Schlesien 1908
Schleswig-Holstein 1932
Schlesien 1943
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Deutschland | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 1903 | 19/11/1904 | 3/8/1906 | barrack ship 10/1917, stricken 1/1920 | |
| Hannover | K W Wilhelmshafen | 04/1904 | 29/9/1905 | 1/10/1907 | hulk 1935 | |
| Pommern | Vulcan, Stettin | 1904 | 2/12/1905 | 6/8/1907 | sunk 1/6/1916 | |
| Schlesien | Schichau, Danzig | 11/1904 | 28/5/1906 | 5/5/1908 | TS 1918, sunk 4/5/1945 | |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Germaniawerft, Kiel | 11/1905 | 7/12/1906 | 6/7/1908 | barrack ship 1917-1921, sunk 18/12/1944 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
13190 |
|
Displacement full, t |
13994 |
|
Length, m |
125.9 wl 127.6 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
22.2 |
|
Draught, m |
8.25 |
|
No of shafts |
3 |
|
Machinery |
VTE, 12 Marine boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
20540 |
|
Max speed, kts |
18.6 - 19.1 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 1600 - 1720 + oil 240 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 4800(10) |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 240 - 100, bulkheads: 170, turrets: up to 280, casemates: 170, CT: up to 300, deck: 40, slopes: 97 - 67 Deutschland: belt: 225 - 150, bulkheads: 160, turrets: up to 280, casemates: 160, CT: up to 300, deck: 40, slopes: 97 - 67 |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 283/40 SK L/40, 14 x 1 - 173/40 SK L/40, 20 x 1 - 88/35 SK L/35, 4 x 1 - 7.9/79 , 6 - 450 TT (1 bow, 4 beam, 1 stern) |
|
Complement |
743 |
Ship project history: Last class of German pre-dreadnoughts, laid down according to the First "Naval Act" of 1898. Continued a line of development of Kaiser - Wittelsbach - Braunschweig classes, having stored their distinctive lines: 3-shaft machinery (VTEs, Schultz-Thornycroft coal-burning boilers) and smaller, in comparison with foreign contemporaries, main artillery calibre with larger secondary calibre (283mm and 170mm against usual 305mm and 152mm).
In 1924-1926 Schleswig-Holstein and 1925-1927 Schlesien have passed update on Wilhelmshaven DYd: 8 boilers were converted to oil, fwd funnel was pooled with second, 170mm/40 guns, which ammunition has appeared too heavy for hand-operated loading, were replaced by 150mm/55, and their number was shrunk to 12; former 88mm/45 guns were removed, 4 88mms/45 AA guns were installed. Schleswig-Holstein again has become operational 1/2/1926 as fleet flagship; Schlesien returned to service 1/3/1927.
In process of commissioning of pocket battleships they were converted to training ships: Schlesien in February-April, 1934 and Schleswig-Holstein in January-March, 1936. Thus 2 more 150mm guns and all TTs were removed, 4 37mm and 4 20mm AA MGs were installed.
Ship protection (Deutschland): Main belt had 225mm thickness between barbettes and 150mm outside them, there was short unarmoured part of WL near stem, this belt placed on 80mm wooden plating. Upper belt between barbettes was 170mm. 225mm part of main belt was closed by 160mm bulkheads abreast barbettes. Main 40mm deck was connected with lower edge of main belt by 67mm slopes, thickness of slopes outside citadel was 97mm. Main gun turrets had 280mm faces and 50mm roofs. 173mm guns were protected by 160mm casemates, 88mm guns had 70mm shields. Fore CT had 300mm sides and 80mm roof, aft CT had 140mm sides and 30mm roof.
Ship protection (Hannover, Pommern, Schlesien, Schleswig-Holstein): Main belt had 240mm thickness between barbettes and 100mm outside them, there was short unarmoured part of WL near stem, this belt placed on 80mm wooden plating. Upper belt between barbettes was 170mm. 240mm part of main belt was closed by 170mm bulkheads abreast barbettes. Main 40mm deck was connected with lower edge of main belt by 67mm slopes, thickness of slopes outside citadel was 97mm. Main gun turrets had 280mm faces and 50mm roofs. 173mm guns were protected by 170mm casemates, 88mm guns had 70mm shields. Fore CT had 300mm sides and 80mm roof, aft CT had 140mm sides and 30mm roof.
Modernizations: 1916, Deutschland: was disarmed.
1918, Schleswig-Holstein: was partly disarmed, armament consisted of 6 x 1 - 105/45 SK L/45, 4 x 1 - 88/35 SK L/30
1921, Hannover: was armed with 2 x 2 - 283/40 SK L/40, 14 x 1 - 173/40 SK L/40, 4 x 1 - 88/45 SK L/45
(1924 - 2/1926), Schleswig-Holstein: 8 boilers were converted to oil (fuel stowage was 1130t of oil and 436t of coal, 4000(12)nm), ship was armed with 2 x 2 - 283/40 SK L/40, 14 x 1 - 149/45 SK L/45, 4 x 1 - 88/45 SK L/45, 4 x 1 - 500 TT
(1925 - 3/1927), Schlesien: 8 boilers were converted to oil (fuel stowage was 1130t of oil and 436t of coal, 4000(12)nm), ship was armed with 2 x 2 - 283/40 SK L/40, 14 x 1 - 149/45 SK L/45, 2 x 1 - 88/45 FlaK L/45, 4 x 1 - 500 TT
1927, Hannover: + 4 x 1 - 500 TT (beam)
1930, Hannover: + 1 - 500 TT (bow)
1930, Schlesien: + 2 x 1 - 88/45 SK L/45
1931, Hannover: - 4 x 1 - 88/45, 1 - 500 TT (bow)
1931, Schlesien, Schleswig-Holstein: - 2 x 1 - 149/45, 4 x 1 - 88/45
1935, Schlesien; 1937, Schleswig-Holstein: - 2 x 1 - 149/45, 4 x 1 - 500 TT; + 6 x 1 - 105/45 SK C/32, 4 x 1 - 37/83 SK C/30, 4 x 1 - 20/65 C/30
late 1939, both survived: - 10 x 1 - 149/45
1943 - 1944, both survived: - 4 x 1 - 37/83, 4 x 1 - 20/65; + 10 x 1 - 40/56 FlaK 28, 4 x 4 - 20/65 C/38, 3 x 2 - 20/65 C/38
1945, Schlesien: + 5 x 2- 20/65 C/38
Naval service: Till beginning of WWI they were a part of 2nd squadron of vice-admiral Scheer and participated in Battle at Jutland. Pommern was torpedoed by one of destroyers of 12th flotilia in night phase of battle and has sunk with 839 crew members. Using of out-of-date ships to joint actions with dreadnoughts was a great error. Deutschland in 1917 was stricken, disarmed 25/1/1920 and sold for scrap. Hannover since 1917 was used as receiving ship. In 1935 she was disarmed, served as a target ship for aircraft and broken up after WWII.
1/9/1939 Schleswig-Holstein has made the first shoot of Second World War, having fired at Polish fortress Westerplatte. Since the end of 1940 till mid-1944 they were in East Baltic. Schleswig-Holstein was sunk 18/12/1944 by British aircraft at Gotenhafen. Schlesien was hard damaged 3/5/1945 on a mine off Usedom and 4/5/1945 blown up by crew at Swinemünde.
Schleswig-Holstein
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10