Wittelsbach class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Wittelsbach-class battleships were a group of five pre-dreadnought battleships of the German
Kaiserliche Marine
(Imperial Navy). They were the first battleships produced under the Navy Law of 1898
. The class was composed of the lead ship
, , , , and . All five ships were laid down between 1899 and 1900, and finished by 1904. The ships of the Wittelsbach class were similar in appearance to their predecessors of the , however, they had a flush main deck, as opposed to the lower quarterdeck of the Kaiser Friedrich class, and had a more extensive armor belt. Their armament was almost identical, though more efficiently arranged.
The ships were commissioned into the German fleet between 1902 and 1904, where they joined the I Squadron of the battle fleet. They were rapidly made obsolete by the launch of in 1906. By the outbreak of World War I
in 1914, they were no longer fit for front-line service, though they saw some limited duty in the Baltic Sea
against the Russian Navy. In 1916 the five ships were disarmed and employed in secondary roles. Wittelsbach, Wettin, and Schwaben became training ships, Mecklenburg was used as a prison ship and later as a floating barracks, and Zähringen became a target ship. All of the ships save Zähringen were broken up in 1921–22. Zähringen was rebuilt as a radio-controlled target ship in the mid-1920s. During World War II
, she was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1944 and scuttled in the final days of the war. She was eventually broken up
in situ in 1949–50.
was cut down.
of 22.8 m (74.8 ft) and a draft
of 7.95 m (26.1 ft) forward. The Wittelsbachs were designed to displace
11774 tonnes (11,588 LT) with a standard load, and displaced up to 12798 tonnes (12,595.8 LT) at full combat weight. The Wittelsbach class ships' hulls were built with transverse and longitudinal steel frames. Steel hull plates were riveted to the structure created by the frames. The hull was split into 14 watertight compartments and included a double bottom
that ran for 70 percent of the length of the ship.
The ships were regarded in the German Navy as excellent sea boats with an easy roll; the ships rolled up to 30° with a period of 10 seconds. They maneuvered easily; at hard rudder the ships lost up to 60 percent speed and heeled over 9°. However, they suffered from severe vibration, particularly at the stern, at high speeds. They also had very wet bows, even in moderate seas. The ships had a crew of 33 officers and 650 enlisted men. However, when serving as a squadron flagship
, the crew was augmented by an additional 13 officers and 66 enlisted men. While acting as a second command ship, 9 officers and 44 enlisted men were added to the standard crew. Wittelsbach and her sisters carried a number of smaller vessels, including two picket boats, two launches
, one pinnace
, two cutters, two yawl
s, and two dinghies
.
s, with the exception of Wettin and Mecklenburg, which had six Thornycroft
boilers, along with six transverse cylindrical boilers. Steering was controlled by a single large rudder
.
The propulsion system was rated at 14000 ihp, which produced a top speed of 18 knots (9.8 m/s). On trials, however, the five ships had significantly varied performances. Schwaben, the slowest ship, reached 13253 ihp for a top speed of only 16.9 knots. Wettin, the fastest, managed 15530 ihp and a top speed of 18.1 knots. They carried 650 tonnes (640 LT) in their holds, but fuel capacity could be nearly tripled to 1800 tonnes (1,772 LT) with the usage of additional spaces in the ships. This provided a maximum range of 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s). Electrical power was supplied by four generators that each produced 230 kW at 74 volt
s, although in Wittelsbach the generators were rated at 248 kW.
s,In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnellfeuerkanone) denotes that quick-firing gun, while the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 calibers, meaning that the gun is 45 as times long as it is in diameter. one fore and one aft of the central superstructure
. The guns were mounted in Drh.L. C/98 turrets, which allowed elevation to 30° and depression to −5°. At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 16900 metres (18,482.1 yd). The guns fired 140 kilograms (308.6 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity
of 690 m/s (2,263 ft/s). They had a rate of fire
of three to four shots per minute. Each gun was supplied with 85 shells, for a total of 340.
Secondary armament included eighteen 15 cm (5.9 inch) SK L/40 guns; four were emplaced in single turrets amidships and the rest were mounted in MPL casemate
s.MPL stands for Mittel-Pivot-Lafette (Central pivot mounting). See Navweaps.com These guns had a fired armor-piercing shells at a rate of 4–5 per minute. The ships carried 120 shells per gun, for a total of 2,160 rounds total. The guns could depress to −7 degrees and elevate to 20 degrees, for a maximum range of 13,700 m (14,990 yd). They were manually elevated and trained.
The ships also carried twelve 8.8 cm (3.45 in) SK L/30 quick-firing guns, also mounted in casemates and pivot mounts. These guns were supplied with between 170 and 250 shells per gun. These guns fired 13.8 kg (30.4 lb) at a muzzle velocity of 590 mps (1,936 fps). Their rate of fire was approximately 15 shells per minute; the guns could engage targets out to 10,500 m (11,480 yd). The gun mounts were manually operated. The ships' gun armament was rounded out by twelve machine gun
s.
The ships were also armed with six 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, all in above-water swivel mounts. Four tubes were mounted on the sides of the ship, another in the bow, and the last in the stern. These weapons were 5.1 m (201 in) long and carried a 87.5 kg (193 lb) TNT warhead. They could be set at two speeds for different ranges. At 26 kn (14.2 m/s), the torpedoes had a range of 800 m (870 yd). At an increased speed of 32 kn (17.4 m/s), the range was reduced to 500 m (550 yb).
steel. Their armored decks were 50 millimetres (2 in) thick, with sloped sides that ranged in thickness from 75 to 120 mm (3 to 4.7 in). The sloped section of the deck connected it to the main armored belt, which was 225 mm (8.9 in) in the central citadel, where the ship's vitals were. This included ammunition magazines and the propulsion system. The belt was reduced to 100 mm (3.9 in) on either end of the central citadel; the bow and stern were not protected with any armor. The entire length of belt was backed by 100 mm of teak
planking.
Directly above the main belt, the 15 cm casemate guns were protected with 140 mm (5.5 in) thick steel plating. The 15 cm guns in turrets were more exposed and therefore slightly better protected: their side armor was increased to 150 mm (5.9 in), with 70 mm (2.8 in) thick gun shields. The 24 cm gun turrets had the heaviest armor aboard ship: 250 mm (9.8 in) thick sides and 50 mm thick roofs. The forward conning tower
also had 250 mm thick sides, though its roof was only 30 mm (1.2 in) thick. The rear conning tower was much less protected. Its sides were only 140 mm thick; the roof was 30 mm thick.
(name of the ship to be replaced)". She was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven
in 1899, under construction number 25. She was launched on 3 July 1900; once she left the stocks fitting out work commenced. This included the installation of the ship's armament, completion of the interior compartments, and the finishing of the superstructure. By late 1902 work on the ship was finished. Wittelsbach was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October of that year. Wettin was ordered as "D" and laid down at the Schichau-Werke
in Danzig in 1899. Although she was launched on 6 June 1901—nearly a full year after Wittelsbach— she was commissioned on 1 October 1902, two weeks earlier than her sister ship.
Zähringen was laid down at the Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel under the provisional name "E" in 1899. She was launched on 12 June 1901 and commissioned in to the fleet on 25 October 1902. In 1900, Schwaben followed Wittelsbach at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven, under the provisional name "G." She was launched on 19 August 1901 and commissioned on 13 April 1904, the last ship of the five to join the fleet. Mecklenburg was ordered from the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin under the contract name "F." Her keel was laid there in 1900. Launched on 9 November 1901, Mecklenburg was completed by May 1903 and commissioned on the 25th.
.
Like the Kaiser Friedrich III-class ships, the Wittelsbachs were withdrawn from active service after the advent of the dreadnought
s. The five ships were recalled to active service at the outbreak of war in 1914. They were assigned to the IV Battle Squadron and deployed to the Baltic. The ships were based in Kiel and placed under the command of Vice Admiral Ehrhard Schmidt. In early September 1914, the ships conducted a result-less sweep into the Baltic against the Russian navy operating there. In May 1915, four of the Wittelsbachs sailed into the Baltic and bombarded Libau
, which was subsequently captured by the German army. The five ships of the class were moved to Libau during the Battle of the Gulf of Riga
in August 1915, though they did not see any combat during the operation.
British submarines were becoming increasingly active in the Baltic by late 1915; several cruisers had been sunk and the elderly Wittelsbach-class ships could no longer be risked there. Therefore, due to their age and vulnerability, they were withdrawn from active service and disarmed by 1916. They were used as training ships, with the exception of Mecklenburg, which was used as a prison ship. In 1919, Wittelsbach and Schwaben were converted into depot ship
s for minesweeper
s. The entire class, with the exception of Zähringen, were struck from the navy list after the end of World War I. Mecklenburg was struck on 27 January 1920, Wettin followed on 11 March 1920, and Wittelsbach and Schwaben were struck on 8 March 1921. The four ships were broken up between 1921–22. Zähringen was converted into a radio-controlled target ship
in 1926–27. Royal Air Force
bombers sank the ship in Gotenhafen in 1944; the wreck was broken up
in 1949–50.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Kaiserliche Marine
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...
(Imperial Navy). They were the first battleships produced under the Navy Law of 1898
Fleet Acts
The Naval Laws were five separate laws passed by the German Empire, in 1898, 1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912. These acts, championed by Kaiser Wilhelm II and his Secretary of State for the Navy, Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, committed Germany to building up a navy capable of competing with the Royal...
. The class was composed of the lead ship
SMS Wittelsbach
SMS Wittelsbach was the lead ship of the Wittelsbach-class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Kaiserliche Marine. Wittelsbach was built at Wilhelmshaven Navy Dockyard. She was laid down in 1899 and completed in October 1902, at the cost of 22,740,000 marks...
, , , , and . All five ships were laid down between 1899 and 1900, and finished by 1904. The ships of the Wittelsbach class were similar in appearance to their predecessors of the , however, they had a flush main deck, as opposed to the lower quarterdeck of the Kaiser Friedrich class, and had a more extensive armor belt. Their armament was almost identical, though more efficiently arranged.
The ships were commissioned into the German fleet between 1902 and 1904, where they joined the I Squadron of the battle fleet. They were rapidly made obsolete by the launch of in 1906. By the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1914, they were no longer fit for front-line service, though they saw some limited duty in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
against the Russian Navy. In 1916 the five ships were disarmed and employed in secondary roles. Wittelsbach, Wettin, and Schwaben became training ships, Mecklenburg was used as a prison ship and later as a floating barracks, and Zähringen became a target ship. All of the ships save Zähringen were broken up in 1921–22. Zähringen was rebuilt as a radio-controlled target ship in the mid-1920s. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1944 and scuttled in the final days of the war. She was eventually broken up
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
in situ in 1949–50.
Design
The ships of the Wittelsbach-class were the first battleships built under the first Naval Law of 1898. The ships represented an incremental improvement over the preceding Kaiser Friedrich III-class. They were equipped with the same armament of 24 cm guns, but were given an additional torpedo tube. They also had improved defensive capabilities, as they were protected by a more extensive armored belt. They also differed from the preceding ships in their main deck, the entire length of which was flush; in the Kaiser Friedrich III-class ships, the quarterdeckQuarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
was cut down.
General characteristics
The ships of the Wittlesbach-class were 125.2 metres (410.8 ft) long at the waterline and 126.8 m (416 ft) overall. They had a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 22.8 m (74.8 ft) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 7.95 m (26.1 ft) forward. The Wittelsbachs were designed to displace
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
11774 tonnes (11,588 LT) with a standard load, and displaced up to 12798 tonnes (12,595.8 LT) at full combat weight. The Wittelsbach class ships' hulls were built with transverse and longitudinal steel frames. Steel hull plates were riveted to the structure created by the frames. The hull was split into 14 watertight compartments and included a double bottom
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
that ran for 70 percent of the length of the ship.
The ships were regarded in the German Navy as excellent sea boats with an easy roll; the ships rolled up to 30° with a period of 10 seconds. They maneuvered easily; at hard rudder the ships lost up to 60 percent speed and heeled over 9°. However, they suffered from severe vibration, particularly at the stern, at high speeds. They also had very wet bows, even in moderate seas. The ships had a crew of 33 officers and 650 enlisted men. However, when serving as a squadron flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, the crew was augmented by an additional 13 officers and 66 enlisted men. While acting as a second command ship, 9 officers and 44 enlisted men were added to the standard crew. Wittelsbach and her sisters carried a number of smaller vessels, including two picket boats, two launches
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
, one pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
, two cutters, two yawl
Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
s, and two dinghies
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
.
Propulsion
The five ships of the Wittelsbach-class each had three three-cylinder triple expansion steam engines. The outer engines drove a three-bladed screw that was 4.8 m (15.7 ft) in diameter; the central shaft drove a four-bladed screw that was slightly smaller, at 4.5 m (14.8 ft) in diameter. To produce steam to power the engines, each ship had six marine-type boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s, with the exception of Wettin and Mecklenburg, which had six Thornycroft
Thornycroft
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...
boilers, along with six transverse cylindrical boilers. Steering was controlled by a single large rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
.
The propulsion system was rated at 14000 ihp, which produced a top speed of 18 knots (9.8 m/s). On trials, however, the five ships had significantly varied performances. Schwaben, the slowest ship, reached 13253 ihp for a top speed of only 16.9 knots. Wettin, the fastest, managed 15530 ihp and a top speed of 18.1 knots. They carried 650 tonnes (640 LT) in their holds, but fuel capacity could be nearly tripled to 1800 tonnes (1,772 LT) with the usage of additional spaces in the ships. This provided a maximum range of 5000 nautical miles (9,260 km) at a cruising speed of 10 kn (5.4 m/s). Electrical power was supplied by four generators that each produced 230 kW at 74 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
s, although in Wittelsbach the generators were rated at 248 kW.
Armament
The ships' armament was nearly identical to the preceding Kaiser Friedrich III-class. The primary armament consisted of a battery of four 24 cm (9.4 in) SK L/40 guns in twin gun turretGun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s,In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnellfeuerkanone) denotes that quick-firing gun, while the L/45 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/45 gun is 45 calibers, meaning that the gun is 45 as times long as it is in diameter. one fore and one aft of the central superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
. The guns were mounted in Drh.L. C/98 turrets, which allowed elevation to 30° and depression to −5°. At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 16900 metres (18,482.1 yd). The guns fired 140 kilograms (308.6 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 690 m/s (2,263 ft/s). They had a rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
of three to four shots per minute. Each gun was supplied with 85 shells, for a total of 340.
Secondary armament included eighteen 15 cm (5.9 inch) SK L/40 guns; four were emplaced in single turrets amidships and the rest were mounted in MPL 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:...
s.MPL stands for Mittel-Pivot-Lafette (Central pivot mounting). See Navweaps.com These guns had a fired armor-piercing shells at a rate of 4–5 per minute. The ships carried 120 shells per gun, for a total of 2,160 rounds total. The guns could depress to −7 degrees and elevate to 20 degrees, for a maximum range of 13,700 m (14,990 yd). They were manually elevated and trained.
The ships also carried twelve 8.8 cm (3.45 in) SK L/30 quick-firing guns, also mounted in casemates and pivot mounts. These guns were supplied with between 170 and 250 shells per gun. These guns fired 13.8 kg (30.4 lb) at a muzzle velocity of 590 mps (1,936 fps). Their rate of fire was approximately 15 shells per minute; the guns could engage targets out to 10,500 m (11,480 yd). The gun mounts were manually operated. The ships' gun armament was rounded out by twelve machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s.
The ships were also armed with six 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, all in above-water swivel mounts. Four tubes were mounted on the sides of the ship, another in the bow, and the last in the stern. These weapons were 5.1 m (201 in) long and carried a 87.5 kg (193 lb) TNT warhead. They could be set at two speeds for different ranges. At 26 kn (14.2 m/s), the torpedoes had a range of 800 m (870 yd). At an increased speed of 32 kn (17.4 m/s), the range was reduced to 500 m (550 yb).
Armor
The five Wittelsbach-class battleships were armored with KruppKrupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
steel. Their armored decks were 50 millimetres (2 in) thick, with sloped sides that ranged in thickness from 75 to 120 mm (3 to 4.7 in). The sloped section of the deck connected it to the main armored belt, which was 225 mm (8.9 in) in the central citadel, where the ship's vitals were. This included ammunition magazines and the propulsion system. The belt was reduced to 100 mm (3.9 in) on either end of the central citadel; the bow and stern were not protected with any armor. The entire length of belt was backed by 100 mm of teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
planking.
Directly above the main belt, the 15 cm casemate guns were protected with 140 mm (5.5 in) thick steel plating. The 15 cm guns in turrets were more exposed and therefore slightly better protected: their side armor was increased to 150 mm (5.9 in), with 70 mm (2.8 in) thick gun shields. The 24 cm gun turrets had the heaviest armor aboard ship: 250 mm (9.8 in) thick sides and 50 mm thick roofs. The forward conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
also had 250 mm thick sides, though its roof was only 30 mm (1.2 in) thick. The rear conning tower was much less protected. Its sides were only 140 mm thick; the roof was 30 mm thick.
Construction
Wittelsbach was ordered for the German fleet under the contract designation "C."German warships were ordered under provisional names; new additions to the fleet were given letter designations, while those that were intended to replace older vessels were given "ErsatzErsatz
Ersatz means 'substituting for, and typically inferior in quality to', e.g. 'chicory is ersatz coffee'. It is a German word literally meaning substitute or replacement...
(name of the ship to be replaced)". She was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven
Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven
Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven was a German shipbuilding company in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover. It was founded in 1853, first as Königliche Werft Wilhelmshaven but renamed in 1871 with the proclamation of the German Empire...
in 1899, under construction number 25. She was launched on 3 July 1900; once she left the stocks fitting out work commenced. This included the installation of the ship's armament, completion of the interior compartments, and the finishing of the superstructure. By late 1902 work on the ship was finished. Wittelsbach was commissioned into the fleet on 15 October of that year. Wettin was ordered as "D" and laid down at the Schichau-Werke
Schichau-Werke
The Schichau-Werke was a German engineering works and shipyard based in Elbing, formerly part of the German Empire, and which is today the town of Elbląg in northern Poland. It also had a subsidiary shipyard in Danzig .-Early years:...
in Danzig in 1899. Although she was launched on 6 June 1901—nearly a full year after Wittelsbach— she was commissioned on 1 October 1902, two weeks earlier than her sister ship.
Zähringen was laid down at the Germaniawerft dockyard in Kiel under the provisional name "E" in 1899. She was launched on 12 June 1901 and commissioned in to the fleet on 25 October 1902. In 1900, Schwaben followed Wittelsbach at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven, under the provisional name "G." She was launched on 19 August 1901 and commissioned on 13 April 1904, the last ship of the five to join the fleet. Mecklenburg was ordered from the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin under the contract name "F." Her keel was laid there in 1900. Launched on 9 November 1901, Mecklenburg was completed by May 1903 and commissioned on the 25th.
Service history
In the early 1900s, the German fleet was organized as the Home Fleet . After joining the fleet, the Wittelsbach class ships were assigned to the I Battle Squadron, where they replaced the older s. By 1907, the and es had come into service. With two full battle squadrons, the fleet was reorganized as the High Seas FleetHigh Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
.
Like the Kaiser Friedrich III-class ships, the Wittelsbachs were withdrawn from active service after the advent of the dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s. The five ships were recalled to active service at the outbreak of war in 1914. They were assigned to the IV Battle Squadron and deployed to the Baltic. The ships were based in Kiel and placed under the command of Vice Admiral Ehrhard Schmidt. In early September 1914, the ships conducted a result-less sweep into the Baltic against the Russian navy operating there. In May 1915, four of the Wittelsbachs sailed into the Baltic and bombarded Libau
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, which was subsequently captured by the German army. The five ships of the class were moved to Libau during the Battle of the Gulf of Riga
Battle of the Gulf of Riga
The Battle of the Gulf of Riga was a World War I naval operation of the German High Seas Fleet against the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea in August 1915...
in August 1915, though they did not see any combat during the operation.
British submarines were becoming increasingly active in the Baltic by late 1915; several cruisers had been sunk and the elderly Wittelsbach-class ships could no longer be risked there. Therefore, due to their age and vulnerability, they were withdrawn from active service and disarmed by 1916. They were used as training ships, with the exception of Mecklenburg, which was used as a prison ship. In 1919, Wittelsbach and Schwaben were converted into depot ship
Depot ship
A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...
s for minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s. The entire class, with the exception of Zähringen, were struck from the navy list after the end of World War I. Mecklenburg was struck on 27 January 1920, Wettin followed on 11 March 1920, and Wittelsbach and Schwaben were struck on 8 March 1921. The four ships were broken up between 1921–22. Zähringen was converted into a radio-controlled target ship
Target ship
A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing.-Rationale:Sinking redundant warships is an effective way of testing new weapons and warships in as realistic a manner as possible. Whilst practice torpedoes are fired...
in 1926–27. Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombers sank the ship in Gotenhafen in 1944; the wreck was broken up
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
in 1949–50.