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SIEGFRIED coast defense battleships (1890 - 1894)


Photo



  Hagen 1894  

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Siegfried   44 Germaniawerft, Kiel 1888 10.8.1889 29.4.1890 barrack ship 1916
Beowulf   100 Weser, Bremen 1890 8.11.1890 1.4.1892 target ship 1916
Frithjof   101 Weser, Bremen 1890 21.7.1891 23.2.1893 barrack ship 1916
Heimdall   14 Wilhelmshaven KW 1891 27.7.1892 7.4.1894 barrack ship 1916
Hildebrand   20 Kiel KW 1890 6.8.1892 28.10.1893 barrack ship 1916
Hagen   21 Kiel KW 1891 21.10.1893 2.10.1894 barrack ship 1916


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

3691

Displacement full, t

3741

Length, m

79.0 oa 76.4 wl

Breadth, m

14.9

Draught, m

5.74

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 VTE, 4 locomotive boilers

Power, h. p.

5000

Max speed, kts

14.5

Fuel, t

coal 220 + oil 220

Endurance, nm(kts)

1490(10)

Armour, mm

Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof: compound; belt: 240 - 100, barbettes and cupolas: 200 - 30, deck: 30, CT: 80

Heimdal, Hildebrand, Hagen: compound; belt: 240 - 100, barbettes and cupolas: 200 - 30 (Krupp), deck: 30, CT: 80

Armament

Siegfried: 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 6 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)

Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdal, Hildebrand, Hagen: 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 8 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)

Complement

276



Standard scale images


<i>Siegfried</i> 1890
Siegfried 1890
<i>Hagen </i>1910
Hagen 1910


Graphics


  <i>Hagen </i>1894  
  Hagen 1894  


Project history

These small armoured ships, intended for the defence of the approaches to German harbours, had an unusual distribution of their main armament, the two forward turrets being mounted side by side. The last two ships, besides the different armament and Ägir`s two funnels, differed from the others in their armour protection and also in having fighting tops.

Ship protection, Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof

Compound steel-iron armour was used. Main belt was consisted of upper strip (240mm amidshipsl and 180mm at ship ends), backed by 330mm wood and lower strip (140mm amidships and 100mm at ship ends), backed by 290mm wood. There was 30mm armoured deck. Barbettes and cupolas had 200-30mm armour on 200mm wooden layer, CT had 80mm sides and 30mm roof.

Ship protection, Heimdall, Hildebrand, Hagen

Compound steel-iron armour was used. Main belt was consisted of upper strip (240mm amidshipsl and 180mm at ship ends), backed by 330mm wood and lower strip (140mm amidships and 100mm at ship ends), backed by 290mm wood. There was 30mm armoured deck. Barbettes and cupolas had 200-30mm Krupp armour on 200mm wooden layer, CT had 80mm sides and 30mm roof.

Modernizations

late 1890s, Siegfried: + 4 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89

late 1890s, Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall, Hildebrand, Hagen: + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89

(1898-1900, Kiel KW), Hagen; (1900-1902, Weser, Bremen), Beowulf; (1901-1902, Kiel KW), Heimdall; (1901-1902, Danzig KW), Hildebrand; (1902-1903, Weser, Bremen), Frithjof; (1903-1904, Danzig KW), Siegfried: were completely rebuilt: 4158t (normal) / 4236-4436t (full load), 86.1(oa) 84.8(wl) x 14.9 x 5.47-5.66m, boilers were replaced by 8 Marine boilers on all except Hagen with 8 Thornycroft boilers, 4700(Siegfried) or 5000(Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall) or 5300(Hildebrand, Hagen)hp, 15kts, 580t of coal and 500t of oil, 3400(10)nm, complement: 307; 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 10 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 3 - 450 TT (2 beam, 1 stern), 1 - 350 TT (bow)

also new Krupp armour partly replaced old compound on Heimdall, Hagen: 50mm deck, new CT with 160mm sides and 30mm roof, belt was replaced by Krupp steel: upper stripe 240mm amidships and 180mm at ship ends, backed by 260 - 320mm wooden layer, lower stripe was 140mm from stem till the aft end of citadel, aft end had 100mm thickness, this stripe was backed by 360-400mm wood.

Naval service

In 1915 this class were reclassified as coastal defence ships after a brief attachment to the fleet, but a year later all were disarmed. Their histories, after being removed from service and sold in 1919, are more than usually interesting. It was planned to convert Siegfried to a salvage ship, but this fell through and she was broken up in 1920. Beowulf had briefly been used as an icebreaker before being sold, but was broken up in 1921. Frithjof was rebuilt in 1923 as a motor cargo ship, and not broken up till 1930. A conversion of Heimdall into a salvage ship never materialized and she was broken up in 1921. Hildebrand was towed away to Holland for breaking up, but was wrecked on the Dutch coast, her remains being finally broken up in 1933. Hagen was broken up after her sale, but Odin was converted into a motor cargo ship in 1922, and served until broken up in 1935. Ägir underwent the same conversion, only to be wrecked in 1929.