Braunschweig Class Battleship - SMS Braunschweig, Elsass, Hessen, Preussen, Lothringen

Braunschweig Class. The class is easy to distinguish from previous German battleship designs by the larger main gun turrets mounted on main deck level and the third funnel. Despite the increases in main armament calibre from the 9.4 inch gun to an 11 inch gun the class still still had a weaker main armament than most foreign contemporises that used a 12 inch gun.

SMS Braunschweig
Built Germania, Kiel, laid down October 1901 , completed October 1904, cost 23,893,000 Marks.

SMS Elsass
Built Schichau, Danzig, laid down 1901, completed November 1904, cost 23,983,000 Marks

SMS Hessen
Built Germania, Kiel, laid down April 1902, completed September 1905, cost 23,867,000 Marks

SMS Preussen
Built A G Vulcan, Stettin, laid down April 1902, completed December 1905, cost 23,990,000 Marks

SMS Lothringen
Built Schichau, Danzig, laid down December 1902, completed May 1906, cost 23,801,000 Marks.

Size:
Length 413 feet 3 inches waterline 419 feet overall, beam 73 feet, draught 26 feet 7 inches, displacement 14,167 tons deep load.

Propulsion:
3 shaft Triple Expansion, 17,000 ihp, 18 knots

Trials:
Braunschweig 16,809 ihp = 18.7 knots
Elsass 16,486 ihp = 18.7 knots
Hessen 16, 486 ihp = 18.2 knots
Preussen 16,478 ihp = 18.7 knots
Lothringen 16,478 ihp = 18.7 knots

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

Armament:
4 x 11in 40cal (2 x 2), 14 x 6.7in (14 x 1), 14 x 3.4in (14 x 1), 6 x 17.7in TT

Comments:
Increase in size over previous classes was used for higher speed and a more powerful main armament, more in line with foreign equivalents. Protection was similar. Crew 743.

World War 1 Service:
Braunschweig
IV Battle Squadron.
July 1915 coast defence ship.
August 1917 training ship.
1932 Scrapped.

Elsass
IV Battle Squadron.
26 August 1914 attempted to assist the grounded cruiser SMS Magdeburg.
July 1916 training ship.
1936 scrapped.

Hessen
IV Battle Squadron.
1916 II Battle Squadron. Present at the Battle of Jutland.
1917 became a depot ship.
c.1960 scrapped.

Preussen
IV Battle Squadron.
1915 coast defence ship.
August 1917 depot ship for minesweepers.
1931 Scrapped.

Lothringen
IV Battle Squadron.
1915 coast defence ship.
August 1917 training ship.
1931 Scrapped.

SMS Hessen was the only ship of the class to see service at the Battle of Jutland. After the war Hessen was converted to a radio controlled target ship and fitted with turbines and in this role survived until after World War 2 when the ship was taken over by the Soviet Navy as Tsel and continued as a target until being scrapped around 1960.