Kaiser class ironclad
SMS Deutschland
|
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |
 Kaiserliche Marine
|
| Preceded by: | Preussen class |
| Succeeded by: | Sachsen class |
| Built: | 1871–1875 |
| In service: | 1875–1904 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Retired: | 2 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Kaiser class armored frigate |
| Displacement: |
|
| Length: | 89.34 m (293 ft 1 in) |
| Beam: | 19.10 m (62 ft 8 in) |
| Draft: | 7.39 m (24 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 14.6 knots (27.0 km/h; 16.8 mph) |
| Range: | 2,470 nmi (4,570 km; 2,840 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: |
|
| Armament: | 8 × 26 cm (10 in) L/20 guns |
| Armor: |
|
The Kaiser class of ironclad warships was a pair of vessels built for the German Imperial Navy in the early 1870s. The lead ship, Kaiser, was laid down in 1871 and launched in 1874. Deutschland was laid down in 1872 and launched in 1874; both ships were built by the Samuda Brothers shipyard in London. They were the last German capital ships built by a foreign shipyard. Built as armored frigates, the ships were armed with a main battery of eight 26 cm (10 in) guns in a central armored battery and were capable of a top speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).
Both ships served with the fleet following their commissioning in 1875, though they spent a significant part of their career in reserve, as Germany maintained only a small number of ships on active duty for training cruises in the period. The ships were substantially rebuilt in the 1890s into armored cruisers and stationed in Asia for three years. Kaiser was the flagship of Otto von Diederichs's East Asia Squadron during the Kiautschou Bay concession seizure in November 1897. Following their return to Germany in 1899–1900, the ships were used in several secondary roles, including as harbor and barracks ships. The ships were stricken from the naval register in 1906; Deutschland was used as a target ship before being sold for scrap in 1908, though Kaiser served on as a floating barracks until she was sold in 1920.
The Kaiser-class design was prepared in 1869 by Sir Edward Reed; their construction was awarded to the Samuda Brothers shipyard in London. The ships were the last German capital ships to be built abroad. All subsequent German capital ships were built by German shipbuilders.Kaiser and Deutschland were laid down in 1871 and 1872, respectively. Kaiser was launched on 19 March 1874 and commissioned into the fleet on 13 February 1875. Deutschland was launched on 12 September 1874 and joined her sister in the fleet on 20 July 1875.
...
Wikipedia