The Austro-Hungarian Navy during the Great War | Graham Kemp

Over the years, we have filmed quite a lot of speakers at the branch. These have been available to view on the WFA's YouTube channel, and can also be found as 'articles' on the WFA website. However these videos have not been separately grouped for those visiting the Yorkshire branch 'landing page' on the website.

By starting a process of loading these onto the branch page, this makes a number of talks that stretch back to about 2019 'visible'.

In this presentation, Graham Kemp talks about The Austro-Hungarian Navy during the Great War - which was given to the branch in January 2025.

Austro-Hungary is often equated with military incompetence, and rightly so. But this applies only to its army. This is the rarely told story of its navy, which proved highly efficient, and, despite its size, can claim, through its actions, to be the most successful navy of the war.

Based in the Adriatic ports of Pola and Cattaro, the Austro-Hungarian navy mounted a series of engagements mainly against Italy and the Barrage of Otranto which attempted to seal the southern end of the Adriatic. Amongst the most successful of its commanders was Captain Georg von Trapp (as featured in The Sound of Music).