SMS Kaiser Franz Joseph (Hungarian: SMS Király Ferenc József) was a proposed Tegetthoff-class superdreadnought drafted for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Concept for the dreadnought was developed in 1913 by a joint collaboration between Granz-Danubius and Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino. The ship was originally named Báthori Erzsébet before changing to Király Ferenc József. The design -seen as a successor to the four Tegetthoff-class built- was presented to the German Empire and plans for the ship's construction were to be initiated by the September of 1915. However, many were skeptical of the battleship's capability due to the immense size, complexity, and massive cost of both time and resources. The project was eventually shelved and abandoned for the rest of World War 1. Exist only in blueprints. It is said that the eventual concept of the succeeding Ersatz Monarch-class dreadnoughts and the introduction of the Bismarck class battleships was heavily based on the designs of SMS Kaiser Franz.

General characteristics

Type: Dreadnought battleship

Length: 221 m (725 ft)

Beam: 30 m (98.4 ft)

Installed power: 45,000 or 52,400 shp

Propulsion: 3 shafts, 6 steam turbine sets, 2 propeller blades

Speed: 25 knots

Range: 6,500 nmi at 12 knots

Armaments:
-6 x triple 38 cm (15 in) guns
-10 x double 15 cm (5.9 in) guns
-16 single 66 mm guns
-2 single 65 mm AA guns
-4 x 533 (21 in) torpedo tubes

Armor:
-Belt: 300 mm
-Turret: 350 mm
-Deck: 75 mm
-Casemates: 150 mm


Story cover art of SMS Kaiser Franz

(Art is drawn by me! Softwares used: Adobe Photoshop, Drawing Tablet)

Full body art available soon!

Fun facts and more ship info:

-The Ersatz Monarch-class were the successors of the Tegetthoff-class dreadnought battleships. Around 4 were planned to be built around 1914-1919. However, the Hungarian government canceled any further progress on the ship construction. All 4 dreadnoughts were never built and exist as blueprints. However, their guns which were produced by Škoda were still used for the rest of WW1

-SMS Kaiser Franz often and will refer to herself as a Tegetthoff-class despite being a successor

-SMS Kaiser Franz considers herself Austrian despite her production and drafting being originally done in Budapest