SMS ''Vulcano'' (subsequently renamed to German ''Vulkan'', also ''Vulcan'') was a

paddle steamer A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses wer ...

The Influence of Air Power Upon History
Walter J. Boyne, page 409 built for the

Austro-Hungarian Navy The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and launched in 1843.To Ascend from a Floating Base: Shipboard Aeronautics and Aviation, 1783-1914
R. D. Layman, page 34 Subsequently given the German name ''Vulkan'', or ''Vulcan''. Remained in service until 1872, and finally stricken in 1884 to become a

coal hulk A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment ...

. In 1849 the ''Vulcano'', serving as a

balloon carrier A balloon carrier or balloon tender was a ship equipped with a balloon, usually tied to the ship by a rope or cable, and usually used for observation. During the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, these ships were built t ...

(the precursor to the

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

), launched hot air balloon bombs at

, the first offensive use of

air power Airpower or air power consists of the application of military aviation, military strategy and strategic theory to the realm of aerial warfare and close air support. Airpower began in the advent of powered flight early in the 20th century. Airpo ...

naval aviation Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...

Blockade of Venice

In 1848

rebelled, declaring independence from the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

. ''Vulcano'' and other Austrian vessels managed to escape capture, however most of their men deserted to the Venetian side, in many cases since non-Italian officers promised immediate discharges to their Italian sailors. In March 1848 ''Vulcano'' evacuated the personnel of the Austrian embassy from

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, but the crew mutinied mid-route and attempted to direct the ship to

, however the ambassador

Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg Felix Ludwig Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzenberg (german: Felix Ludwig Johann Friedrich Prinz zu Schwarzenberg; cs, Felix Ludvík Jan Bedřich princ ze Schwarzenbergu; 2 October 1800 – 5 April 1852) was a Bohemian nobleman and an Au ...

managed to restore order and direct the ship to

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

. ''Vulcano'' was part of squadron commanded by Captain Ludwig Kudriaffsky that blockaded Venice in April 1848.Naval Warfare, 1815-1914
Lawrence Sondhaus, page 46 On 26 April 1848 the ''Vulcano'' (armed with two 48-pounders and four 12-pounders) intercepted a Greek brig attempting to break the blockade, but was engaged in a gun battle with the Venetian ''Pio Nono'' (armed with an 80-pounder Paixhan and a 24-pounder) who hit the ''Vulcano'' twice forcing her to withdraw.

Balloon bombardment

In July 1849 ''Vulcano'' took part in the first aggressive use of balloons in warfare, serving as a

(the precursor to the

)Naval Aviation in the Second World War
Philip Kaplan in the first offensive use of

.Taking Flight: Inventing the Aerial Age, from Antiquity through the First World War
Richard P. Hallion, page 66Naval Aviation in the First World War: Its Impact and Influence
R. D. Layman, page 56Broken Wings: The Hungarian Air Force, 1918-45
Stephen L. Renner, page 2 Austrian forces besieging Venice attempted to float some 200 paper

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...

s, each carrying a 24- to 30-pound bomb that was to be dropped from the balloon with a time fuse over the besieged city. The balloons were launched mainly from land; however, some were also launched from ''Vulcano''. The Austrians used smaller pilot balloons to determine the correct fuse settings. At least one bomb fell in the city; however, due to the wind changing after launch, most of the balloons missed their target, and some drifted back over Austrian lines and the launching ship ''Vulcano''.Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918: An Illustrated History of Their Impact
Justin D. Murphy, page 9-10Military Ballooning During the Early Civil War
The Johns Hopkins University Press, F. Stansbury Haydon, page 18-20Mikesh, Robert C. "Japan's World War II balloon bomb attacks on North America." (1973).
/ref> On 4 July, she had run aground at Malamocco and come under fire from Manfrin Fort. A crew member was killed. She was damaged at her paddlebox. ''Vulcan'' was refloated the next day with assistance from and the Austrian steamships ''Curtatone'' and ''Dorotea''.

Subsequent Service

In September 1869, a

boiler explosion A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. There are two types of boiler explosions. One type is a failure of the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. There can be many different causes, such as failure of the safety valve ...

killed eleven of her crew and severely injured many more. On 17 November 1869, was one of seventy ships, all of which drew less than 13 feet of water, that sailed through the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

in a procession marking the opening of the canal.Archives of Empire: Volume I. From The East India Company to the Suez Canal
edited by Barbara Harlow, Mia Carter, page 568 Remained in service until 1872, and finally struck in 1884 to become a

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vulcano 1843 ships Ships of the Austro-Hungarian Navy Maritime incidents in July 1849 Paddle steamers Steamships of Austria-Hungary Maritime incidents in September 1869