SMS Boa

SMS Boa was a torpedo boat of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Built as a unit of the "Python" class, she was typical of the seagoing torpedo boats acquired by Austro-Hungary between 1896 and 1914. In 1910 she was renamed Torpedoboot 15.

"Boa" and her sister ships, "Python." "Kigyo" and "Cobra," were the result of competitive tests between two torpedo boats built in 1895-96. "Natter" was built by the firm of F. Schichau at Elbing, while "Viper" was built by Yarrow on the Thames at Millbank. Admiralty ("Marinesektion)" officials were better satisfied with the performance of "Viper," and four slightly larger examples were ordered from Yarrow.

A steel-hulled vessel of 132 tons displacement, "Boa" measured 152 feet six inches in length with a beam of 15 feet and a draft of four feet six inches. Her reciprocating engines of 1,800 horsepower gave a speed of 26 knots. Armament consisted of two 4.7cm quick-firing guns and three 17.7-inch torpedo tubes.

Launched on the Thames on 20 August 1898, "Boa" was completed on 24 September of that year.She and her sister ships formed a division of seagoing torpedo boats capable of challenging Italian forces in the event of war.

In 1910 a new nomenclature was introduced for all Austro-Hungarian torpedo boats. Existing names were discarded and replaced with numbers in the series "Torpedoboot 1" to "Torpedoboot 49." "Boa" was renamed "Torpedoboot 15," abbreviated "Tb 15."

During the First World War, "Tb 15" was employed as a convoy escort and minesweeper. Allocated to Britain as a war reparation in 1920, she was immediately sold and scrapped in Italy.

References

* Jane's Fighting Ships 1914.
* Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921.

External link

* [http://www.kuk-kriegsmarine.at/tb13tb18.htm]