The Fleets at War

by Archibald Hurd

KAISER.
FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE.
KAISERIN.
PRINZREGENT LUITPOLD.
KÖNIG ALBERT.

In design the ships of this class are very similar to our “Neptune” class, but are much larger, the displacement being 24,300 tons. The designed speed is 20¹⁄₂ knots, but some ships of the class did much better than this on trial, one of them, the “Kaiser,” steaming at 23¹⁄₂ knots for a short period. These were the first German battleships to be fitted with turbines.

The armament consists of ten 12-in. guns, fourteen 5·9-in., and twelve 21-pounder quick-firers, with five submerged torpedo tubes. The big guns are twin-mounted in five turrets, two of which are placed diagonally amidships, whilst the other three turrets are on the centre line. By this means all the big guns can be trained on either broadside, through a fairly wide arc. Stern fire is nominally from eight, bow fire from six guns. The 5·9-in. quick-firers are in an armoured battery.

A feature of this class is the very strong armour belt, which is 13³⁄₄ in. over vital parts amidships. Each ship carries 1,080 officers and men, but the Friedrich der Grosse, which is the flagship of the commander-in-chief, has a complement of more than 1,100.

Two vessels of this class, “Kaiser” and “König Albert,” recently completed an ocean cruise of 20,000 miles, and are said to have proved excellent sea boats. Their maximum fuel capacity is 3,600 tons.

HELGOLAND CLASS.
(Completed 1911-12.)

HELGOLAND.
OSTFRIESLAND.
THÜRINGEN.
OLDENBURG.

The “Helgoland” class, to which these vessels belong, represents the second group of German Dreadnoughts. They are undoubtedly powerful units, but the design has been sharply criticised in Germany. Displacing 22,440 tons, and with a designed speed of twenty knots, which has been slightly exceeded in service, this class is armed with twelve 12-in., fourteen 5·9-in., fourteen 21-pounders, and six submerged torpedo tubes.

The big guns are in twin turrets, of which four are placed on the broadside, and two on the centre-line. This disposition allows only eight guns to be trained on either beam; in other words, only 66 per cent. of the heavy armament is available on the broadside. The designers have explained this apparent defect by pointing out that if the ship were attacked on both sides simultaneously it could reply effectively on each broadside. Nevertheless, this system was not approved by German experts, and was subsequently abandoned in favour of a turret disposition which permits the free use of all big guns on each beam, as in the “Kaiser” and “König” classes.

The “Helgolands” have 11³⁄₄-in. armour on the water-line. They are very steady in rough weather, and all have done well at gunnery. The maximum coal supply is 3,000 tons. A complement of 1,106 officers and men is carried.