Kaiser Class Battleship

The Kaiser class battleship was one of five German dreadnoughts, which were built at the beginning of the 20th century. Along with the Nassau and König class, they took part in the naval battles of World War I, especially in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. With the Treaty of Versailles imposed on Germany after the war, all these heavy capital ships would be decommissioned and scrapped to reduce the total displacement of the German Navy.

The Kaiser class battleship had stronger armor protection than their British counterparts. And by the time World War I broke out, they had already been upgraded with powerful Parsons steam turbines and new boilers, which could generate up 55,000 HP. All these dreadnoughts were fitted with ten 305-mm (12-in) guns and fourteen 150-mm guns. The ten 305-mm naval cannons were mounted in five twin turrets, whose layout was similar to that of the British Colossus class.

The Kaiser class of dreadnoughts comprised Prinzregent Luitpold, Friedrich der Grosse, König Albert, Kaiserin, and, of course, the Kaiser. The last one was the first to be laid down, in 1910. By 1914, all of them had been completed and commissioned. That year, Friedrich der Grosse was elected to be refitted as the fleet flagship. she was equipped with a heavy foremast, which gave her a difference appearance from her sister ships. All these German capital ships were at the Battle of Jutland, in which the Kaiser was hit twice but survived.

Specifications

Type: dreadnought

Navy: Kaiserliche Marine

Length: 172.4 m (565.6 feet)

Beam: 29 m (95.2 feet)

Draft: 9.1 m (30 feet)

Displacement: 27,400 tons (full load)

Propulsion: 3-shaft Parson/Schichau steam turbines, and 16 boilers, producing an average of 31,000 HP. (55,000 HP in Kaiser).

Maximum Speed: 22 knots

Range: 9,500 nautical miles.

Crew: 1,250 sailors and officers.

Below, photo of Prinzregent Luitpold six months before WW1.

Below, the Kaiser, the first capital ship of her class, in the Kaiserliche Marine.