The Austro-Hungarian Navy during the Great War

Published on 3 February 2026
Submitted by Graham Kemp

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).

The Austro-Hungarian Navy during the Great War
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