Why was the Austro-Hungarian Uboat fleet scrapped?

[komi]

Looking through a list of surviving Austro-Hungarian Uboats at the time of the 1918 armistice it seems like they were all subsequently scrapped. I was just wondering why some of them weren't put on the international market as a potential cash source for whatever victorious Allied powers they were surrendered to, or handed over to a smaller ally of one of those powers?

From my sources I see there were a couple nations buying other peoples WW1-service subs around that era (e.g. Spain purchasing the Italian F22, F23, and F24 subs). Anybody know the reason behind the decision to scrap all surviving Austro-Hungarian Uboats?

[Catfish]

Austria lost all his mediterranean coastlines, along with Hungary, with the treaty of Versailles, and the boats were surrendered to Italy, and France.

There may be several reasons why they were not sold.
A strong one may be the resentment towards the enemy, so like with the german U-boats in "Operation deathlight" after WW2 where they examined and then sank and destroyed them, rather than putting them to use, or sell them. Some of the technical development was still secret and advanced for the time, so to whom should they be sold without giving others a key for modern technology.
Also this outlandish machinery with different system of units and all that. They would have been difficult to maintain without trained personnell and the original tools. I guess it was easier to use the ideas and build their own new boats around them, and then scrap the old ones with their secrets.
Another possibility is that the austro-hungarian boats were technologically obsolete, already in 1914. They had already also used german U-boat designs at the time, if with changes and adaptions. http://www.wikiwand.com/en/U-27-class_submarine_(Austria-Hungary)

I admit i have not enough knowledge about the austro-hungarian fleet though, especially not when it comes to post-1918. Afaik most of the fleet was based in Trieste, and Pola, and i also have no idea where all those surface units were surrendered to. :hmmm:

[komi]

A strong one may be the resentment towards the enemy, so like with the german U-boats in "Operation deathlight" after WW2 where they examined and then sank and destroyed them, rather than putting them to use, or sell them.

I thought that was to keep the technology out of Soviet hands (like the US did with captured Japanese subs). But I could be completely wrong...


Also this outlandish machinery with different system of units and all that. They would have been difficult to maintain without trained personnell and the original tools.

Hm, but the Dutch were able to put UC-8 into service...

Another possibility is that the austro-hungarian boats were technologically obsolete, already in 1914. They had already also used german U-boat designs at the time, if with changes and adaptions.

I would have thought there still could have been less-advanced countries or those with smaller fleets who could have been dumped with some of those subs? Maybe a country like Spain in 1917-18 could have been interested in some captured Uboats if the price was right? F22 and F23 that they purchased were laid down in 1915 and commissioned in 1917, the same years as some of the surviving Austro-Hungarian subs (e.g. U-21 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_U-21_(Austria-Hungary))).

I admit i have not enough knowledge about the austro-hungarian fleet though, especially not when it comes to post-1918. Afaik most of the fleet was based in Trieste, and Pola, and i also have no idea where all those surface units were surrendered to. :hmmm:

Would be curious to find out...

[em2nought]

You seem to have a preconceived notion that governments have the best interests of taxpayers at heart. :03:

[komi]

You seem to have a preconceived notion that governments have the best interests of taxpayers at heart. :03:

How naive of me... :doh:

[Jimbuna]

I admit i have not enough knowledge about the austro-hungarian fleet though, especially not when it comes to post-1918. Afaik most of the fleet was based in Trieste, and Pola, and i also have no idea where all those surface units were surrendered to. :hmmm:

https://www.quora.com/What-happened-to-the-austrian-navy-after-world-war-1

[Catfish]

^ thanks, had sought myself but .. good link :salute:

p.s. and it was op. deadlight, not wit th.. sorry :oops:

[Jimbuna]

p.s. and it was op. deadlight, not wit th.. sorry :oops:

I read that post and never even noticed :)

:oops:

[Eichhörnchen]

And whatever happened to the Austro-Hungarian space programme?

[Catfish]

^ They surrendered it to England?

[Jimbuna]

^ They surrendered it to England?

Who passed it on to the EU :)

[komi]

Either I've no sense of humor or this is some inside joke I'm missing... :-?

[Catfish]

I just tried to react to Eichhoernchen :hmmm:

@Jim: :haha: Not really.
Well the EU has ESA, does the UK plan to remain a member as a non-european? :hmmm:

[Eichhörnchen]

Either I've no sense of humor or this is some inside joke I'm missing... :-?

Sorry, shipmate... just me being an idiot

[Jimbuna]

I just tried to react to Eichhoernchen :hmmm:

@Jim: :haha: Not really.
Well the EU has ESA, does the UK plan to remain a member as a non-european? :hmmm:

The UK would like to maintain strong ties with the EU on military and security grounds.

[komi]

Sorry, shipmate... just me being an idiot

Hey better to be silly and happy than serious and morose ;)

[Eichhörnchen]

Hey better to be silly and happy than serious and morose ;)

:salute::)

[Eichhörnchen]

It does seem incongruous to us now to think that Austria (Austria-Hungary) had a U-Boat fleet. This thread has helped renew my interest in that part of Europe in those far off times, when they had a coastline along the Adriatic Sea with the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[Catfish]

It does seem incongruous to us now to think that Austria (Austria-Hungary) had a U-Boat fleet. This thread has helped renew my interest in that part of Europe in those far off times, when they had a coastline along the Adriatic Sea with the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Maybe they will have a coastline again, one day. Be it politically, or climate-wise.. :03:
They had quite a big High-Seas fleet, and as i read also lots of flat-going monitors and cannon boats for the Danube river.
Venice has belonged to Austria two times in history, and before that Crete and Cyprus belonged to Venice.. the latter has also attacked Austria several times.
"an area belonging to ..." is a very momentary term, over the centuries.

[Jimbuna]

I very much doubt Austria will ever rise to the prominence it once enjoyed.

Forever living in the shadow of Germany one could say.

[komi]

This thread has helped renew my interest in that part of Europe in those far off times, when they had a coastline along the Adriatic Sea with the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

I have no idea (not having read it) if this is a good book, but if you (or anyone else) is interested in Austro-Hungarian subs I did find a novel set on one. Reviews look good: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1354187.A_Sailor_of_Austria