Austro-Hungarian dreadnought Szent István


The Austro-Hungarian dreadnought Szent István sinking after torpedoed by an Italian torpedo boat during the Otranto Raid of 11th June 1918. Her sister ship Tegetthoff can be seen floating by at right. She took 89 sailors and officers with her to the bottom of the Adriatic Sea out of a complement of
1,094 men.

 The K.u.K Marine, unlike a lot of navies in that day, competent swimming abilities was a requirement.  So when her captain gave the order to abandon ship, the process was calm and orderly.  That saved a lot of lives, and certainly minimised the death toll

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