Montecuccoli's fleet to contest the Adriatic

Montecuccoli argued for a navy large enough to contest, rather than necessarily dominate, the Adriatic. He presented sea power to army leaders as protection against an Italian coastal bypass and as a way to keep troops available for offensive operations rather than coastal garrisons. He rejected the idea that torpedo boats alone could meet the requirement because destroyers and rapid-fire guns made that solution too simple. His approved program specified twelve battleships, four armoured cruisers, eight scout cruisers, eighteen destroyers, thirty-six high-seas torpedo craft, and submarines. Finance and infrastructure prevented its complete realization.