NAVYPEDIA

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  Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse 1900  

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Kaiser Friedrich III		22	Wilhelmshaven KW	1895	1.7.1896	7.10.1898	prison ship 1916
Kaiser Wilhelm II		24	Wilhelmshaven KW	1896	14.9.1897	13.2.1900	floating HQ for C-in-C 1915
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse		79	Germaniawerft, Kiel	1898	1.6.1899	5.5.1901	harbour ship 1916
Kaiser Karl der Grosse		136	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg	1898	18.10.1899	4.2.1902	prison ship 1916
Kaiser Barbarossa		640	Schichau, Danzig	1898	21.4.1900	10.6.1901	prison ship 1916

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	11599
Displacement full, t	11785
Length, m	125.3 oa 120.9 wl
Breadth, m	20.4
Draught, m	8.25
No of shafts	3
Machinery	Kaiser Friedrich III: 3 VTE, 4 Thornycroft + 8 cylindrical boilers Kaiser Wilhelm II: 3 VTE, 4 Marine + 8 cylindrical boilers Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse: 3 VTE, 4 Marine + 6 cylindrical boilers Kaiser Barbarossa: 3 VTE, 4 Thornycroft + 6 cylindrical boilers Kaiser Karl der Grosse: 3 VTE, 2 Marine + 2 doubled Marine + 6 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	13000
Max speed, kts	17.5
Fuel, t	coal 1070
Endurance, nm(kts)	3420(10)
Armour, mm	belt: 300 - 100, deck: 65, main turrets: 250, secondary turrets: 150, gunshields: 70, casemates: 150, CT: 250 - 150
Armament	Kaiser Friedrich III, Kaiser Wilhelm II: 2 x 2 - 238/37 SK L/40 C/97, 18 x 1 - 150/37 SK L/40 C/97, 12 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 12 x 1 - 7.9/80, 6 - 450 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern) Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Kaiser Barbarossa, Kaiser Karl der Grosse: 2 x 2 - 238/37 SK L/40 C/98, 18 x 1 - 150/37 SK L/40 C/97, 12 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 12 x 1 - 7.9/80, 6 - 450 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)
Complement	651

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

This class of ships, all named after German Emperors, set the pattern for German pre-dreadnoughts with their comparatively light main armament, and their triple-screw installation. With these ships Germany was becoming a major naval power, but the design still compares unfavourably with that of British contemporaries. The secondary armament was heavy, with six of the forecastle deck guns being mounted in turrets instead of casemates.

Ship protection

Main belt had 300mm thickness between barbettes, tapering to 180mm at lower edge. Its thickness decreased to 150mm from fore barbette to stem (tapering to 100mm at lower edge), 200mm abreast aft barbette (tapering to 100mm at lower edge). After end of the waterline was unprotected. The belt had 250mm teak backing. Protective deck had 65mm thickness. Main gun turrets had 250mm sides and 50mm crowns, secondary turrets had 150mm sides, casemates had also 150mm protection, gunshields for 88mm guns had 70mm thickness. Main CT had 250mm sides and 30mm roof, aft CT had 150mm sides and 30mm roof.

Modernizations

1909, Kaiser Friedrich III; 1910, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Kaiser Barbarossa: - 4 x 1 - 150/37, 12 x 1 - 7.9/80, 1 - 450 TT (stern); + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89 (Kaiser Karl der Grosse never was rebuilt).

Naval service

Between 1907 and 1910 these ships were reconstructed, with taller funnels, much of the superstructure cut down, and four of the 150mm guns and one of the torpedo tubes removed. The tertiary armament of 88mm guns was repositioned, several being placed on the upper deck, from which the 150mm had been taken, instead of their original much higher position, while their number was increased by two. Kaiser Wilhelm II, with a complement increased by 63, had been the fleet flagship until 1906. All were disarmed and used as hulks in 1916, being quite useless for war by that time.