NASSAU CLASS.
(Completed 1909-10.)
NASSAU.
WESTFALEN.
RHEINLAND.
POSEN.
The “Nassau” class, to which these vessels belong, were the first Dreadnoughts to be built by Germany. For their size they have an extremely powerful armament, but too much was obviously attempted on the displacement, and they are admittedly failures.
These ships displace 18,600 tons. They have exceeded their designed speed of nineteen knots by more than one knot.
The armament comprises twelve 11-in., twelve 5·9-in., sixteen 21-pounders, and six submerged torpedo tubes. Owing to the disposition of the four broadside turrets only eight of the big guns can be used on one broadside, so that the ships, in spite of their more numerous armament, can train only the same number of heavy guns on the beam as the British Dreadnought. So much room is taken up by the gun positions and their magazines, &c., that space between decks is very limited, and the officers and men can scarcely be accommodated.
Over vital parts of the hull there is 111⁄2-in. armour, but the turrets have much thinner protection. It is held by experts that these ships would be quickly put out of action if subjected to heavy fire, and it is considered doubtful whether they would be able to stand for long the concussion of their own numerous heavy guns.
The complement is 966 officers and men. The full coal capacity is 2,700 tons.
BATTLE-CRUISERS.
DERFFLINGER.
(Completed 1914.)
The “Derfflinger” is Germany’s newest battle-cruiser. Laid down at the end of 1911 at Hamburg, she was intended to be launched on June 14th last year, but, owing to a mishap to the slipway, she did not go afloat until a fortnight later.