The 24 Kaiman-class ships were high-seas torpedo boats built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy between 1904 and 1910. Yarrow Shipbuilders built the lead ship (launched on 3 June 1905), Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino of Trieste built 13 boats, and Ganz-Danubius constructed the remaining 10 boats at their shipyards at Fiume. The class was considered to be a very successful design, and all boats saw extensive active service during World War I, undertaking a range of tasks, including escort duties, shore bombardments and minesweeping. All survived, although several were damaged by naval mines and collisions. One was torpedoed and badly damaged by a French submarine, and two sank an Italian submarine. All the boats were transferred to the Allies and scrapped at the end of the war, except for four that were allocated to the navy of the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. These were discarded and broken up between 1928 and 1930.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiman-class_torpedo_boat
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1844:
The last known pair of great auks (specimens depicted), the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, were killed on Eldey, off the coast of Iceland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_auk
1950:
Herzog and Lachenal of the French Annapurna expedition became the first climbers to reach the summit of an 8,000-metre peak. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_French_Annapurna_expedition
1969:
During a SEATO exercise HMAS Melbourne of the Royal Australian Navy collided with the U.S. Navy's USS Frank E. Evans, cutting the latter in two and killing 74 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne%E2%80%93Evans_collision
1982:
An assassination attempt on Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, failed; this was later used as justification for the 1982 Lebanon War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shlomo_Argov
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
disport: (transitive, intransitive, reflexive, dated) To amuse oneself divertingly or playfully; in particular, to cavort or gambol. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disport
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Let's forget today who is friend or foe, and hold each other in caring embrace. Let your love be the magnet to bring the humanity to Allah's grace. Remember those in perennial fast, constantly in hunger and deprivation, Share with the poor, orphans and the destitutes, to make inclusive your celebration. --Kazi Nazrul Islam https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kazi_Nazrul_Islam