Austro-Hungarian protected cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth visited the Dutch East Indies in February 1904

The Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1903-1904 reported that the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Kaiserin Elisabeth visited Tandjong-Priok, Dutch East Indies between 9-19 February 1904. The Dutch newspaper Soerabaijasch handelsblad dated 4 February 1904 reported that she was expected to arrive on 10 February. She was comparable with the Dutch protected cruisers but heavier armed. The Bataviaasch nieuwsblad dated 9 February reported her arrival supplying more details. Commanded by Franz Mirth [Mirtl?]was she armed with 25 guns, a crew numbering 456 men (including 38 officers) coming from Pola [nowadays Pula, Croatia] via Port Said, Egypt, Aden, Yemen and Colombo, Ceylon bound for Albaug(?). The edition dated 19 February reported her departure towards Simpang, Djambi en towards the north. The De locomotief dated 16 February reported she was forced to stay at Tandjong Priok caused by the situation in the North [the Russo-Japanese war 1904-1905] All available Cardiff-coal were bought by the firm Maclaine Watson&Comp. for an expected British collier. At Sabang seemed also all Cardif-coal to be bought, there by the government of the Straits as a friendship gesture towards the ally Japan.

Note

1. Laid down at the Seearsenal at Pola [nowadays Croatia] on 1 July 1888, launched on 25 September 1890, commissioned on 25 September 1890,stationed at China when the First World War broke out, part of her crew helped to defend the German base at Tsingtao against a Japanese attack, Japanese aircraft from the seaplane carrier Wakamiya attacked her without success on 6 September 1914, her 15cm and 4.7 cm guns were put ashore to from the Batterie Elisabeth with the ship scuttled later on 2 November followed by the surrender of the fortress to the Japanese forces. Her crew was released in 1920.  Of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I protected cruiser-class, consisted of the Kaiser Franz Joseph I and the Kaiserin Elisabeth as response of the British build of the Italian cruiser Giovanni Bausan (1) in 1882-1885. The Austrian chose for a torpedo ram cruiser while the building costs of 13 million crones were considerable lower as for an armoured cruiser with 18 million. The Dutch newspaper Scheepvaart dated 14 December 1904 published an item dated Shanghai, China 12 December reporting that she collided with the German steamship Eva and that she was anchored off Woosung. An item dated 13 December reported her departure under own power to Nagasaki, Japan with 2 destroyed life boats and a heavy gun shifted.