Seydlitz Class Battlecruiser

SMS Seydlitz. Similar looking to Moltke but can be distinguished from the previous class as there is an extra weather deck forward which resulted in the forward turret was mounted one deck higher. Like Moltke she was not very manoeuvrable owing to the tandem rudder arrangement.

SMS Seydlitz
Built Blohm and Voss, Hamburg, laid down February 1911, completed August 1913, cost 44,685,000 Marks

Size:
Length 657feet 11 inches overall, beam 93 feet 6 inches, draught 26 feet 11 inches, displacement 24,594 normal 28,100 tons deep.

Propulsion:
4 shaft Parsons turbines, 63,000 shp, 26.5 knots.

Trials: 89,740 shp = 28.13 knots

Armour:
12-4in belt, 9in barbettes, 10in turrets, 3-1in decks

Armament:
10 x 11in SKL/50 (5 x 2), 12 x 5.9in (12 x 1), 12 x 3.45in (12 x 1), 4 x 19.7in TT

Comments:
Modest increase in speed and the same main armament as the previous Moltke class as again the emphasis was on improving the protection of the ship with an increase in horizontal protection. The hull form was also changed and there was an extra deck forward. Crew 43 officers and 1025 men.

World War 1 Service:
Part of the I Scouting Group.
3 November 1914 took part in the bombardment of Yarmouth.
16 December 1914 involved in the bombardment of Hartlepool.
24 January 1915 took part in and damaged during the Battle at the Dogger Bank.
25 April 1916 hit a mine on the way to bombard Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
29 May 1916 returned from repair.
31 May-1 June 1916 took part in the Battle of Jutland. Fired 376 11 inch rounds. Hit by 8 15 inch, 6 13.5 inch, 8 12 inch, 1 5.5 inch and 1 4 inch shell and a torpedo causing 98 killed and 55 injured.
September 1916 repaired at Wilhelmshaven.
After the war interned and scuttled at Scapa Flow.

Seydlitz. The main criticism of the class was the retention of the 11 inch main armament at a time when the British had switched to the powerful 13.5 inch gun. The flip side of this was the generally superior protection of the German warship which was shown to good effect on several occasions especially at the Battle of Jutland where she was the most heavily damaged ship on either side to survive.

SMS Seydlitz