SMS Von der Tann[lower-alpha 1] was the first battlecruiser built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy), as well as Germany's first major turbine-powered warship. At the time of her construction, Von der Tann was the fastest dreadnought-type warship afloat, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 27 knots (50km/h; 31mph). She was designed in response to the British Invincible class. While the German design had slightly lighter guns—28cm(11in),[lower-alpha 2] compared to the 30.5cm(12in) Mark X mounted on the British ships—Von der Tann was faster and significantly better-armored. She set the precedent of German battlecruisers carrying much heavier armor than their British equivalents, albeit at the cost of smaller guns.
Von der Tann participated in a number of fleet actions during the First World War, including several bombardments of the English coast. She was present at the Battle of Jutland, where she destroyed the British battlecruiser HMSIndefatigable in the opening minutes of the engagement. Von der Tann was hit several times by large-caliber shells during the battle, and at one point in the engagement, the ship had all of her main battery guns out of action either due to damage or malfunction. Nevertheless, the damage was quickly repaired and the ship returned to the fleet in two months.
Following the end of the war in November 1918, Von der Tann, along with most of the High Seas Fleet, was interned at Scapa Flow pending a decision by the Allies as to the fate of the fleet. The ship met her end in 1919 when German caretaker crews scuttled their ships to prevent their division among Allied navies. The wreck was raised in 1930, and scrapped at Rosyth from 1931 to 1934.
The preceding German large cruiser design of the 1906 budget year, Blücher, was an incremental increase over previous armored cruisers. Blücher was armed with twelve 21cm (8.3in) guns, but the advent of the British Invincible class, which were armed with a main battery of eight 30.5cm (12in) guns, outclassed the latest armored cruiser in terms of firepower. As a result, the large cruiser for 1907 would need to be an entirely new design to counter the British ships. Work on the new ship—referred to as "Cruiser F"—began in August 1906; the basic requirements for the ship was an armament of eight 28cm (11in) guns with a secondary battery of eight 15cm (5.9in) guns, along with a minimum speed of 23 knots (43km/h; 26mph). Among the preliminary designs were options that carried the secondary guns either in four twin-gun turrets or in casemates in a central battery. The Construction Office, under the Naval Constructor Rudolf von Eickstedt, submitted a competing proposal for a ship with six 28cm guns and a secondary battery of 17cm (6.7in) guns.[1]
Senior officers disagreed over the intended role of the new ship; the State Secretary of the Reichsmarineamt (RMA—Imperial Naval Office), Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, envisioned the new ship as a replication of the British Invincibles, mounting heavier guns, lighter armor, and higher speed with the intention of using the ship as a fleet scout and to destroy the opposing fleet's cruisers. Tirpitz had no intention of using the ship in the main battle line. Kaiser Wilhelm II however, along with most of the RMA, was in favor of incorporating the ship into the battle line after initial contact was made, which necessitated much heavier armor. The insistence upon the capability to fight in the battle line was a result of the numerical inferiority of the German High Seas fleet to the British Royal Navy. Initial proposals suggested a main battery of 30.5 to 34.3cm (12.0 to 13.5in) guns, but financial limitations necessitated the use of smaller, less expensive weaponry. The same 28cm twin-gun turrets that had been developed for the last two Nassau-class battleships would be used for "Cruiser F".[2][3]
Blücher, the initial German response to the Invincible class
At a conference in September 1906, many of the disagreements over the ship's design were resolved. Eickstedt, argued that since the explosive trials for the proposed protection systems for the new battlecruiser had not been completed, the construction should be postponed to allow for any alterations to the design. He also argued that guns of 21cm or 24cm (9.4in) caliber would be sufficient to penetrate the armor of the new British battlecruisers. However, Admiral August von Heeringen, of the General Navy Department, stated that for the ship to be able to engage battleships, the 28cm guns were necessary. Admiral Eduard von Capelle, the deputy director of the RMA, stated that depending on tests of the underwater protection system slated to be carried out in November, the main battery might have to be reduced in caliber to offset the weight of any improvements to the protection system that might need to be made. Tirpitz rejected the idea of a reduction in caliber, even if it required increasing displacement over the agreed-upon 19,000 metric tons (19,000 long tons).[4]
By the end of September, the design staff had submitted three basic arrangements to the Kaiser: "1a", with two twin turrets and four single turrets; "2a", with four twin turrets; and "5a", with three twin turrets and two single mounts. All three variants mounted their secondary guns in a casemate battery. The Kaiser approved "2a", which the design staff continued to refine, producing "2b" by moving the wing turrets to an en echelon arrangement that provided a theoretical broadside of all eight guns (though severe blast effects prevented this in practice). The decision was made to switch from triple-expansion steam engines to steam turbines for the propulsion system, which would increase speed to 24 knots (44km/h; 28mph); this produced the "2a1" variant; improvements to the protection scheme and increases to the designed horsepower resulted in the final version, "2c1".[5]
On 22 June 1907, the Kaiser authorized construction of "Cruiser F", to be named Von der Tann, after Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, a Bavarian general who fought in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The contract was awarded to the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg on 26 September 1907.[6] The ship cost 36.523million Marks,[6] an increase of thirty-three percent over Blücher and a doubling of the price of the previous armored cruiser Scharnhorst. The significant increases in price caused major problems for the German fleet, as the Naval Laws that governed the construction program assumed that prices would remain fairly stable over time.[7]
Design
CG-rendering of Von der Tann
General characteristics
Von der Tann was 171.5m (562ft 8in)long at the waterline and 171.7m (563ft 4in)long overall. She had a beam of 26.6m (87ft 3in), which was increased to 27.17m (89ft 2in) with the installation of anti-torpedo nets. Her draft measured 8.91m (29ft 3in) forward and 9.17m (30ft 1in) aft. She displaced19,370 metric tons (19,060 long tons) as designed and up to 21,300t (21,000 long tons) at full load. Her hull was constructed with transverse and longitudinal steel frames and was divided into fifteen watertight compartments, with a double bottom that ran for 75percent of the length of the hull.[8]
The ship was a good sea boat with gentle motion, though she had a slight weather helm. She was difficult to control while steaming in reverse. With the rudder hard over, she lost up to sixty percent speed and heeled up to eight degrees.[9] Frahm anti-roll tanks were fitted during construction, but these proved to be ineffective and they only reduced rolling by 33%.[10]Bilge keels were later added to improve stability, and the space previously used for the anti-roll tanks was instead used as extra fuel storage. The ship was able to carry an additional 180 t(200 short tons) of coal in the anti-roll tanks.[11]
The ship's crew compartments were arranged such that the officers were accommodated in the forecastle. This arrangement was found to be unsatisfactory, and not repeated in later classes.[12]Von der Tann was designed to be fitted with a lattice mast, but the ship was completed with standard pole masts instead. In 1914, spotting posts were attached to the masts in order to observe the fall of artillery fire. In 1915, seaplane trials were conducted on Von der Tann, and a crane was attached on the aft deck to lift the seaplane aboard the ship. Von der Tann had originally been equipped with anti-torpedo nets, but these were removed towards the end of 1916.[13]
Machinery
Von der Tann was the first large German warship to use steam turbines. Her propulsion system consisted of four steam turbines arranged in two sets: high pressure turbines, which ran the outer two shafts, and low pressure turbines, which powered the inner two shafts. Each shaft drove a 3-bladed screw propeller that was 3.6m (12ft) in diameter. The turbines were divided into three engine rooms. Steam for the turbines was provided by eighteen coal-fired double-ended water-tube boilers that were split into five boiler rooms. The boilers were ducted into two widely spaced funnels, one just aft of the fore mast and the other amidships.[9][13]
Her engines were rated at 42,000 metric horsepower (41,000shp) for a top speed of 24 knots (44km/h; 28mph), though on sea trials she significantly exceeded both figures, reaching 79,007 metric horsepower (77,926shp) for 27.4 knots (50.7km/h; 31.5mph). In one instance during a cruise from Tenerife to Germany, the ship averaged 27 knots (50km/h; 31mph) for an extended period, and reached a maximum speed of 28 knots (52km/h; 32mph). At the time of her launch, she was the fastest dreadnought-type warship afloat. She had a designed coal storage capacity of 1,000t (980 long tons) but at full load, could carry up to 2,600t (2,600 long tons). This enabled a cruising radius of 4,400 nautical miles (8,100km; 5,100mi) at 14 knots (26km/h; 16mph). Von der Tann's electrical plant consisted of six turbo generators that had a total output of 1,200kW (1,600hp) at 225volts.[14][15]
Like many German capital ships,[lower-alpha 3]Von der Tann had chronic problems with the often low-quality coal available for the ship's boilers. Following the end of the raid on Scarborough, Von der Tann's commander, Captain Max von Hahn, remarked that "the inadequacy of our coal and its burning properties results in heavy smoke clouds and signals our presence."[16] During the battle of Jutland, the ship was unable to maintain fires in all of her boilers after 16:00, due to the poor quality coal.[17] Many other German ships suffered the same difficulties during the battle, including Derfflinger and Seydlitz.[18] After 1916, the coal firing in the boilers was supplemented by spraying tar-oil on the coal, which improved the combustion rate.[13]
Armament
Von der Tann in 1911
Von der Tann carried eight 28cm (11in) SK L/45[lower-alpha 4] guns, mounted in four twin-gun turrets: one fore, one aft, and two staggered wing turrets. The guns were emplaced in the Drh.LC/1907 turntable mount, which was traversed electrically, while the guns themselves used hydraulics to change elevation.[6] The guns could be elevated up to 20degrees, which enabled a maximum range of 18,900m(20,700yd). A refit in 1915 increased this to 20,400m(22,300yd). The main guns fired a 302kg(670lb) armor-piercing shell that had a muzzle velocity of 875m/s; the main propellant charges were encased in a brass cartridge. A total of 660 projectiles were stored in four shell rooms, each containing 165 shells.[6] The wing turrets were staggered in such a way that all eight guns were able to fire on broadside on a very wide arc.[20]
Unlike her British contemporaries, Von der Tann also carried a heavy secondary battery, consisting of ten 15cm (5.9in) SKL/45 guns, casemated in MPLC/06 pivot mounts, each with 150 high explosive and armor-piercing shells. At construction, these guns could fire their 45.3kg(100lb) shells at targets up to 13,500m(14,800yd) away; after the 1915 refit, their maximum range was extended to 16,800m(18,400yd).[21] She was also armed with sixteen 8.8cm (3.5in) SKL/45 guns, to defend against torpedo boats and destroyers. These were also emplaced in pivot mounts, of the MPLC/01-06 type, with a total of 3,200 shells for these guns. These guns fired a 9kg(20lb) shell at the high rate of 15rounds per minute, up to a range of 10,694m(11,695yd), which was quite long for a smaller caliber weapon.[21] In late 1916, following repair work after the damage sustained during the Battle of Jutland, Von der Tann had her 8.8cm(3.5in) guns removed and the firing ports welded shut. Two 8.8cm flak guns were installed on the aft superstructure.[13]
As was customary for capital ships of the time, Von der Tann was equipped with four 45cm (17.7in)torpedo tubes, with a total of eleven torpedoes. These were located in the bow, the stern, and two on the broadside. The torpedoes carried a 110kg(240lb) warhead, and had an effective range of 2km(1.04nmi) when set for a speed of 32kn(59km/h), and 1.5km(0.81nmi) at 36kn(67km/h).[21]
Armor
Von der Tann as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual in 1913; shaded areas represent armor protection.
Because the Von der Tann was designed to fight in the battle line, her armor was much thicker than that of the British battlecruisers. Von der Tann weighed over 2,000tons more than the Indefatigable class,[22] and used 10% more of her weight for armor than the battlecruisers she faced at the Battle of Jutland.[21]
Von der Tann's armor consisted of Kruppcemented and nickel steel. The main belt armor was 80–120mm (3.1–4.7in) thick forward, 250mm(9.8in) thick over the ship's citadel, and was 100mm(3.9in) thick aft. The forward conning tower was protected by 250mm(9.8in), while the aft conning tower by 200mm(7.9in). The four turrets had 230mm(9.1in) faces, 180mm(7.1in) sides, and 90mm(3.5in) on the roofs. The horizontal armor measured 25mm(0.98in) thick, and the sloping deck armor was 50mm(2in) thick.[23] Like the armored cruiser Blücher before her, she was protected by a torpedo bulkhead, 25mm(0.98in) thick. It was set back a distance of 4meters(13ft) from the outer hull skin, the space in between being used to store coal.[24]
Service history
Von der Tann in 1911
The keel for Von der Tann was laid down on 21 March 1908, and the ship was launched nearly a year later on 20 March 1909. General Luitpold Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, a nephew of the ship's namesake and then the commander of III Royal Bavarian Corps, christened the ship at the launching ceremony.[25] In May 1910, Von der Tann sailed from the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg to receive her final fitting-out in the Kaiserliche Werft (Imperial Dockyard) at Kiel. The German Navy was chronically short of crews at the time, so dockyard workers had to bring the ship to Kiel. On 1 September 1910, the ship was commissioned into the German Navy, with a crew composed largely of men from the dreadnought Rheinland. Her first commander was Kapitän zur See (KzS–Captain at Sea) Robert Mischke. During sea trials, she reached an average speed of 27kn(50 km/h) over a six-hour period, with a top speed of 28.124 knots (52.086km/h; 32.365mph) with the engines at maximum output.[26][27]
Von der Tann was sent to South America after completing her trials, departing Germany on 20 February 1911. She stopped in the Canary Islands on the way. She visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, arriving there on 14 March, where she was visited by the Brazilian president, Hermes da Fonseca, before continuing on to Itajaha on 23 March. During this period, she cruised with the German light cruiserBremen, which was in the area. From there, she continued to Bahía Blanca, Argentina on 27 March, where many of her crew went ashore to visit the city. She stayed there until 8 April when she left for Bahia, Brazil, which she reached six days later. From there, Mischke and his staff made a visit to Buenos Aires on 30 March. On 17 April, she departed for home, arriving back in Wilhelmshaven on 6 May.[25][28] The primary purpose of the cruise was to obtain armament contracts from South American countries by impressing them with what was "widely advertised as the fastest and most powerful warship then afloat."[29]
Two days after arriving in port, Von der Tann joined I Scouting Group. In June, she steamed to Vlissingen in the Netherlands, where she embarked Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie to take them to attend the coronation of King George V of the United Kingdom. The ceremonies included a Fleet Review at Spithead that lasted from 20 to 29 June, where Von der Tann represented Germany. The battlecruiser then carried the Crown Prince and Princess back to Germany. She returned to operations with the fleet in August, and on 29 September, she became the flagship of I Scouting Group, replacing Blücher in that role. The unit was at that time commanded by Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Gustav Bachmann. In July 1912, while Von der Tann was undergoing an engine overhaul, the new battlecruiser Moltke replaced Von der Tann as flagship. KzSMax Hahn replaced Mischke as the ship's captain in September. She briefly served as the flagship of the deputy commander, Konteradmiral (Rear Admiral) Franz von Hipper, from 21 to 26 September. On 1 October, Von der Tann became the flagship of the 3rd Admiral of Reconnaissance Forces, KAdmFelix Funke; on 1 March 1914, Funke was transferred to command III Battle Squadron and he was replaced by KzSArthur Tapken, who was soon promoted to Konteradmiral on the 22nd.[28][30]
First World War
SMS Mainz sinking, with the British destroyer HMS Lurcher alongside, picking up survivors
1914
Following the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, Von der Tann's first major sortie occurred when the ship took part in the unsuccessful search for British battlecruisers, after the Battle of Heligoland Bight, in August 1914. During the action, Von der Tann had been stationed in Wilhelmshaven Roads, and had been ordered to raise steam as early as 08:20, to assist the German cruisers under attack in the Heligoland Bight. At 08:50, Rear Admiral Hipper requested permission from Admiral Friedrich von Ingenohl, the commander in chief of the High Seas Fleet, to send Von der Tann and Moltke to relieve the beleaguered German cruisers.[31]
Von der Tann was ready to sail by 10:15, more than an hour before the British battlecruisers arrived on the scene. However, the ship was held up by low tide, which prevented the battlecruisers from crossing the bar at the mouth of the Jade Estuary. At 14:10, Von der Tann and Moltke were able to cross the Jade bar, and Hipper ordered the German light cruisers to fall back on the two heavy ships, while Hipper himself was about an hour behind in the battlecruiser Seydlitz. At 14:25, the remaining light cruisers, Strassburg, Stettin, Frauenlob, Stralsund, and Ariadne, rendezvoused with the battlecruisers.[32]Seydlitz arrived on the scene by 15:10; Ariadne succumbed to battle damage and sank. Hipper ventured forth cautiously to search for the two missing light cruisers, Mainz and Cöln. By 16:00, the German flotilla began returning to the Jade Estuary, arriving at approximately 20:23.[33]
Later that year Von der Tann was present at the Raid on Yarmouth, on 2–3November. At 16:30 on the 2nd, Von der Tann, along with Seydlitz (Hipper's flagship), Moltke, the armored cruiser Blücher, and the four light cruisers Strassburg, Graudenz, Kolberg, and Stralsund, departed the Jade Estuary, bound for the English coast with the intent to lay minefields in British sea lanes. At 18:00, two dreadnought battle squadrons of the High Seas Fleet departed to provide support. Hipper's force veered north in an arc to avoid Heligoland and the British submarines stationed there, and then increased speed to 18knots.[34] At approximately 06:30 the following morning, Hipper's battlecruisers spotted the British minesweeper Halcyon and opened fire, which drew the attention of the destroyer Lively. Hipper realized that he was wasting time, and that further pursuit would run his ships into a known minefield, so he ordered his ships back to sea. As the flotilla was turning away, the battlecruisers fired several salvos at Great Yarmouth, to little effect. By the time the British Admiralty was fully aware of the situation, the German force had retreated back to home waters.[35]
The High Seas Fleet's disposition on the morning of 16 December
Von der Tann also participated in the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, on 15–16December. The raid was another attempt to lure out a portion of the Grand Fleet and destroy it, with the whole of the High Seas Fleet standing by in support. Von der Tann delayed the raid itself by several days, because Admiral Ingenohl was unwilling to send forth IScouting Group at anything less than full strength, and Von der Tann was undergoing routine repairs in early December.[36] I Scouting Group, along with II Scouting Group, composed of the four light cruisers Kolberg, Strassburg, Stralsund, and Graudenz, and two torpedo boat flotillas, left the Jade at 03:20.[37] Hipper's ships sailed north, through the channels in the minefields, past Heligoland to the Horns Reef light vessel, at which point the ships turned westward, towards the English coast.[38] The main battle squadrons of the High Seas Fleet left in the late afternoon of the 15th. During the night of 15 December, the main body of the High Seas Fleet encountered British destroyers, and fearing the prospect of a night-time torpedo attack, Admiral Ingenohl ordered the ships to retreat.[39]
Upon nearing the British coast, Hipper's battlecruisers split into two groups. Seydlitz, Moltke, and Blücher went north to shell Hartlepool, while Von der Tann and Derfflinger went south to shell Scarborough and Whitby. The two ships destroyed the coast guard stations in both towns, along with the signalling station in Whitby. By 09:45 on the 16th, the two groups had reassembled, and began to retreat eastward.[40] Hipper was unaware of Ingenohl's withdrawal, and following the bombardment of the target cities, turned back to rendezvous with the German fleet. By this time, David Beatty's battlecruisers were in position to block Hipper's chosen egress route, while other forces were en route to complete the encirclement. At 12:25, the light cruisers of IIScouting Group began to pass the British forces searching for Hipper. One of the cruisers in the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron spotted Stralsund, and signaled a report to Beatty. At 12:30, Beatty turned his battlecruisers towards the German ships. Beatty presumed that the German cruisers were the advance screen for Hipper's ships, however, those were some 50km(31mi) ahead. The 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron, which had been screening for Beatty's ships, detached to pursue the German cruisers, but a misinterpreted signal from the British battlecruisers sent them back to their screening positions.[lower-alpha 5] This confusion allowed the German light cruisers to escape, and alerted Hipper to the location of the British battlecruisers. The German battlecruisers wheeled to the northeast of the British forces and made good their escape.[41]
1915–1916
Illustration of Von der Tann under way
Von der Tann was being refitted at the time of the Battle of Dogger Bank, and so she missed this action. She was replaced by the armored cruiser Blücher, which was sunk during the battle.[42] A detachment of men from Von der Tann had been sent to Blücher and went down with the ship.[43] In 1915 the ship took part in operations in the North and Baltic Seas. On 10 August 1915, Von der Tann shelled the island fortress at Utö, in the eastern Baltic,[44] during which she took part in an artillery duel with the Russian armored cruiser Admiral Makarov.[45]Von der Tann also engaged the Russian armored cruiser Bayan and five destroyers, during which Von der Tann was struck by a shell through the funnel, which caused no casualties.[46] On 3–4February 1916, Von der Tann participated in the fleet advance to welcome home the commerce raider Möwe. That month, KzSHans Zenker replaced Hahn as Von der Tann's commander. The ship was also present during the fleet sorties of 5–7March, 17April, 21–22April, and 5May.[47]
Von der Tann also took part in the bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft on 24–25April. Hipper was away on sick leave, so the German ships were under the command of Konteradmiral Friedrich Boedicker. The German battlecruisers Derfflinger, Lützow, Moltke, Seydlitz and Von der Tann left the Jade Estuary at 10:55 on 24April, and were supported by a screening force of 6 light cruisers and two torpedo boat flotillas.[48] The heavy units of the High Seas Fleet sailed at 13:40, with the objective to provide distant support for Boedicker's ships. The British Admiralty was made aware of the German sortie through the interception of German wireless signals, and deployed the Grand Fleet at 15:50.[48]
By 14:00, Boedicker's ships had reached a position off Norderney, at which point he turned his ships northward to avoid the Dutch observers on the island of Terschelling. At 15:38, Seydlitz struck a mine, which tore a 50-ft(15-m) hole in her hull, just abaft of the starboard broadside torpedo tube, which allowed 1,400-t(1,500-short tons) of water to enter the ship.[48]Seydlitz turned back, with the screen of light cruisers, at a speed of 15knots. The four remaining battlecruisers turned south immediately in the direction of Norderney to avoid further mine damage. By 16:00, Seydlitz was clear of imminent danger, so the ship stopped to allow Boedicker to disembark. The torpedo boat V28 brought Boedicker to Lützow.[49]
The German battlecruisers bombarding Lowestoft
At 04:50 on 25 April, the German battlecruisers were approaching Lowestoft when the light cruisers Rostock and Elbing, which had been covering the southern flank, spotted the light cruisers and destroyers of Admiral Tyrwhitt'sHarwich Force.[49] Boedicker refused to be distracted by the British ships, and instead trained his ships' guns on Lowestoft. The two 6in(15cm) shore batteries were destroyed, along with other damage to the town. Zenker later wrote:
Mist over the sea and the smoke from the ships ahead made it difficult for us to make out our targets as we steered for Lowestoft. But after we turned [to the north], the Empire Hotel offered us an ample landmark for effective bombardment. At 05:11 we opened fire with our heavy and medium calibers on the harbor works and swing bridges. After a few "shorts" the shooting was good. From the after-bridge a fire in the town, and from another vantage point a great explosion at the entry [to the harbor] were reported.[49]
At 05:20, the German raiders turned north, towards Yarmouth, which they reached by 05:42. The visibility was so poor that the German ships fired one salvo each, with the exception of Derfflinger, which fired fourteen rounds from her main battery. The German ships turned back south, and at 05:47, encountered for the second time the Harwich Force, which had by then been engaged by the six light cruisers of the screening force. Boedicker's ships opened fire from a range of 13,000yd(12,000m).[50] Tyrwhitt immediately turned his ships around and fled south, but not before the cruiser Conquest sustained severe damage. Due to reports of British submarines and torpedo attacks, Boedicker broke off the chase, and turned back east towards the High Seas Fleet. At this point, Scheer, who had been warned of the Grand Fleet's sortie from Scapa Flow, turned back towards Germany.[50]
Battle of Jutland
HMS Indefatigable sinking after having been struck by shells from Von der Tann
Von der Tann participated in the Battle of Jutland, as part of Hipper's First Scouting Group. Von der Tann was the rearmost of five battlecruisers in Hipper's line.[51] Shortly before 16:00CET,[lower-alpha 6] on 31 May 1916, Hipper's force encountered Beatty's battlecruiser squadron. The German ships were the first to open fire, at a range of approximately 15,000yd(14,000m).[51] At 16:49, Von der Tann fired her first shot at Indefatigable. Fourteen minutes of firing later,[52]Von der Tann had scored five hits on Indefatigable out of 52 heavy shells fired,[46] one of which caused Indefatigable to explode and sink. An observer on the battlecruiser New Zealand, which was directly ahead of Indefatigable, later remarked that he saw "the Indefatigable hit by two shells from the Von der Tann, one on the fore turret. Both appeared to explode on impact. After an interval of thirty seconds, the ship blew up. Sheets of flame were followed by dense smoke which obscured her from view."[53]
Following the destruction of Indefatigable, Beatty turned his force away, while the British 5th Battle Squadron closed in on the German battlecruisers, opening fire from approximately 19,000yd(17,000m).[54]Von der Tann and Moltke, the two rearmost of Hipper's squadron, came under fire from the three lead British battleships of the 5thBS: Barham, Valiant, and Malaya.[55] The German battlecruisers began zig-zagging to avoid the gunfire from the British ships. At 17:09,[46] six minutes after sinking Indefatigable, Von der Tann was hit by one 15in(38cm) shell from Barham, which struck beneath the waterline and dislodged a section of the belt armor, causing Von der Tann to take in 600tons of water.[54] This hit temporarily damaged the ship's steering gear, and combined with Von der Tann's zig-zagging cause her to fall out of line to port. The German Official History commented that "the greatest calamity of a complete breakdown of the steering gear was averted, otherwise, Von der Tann would have been delivered into the hands of the oncoming battleships as in the case of Blücher during the Dogger Bank action."[56]
Maps showing the maneuvers of the British (blue) and German (red) fleets on 31 May– 1 June 1916
At 17:20, a 13.5in(34cm) shell from the battlecruiser Tiger struck the barbette of Von der Tann's Aturret. A chunk of armor plate was dislodged from inside the turret, and struck the turret training gear, which jammed the turret at 120degrees. This put the turret out of action for the duration of the engagement.[57] At 17:23, the ship was hit again by a 13.5in(34cm) shell from Tiger, which struck near the Cturret and killed 6 men. The shell holed the deck and created enough wreckage that the turret was unable to traverse, and the starboard rudder engine room was damaged. The Cturret was out of action until the wreckage could be cut away. Smoke from a fire caused by burning practice targets that had been stowed below the turret obscured the ship. Sections of the torpedo nets were knocked loose and trailed behind the ship. However, they were cut loose before they could catch in the propellers.[58]New Zealand, which had been engaging Von der Tann following Indefatigable's destruction, lost sight of her target and shifted fire to Moltke.[59] At 17:18, the range to Von der Tann from Barham had closed to 17,500yd(16,000m), at which point Von der Tann opened fire on the British battleship. Shortly thereafter, at 17:23, Von der Tann registered a hit on Barham.[60] However, after firing only 24 shells, Von der Tann had to return to her earlier target, New Zealand, because her fore and aft turrets had since been disabled, and her amidships turrets were no longer able to target Barham.[61]
At 18:15, the guns of the last active turret jammed in their mountings, leaving Von der Tann without any working main armament.[62] Regardless, she remained in the battle line to distract the British gunners.[46] Because she was no longer firing her main guns, Von der Tann was able to maneuver in an erratic manner, such that she could avoid British gunfire.[62] By 18:53, the ship's speed fell from 26kn(48km/h) to 23kn(43km/h). Over an hour and a half after having failed due to mechanical difficulties, Dturret was repaired and again ready for action. Von der Tann sustained her fourth and final heavy shell hit at 20:19, when one 15in(38cm) shell from Revenge struck the aft conning tower. Shell splinters penetrated the conning tower, killing the Third Gunnery Officer and both rangefinder operators and wounding every other crewman in the tower. Shell fragments and other debris fell through the ventilating shaft and onto the condenser, which put out all the lights in the ship.[63] Eleven minutes later, at 20:30, Bturret was again clear for action, and by 21:00, Cturret was also in working order.[64] However, both of the amidships turrets suffered further mechanical difficulties that put them out of action later during the battle.[65]
Von der Tann in her configuration at Jutland
At approximately 22:15, Hipper, with his flag now in Moltke, ordered his battlecruisers to increase speed to 20knots, and to fall into the rear of the main German line. Neither Derfflinger, due to battle damage, nor Von der Tann, due to the dirtiness of her boiler fires, could steam at more than 18knots.[66]Derfflinger and Von der Tann took up positions astern of IISquadron, and were later joined by the old pre-dreadnoughtsSchlesien and Schleswig-Holstein at 00:05.[67] At 03:37, the British destroyer Moresby fired a torpedo at the rear of the German line; this passed closely across Von der Tann's bow, and forced the ship to turn sharply to starboard to avoid being hit.[68] Close to the end of the battle, at 03:55, Hipper transmitted a report to Admiral Scheer, informing him of the tremendous damage his ships had suffered. By that time, Derfflinger and Von der Tann each had only two guns in operation, Moltke was flooded with 1,000tons of water, and Seydlitz was severely damaged. Hipper reported: "I Scouting Group was therefore no longer of any value for a serious engagement, and was consequently directed to return to harbor by the Commander-in-Chief, while he himself determined to await developments off Horns Reef with the battlefleet."[69]
During the course of the battle, two of Von der Tann's main turrets were knocked out by British gunfire, while her other two turrets suffered mechanical failures.[70] The ship was firing so fast that several of the main guns in the amidships turrets became overheated and jammed in their recoil slides, and could not be returned to working order.[71]Von der Tann was without her main battery for 11hours, although three turrets were restored to working order before the end of the battle;[72] Dturret only after much cutting away of bent metal with oxyacetylene torches—afterwards the guns could be worked only by hand.[65] Her casualties amounted to 11 dead and 35 wounded.[64] During the battle Von der Tann fired 170 heavy shells and 98 secondary caliber shells.[73]
Later actions
After Jutland, she underwent repairs from 2 June until 29 July.[64] After returning to the fleet, Von der Tann took part in several unsuccessful raids into the North Sea in 1916. During the first of these, conducted on 18–19 August, Von der Tann was one of two remaining German battlecruisers still in fighting condition (along with Moltke), so three dreadnoughts were assigned to IScouting Group for the operation: Markgraf, Grosser Kurfürst, and Bayern. IScouting Group was to bombard the coastal town of Sunderland, in an attempt to draw out and destroy Beatty's battlecruisers. Admiral Scheer and the rest of the High Seas Fleet, with fifteen dreadnoughts of its own, would trail behind, providing cover.[74] The British were aware of the German plans, and sortied the Grand Fleet to meet them. By 14:35, Scheer had been warned of the Grand Fleet's approach and, unwilling to engage the whole of the Grand Fleet just eleven weeks after the decidedly close call at Jutland, turned his forces around and retreated to German ports.[75]
Further sorties were conducted on 25–26September, 18–19October, 23–24October, as well as the advance on 23–24March 1917; none of these resulted in action with British forces.[64]KzSKonrad Mommsen relieved Zenker in April.[27]Von der Tann served as the flagship of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter during the fleet advance to Norway on 23–25April 1918, as well as in the sortie on 8–9July.[64]
Fate
The German battlecruisers sailing into Scapa Flow. Von der Tann is the fifth ship in the line, behind Seydlitz, Moltke, Hindenburg, and Derfflinger
Von der Tann was to have taken part in a final fleet action at the end of October 1918, days before the Armistice was to take effect. The bulk of the High Seas Fleet was to have sortied from their base in Wilhelmshaven to engage the British Grand Fleet; Scheer—by now the Grand Admiral (Grossadmiral) of the fleet—intended to inflict as much damage as possible on the British navy, in order to retain a better bargaining position for Germany, despite the expected casualties. However, many of the war-weary sailors felt the operation would disrupt the peace process and prolong the war.[76] While the High Seas Fleet was consolidating in Wilhelmshaven, sailors began deserting en masse. As Von der Tann and Derfflinger passed through the locks that separated Wilhelmshaven's inner harbor and roadstead, some 300 men from both ships climbed over the side and disappeared ashore.[77] On the morning of 29 October 1918, the order was given to sail from Wilhelmshaven the following day. Starting on the night of 29 October, sailors on Thüringen and then on several other battleships mutinied.[78] The unrest ultimately forced Hipper and Scheer to cancel the operation.[79] Informed of the situation, the Kaiser stated "I no longer have a navy."[80]
Following the capitulation of Germany in November 1918, most of the High Seas Fleet, under Reuter's command, were interned in the British naval base in Scapa Flow.[79] Prior to the departure of the German fleet, Admiral Adolf von Trotha made clear to Reuter that he could not allow the Allies to seize the ships, under any conditions.[81] The fleet rendezvoused with the British light cruiser Cardiff, which led the ships to the Allied fleet that was to escort the Germans to Scapa Flow. The massive flotilla consisted of some 370 British, American, and French warships.[82] Once the ships were interned, their guns were disabled through the removal of their breech blocks, and their crews were reduced to 200 officers and enlisted men.[83]Von der Tann was interned at Scapa Flow under the command of Kapitän-Leutnant Wollante.[84] While in Scapa Flow, a soldiers' council was formed aboard the ship; the council took complete, dictatorial control of the vessel for the duration of the interment.[85]
The fleet remained in captivity during the negotiations that ultimately produced the Treaty of Versailles. Reuter believed that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June 1919, which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty. Unaware that the deadline had been extended to the 23rd, Reuter ordered the ships to be sunk at the next opportunity. On the morning of 21 June, the British fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training maneuvers, and at 11:20 Reuter transmitted the order to his ships.[81] The ship sank in two hours and fifteen minutes.[86] The task of raising Von der Tann was secured by Ernest Cox's salvage company. During preparation work, three workers were nearly killed when their oxy-acetylene cutters set off a major explosion. The blast tore holes in the still submerged vessel and allowed water into the compartment that had been emptied with compressed air; by the time the men were rescued, the compartment had refilled almost completely and the men were up to their necks.[87] Nevertheless, the ship was successfully brought up on 7 December 1930,[64] and scrapped at Rosyth by the Alloa Shipbreaking Company beginning in 1931.[88]
↑ The measurements used here and elsewhere in the article refer to the diameter of the bore of the gun.
↑ The higher quality coal was generally reserved for the smaller craft, whose crews were less able to clean the boilers at the increased rate demanded by the low-quality coal. As a result, German capital ships were often supplied with poor coal, in the knowledge that their larger crews were better able to perform the increased maintenance.
↑ In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnelladekanone) denotes that the gun is quick firing, while the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 caliber, meaning that the gun is 45 times long as it is in diameter.[19]
↑ Beatty had intended on retaining only the two rearmost light cruisers from Goodenough's squadron; however, Nottingham's signalman misinterpreted the signal, thinking that it was intended for the whole squadron, and thus transmitted it to Goodenough, who ordered his ships back into their screening positions ahead of Beatty's battlecruisers.
↑ The times mentioned in this section 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.
SMS Lützow was the second Derfflinger-class battlecruiser built by the German Kaiserliche Marine before World War I. Ordered as a replacement for the old protected cruiser Kaiserin Augusta, Lützow was launched on 29 November 1913, but not completed until 1916. Lützow was a sister ship to Derfflinger from which she differed slightly in that she was armed with an additional pair of 15 cm (5.9 inch) secondary guns and had an additional watertight compartment in her hull. She was named in honor of the Prussian general Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
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.
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 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 Derfflinger was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine built in the early 1910s during the Anglo-German naval arms race. She was the lead ship of her class of three ships; her sister ships were Lützow and Hindenburg. The Derfflinger-class battlecruisers were larger and featured significant improvements over the previous German battlecruisers, carrying larger guns in a more efficient superfiring arrangement. Derfflinger was armed with a main battery of eight 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, compared to the 28 cm (11 in) guns of earlier battlecruisers. She had a top speed of 26.5 knots and carried heavy protection, including a 30-centimeter (11.8 in) thick armored belt.
SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser built by the German Empire. She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly believed to be the specifications of the British Invincible-class battlecruisers. Blücher was larger than preceding armored cruisers and carried more heavy guns, but was unable to match the size and armament of the battlecruisers which replaced armored cruisers in the British Royal Navy and German Imperial Navy. The ship was named after the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, the commander of Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
SMS Hindenburg was a battlecruiser of the German Kaiserliche Marine, the third ship of the Derfflinger class, built to a slightly modified design. She carried the same battery of eight 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, but in improved turrets that allowed them to fire further. The ship was also slightly larger and faster than her two sister ships. She was named in honor of Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, the victor of the Battle of Tannenberg and the Battle of the Masurian Lakes, as well as Supreme Commander of the German armies from 1916. The ship was the last capital ship of any type built for the German navy during World War I.
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 class—Moltke and her sister Goeben were significantly larger and better armored.
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.
SMS Rheinland was one of four Nassau-class battleships, the first dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy. Rheinland mounted twelve 28 cm (11 in) main guns in six twin turrets in an unusual hexagonal arrangement. The navy built Rheinland and her sister ships in response to the revolutionary British HMS Dreadnought, which had been launched in 1906. Rheinland was laid down in June 1907, launched the following year in October, and commissioned in April 1910.
SMS Westfalen was one of the Nassau-class battleships, the first four dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy. Westfalen was laid down at AG Weser in Bremen on 12 August 1907, launched nearly a year later on 1 July 1908, and commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 16 November 1909. The ship was equipped with a main battery of twelve 28 cm (11 in) guns in six twin turrets in an unusual hexagonal arrangement.
The Helgoland class was the second class of dreadnought battleships to be built for the German Kaiserliche Marine. Constructed from 1908 to 1912, the class comprised four ships: Helgoland, the lead ship; Oldenburg; Ostfriesland; and Thüringen. The design was a significant improvement over the previous Nassau-class ships; they had a larger main battery—30.5 cm (12 in) main guns instead of the 28 cm (11 in) weapons mounted on the earlier vessels—and an improved propulsion system. The Helgolands were easily distinguished from the preceding Nassaus by the three funnels that were closely arranged, compared to the two larger funnels of the previous class. The ships retained the hexagonal main battery layout of the Nassau class.
The Derfflinger class was a class of three battlecruisers of the Imperial German Navy. The ships were ordered for the 1912–13 Naval Building Program of the German Imperial Navy as a reply to the Royal Navy's two new Lion-class battlecruisers that had been launched a few years earlier. The preceding Moltke class and the incrementally improved Seydlitz represented the end of the evolution of Germany's first generation of battlecruisers. The Derfflinger class had considerable improvements, including a larger primary armament, all of which was mounted on the centerline. The ships were also larger than the preceding classes. The Derfflinger class used a similar propulsion system, and as a result of the increased displacement were slightly slower.
The Moltke class was a class of two "all-big-gun" battlecruisers of the German Imperial Navy built between 1909–1911. Named SMS Moltke and SMS Goeben, they were similar to the previous battlecruiser Von der Tann, but the newer design featured several incremental improvements. The Moltkes were slightly larger, faster, and better armored, and had an additional pair of 28 cm (11 in) guns.
Franz Ritter von Hipper was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy. Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units and served as watch officer aboard several warships, as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht SMY Hohenzollern. Hipper commanded several cruisers in the reconnaissance forces before being appointed commander of the I Scouting Group in October 1913.
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 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 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 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.
Grießmer, Axel (1999). Die Linienschiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine: 1906–1918; Konstruktionen zwischen Rüstungskonkurrenz und Flottengesetz[The Battleships of the Imperial Navy: 1906–1918; Constructions between Arms Competition and Fleet Laws] (in German). Bonn: Bernard & Graefe Verlag. ISBN978-3-7637-5985-9.
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol.I: Major Surface Vessels. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-0-87021-790-6.
Hawkins, Nigel (2002). Starvation Blockade: The Naval Blockades of WWI. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-0-85052-908-1.
Herwig, Holger (1998) [1980]. "Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918. Amherst: Humanity Books. ISBN978-1-57392-286-9.
Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert & Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1993). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart[The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present] (in German). Vol.8. Ratingen: Mundus Verlag.
Staff, Gary (2006). German Battlecruisers: 1914–1918. Oxford: Osprey Books. ISBN978-1-84603-009-3.
Strachan, Hew (2001). The First World War: Volume 1: To Arms. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-926191-8.
Tarrant, V. E. (2001) [1995]. Jutland: The German Perspective. London: Cassell Military Paperbacks. ISBN978-0-304-35848-9.
Thomas, Lowell (1928). Raiders of the Deep. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-55750-722-8.
Tucker, Spencer E. (2005). The Encyclopedia of World War I. ABC-CLIO. ISBN978-1-85109-420-2.
van der Vat, Dan (1986). The Grand Scuttle. Worcester: Billing & Sons Ltd. ISBN978-0-86228-099-4.
Weir, Gary E. (1992). Building the Kaiser's Navy. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-55750-929-1.
Further reading
Breyer, Siegfried (1997). Die Kaiserliche Marine und ihre Großen Kreuzer[The Imperial Navy and its Large Cruisers] (in German). Wölfersheim: Podzun-Pallas Verlag. ISBN978-3-7909-0603-5.
Campbell, N. J. M. (1978). Battle Cruisers. Warship Special. Vol.1. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN978-0-85177-130-4.
Dodson, Aidan; Cant, Serena (2020). Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-5267-4198-1.
Staff, Gary (2014). German Battlecruisers of World War One: Their Design, Construction and Operations. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-213-4.
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