Kaiser-class battleship

Kaiser-class battleship
SMS Kaiser
Class overview
Operators Imperial German Navy
Preceded byHelgoland class
Succeeded byKönig class
Built1909–1913
In commission1912–1919
Completed5
Lost5
Scrapped5
General characteristics
TypeDreadnought battleship
Displacement
Length172.4 m (565 ft 7 in)
Beam29 m (95 ft 2 in)
Draft9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range7,900 nmi (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement1,084
Armament
Armor

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 (Imperial Navy) 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.[1]

All five ships saw action in the North Sea during the war; they served together as VI Division of III Battle Squadron. Four were present during the Battle of Jutland; König Albert was in dock at the time.[2] Of the four ships that took part in the battle, only Kaiser was damaged, being struck by two heavy-caliber shells.[3] The ships also took part in Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea; during the operation they were reorganized as IV Battle Squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Wilhelm Souchon.[4]

At the end of the war, all five ships were interned at the British naval base in Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919, they were scuttled to prevent their seizure by the Royal Navy. The ships were subsequently raised and broken up for scrap between 1929 and 1937.[5]

  1. ^ Campbell & Sieche, p. 28.
  2. ^ Tarrant, p. 62.
  3. ^ Tarrant, p. 296.
  4. ^ Staff, p. 151.
  5. ^ Gröner, p. 26.