916–1918

On 27 January 1916, *Novara*, *Csepel* and *Orjen* departed Cattaro on a mission to attack the shipping in Durazzo harbor. En route the two sisters accidentally collided with each other and had to return to port although the cruiser continued the mission. The impact bent *Orjen'*s [bow](/source/Bow_(watercraft)) and she was under repair until 16 February.[6] The ship made unsuccessful sorties in search of Allied shipping on 23 and 26 February. On the night of 31 May/1 June 1916, *Orjen* and her sister [SMS *Balaton*](/source/SMS_Balaton), together with three [torpedo boats](/source/Torpedo_boat), attacked the [Otranto Barrage](/source/Otranto_Barrage) and sank one of the [drifters](/source/Naval_drifter) maintaining it with a torpedo. On 4 July *Helgoland*, *Orjen*, *Balaton* and *Tátra* raided the barrage, but could not find any targets in the poor visibility. *Orjen* made another unsuccessful raid on the barrage on the night of 23/24 July. *Helgoland* and *Novara*, escorted by *Orjen* and *Balaton*, comprised one of two bombardment groups that Haus planned to bombard the Italian coast on 29 August to provoke a reaction by Allied ships that would be ambushed by waiting [U-boats](/source/U-boat). The weather did not cooperate and it was too foggy to see the coast, and all the ships involved returned to harbor without incident. *Orjen* was refitted in Pola during 1–22 October and spent the rest of the year escorting convoys. On the night of 11/12 March 1917, *Orjen*, *Balaton*, *Csepel* and *Tátra* swept through the Strait of Otranto, but failed to sink the French cargo ship [SS *Gorgone*](/source/SS_Gorgone) that they encountered. From 30 March to 14 May, *Orjen* had two of her boilers replaced and returned to Cattaro on 17 May. She participated in the unsuccessful search for the missing [flying boat](/source/Flying_boat) K222 on 11 August.[11][12]

The smaller ships in the Austro-Hungarian Navy were the most active ones and their crews had the highest morale; most of the larger ships did little but swing on their [moorings](/source/Mooring_(watercraft)) which did nothing to improve the morale of their crews. On 1 February, the [Cattaro Mutiny](/source/Cattaro_Mutiny) broke out, starting aboard the [armored cruiser](/source/Armored_cruiser) [SMS *Sankt Georg*](/source/SMS_Sankt_Georg). The mutineers rapidly gained control of the armored cruiser [SMS *Kaiser Karl VI*](/source/SMS_Kaiser_Karl_VI) and most of the other major warships in the harbor. Unhappy with the failure of the smaller ships' crews to join the mutiny, the mutineers threatened to fire at any ship that failed to hoist a [red flag](/source/Red_flag_(politics)). *Orjen'*s crew hoisted a flag with the permission of her [captain](/source/Captain_(nautical)) with the proviso that there should be no disturbances aboard ship. The following day, many of the mutinous ships abandoned the effort after [coast-defense guns](/source/Coast-defense_guns) loyal to the government opened fire on the rebel [guard ship](/source/Guard_ship) [SMS *Kronprinz Erzherzog Rudolf*](/source/SMS_Kronprinz_Erzherzog_Rudolf). The scout cruisers and *Orjen*, among other ships, took advantage of the confusion to rejoin loyalist forces in the inner harbor where they were protected by coastal artillery. The next morning, the [*Erzherzog Karl*-class battleships](/source/Erzherzog_Karl-class_battleship) arrived from Pola and put down the uprising.[13]

### End of the war

By October it had become clear that Austria-Hungary was facing defeat in the war. With various attempts to quell nationalist sentiments failing, [Emperor Karl I](/source/Emperor_Karl_I) decided to sever Austria-Hungary's alliance with Germany and appeal to the Allies in an attempt to preserve the empire from complete collapse. On 26 October Austria-Hungary informed Germany that [their alliance](/source/Dual_Alliance_(1879)) was over. At the same time, the Austro-Hungarian Navy was in the process of tearing itself apart along ethnic and nationalist lines. Vice Admiral [Miklós Horthy](/source/Mikl%C3%B3s_Horthy) was informed on the morning of 28 October that an armistice was imminent, and used this news to maintain order and prevent a mutiny among the fleet. While a mutiny was spared, tensions remained high and morale was at an all-time low.[14]

The following day the [National Council](/source/State_of_Slovenes,_Croats_and_Serbs#National_Council) in [Zagreb](/source/Zagreb) announced Croatia's dynastic ties to Hungary had come to an end. This new provisional government, while throwing off Hungarian rule, had not yet declared independence from Austria-Hungary. Thus Emperor Karl I's government in Vienna asked the newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs for help maintaining the fleet stationed at Pola and keeping order among the navy. The National Council refused to assist unless the Austro-Hungarian Navy was first placed under its command. Emperor Karl I, still attempting to save the Empire from collapse, agreed to the transfer, provided that the other "nations" which made up Austria-Hungary would be able to claim their fair share of the value of the fleet at a later time. All sailors not of Slovene, Croatian, Bosnian, or Serbian background were placed on leave for the time being, while the officers were given the choice of joining the new navy or retiring.[15]

The Austro-Hungarian government thus decided to hand over the bulk of its fleet, preferring to do that rather than give the fleet to the Allies, as the new state had declared its neutrality. Furthermore, the newly formed state had also not yet publicly repudiated Emperor Karl I, keeping the possibility of [reforming the Empire into a triple monarchy](/source/Trialism_in_Austria-Hungary) alive.[16]

### Post-war

On 3 November the Austro-Hungarian government signed the [Armistice of Villa Giusti](/source/Armistice_of_Villa_Giusti) with Italy, ending the fighting along the [Italian Front](/source/Italian_Front_(World_War_I)),[17] although it refused to recognize the transfer of Austria-Hungary's warships. As a result, on 4 November, Italian ships sailed into the ports of [Trieste](/source/Trieste), Pola, and [Fiume](/source/Fiume) and Italian troops occupied the naval installations at Pola the following day. The National Council did not order any men to resist the Italians, but they also condemned Italy's actions as illegitimate. On 9 November, all remaining ships in Pola harbour had the Italian flag raised. At a conference at [Corfu](/source/Corfu), the Allies agreed the transfer could not be accepted, despite sympathy from the United Kingdom.[18] Faced with the prospect of being given an ultimatum to surrender the former Austro-Hungarian warships, the National Council agreed to hand over the ships beginning on 10 November.[19]

When the Allies divided up the Austro-Hungarian Fleet amongst themselves in January 1920, *Orjen* was awarded to Italy. She was commissioned in the *Regia Marina* with the name *Pola* on 26 September, refitted and was assigned to the Venetian squadron from March 1922 where she made training cruises with [machine engineering](/source/Machine_engineer) students to the [Eastern Mediterranean](/source/Eastern_Mediterranean). The ship was reduced to reserve in Taranto from 1924 to 1928 and was recommissioned for service in Libya in March 1928. *Pola* was reassigned to the Venetian squadron in 1929 before returning to Libya the following year. The ship was renamed *Zenson* on 9 April 1931 and cruised the [Aegean Sea](/source/Aegean_Sea) in 1931 and 1932. The ship was discarded on 1 May 1937 and subsequently scrapped.[11]

## Notes

1. "SMS" stands for "*[Seiner Majestät Schiff](/source/Seiner_Majest%C3%A4t_Schiff)*", or "His Majesty's Ship".

## Citations

1. Sieche 1985a, p. 338

1. Greger, p. 44

1. Noppen, p. 48

1. Noppen, p. 44

1. Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 168

1. Bilzer, p. 121

1. Noppen, pp. 54–55; O'Hara & Heinz, pp. 153–154

1. Noppen, pp. 56–57; O'Hara & Heinz, pp. 154–155

1. Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 169; Halpern, pp. 148–150

1. Cernuschi & O'Hara, pp. 165, 169; Halpern, pp. 153–154

1. Bilzer, p. 124

1. Cernuschi & O'Hara 2015, p. 170; Cernuschi & O'Hara 2016, p. 67; Halpern 2004, p. 24; Noppen, pp. 62, 64–65; O'Hara & Heinz, p. 206

1. Bilzer, p. 124; Halpern 2004b, pp. 48–50, 52–53; Sondhaus 1994, p. 322

1. Sondhaus 1994, pp. 350–351

1. Sokol, pp. 136–137, 139; Sondhaus 1994, pp. 351–352

1. Halpern 1994, p. 177; Sokol 1968, pp. 136–137, 139; Sondhaus 1994, pp. 353–354

1. Sieche 1985a, p. 329

1. Sieche 1985b, pp. 137–140

1. Sondhaus 1994, pp. 357–359

## Bibliography

- Bilzer, Franz F. (1990). *Die Torpedoschiffe und Zerstörer der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1867–1918*. Graz: H. Weishaupt. ISBN 3-9003-1066-1.
- Cernuschi, Enrico & O'Hara, Vincent (2015). "The Naval War in the Adriatic Part 1: 1914–1916". *Warship 2015*. London: Conway. pp. 161–173. ISBN 978-1-84486-276-4.
- Cernuschi, Enrico & O'Hara, Vincent (2016). "The Naval War in the Adriatic, Part 2: 1917–1918". *Warship 2016*. London: Conway. pp. 62–75. ISBN 978-1-84486-326-6.
- Greger, René (1976). *Austro-Hungarian Warships of World War I*. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0623-7.
- Halpern, Paul G. (2004). *The Battle of the Otranto Straits: Controlling the Gateway to the Adriatic in World War I*. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34379-8.
- Halpern, Paul G. (1994). *A Naval History of World War I*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-352-4.
- Noppen, Ryan K. (2016). *Austro-Hungarian Cruisers and Destroyers 1914-18*. Vol. 241. New Vanguard. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1470-8.
- O'Hara, Vincent P. & Heinz, Leonard R. (2017). *Clash of Fleets: Naval Battles of the Great War, 1914-18*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-68247-008-4.
- Sieche, Erwin (1985). "Austria-Hungary". *Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921*. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Sieche, Erwin F. (1985). "Zeittafel der Vorgange rund um die Auflosung und Ubergabe der k.u.k. Kriegsmarine 1918–1923" (in German). *Marine—Gestern, Heute*. **12** (1): 129–141. [OCLC 648103394](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/648103394)
- Sokol, Anthony (1968). *The Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Navy*. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. [OCLC 462208412](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/462208412)
- Sondhaus, Lawrence (1994). *The Naval Policy of Austria-Hungary, 1867–1918: Navalism, Industrial Development, and the Politics of Dualism*. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-034-9.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SMS Orjen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Orjen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Orjen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.