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WESPE armoured steamships (1876 - 1881)


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Viper

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Wespe   31 Weser, Bremen 1875 6.7.1876 11.1876 stricken 6.1909
Viper   32 Weser, Bremen 1875 21.9.1876 3.1877 crane ship 6.1909
Biene   33 Weser, Bremen 1876 2.12.1876 8.1877 repair ship 9.1910
Mücke   34 Weser, Bremen 1876 5.5.1877 2.1878 heating ship 3.1911
Scorpion   35 Weser, Bremen 1876 19.5.1877 12.1877 test hulk 3.1911
Basilisk   36 Weser, Bremen 1877 14.9.1878 8.1880 survivability test hulk 9.1910
Camaeleon   37 Weser, Bremen 1877 21.12.1878 11.1879 stricken 6.1909
Crocodill   40 Weser, Bremen 1878 13.9.1879 5.1880 target ship 3.1911
Salamander   41 Weser, Bremen 1878 6.1.1880 10.1880 stricken 6.1909
Natter   44 Weser, Bremen 1879 29.9.1880 5.1881 electric power station 3.1911
Hummel   45 Weser, Bremen 1879 12.2.1881 8.1881 repair hulk 9.1910


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

1098
Displacement full, t

1163
Length, m

46.4 oa 45.5 wl
Breadth, m

10.6
Draught, m

3.37 - 3.40
No of shafts

2
Machinery

2 DC, 4 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.

700
Max speed, kts

10
Fuel, t

coal 40
Endurance, nm(kts)

700(7)
Armour, mmwrought iron: belt: 203 - 102, deck: 40, barbette: 203
Armament

1 x 1 - 305/20 RK L/22 C/76
Complement

76 - 88


Standard scale images


<i>Wespe </i>1900
Wespe 1900


Graphics


<i>Viper</i>
Viper


Project history

These shallow draught, coastal defence gunboats were like larger versions of the British 'Rendel gunboats' and were intended to be capable of grounding themselves on the sandbanks off the German coast to act as fixed batteries. The big gun forward had only a limited traverse and was aimed by pointing the boat in the direction of the enemy. They were very poor seaboats, and were laid up for most of their lives, though no doubt they would have been useful vessels in any war off Germany's coast, in their earlier years.

Ship protection

 The gun was protected by an armoured breastwork 203mm thick on 210mm teak, and the waterline belt was 152mm amidships, 203mm fwd and 102mm aft, backed by 210mm wooden layer. Deck contained of two layers, 22 and 28mm iron. Later boats recieved CTs with 20mm sides.

Modernizations

1883, all: + 2 x 1 - 87/22 RK L/24 C/82, 2 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30, 2 - 350 TT (bow), CT with 20mm sides was installed.

Naval service

No significant events.