SMS Rhein
Encyclopedia
SMS Rhein was an steam-powered ironclad monitor
of the German
Imperial Navy
. She was one of two such vessels built at the AG Weser
dockyard in Bremen
, the other being her sister, . Though termed monitors they are more accurately described as Flußkanonenboote (river gunboat
s or river monitors). They were laid down in 1871 and launched in 1872. They made a short and uneventful journey to the mouth of the Rhine, and were stationed in Koblenz
. They rarely left the city throughout their short lives.
The end of the Franco-Prussian War
war between France
and Prussia
in 1871, and the subsequent unification of Germany
, triggered a review of the German defences. It was quickly realised that an armed naval force was required to protect the vital artery of the Rhine around the city of Koblenz.
A flotilla of ironclad ships was commissioned, based on ships similar to the successful monitors used by the United States Navy
, and named after the first of her type, . As the primary purpose of the ships was to protect the important railway bridges, the railway companies were obliged to pay for the ships.
Despite later being named the “Lorelei Flotilla” (and immortalised as such in a contemporary song) in recognition of their rather dubious practicality, the two monitors did prove some deterrent to the French.
Kaiser Wilhelm I undertook a short journey on board the monitor Rhein in 1875, while on a visit to Koblenz.
and the ships needed teams of horses to assist in up-stream travel at these times.
Armour protection was very limited. The ships were designed to be able to be submerged in the water by flooding special tanks fore
and aft so that only the central casemate
showed above the water. This casemate was protected by 5.5 cm armour backed with 20 cm of wood. The Ericsson-type
turret was armoured with 5 cm of iron, backed by 22 cm of wood.
The armament was also inadequate, the twin 12 cm bronze cannons (it is unclear whether they were muzzle or breech loaders) being
unable to pierce even rudimentary armour plate. The magazines were situated within the casemate, either side of the turret.
A command turret above the main turret had room for the captain and a helmsman and it was intended for use when the ship was in
action. For normal purposes, the navigation bridge behind the turret gave better visibility.
The crew of 22 men and six officers had no sleeping quarters on board, the expectation being that the monitors would anchor or
moor for the night and the crew would sleep on the shore in tents.
Toilets were provided on the fore deck and a galley was situated on the aft deck. Day cabins for the Captain and the officers were
provided inside the casemate, forward of the turret.
A team of between 50 and 100 troops was allocated to the monitors, intended to act as a pioneer squad to assist with
navigation and to provide temporary mooring facilities.
The monitors had a short and peaceful service career, finally being put up for sale at the end of 1884. Both were scrapped.
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
of the German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Imperial Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
. She was one of two such vessels built at the AG Weser
AG Weser
Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...
dockyard in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, the other being her sister, . Though termed monitors they are more accurately described as Flußkanonenboote (river gunboat
River gunboat
A river gunboat is a type of gunboat adapted for river operations. River gunboats required shallow draft for river navigation. They would be armed with relatively small caliber cannons, or a mix of cannons and machine guns. If they carried more than one cannon, one might be a howitzer, for shore...
s or river monitors). They were laid down in 1871 and launched in 1872. They made a short and uneventful journey to the mouth of the Rhine, and were stationed in Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
. They rarely left the city throughout their short lives.
The end of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
war between France
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
and Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
in 1871, and the subsequent unification of Germany
Unification of Germany
The formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German...
, triggered a review of the German defences. It was quickly realised that an armed naval force was required to protect the vital artery of the Rhine around the city of Koblenz.
A flotilla of ironclad ships was commissioned, based on ships similar to the successful monitors used by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and named after the first of her type, . As the primary purpose of the ships was to protect the important railway bridges, the railway companies were obliged to pay for the ships.
Despite later being named the “Lorelei Flotilla” (and immortalised as such in a contemporary song) in recognition of their rather dubious practicality, the two monitors did prove some deterrent to the French.
Kaiser Wilhelm I undertook a short journey on board the monitor Rhein in 1875, while on a visit to Koblenz.
Design
The monitors were grossly underpowered - their engines were unable to propel the ships upstream when the river was in flood,and the ships needed teams of horses to assist in up-stream travel at these times.
Armour protection was very limited. The ships were designed to be able to be submerged in the water by flooding special tanks fore
and aft so that only the central casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
showed above the water. This casemate was protected by 5.5 cm armour backed with 20 cm of wood. The Ericsson-type
John Ericsson
John Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States...
turret was armoured with 5 cm of iron, backed by 22 cm of wood.
The armament was also inadequate, the twin 12 cm bronze cannons (it is unclear whether they were muzzle or breech loaders) being
unable to pierce even rudimentary armour plate. The magazines were situated within the casemate, either side of the turret.
A command turret above the main turret had room for the captain and a helmsman and it was intended for use when the ship was in
action. For normal purposes, the navigation bridge behind the turret gave better visibility.
The crew of 22 men and six officers had no sleeping quarters on board, the expectation being that the monitors would anchor or
moor for the night and the crew would sleep on the shore in tents.
Toilets were provided on the fore deck and a galley was situated on the aft deck. Day cabins for the Captain and the officers were
provided inside the casemate, forward of the turret.
A team of between 50 and 100 troops was allocated to the monitors, intended to act as a pioneer squad to assist with
navigation and to provide temporary mooring facilities.
The monitors had a short and peaceful service career, finally being put up for sale at the end of 1884. Both were scrapped.
