Von der Tann Class Battlecruiser

World War 1 Naval Combat

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SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann.  The main armament was laid out in a similar manner to early British battlecruisers, although with the forward most wing turret on the other side, with limited cross deck firing for the wing turrets with a theoretical arc of 125 degrees for each wing turret on their offside.  

SMS Von der Tann
Built Blohm and Voss, Hamburg, laid down March 1908, completed February 1911, cost 36,523,000 Marks

Size:
Length 563 feet 4 inch overall, beam 87 feet 3 inches, draught 26 feet 7 inches, displacement 19,064 normal 21,700 tons deep.

Propulsion:
4 shaft Parsons turbines, 43,600 shp, 25 knots.

Trials:  79,000 shp = 27.4 knots

Armour:
10-3in belt, 9in barbettes, 9in turrets, 2-1in decks

Armament:
8 x 11in SKL/45 (4 x 2), 10 x 5.9in (10 x 1), 16 x 3.45in (16 x 1), 4 x 17.7in TT

Comments:
The first German battlecruiser and the first German large German warship to use turbines.  Far more emphasis was put on protection and less on firepower than in early British battlecruisers with considerably thicker armour and underwater protection.  They also retained a heavier secondary armament although this was casemate mounted so susceptible to sea interference.  Crew  41 officers and 882 men.

World War 1 Service:
I Scouting Group.
3 November 1914 bombarded Yarmouth.
16 December 1914 bombardment of Scarborough.
24 April 1916 coastal raid of Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
31 May-1 June 1916 took part in the Battle of Jutland.  Fired 170 11 inch rounds sinking HMS Indomitable.  Hit by 2 15 inch and 2 13.5 inch shells suffering 11 killed and 35 wounded.
July1916 repaired at Wilhelmshaven.
November-December 1916 under repair for turbine damage.
May-June 1917 under repair for turbine damage.
Interned and then Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1.

Von der Tann at sea.  Like all German battlecruisers she was classified as a Großen Kreuzer or large cruiser.  The ship was originally fitted with anti-rolling tanks but these were later used for 200 tons of additional coal and bilge keels fitted instead. SMS Von der Tann
SMS Von der Tann

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