The former French minister of navy Lockroy (1)wrote to the Italian representative Lorenzo d’Addo what his opinion was dealing with the Austrian navy. D’Addo published this opinion in the Italian newspaper Stampa of Turin. The Austrian navy was regarded as a second rank navy purely for defensive purposes and with a budget of ƒ 21.000.000 somewhat comparable with the Dutch naval budget of ƒ 17.000.000. The Dutch journalist thought that it was perhaps a more expanded study of the Austrian navy would be useful while a well known expert as Lockroy called her a ‘organisation admirable’. According to Lockroy build Austria with a limited budget a stronger fleet as Italy her only possible enemy in a future war. It was Austria which ruled the Adriatic Sea and not Italy. The Italian naval force in the arsenals of Venice and Tarente was just small and almost useless. The Austrian coast with a length of 1.900 kilometres was divides in sea districts each provided with a main station with coal, torpedo’s, weapons and ammunition. The administration was a example of good organisation according to experts one of the best of the world. No money was expended like in Italy and France. The budget of 43.000.000 francs was the half of the Italian budget while the Austrian navy had 2/3 of the Italian military value. With excellent ships and crew was a naval policy developed with a clear target namely a strong defensive force. Not a search for strategically properties above tactical value and not enormous dimensions above military properties. The result a force to be feared. At that moment consisted the navy of 131 units including 17 new ironclads and 84 torpedo boats armed with 879 guns and 185 torpedo tubes and manned by 14,253 men.
Note
1. Edouard Lockroy (18 July 1838 Paris-1913), minister of marine 1895-1899, member of the Radical party. Responsible for a drastic reform of his department. Author of several naval books.
Note
1. Edouard Lockroy (18 July 1838 Paris-1913), minister of marine 1895-1899, member of the Radical party. Responsible for a drastic reform of his department. Author of several naval books.
