Wilhelm von Tegetthoff Wilhelm von Tegetthoff ( 23 December 1827 – 7 April 1871 ) was an Austrian admiral . Considered one of the prominent naval commanders of the 19th century , Tegetthoff was known for his innovative tactics as well as his inspirational leadership . Early life and career . Tegetthoff was born in Marburg , Styria in Austrian Empire ( now Maribor in Slovenia ) , on 23 December 1827 the son of Karl von Tegetthoff , an " Oberstleutnant " in the Austrian Army . On his mother ' s side he was related to Johann Kaspar Freiherr von Seiller , Mayor of Vienna from 1851 to 1861 . Entering the Marinecollegium ( naval academy ) in Venice in 1840 , Tegetthoff became a " Seekadett " on 23 July 1845 and witnessed the Venetian uprising in 1848 / 49 . He received a commission upon his graduation on 16 April 1849 and took part in the blockade of Venice from May to August 1849 . Tegetthoff was promoted to " Fregattenleutnant " on 16 June 1851 and " Linienschiffsleutnant " on 16 November 1852 . Tegetthoff received his first command , the naval schooner " Elisabeth " , in 1854 . This was at the time of the Austrian Navy ' s intensive conversion to steam power , of which he was an earnest advocate . In 1855 he was appointed commander of the paddle steamer " Taurus " , patrolling the Sulina mouth of the Danube during the Crimean War . This service brough him to the favorable notice of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria , the " Oberkommandant der Marine " ( High Commander of the Navy ) , with whom he had been acquainted since 1850 . Promoted to " Korvettenkapitän " in 1857 , Tegetthoff served on a semi - official scientific expedition to the Red Sea . Having shown exceptional diplomatic and organizational ability , in December 1857 he was appointed a staff officer . He was named commander in 1858 of the new screw corvette " Erzherzog Friedrich " on the coast of Morocco , then in a confused state of disorder . The Italian campaign of 1859 saw the Austrians unable to challenge the French fleet for mastery of the Adriatic . With the return of peace , Tegetthoff accompanied Fredinand Maximilian on a voyage to Brazil to visit Emperor Pedro II during the winter of 1859 / 60 . Promoted " Fregattenkapitän " on 27 April 1860 and " Linienschiffskapitän " on 23 November 1861 , he was named commander of the Levant Squadron in 1862 . In this capacity , he monitored the Greek revolution that deposed King Otto I and the anti - Western disurbances in Syria . The German - Danish War and the Seven Weeks ' War . During the Second Schleswig War , Tegetthoff as a " Kommodor " was given command , in February 1864 , of a small Austrian squadron that sailed to the North Sea to support the very weak Prussia n naval forces against the superior Danish navy which was blockading northern German ports . He was engaged by a Danish squadron commanded by Edouard Suenson at the Battle of Heligoland , in which Tegetthoff ' s flagship , the screw frigate " Schwarzenberg " , caught fire in a close - range gunnery fight with the Danish frigates " Niels Juell " and " Jylland " . Although the action was a tactical defeat for Tegetthoff , he achieved his main objective , since the Danish squadron was shortly thereafter recalled to Copenhagen , lifting the blockade of the Elbe and Weser ports . Tegetthoff ' s telegraphic dispatch was answered by Emperor Franz Josef I with another on 12 May 1864 promoting him " Kontreadmiral " ( Rear Admiral ) and conferring upon him the Order of the Iron Crown . Tegetthoff was appointed commander of the Austrian battle fleet on 9 May 1866 , shortly before the war against Italy . Although the Italian fleet was larger and more powerful , Tegetthoff decided to engage it after a successful reconnaissance of the Italian base of Ancona on 27 June 1866 . With their army suffering defeats against the Austrians during the first week of the war from 20 to 27 June 1866 , the Italians sought a victory over the Austrian navy by sending their fleet against the Austrian naval base at Lissa , off the coast of Dalmatia near Spàlato ( Split ) on 16 July 1866 . Encountering the Italian fleet early on the morning of 20 July 1866 , Tegetthoff sailed straight for the center of the Italian fleet , hoping to ram the ships to make up for his own fleet ' s lack of firepower ( " Rammstosstaktik " ) . The smoke from the Italian ships made visibility very poor , however , and the Austrians missed the Italian fleet completely . Swinging around , Tegetthoff again charged , this time setting two Italian armored ships on fire and damaging several more . After Tegetthoff ' s flagship , the " Erzherzog Ferdinand Max " , rammed and sank the armored Italian frigate " Re d ' Italia " , the Italian fleet retreated the next day . Tegetthoff returned in triumph to his base at Pola . Nevertheless , his victory did not materially affect the outcome of the war , as Italy ' s alliance with Prussia ensured an advantageous peace . Tegetthoff was immediately promoted , by telegraph , to " Vizeadmiral " ( Vice Admiral ) . He received congratulatory telegrams from Ferdinand Maximilian , by then the embattled Emperor of Mexico , and " Vizeadmiral " Hans Birch Dahlerup , former " Oberkommandant der Marine " ( High Commandant of the Navy ) . Tegetthoff was decorated with the Commander ' s Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa and made honorary citizen of Vienna . Following the victory of Lissa , Tegetthoff urged Franz Josef to annex the hinterland of the Dalmatian coast , so as to protect the region for development of naval bases . This was in fact accomplished with the occupation ( 1878 ) and annexation ( 1908 ) of Bosnia and Herzegovina , though long after Tegetthoff ' s death . Tegetthoff undertook a journey of study to France , Britain and the United States in 1866 / 67 . Upon the execution of Ferdinand Maximilian by the Mexican government of Benito Juárez , Tegetthoff was sent with the screw frigate " Novara " to bring his body home to Austria , arriving in the port of Trieste on 16 January 1868 . Late years . He received the post of " Marinekommandant " , as the chief administrative officer was named in 1865 in succession of Viceadmiral Ludwig von Fautz . In March 1868 Tegetthoff took also charge as " Chef der Marinesektion " ( Chief of the Naval Section ) of the War Ministry of the new dual monarchy . Despite considerable resistance from the General Staff , he vigorously pursued a complete reform of the Austro - Hungarian Navy ; his reforms remained in force until the fall of the " Donaumonarchie " in 1918 . On 1 April 1868 Tegetthoff was made a " Geheimrat " and a member of the " Herrenhaus " . Tegetthoff died suddenly from pneumonia on 7 April 1871 in Vienna at the age of 43 . His grave is located in the cemetery of St . Leonhard in Graz . He was succeeded as head of the naval administration by Friedrich von Pöck . Memorials . Memorials to Tegetthoff were erected in ( Marburg ) , Vienna and Pola . The monument on Vienna ' s Praterstern , the largest traffic junction of the city , consists of a column 11 meters high ( by Karl Hasenauer ) , topped by a bronze statue of Tegetthoff , some 3 . 5 meters in height , by Carl Kundmann and was finished in 1886 . The memorial at Pola , also by Kundmann , was erected in 1877 and consists of a bronze statue of Tegetthoff , with supporting bronze mythological figures . Pola passed to Italian sovereignty in 1919 , and in 1935 the monument was moved to Graz , Austria . Tegetthoff was pictured on an Austrian postage stamp in 1935 and on a 20 - euro coin minted in 2004 ( see below ) . Ships named for Tegetthoff included : Of these , the first was used in the 1872 – 74 arctic expedition of Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht which discovered Franz Josef Land in 1873 . The expedition ' s first discovery was named Cape Tegetthoff .