The Hydrographic Office of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, headquartered in Pola since 1869, was in charge of conducting maritime surveys and producing all sea charts until 1918. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Austro-Hungarian Navy was still using the revised charts that were based on the hydrographic survey conducted by Tobias von Oesterreicher in 1866-1870. In order to meet the new requirements necessitated by the introduction of dreadnought battleships and submarines, at the dawn of WWI Austro-Hungary started a new hydrographic survey of the Adriatic, conducted under the command of Arthur Catinelli Edler von Obradich-Bevilacqua. The survey, which was launched in 1907 had the task of providing modern and reliable maritime charts accompanied by dense soundings, more data on the composition of the seafloor, as well as some adjustments in the process of construction of the charts. Charts that were based on this survey had a crucial role in all WWI naval operations in the Adriatic Sea.