SMS Bayern

Last updated

SMS Bayern in Scapa Flow.jpg
Bayern, probably during her internment at Scapa Flow
History
War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg German Empire
NameSMS Bayern
Namesake Bavaria, then a kingdom within the German Empire
Builder Howaldtswerke, Kiel
Laid down22 December 1913
Launched18 February 1915
Commissioned15 July 1916
Fate
General characteristics
Class and type Bayern-class battleship
Displacement
Length180 m (590 ft 7 in) loa
Beam30 m (98 ft 5 in)
Draft9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range5,000  nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Crew
  • 42 officers
  • 1,129 enlisted men
Armament
Armor
  • Belt: 170–350 mm (6.7–13.8 in)
  • Conning tower: 400 mm (15.7 in)
  • Deck: 60 mm–100 mm (2.3–3.9 in)
  • Turrets: 200 to 350 mm (7.9 to 13.8 in)

SMS Bayern [lower-alpha 1] was the lead ship of the Bayern class of dreadnought battleships in the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy). The vessel was launched in February 1915 and entered service in July 1916, too late to take part in the Battle of Jutland. Her main armament consisted of eight 38 cm (15 in) guns in four turrets, which was a significant improvement over the preceding König 's ten 30.5 cm (12 inch) guns. [lower-alpha 2] The ship was to have formed the nucleus for a fourth battle squadron in the High Seas Fleet, along with three of her sister ships. Of the other ships only one—Baden—was completed; the other two were canceled later in the war when production requirements shifted to U-boat construction.

Contents

Bayern was commissioned midway through the war, and had a limited service career. The first operation in which the ship took part was an abortive fleet advance into the North Sea on 18–19 August 1916, a month after she had been commissioned. The ship also participated in Operation Albion in the Gulf of Riga, but shortly after the German attack began on 12 October 1917, Bayern was mined and had to be withdrawn for repairs. She was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow in November 1918 following the end of World War I. On 21 June 1919, Admiral Ludwig von Reuter ordered the fleet to be scuttled; Bayern sank at 14:30. In September 1934, the ship was raised, towed to Rosyth, and scrapped.

Design

Armor layout for Bayern
; the numbers represent the armor thickness in millimeters in each area SMS-Bayern-protection-scheme-EN.svg
Armor layout for Bayern; the numbers represent the armor thickness in millimeters in each area

Design work on the Bayern class began in 1910 in the context of the Anglo-German naval arms race, with initial discussions focused on the caliber of the main battery; previous German battleships had carried 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, but as foreign navies adopted 34 cm (13.5 in) and 35.6 cm (14 in) weapons, the German naval command felt the need to respond with larger guns of their own. They considered 32 cm (12.6 in), 38 cm (15 in), and 40 cm (15.7 in) guns. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the State Secretary of the Reichsmarineamt (Imperial Naval Office), was able to use public outcry over the Agadir Crisis to pressure the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) into appropriating additional funds for the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) to offset the additional cost of the larger weapons. The design staff settled on the 38 cm caliber since the 40 cm was significantly more expensive and the 38 cm gun marked a significant improvement over existing German guns. [1] [2] [3]

Bayern was 179.4 m (588 ft 7 in) long at the waterline, and an even 180 m (590 ft 7 in) long overall. She had a beam of 30 m (98 ft 5 in) and a draft of 9.3–9.4 m (30 ft 6 in – 30 ft 10 in)Bayern displaced 28,530 metric tons (28,080 long tons ) at a normal displacement; at full combat load, she displaced up to 32,200 t (31,700 long tons). Bayern was powered by three Parsons steam turbines, with steam provided by three oil-fired and eleven coal-fired Schulz-Thornycroft water-tube boilers. Her propulsion system was rated at 35,000 metric horsepower (35,000  shp ) for a maximum speed of 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph), and on trials achieved 55,967 metric horsepower (55,201 shp) for a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). [4] [lower-alpha 3] The ship could carry up to 3,400 t (3,300 long tons; 3,700 short tons) of coal and 620 t (610 long tons; 680 short tons) of fuel oil, which provided a maximum range of 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a cruising speed of 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph). [5]

The ship was the first German warship armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns. [lower-alpha 4] The main battery guns were arranged in four twin gun turrets: two superfiring turrets each fore and aft. [7] Her secondary armament consisted of sixteen 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns, four 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns and five 60 cm (23.6 in) underwater torpedo tubes, one in the bow and two on each beam. Upon commissioning, she carried a crew of 42 officers and 1,129 enlisted men. The ship had an armored belt that was 170–350 mm (6.7–13.8 in) thick and an armored deck that was 60–100 mm (2.4–3.9 in) thick. Her forward conning tower had 400 mm (15.7 in) sides, and the main battery turrets had 350 mm thick sides and 200 mm (7.9 in) thick roofs. [8] [9]

Service history

Bayern
in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal while commissioned for sea trials Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R17811, Linienschiff "Bayern".jpg
Bayern in the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal while commissioned for sea trials

Bayern was ordered with the provisional name "T" in 1912, [4] under the fourth and final Naval Law, which was passed that year. [10] Work began at the Howaldtswerke Dockyard in Kiel under construction number 590. The ship was laid down on 22 December 1913 and launched on 18 February 1915. After fitting-out, she was commissioned on 18 March, but remained largely idle in port for the next month, undergoing initial tests, including inclination tests to determine how the vessel responded to flooding. She got underway on 15 April for initial trials of her main battery, which lasted into the next day. Bayern conducted her first full-power speed test on 25 April off the island of Alsen; these trials continued until 2 May. After further examinations, the ship was deemed ready for service on 15 July, a month and a half too late for her to participate in the Battle of Jutland. [4] [11]

Bayern joined III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet upon her commissioning. The ship would have been available for the operation, [12] but the ship's crew, composed largely of the crew from the recently decommissioned battleship Lothringen, [13] was given leave. [12] She had cost the Imperial German Government 49 million Goldmarks. [4] Bayern was later joined in service by one sister ship, Baden. Two other ships of this class, Sachsen and Württemberg, were canceled before they were completed. [8] At the time of her commissioning, Bayern's commander was Kapitän zur See (Captain at Sea) Max Hahn. Ernst Lindemann, who went on to command the battleship Bismarck during her only combat sortie in World War II, served aboard the ship as a wireless operator. [13] On 25 May, Ludwig III of Bavaria, the last King of Bavaria, visited the ship. Bayern briefly served as the fleet flagship, from 7 to 16 August. [14]

Admiral Reinhard Scheer planned a fleet advance for 18–19 August 1916; the operation consisted of a bombardment conducted by I Scouting Group. This was an attempt to draw out and destroy Admiral David Beatty's battlecruisers. As Moltke and Von der Tann were the only two German battlecruisers still in fighting condition, three dreadnoughts were assigned to the unit for the operation: Bayern and the two König-class ships Markgraf and Grosser Kurfürst. Admiral Scheer and the rest of the High Seas Fleet, including 15 dreadnoughts, were to trail behind and provide cover. [15] The makeshift I Scouting Group conducted familiarization exercises on 15 August in preparation for the operation; Hipper was displeased by the slow speed of the battleships and Scheer ordered the unit not to exceed 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) from the main fleet so as to avoid being cut off by the faster British battlecruisers. [16]

The Germans got underway late in the day on 18 August; the British were aware of the German plans and sortied the Grand Fleet to meet them. By 14:35 on 19 August, [lower-alpha 5] Scheer had been warned of the Grand Fleet's approach and, unwilling to engage the whole of the Grand Fleet just 11 weeks after the close call at Jutland, turned his forces around and retreated to German ports. [17] Another sortie into the North Sea followed on 18–20 October, and the German fleet again encountered no British naval forces. [12] The High Seas Fleet was reorganized on 6 December, and Bayern was stationed in the second position of III Squadron, since she was not outfitted to serve as a squadron flagship. Her placement as the second vessel in the line nevertheless would have allowed her to bring her greater firepower into action as quickly as possible. [16]

Operation Albion

Recognition drawing of Bayern SMS Bayern.jpg
Recognition drawing of Bayern

In early September 1917, following the German conquest of the Russian port of Riga, the German navy decided to evict the Russian naval forces that still held the Gulf of Riga. To this end, the Admiralstab (the Navy High Command) planned an operation to seize the Baltic islands of Ösel, particularly the Russian gun batteries on the Sworbe peninsula. [18] On 18 September, the order was issued for a joint Army-Navy operation to capture Ösel and Moon islands; the primary naval component consisted of the flagship Moltke and III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet. At this time, V Division included the Bayern and four König-class battleships. VI Division consisted of the five Kaiser-class battleships. Along with 9 light cruisers, 3 torpedo boat flotillas, and dozens of mine warfare ships, the entire force numbered some 300 ships, supported by over 100 aircraft and 6 zeppelins. The invasion force amounted to approximately 24,600 officers and enlisted men. [19] Opposing the Germans were the old Russian pre-dreadnoughts Slava and Tsesarevich, the armored cruisers Bayan, Admiral Makarov, and Diana, 26 destroyers, and several torpedo boats and gunboats. The garrison on Ösel numbered some 14,000 men. [20]

The operation began on 12 October, when Bayern, along with Moltke and the four Königs, began firing on the Russian shore batteries at Tagga Bay. Simultaneously, the five Kaisers engaged the batteries on the Sworbe peninsula; the objective was to secure the channel between Moon and Dagö islands, thus blocking the only escape route of the Russian ships in the gulf. Bayern's role in the operation was cut short when she struck a naval mine at 5:07 while moving into her bombardment position at Pamerort. [20] The mine explosion killed one Unteroffizier and six sailors, allowed 1,000 metric tons (980 long tons; 1,100 short tons) of water into the ship and caused the forecastle to sink by 2 m (6.6 ft). [12] [21] Despite the damage inflicted by the mine, Bayern engaged the naval battery at Cape Toffri on the southern tip of Hiiumaa. Bayern was released from her position at 14:00. Preliminary repairs were made on 13 October in Tagga Bay. [21] The temporary repairs proved ineffective, and Bayern had to be withdrawn to Kiel for repairs; the return trip took 19 days. [20] Repairs lasted from 3 November to 27 December, [12] during which the forward torpedo tube room was stripped of its equipment and the torpedo ports were sealed. The room was then turned into an additional watertight compartment. [8] Four 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 anti-aircraft guns were also installed during the repairs. [12]

On 16 October, two König-class battleships and several smaller vessels were sent to engage the Russian battleships in the Gulf of Riga. The following day, König and Kronprinz engaged the Russian battleships—König dueled with Slava and Kronprinz fired on both Slava and the cruiser Bayan. The Russian vessels were hit dozens of times, until at 10:30 the Russian naval commander, Admiral Bakhirev, ordered their withdrawal. Slava had taken too much damage, and was unable to escape; instead, she was scuttled and her crew was evacuated on a destroyer. [22] By 20 October, the naval operations were effectively over; the Russian fleet had been destroyed or forced to withdraw, and the German army held the islands in the gulf. [23]

Subsequent operations

Illustration of Bayern
steaming into Scapa Flow 'the Pride of the German Fleet' - the battleship 'bayern', the first German ship to carry 15-inch guns, surrenders, never having fired her guns in action Art.IWMART1636.jpg
Illustration of Bayern steaming into Scapa Flow

Following her return to the fleet, Bayern was assigned to security duties in the North Sea. [12] Admiral Scheer had used light surface forces to attack British convoys to Norway beginning in late 1917. As a result, the Royal Navy attached a squadron of battleships to protect the convoys, which presented Scheer with the possibility of destroying a detached squadron of the Grand Fleet. Scheer remarked that "A successful attack on such a convoy would not only result in the sinking of much tonnage, but would be a great military success, and would ... force the English to send more warships to the northern waters." [24] Scheer instituted strict wireless silence in preparation for the planned attack. This denied the British the ability to intercept and decrypt German signals, which had previously been a significant advantage. The operation called for Hipper's battlecruisers to attack the convoy and its escorts on 23 April while the battleships of the High Seas Fleet stood by in support. [24]

On 22 April, Bayern and the rest of the German fleet assembled in the Schillig Roads outside Wilhelmshaven and departed the following morning at 06:00. Heavy fog forced the Germans to remain inside their defensive minefields for half an hour. [24] Hipper's forces were 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) west of Egerö, Norway, by 05:20 on 24 April. Despite the success in reaching the convoy route undetected, the operation failed due to faulty intelligence. Reports from U-boats indicated to Scheer that the convoys sailed at the start and middle of each week, but a west-bound convoy had left Bergen on Tuesday the 22nd and an east-bound group left Methil, Scotland, on the 24th, a Thursday. As a result, there was no convoy for Hipper to attack. [25]

The same day, one of Moltke's screws slipped off, which caused serious damage to the power plant and allowed 2,000 metric tons (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) of water into the ship. Moltke was forced to break radio silence in order to inform Scheer of the ship's condition, which alerted the Royal Navy to the High Seas Fleet's activities. [25] Beatty sortied with a force of 31 battleships and four battlecruisers, but was too late to intercept the retreating Germans. The Germans reached their defensive minefields early on 25 April, though approximately 40 nmi (74 km; 46 mi) off Helgoland Moltke was torpedoed by the submarine E42. Moltke nevertheless successfully returned to port. [26]

Fate

Bayern
sinking at Scapa Flow SMS Bayern sinking.jpg
Bayern sinking at Scapa Flow

From 23 September to early October, Bayern served as the flagship of III Squadron, under Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Hugo Kraft. [27] Bayern was to have taken part in what would have amounted to the "death ride" of the High Seas Fleet shortly before the end of World War I. The bulk of the High Seas Fleet was to have sortied from its base in Wilhelmshaven to engage the British Grand Fleet. Scheer—by now the Großadmiral of the fleet—intended to inflict as much damage as possible on the British navy, in order to obtain a better bargaining position for Germany, whatever the cost to the fleet. [28]

While the fleet was consolidating in Wilhelmshaven, war-weary sailors began rioting. [29] On 24 October 1918, the order was given to sail from Wilhelmshaven. Starting on the night of 29 October, sailors on several battleships mutinied; three ships from III Squadron refused to weigh anchor, and acts of sabotage were committed on board the battleships Thüringen and Helgoland. The order to sail was rescinded in the face of this open revolt. [30] In an attempt to suppress the mutiny, the battleship squadrons were dispersed. [29] Bayern, along with the rest of III Squadron, was sent to Kiel. [27]

Following the capitulation of Germany in November 1918, the majority of the High Seas Fleet was to be interned in the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow. [31] Bayern was listed as one of the ships to be handed over. On 21 November 1918, the ships to be interned, under the command of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, sailed from their base in Germany for the last time. The fleet rendezvoused with the British light cruiser Cardiff, before meeting a flotilla of 370 British, American, and French warships for the voyage to Scapa Flow. [32]

The fleet remained in captivity during the negotiations that ultimately produced the Versailles Treaty. Reuter believed that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June, which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty. Unaware that the deadline had been extended to the 23rd, Reuter ordered his ships to be sunk. On the morning of 21 June, the British fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training maneuvers; at 11:20 Reuter transmitted the order to his ships. [33] Bayern sank at 14:30. The ship was raised on 1 September 1934 and was broken up the following year in Rosyth. The ship's bell was eventually delivered to the German Federal Navy and is on display at Kiel Fördeklub. [8] [lower-alpha 6] Some parts of the ship, including her main battery gun turrets, remain on the sea floor between 38 and 45 m (125 and 148 ft), where they can be accessed by scuba divers. [34] [35]

Notes

Footnotes

  1. "SMS" stands for " Seiner Majestät Schiff ", or "His Majesty's Ship". Bayern is the German name for Bavaria.
  2. The 38 cm gun fired a 750-kilogram (1,650 lb) shell while the 30.5 cm gun fired a 405 kg (893 lb) shell. Bayern had a broadside weight of 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) with all eight guns while König's ten guns had a broadside weight of 4,050 kg (8,930 lb). See: Campbell & Sieche, p. 140.
  3. Parsons operated a branch in Germany named Turbinia, which provided British-built turbines to the German navy, as well as commercial shipping companies. See: Weir, p. 95.
  4. In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnelladekanone) denotes that the gun is quick loading, while the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 calibers, meaning that the gun is 45 times as long as it is in bore diameter. [6]
  5. The times mentioned in this article are in CET, which is congruent with the German perspective. This is one hour ahead of UTC, the time zone commonly used in British works.
  6. It is unknown when the bell was returned, but it is likely that it was sometime between the late 1950s and mid 1960s. The British government returned the bell from SMS Hindenburg on 28 May 1959 and the bells from SMS Derfflinger and SMS Friedrich der Grosse on 30 August 1965. See: Gröner, pp. 26, 57.

Citations

  1. Friedman, p. 131.
  2. Dodson, p. 97.
  3. Nottelmann, pp. 289–293.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gröner, p. 28.
  5. Staff, p. 40.
  6. Grießmer, p. 177.
  7. Hore, p. 70.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Gröner, p. 30.
  9. Dodson, p. 225.
  10. Herwig, p. 81.
  11. Nottelmann, pp. 298, 304.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Staff, p. 43.
  13. 1 2 Grützner, p. 41.
  14. Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 46.
  15. Massie, p. 682.
  16. 1 2 Nottelmann, p. 311.
  17. Massie, p. 683.
  18. Halpern, p. 213.
  19. Halpern, pp. 214–215.
  20. 1 2 3 Halpern, p. 215.
  21. 1 2 Grützner, pp. 48–51.
  22. Halpern, p. 218.
  23. Halpern, p. 219.
  24. 1 2 3 Halpern, p. 418.
  25. 1 2 Halpern, p. 419.
  26. Halpern, p. 420.
  27. 1 2 Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 47.
  28. Tarrant, pp. 280–281.
  29. 1 2 Massie, p. 775.
  30. Tarrant, pp. 281–282.
  31. Tarrant, p. 282.
  32. Herwig, pp. 254–255.
  33. Herwig, p. 256.
  34. Gannon.
  35. "SMS Bayern: Salvage site" . Retrieved 26 October 2020.

Related Research Articles

SMS <i>Kaiser</i> (1911) Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Kaiser was the lead ship of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Kaiser was built by the Imperial Dockyard at Kiel, launched on 22 March 1911 and commissioned on 1 August 1912. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 23.4 knots. Kaiser was assigned to III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of World War I.

<i>Bayern</i>-class battleship Battleship class of the German Imperial Navy

The Bayern class was a class of four super-dreadnought battleships built by the German Kaiserliche Marine. The class comprised Bayern, Baden, Sachsen, and Württemberg. Construction started on the ships shortly before World War I; Baden was laid down in 1913, Bayern and Sachsen followed in 1914, and Württemberg, the final ship, was laid down in 1915. Only Baden and Bayern were completed, due to shipbuilding priorities changing as the war dragged on. It was determined that U-boats were more valuable to the war effort, and so work on new battleships was slowed and ultimately stopped altogether. As a result, Bayern and Baden were the last German battleships completed by the Kaiserliche Marine.

SMS <i>Baden</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMSBaden was a Bayern-class dreadnought battleship of the German Imperial Navy built during World War I. Launched in October 1915 and completed in March 1917, she was the last battleship completed for use in the war; two of her sisters—Sachsen and Württemberg—were incomplete when the war ended. The ship mounted eight 38-centimeter (15 in) guns in four twin turrets, displaced 32,200 metric tons at full combat load, and had a top speed of 21 knots. Along with her sister Bayern, Baden was the largest and most powerfully armed battleship built by the Imperial Navy.

SMS <i>Seydlitz</i> Battlecruiser of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Seydlitz was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine, built in Hamburg. She was ordered in 1910 and commissioned in May 1913, the fourth battlecruiser built for the High Seas Fleet. She was named after Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, a Prussian general during the reign of King Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War. Seydlitz represented the culmination of the first generation of German battlecruisers, which had started with the Von der Tann in 1906 and continued with the pair of Moltke-class battlecruisers ordered in 1907 and 1908. Seydlitz featured several incremental improvements over the preceding designs, including a redesigned propulsion system and an improved armor layout. The ship was also significantly larger than her predecessors—at 24,988 metric tons, she was approximately 3,000 metric tons heavier than the Moltke-class ships.

SMS <i>König</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS König was the first of four König-class dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy during World War I. König was named in honor of King William II of Württemberg. The battleship was armed with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets and could steam at a top speed of 21 knots. Laid down in October 1911, the ship was launched on 1 March 1913. The construction of König was completed shortly after the outbreak of World War I; she was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 9 August 1914.

SMS <i>Moltke</i> Battlecruiser of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Moltke was the lead ship of the Moltke-class battlecruisers of the German Imperial Navy, named after the 19th-century German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke. Commissioned on 30 September 1911, the ship was the second battlecruiser of the Imperial Navy. Moltke, along with her sister ship Goeben, was an enlarged version of the previous German battlecruiser design, Von der Tann, with increased armor protection and two more main guns in an additional turret. Compared to her British rivals—the Indefatigable classMoltke and her sister Goeben were significantly larger and better armored.

SMS <i>Helgoland</i> (1909) Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Helgoland, the lead ship of her class, was a dreadnought battleship of the German Imperial Navy. Helgoland's design represented an incremental improvement over the preceding Nassau class, including an increase in the bore diameter of the main guns, from 28 cm (11 in) to 30.5 cm (12 in). Her keel was laid down on 11 November 1908 at the Howaldtswerke shipyards in Kiel. Helgoland was launched on 25 September 1909 and was commissioned on 23 August 1911.

SMS <i>Nassau</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy; lead ship of her class

SMS Nassau was the first dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial German Navy, a response to the launching of the British battleship HMS Dreadnought. Nassau was laid down on 22 July 1907 at the Kaiserliche Werft in Wilhelmshaven, and launched less than a year later on 7 March 1908, approximately 25 months after Dreadnought. She was the lead ship of her class of four battleships, which included Posen, Rheinland, and Westfalen.

SMS <i>Kronprinz</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Kronprinz was the last dreadnought battleship of the four-ship König class of the German Imperial Navy. The battleship was laid down in November 1911 and launched on 21 February 1914. She was formally commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 8 November 1914, just over 3 months after the start of World War I. The name Kronprinz refers to Crown Prince Wilhelm, and in June 1918, the ship was renamed Kronprinz Wilhelm in his honor. The battleship was armed with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets and could steam at a top speed of 21 knots.

<i>Kaiser</i>-class battleship Battleship class of the German Imperial Navy

The Kaiser class was a class of five dreadnought battleships that were built in Germany prior to World War I and served in the Kaiserliche Marine during the war. They were the third class of German dreadnoughts, and the first to feature turbine engines and superfiring turrets. The five ships were Kaiser, Friedrich der Grosse, Kaiserin, Prinzregent Luitpold, and König Albert. As was usual for German battleships of the period, the Kaiser class mounted main guns that were smaller than those of their British rivals: 30.5 cm (12 in), compared to the 34.3 cm (13.5 in) guns of the British Orion class.

SMS <i>Markgraf</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Markgraf was the third dreadnought battleship of the four-ship König class. She served in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. The battleship was laid down in November 1911 and launched on 4 June 1913. She was formally commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 1 October 1914, just over two months after the outbreak of war in Europe. Markgraf was armed with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets and could steam at a top speed of 21 knots. Markgraf was named in honor of the royal family of Baden. The name Markgraf is a rank of German nobility and is equivalent to the English Margrave, or Marquess.

SMS <i>Grosser Kurfürst</i> (1913) Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Grosser Kurfürst was the second dreadnought battleship of the four-ship König class. Grosser Kurfürst served in the Imperial German Navy during World War I. The battleship was laid down in October 1911 and launched on 5 May 1913. She was formally commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 30 July 1914, days before the outbreak of war between Germany and the United Kingdom. Her name means Great Elector, and refers to Frederick William I, the Prince-elector of Brandenburg. Grosser Kurfürst was armed with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets and could steam at a top speed of 21 knots.

SMS <i>Friedrich der Grosse</i> (1911) Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Friedrich der Grosse was the second vessel of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the German Imperial Navy. Friedrich der Grosse's keel was laid on 26 January 1910 at the AG Vulcan dockyard in Hamburg, her hull was launched on 10 June 1911, and she was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October 1912. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 23.4 knots. Friedrich der Grosse was assigned to III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of World War I, and served as fleet flagship from her commissioning until 1917.

SMS <i>Kaiserin</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Kaiserin was the third vessel of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Kaiserin's keel was laid in November 1910 at the Howaldtswerke dockyard in Kiel. She was launched on 11 November 1911 and was commissioned into the fleet on 14 May 1913. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 22.1 knots. Kaiserin was assigned to III Battle Squadron and later IV Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I.

SMS <i>Prinzregent Luitpold</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Prinzregent Luitpold was the fifth and final vessel of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Prinzregent Luitpold's keel was laid in October 1910 at the Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel. She was launched on 17 February 1912 and was commissioned into the navy on 19 August 1913. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 21.7 knots.

SMS <i>König Albert</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS König Albert was the fourth vessel of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. König Albert's keel was laid on 17 July 1910 at the Schichau-Werke dockyard in Danzig. She was launched on 27 April 1912 and was commissioned into the fleet on 31 July 1913. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 22.1 knots. König Albert was assigned to III Battle Squadron and later IV Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I.

SMS <i>Oldenburg</i> Battleship of the Imperial German Navy

SMS Oldenburg was the fourth vessel of the Helgoland class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Oldenburg's keel was laid in March 1909 at the Schichau-Werke dockyard in Danzig. She was launched on 30 June 1910 and was commissioned into the fleet on 1 May 1912. The ship was equipped with twelve 30.5 cm (12 in) guns in six twin turrets, and had a top speed of 21.2 knots. Oldenburg was assigned to I Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I.

SMS <i>Thüringen</i> Battleship of the German Imperial Navy

SMS Thüringen was the third vessel of the Helgoland class of dreadnought battleships of the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy}. Thüringen's keel was laid in November 1908 at the AG Weser dockyard in Bremen. She was launched on 27 November 1909 and commissioned into the fleet on 1 July 1911. The ship was equipped with twelve 30.5 cm guns in six twin turrets, and had a top speed of 21 knots. Thüringen was assigned to I Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Seas Fleet</span> Imperial German Navy fleet

The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Imperial Navy and saw action during the First World War. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to challenge the Royal Navy's predominance. Kaiser Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, championed the fleet as the instrument by which he would seize overseas possessions and make Germany a global power. By concentrating a powerful battle fleet in the North Sea while the Royal Navy was required to disperse its forces around the British Empire, Tirpitz believed Germany could achieve a balance of force that could seriously damage British naval hegemony. This was the heart of Tirpitz's "Risk Theory", which held that Britain would not challenge Germany if the latter's fleet posed such a significant threat to its own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">III Battle Squadron</span> Military unit

The III Battle Squadron was a unit of the German High Seas Fleet before and during World War I. The squadron saw action throughout the war, including the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, where it formed the front of the German line. The ships were interned in Scapa Flow after the end of the war, where they were scuttled by their crews. Most of the ships of the squadron were raised for scrapping, though three remain on the bottom of the harbor.

References

Further reading