Kaiser Class Dreadnought Battleship

World War 1 Naval Combat

World War 1 Naval Combat

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Kaiser Class Kaiser Class.  Although carrying fewer main guns than the previous class owing to the improved layout that number of guns able to bear on the broadside was at least as good.  Like all ships with diagonally offset wing turrets the angles that these turrets could fire  on the offside were limited and could easily lead to superficial blast damage to decks and superstructure.

SMS Kaiser
Built Kiel Navy Yard, laid down December 1909, completed December 1912, cost 44,997,000 Marks.

SMS Fredrich der Grosse
Built Vulcan, Hamburg, laid down January 1910, completed January 1913, cost 45,802,000 Marks.

SMS Kaiserin
Built Howaldtswerke, Kiel, laid down November 1910, completed December 1913, cost 45,173,000 Marks.

SMS König Albert
Built Schichau, Danzig, laid down July 1910, completed November 1913, cost 45,761,000 Marks.

SMS Prinzregent Luitpold
Built Germaniawerft, Kiel, laid down January 1911, completed December 1913, cost 46,374,000 Marks.

Size:
Length 565 feet 7 inches overall, 95 feet 2 inches beam, draught 30 feet deep load, displacement 24,330 tons normal 27,400 tons deep load.

Propulsion:
3 shaft Parsons/AEG-Curtis/Schichau turbines, 31,000 shp = 21kts

Trials:
Kaiser 55,187 shp = 23.4 knots (Parsons)
Fredrich der Grosse 41,533 shp = 22.1 knots (AEG-Curtis)
Kaiserin 42,181 shp = 22.4 knots (Parsons)
König Albert 39,813 shp = 22.0 knots (Schichau)
Prinzregent Luitpold 38,751 shp = 21.7 knots (Parsons)

Armour:
14-3in belt, 12in barbettes, 12in turrets, 2.5in decks

Armament:
10 x 12in SKL/50 (5 x 2), 14 x 5.9in (14 x 1), 12 x 3.45in (14 x 1), 5 x 19.7in TT

Comments:
First German Dreadnoughts to have super-firing turrets allowing a reduction in the number of turrets carried without a loss in firepower.  They were also the first to have turbines.  Prinzregent Luitpold was to have been fitted with a diesel engine for the central shaft but this was never fitted and the engine room was left empty and she only had two shafts.  The protection was also much improved.  Crew 41 officers and 1043 men.

World War 1 Service:
Kaiser
III Battle Squadron at the start of World War 1.
1916 Battle of Jutland.  Fired 224 12 inch rounds and received 2 12 inch and 4 6 inch hits.  1 killed and 1 injured.
October 1917 operations at the Baltic Islands.
17 November 1917 engaged with British cruisers in second Battle of Heligoland Bight.  No damage received.
Interned and Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1.

Fredrich der Grosse
Fleet Flagship and part of the III Battle Squadron at the start of the war.
1916 Battle of Jutland as flagship of Vice-Admiral Scheer.  Fired  72 rounds and received no damage.
October 1917: Operations at the Baltic Islands.
Interned and Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1 

Kaiserin
Part of III Battle Squadron at the start of war.
1916 Battle of Jutland.  Fired 160 12 inch rounds receiving no damage.
October 1917 Operations at the Baltic Islands in the Gulf of Riga.
17 November 1917 engaged with British cruisers in second Battle of Heligoland Bight.  No damage received.
Interned and Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1.

König Albert
III Battle Squadron at the start of World War 1.
Missed Jutland owing to condenser problems.
October 1917 Operations at the Baltic Islands in the Gulf of Riga.
Interned and Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1.

Prinzregent Luitpold
III Battle Squadron at the start of war.
1916 Battle of Jutland.  Fired 169 12 inch rounds receiving no damage.
October 1917 Operations at the Baltic Islands in the Gulf of Riga.
Interned and Scuttled at Scapa Flow at the end of World War 1.

SMS Kaiser after the removal of her torpedo nets.  Torpedo nets were removed from German warships within months of the Battle of Jutland.  It was decided that the risk of them becoming damaged in combat an fouling the steering gear or propellers was too great compared to the very limited usefulness of them against modern torpedoes.  The removal also helped reduce top weight to help compensate for the additional weight of equipment that was added to all warships during war. SMS Kaiser

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