 Mars in 1894 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mars |
| Builder | Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven |
| Laid down | 1877 |
| Launched | 15 November 1879 |
| Commissioned | 1 March 1881 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 3,542 t (3,486 long tons) |
| Length | 85.3 m (280 ft) |
| Beam | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Draft | 5.92 m (19.4 ft) |
| Propulsion | 1 × Marine steam engine |
| Speed | 11.4 knots (21.1 km/h; 13.1 mph) |
| Complement | 344–474 |
SMS Mars was an artillery training ship of the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), built in the late 1870s.
In the 1860s and 1870s, the German navy had three elderly ships that were used to train gunners for the fleet: Thetis, Gefion, and Renown; these ships were of increasingly little use, as their wooden hulls were ageing and the types of guns fitted were shifting into obsolescence. In addition, they had insufficient accommodations for the crew, instructional staff, and trainees. As a result, the navy realized by the mid-1870s that a new, purpose-built, iron-hulled gunnery training ship would be required, with design work for the new vessel being done in 1876. Since the ship would not be expected to be used in combat, her speed would not need to be high, and she would carry no armor protection. Her resemblance to contemporary broadside ironclad warships led to her being nicknamed the "rubber battleship". She nevertheless proved to be quite effective as a training ship. [1] [2]
Mars was 85.3 meters (280 ft) long, with a beam of 15 m (49 ft) and a draft of 5.92 m (19.4 ft). She displaced 3,542 metric tons (3,486 long tons; 3,904 short tons) at full load. The ship's crew varied over the course of her career, between 344 and 474 officers and enlisted men. She was powered by a single marine steam engine that drove one screw propeller and coal-fired boilers, both of which had been taken from Renown, which gave her a top speed of 11.4 knots (21.1 km/h; 13.1 mph) As built, she was equipped with a schooner rig, though this was later cut down, with the sailing rig only being used to provide stability. [3]
Construction of the new ship began with her keel laying in 1877. [1] Mars was launched on 15 November 1879 at the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Shipyard) in Wilhelmshaven. [4] After fitting-out work was completed, she was commissioned for sea trials on 1 March 1881. [1] She was the first gunnery training ship built for the German navy. At the time, training was rather crude, with one test per year for each ship of the fleet, and the tests consisted of firing at targets 500, 1,500, and 2,500 meters (550, 1,640, and 2,730 yards) away. This would begin to be remedied only in 1885, when August von Thomsen was appointed the chief gunner for the fleet, and he began to improve the training regimen, particularly with regards to longer range fire. [5] Mars completed her trials quickly, and was assigned to the North Sea Naval Station, though she was technically under the control of the gunnery officers at the Kaiserliche Admiralität (Imperial Admiralty). She began gunnery training in April 1881 in the Schillig roadstead just outside Wilhelmshaven. On 26 April, one of the 21 cm shells exploded aboard the ship, killing nine men and wounding another eighteen. At the end of the year, she returned to the inner harbor at Wilhelmshaven, where she remained for the winter. [1]
Mars was initially supported by the old gunboat Fuchs, which served as her tender, though in 1882, Fuchs was replaced by the new gunboat Hay, followed by the torpedo boat Sicher in 1883. [6] During this period, Franz von Hipper served aboard the ship from April to May 1882 for his Basic Gunnery School. [7] On 1 October 1883, Mars was reassigned to the newly-formed Naval Artillery Inspectorate. [8] In 1884, Mars was sent to tow the corvette Sophie back to Wilhelmshaven after she had been rammed and badly damaged by the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamer Hohenstaufen. On 31 August, the new Chief of the Admiralty, Leo von Caprivi, Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Eduard von Knorr, and Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Wilhelm von Wickede —Caprivi's chief of staff and the commander of the Training Squadron, respectively—came aboard the ship for an inspection of recently built fortifications on the island of Wangerooge. Mars thereafter took part in the annual autumn fleet maneuvers in September, the first time she participated in them. [9]
SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm was one of the first ocean-going battleships of the German Kaiserliche Marine. The ship was named for Prince-elector Friedrich Wilhelm, 17th-century Duke of Prussia and Margrave of Brandenburg. She was the fourth pre-dreadnought of the Brandenburg class, along with her sister ships Brandenburg, Weissenburg, and Wörth. She was laid down in 1890 in the Imperial Dockyard in Wilhelmshaven, launched in 1891, and completed in 1893. The Brandenburg-class battleships carried six large-caliber guns in three twin turrets, as opposed to four guns in two turrets, as was the standard in other navies.
SMS Siegfried was the lead ship of the six-member Siegfried class of coastal defense ships built for the German Imperial Navy. Her sister ships were Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall, Hildebrand, and Hagen. Siegfried was built by the Germaniawerft shipyard between 1888 and 1890, and was armed with a main battery of three 24-centimeter (9.4 in) guns. She served in the German fleet throughout the 1890s and was rebuilt in 1903 - 1904. She served in the VI Battle Squadron after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, but saw no action. Siegfried was demobilized in 1915 and used as a barracks ship thereafter. She was ultimately broken up for scrap in 1920.
SMS Ägir was the second and final member of the Odin class of coastal defense ships built for the Imperial German Navy. She had one sister ship, Odin. Ägir was named for the norse god, and was built by the Kaiserliche Werft in Danzig between 1893 and 1896. She was armed with a main battery of three 24-centimeter (9.4 in) guns. She served in the German fleet throughout the 1890s and was rebuilt in 1901–1903. She served in the VI Battle Squadron after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, but saw no action. Ägir was demobilized in 1915 and used as a tender thereafter. After the war, she was rebuilt as a merchant ship and served in this capacity until December 1929, when she was wrecked on the island of Gotland.
SMS Wörth was one of four German pre-dreadnought battleships of the Brandenburg class, built in the early 1890s. The class also included Brandenburg, Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm, and Weissenburg. The ships were the first ocean-going battleships built for the Kaiserliche Marine. Wörth was laid down at the Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel in May 1890. The ship was launched on 6 August 1892 and commissioned into the fleet on 31 October 1893. Wörth and her three sisters carried six heavy guns rather than four, as was standard for most other navies' battleships. She was named for the Battle of Wörth fought during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871.
SMS Brandenburg was the lead ship of the Brandenburg-class pre-dreadnought battleships, which included Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm, Weissenburg, and Wörth, built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the early 1890s. She was the first pre-dreadnought built for the German Navy; earlier, the navy had only built coastal defense ships and armored frigates. The ship was laid down at the AG Vulcan dockyard in 1890, launched on 21 September 1891, and commissioned into the German Navy on 19 November 1893. Brandenburg and her three sisters were unique for their time in that they carried six heavy guns instead of the four that were standard in other navies. She was named after the Province of Brandenburg.
SMS Kaiser Wilhelm II was the second ship of the Kaiser Friedrich III class of pre-dreadnought battleships. She was built at the Imperial Dockyard in Wilhelmshaven and launched on 14 September 1897. The ship was commissioned into the fleet as its flagship on 13 February 1900. Kaiser Wilhelm II was armed with a main battery of four 24-centimeter (9.45 in) guns in two twin turrets. She was powered by triple expansion engines that delivered a top speed of 17.5 knots.
SMS Freya was a protected cruiser of the Victoria Louise class, built for the German Imperial Navy in the 1890s, along with her sister ships Victoria Louise, Hertha, Vineta, and Hansa. Freya was laid down at the Imperial Dockyard in Danzig in 1895, launched in April 1897, and commissioned into the Navy in October 1898. The ship was armed with a battery of two 21 cm guns and eight 15 cm guns and had a top speed of 19 knots. Though the five Victoria Louise-class cruisers proved to be disappointing in some ways, they marked the beginning of a decade of German cruiser construction.
SMS Beowulf was the second vessel of the six-member Siegfried class of coastal defense ships built for the German Imperial Navy. Her sister ships were Siegfried, Frithjof, Heimdall, Hildebrand, and Hagen. Beowulf was built by the AG Weser shipyard between 1890 and 1892, and was armed with a main battery of three 24-centimeter (9.4 in) guns. She served in the German fleet throughout the 1890s and was rebuilt in 1900 – 1902. She served in the VI Battle Squadron after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, but saw no action. Beowulf was demobilized in 1915 and used as a target ship for U-boats thereafter. She was ultimately broken up for scrap in 1921.
SMS Hildebrand was the fifth vessel of the six-member Siegfried class of coastal defense ships built for the German Imperial Navy. Her sister ships were Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall, and Hagen. Hildebrand was built by the Kaiserliche Werft at Kiel between 1890 and 1893, and was armed with a main battery of three 24-centimeter (9.4 in) guns. She served in the German fleet throughout the 1890s and was rebuilt in 1900–1902. She served in the VI Battle Squadron after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, but saw no action. Hildebrand was demobilized in 1915 and used as a barracks ship thereafter. She ran aground while en route to the Netherlands for scrapping in 1919, and was eventually broken up in situ in 1933.
SMS Prinzess Wilhelm was a protected cruiser of the German Imperial Navy. She was the second Irene-class cruiser; her only sister ship was SMS Irene. Prinzess Wilhelm was laid down in 1886 at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel, launched in September 1887, and commissioned into the fleet in November 1889. The cruiser was named after Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, first wife of Kaiser Wilhem II. As built, the ship was armed with a main battery of fourteen 15 cm (5.9 in) guns and had a top speed of 18 knots.
SMS Wacht was an aviso of the Imperial German Navy, the lead ship of her class. She had one sister ship, Jagd. Wacht was built by the AG Weser shipyard; she was laid down in 1886, launched in August 1887, and commissioned in August 1888. She served in the active fleet through the 1890s and participated in numerous training exercises. Her career was cut short on 4 September 1901, when she collided with the old ironclad SMS Sachsen. The latter's ram bow holed Wacht under the waterline and caused her to rapidly sink. Her crew was safely rescued, however, and there were no casualties.
SMS Jagd was an aviso of the Imperial German Navy, the second and final member of the Wacht class. She had one sister ship, Wacht. Jagd was laid down in 1887 at the AG Weser shipyard, launched in July 1888, and commissioned in June 1889. She served in the German fleet for the next fifteen years, until she was withdrawn from active duty in 1904. Thereafter, she was used as a harbor ship. In 1910, she was stricken from the naval register and hulked. She was later used as a torpedo training platform until 1920, when she was sold for scrapping.
SMS Carola was the lead ship of the Carola class of steam corvettes built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the 1880s. Intended for service in the German colonial empire, the ship was designed with a combination of steam and sail power for extended range, and was equipped with a battery of ten 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns. Carola was laid down at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin in 1879, launched in November 1880, and completed in September 1881.
SMS Olga was the second member of the Carola class of steam corvettes built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the 1880s. Intended for service in the German colonial empire, the ship was designed with a combination of steam and sail power for extended range, and was equipped with a battery of ten 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns. Olga was laid down at the AG Vulcan in Stettin in 1879, she was launched in December 1880, and she was completed in January 1882.
The Jäger class of steam gunboats was a class of fifteen ships that were built for the Prussian Navy in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The class, which were the first steam gunboats built for the Prussian fleet, comprised the following vessels: Jäger, Crocodill, Fuchs, Hay, Scorpion, Sperber, Hyäne, Habicht, Pfeil, Natter, Schwalbe, Salamander, Wespe, Tiger, and Wolf. They were armed with three guns and were intended to guard the Prussian coast in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. They proved to handle poorly in service, and as a result, spent much of their existences laid up ashore. Several of the boats were activated during the Second Schleswig War in 1864, and some took part in a minor battle against Danish warships. Crocodill was scrapped in 1867 due to her poor condition, but the rest of the class remained in the fleet's inventory into the 1870s, when they began to be discarded. Most of the ships served on as storage barges, usually for naval mines, though Jäger and Wolf were both sunk as target ships.
SMS Fuchs was a steam gunboat of the Jäger class built for the Prussian Navy in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The ship was ordered as part of a program to strengthen Prussia's coastal defense forces, then oriented against neighboring Denmark. She was armed with a battery of three guns. The ship saw limited time in service. She was activated during the Second Schleswig War in 1864 and the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, but she did not engage enemy vessels during either conflict. Fuchs served as a gunnery training ship in the late 1870s and early 1880s, and was then used as a storage hulk for a few years before being broken up.
SMS Habicht was a steam gunboat of the Jäger class built for the Prussian Navy in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The ship was ordered as part of a program to strengthen Prussia's coastal defense forces, then oriented against neighboring Denmark. She was armed with a battery of three guns. The ship saw very little activity during her career. She was activated during the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864 and briefly engaged Danish ships in July. She was also commissioned for the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, being used to defend the Prussian coast. She saw no action against French forces in the conflict, however. Habicht largely remained out of service through the 1870s, until she was struck from the naval register in 1877. She was used as a storage hulk for a time in Wilhelmshaven, but details of her eventual disposal are unknown.
SMS Otter was a gunboat built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the 1870s. Originally intended for use in Chinese waters against local pirates, she instead remained in Germany through her career as a training ship. This was the result of the ship's very poor seaworthiness, which prevented her from making the long voyage to China. In German waters, she operated as a tender for the artillery school from 1880 to 1886; from 1887 to 1897, she served in the Ship Inspection Commission; and then from 1898 to 1907, Otter was assigned to the Mine Testing Commission. The ship became part of the torpedo school from 1907 to 1912, when she was converted into a coal storage barge. She was then sold into private service in 1914, ultimately to Anschütz & Co., which used Otter for compass testing. She was eventually broken up in 1926.
SMS Hay was a small gunboat built by the German Kaiserliche Marine in the early 1880s. She was intended to serve as a tender for the German fleet's artillery school. This saw the ship primarily used to tow targets for gunners aboard the training ship Mars to engage. As such, she was a small vessel, and carried a light armament. Hay served in this capacity from her commissioning in 1882 until 1906. During that period, beginning in 1892, she was also used to protect fishing grounds in German territorial waters. After being decommissioned in 1906, she was used as a target ship through World War I, and was sold to ship breakers in 1919.
SMS Brummer was the lead ship of the Brummer class of armored gunboats built for the German Kaiserliche Marine in the 1880s. The ship was ordered to serve in Germany's coastal defense system alongside the Sachsen-class ironclads and Wespe-class gunboats. They were significantly less well armed and protected compared to the Wespes, but they were lighter and faster vessels. Brummer's primary armament was a single 21 cm (8.3 in) gun carried in her bow, and she had a top speed of about 14 knots.