 Between 1906 – 1908 and 1909 – 1910 , the ship was rebuilt and equipped with more modern main guns . The 24 cm guns were replaced with quick @-@ firing 19 cm L / 42 guns manufactured by Skoda . Four 37 mm Vickers revolving cannon were also installed . The ship 's heavy fighting masts were removed . In 1912 , the ship was sent to Salonika to safeguard Austro @-@ Hungarian interests during the Balkan Wars . She was then assigned to the 1st Cruiser Division , and remained in that unit after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 . It consisted of the other two armored cruisers in the fleet , and three light cruisers , under the command of Vice Admiral Paul Fiedler . She was used as a harbor guard ship in Šibenik starting in 1914 . In 1916 , she was withdrawn from service and disarmed the following year for use as a barracks ship for German U @-@ boat crews operating out of the Austrian naval base at Pola . Her guns were converted for use on land and sent to the Italian front . After the end of the war , in 1920 , Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia was allocated to Britain as a war prize . The British sold her to an Italian ship @-@ breaking firm , which broke her up for scrap . 
