Panther-class cruiser
Panther in port, date unknown
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, Trieste |
| Operators: |
 Austria–Hungary |
| Preceded by: | Zara class |
| Succeeded by: | SMS Tiger |
| Built: | 1884–1886 |
| In commission: | 1885–1920 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Scrapped: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,557 t (1,532 long tons; 1,716 short tons) |
| Length: | 73.19 m (240 ft 1 in) |
| Beam: | 10.39 m (34 ft 1 in) |
| Draft: | 4.28 m (14 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power: | 5,940 to 6,380 indicated horsepower (4,430 to 4,760 kW) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × compound steam engines |
| Speed: | 18.4 to 18.7 knots (34.1 to 34.6 km/h; 21.2 to 21.5 mph) |
| Crew: | 186 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: | Deck: 12 mm (0.47 in) |
The Panther-class consisted of two cruisers, Panther and Leopard, built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the 1880s.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy Commander (Marinekommandant), Vice Admiral Maximilian Daublebsky von Sterneck, outlined in a memorandum of 8 September 1884 the requirements for a torpedo ram cruiser. Such a vessel should have a reinforced bow for ramming as well as torpedoes for attacks on larger warships. The cruisers would also be small and fast enough to undertake patrol and reconnaissance duties. The ships were ordered from the British Armstrong shipyard in part because Armstrong could build the ships more cheaply, but also to gain experience building modern small cruisers. In fact, Panther and Leopard provided the basis for the follow-on design, SMS Tiger, which was a slightly enlarged version of the earlier ships. They were originally classified as "torpedo ships" (Torpedoschiff), equivalent of a torpedo cruiser in other navies. In 1903 they were reclassified as 3rd Class Cruisers, then in 1909 as small cruisers (Kleine Kreuzer).
The Panther-class cruisers were 69 meters (226 ft 5 in) long between perpendiculars, 71.38 m (234 ft 2 in) long at the waterline, and 73.19 m (240 ft 1 in) long overall. They had a beam of 10.39 m (34 ft 1 in) and a draft of 4.28 m (14 ft 1 in). They displaced 1,557 t (1,532 long tons; 1,716 short tons). Their crew numbered 186 officers and men, though this later increased to 198.
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