SMS Württemberg (1878)
Lithograph of SMS Württemberg in 1902
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History | |
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German Empire | |
Name | SMS Württemberg |
Builder | Stettin |
Laid down | November 1876 |
Launched | 9 November 1878 |
Commissioned | 9 May 1881 |
Fate | Broken up, 1920 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | ironclad |
Displacement | 7,677 t (7,556 long tons; 8,462 short tons) |
Length | 98.2 m (322 ft 2 in) |
Beam | 18.4 m (60 ft 4 in) |
Draft | 6.32 m (20 ft 9 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) |
Range | 1,940 nmi (3,590 km; 2,230 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement |
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Armament |
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Armor |
SMS Württemberg
After her commissioning, Württemberg served with the fleet on numerous training exercises and cruises. She participated in several cruises escorting Kaiser Wilhelm II on state visits to Great Britain and to various cities in the Baltic Sea in the late 1880s and early 1890s. During 1898–1899, the ship was modernized at the Imperial Dockyard in Kiel; she served for another seven years with the fleet before being withdrawn from active service in 1906. She was subsequently used in a variety of secondary roles, until she was sold in 1920 and broken up for scrap.
Design
The Sachsen class was the first group of
The ship was 98.2 m (322 ft 2 in)
She was armed with a
Württemberg's armor was made of wrought iron, and was concentrated in an armored citadel amidships.[2] The armor ranged from 203 to 254 mm (8 to 10 in) on the armored citadel, and between 50–75 mm (2–3 in) on the deck. The barbette armor was 254 mm of wrought iron backed by 250 mm of teak.[6]
Modifications
Between 1896 and 1898, Württemberg was extensively modernized to prolong her useful service life. The ship's old wrought iron and teak armor was replaced with new Krupp nickel-steel armor.[7] The four funnels were trunked into a single large funnel and new engines were also installed,[5] which increased the ship's speed to 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph). The ship's 8.7 cm guns were replaced with quick-firing 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 guns and four 3.7 cm (1.5 in) autocannons. Work was completed in 1898.[4]
Service history
Construction
Württemberg was ordered by the Imperial Navy under the contract name "D," which denoted that the vessel was a new addition to the fleet. She was built at the
On 16 May, Württemberg was decommissioned to undergo fitting out, which included the installation of her main battery. Work was completed in a few weeks, and in June, the ship began
1884–1896
Württemberg was recommissioned on 22 April 1884, for her first major period of active service. At that time, KzS
Following the 1886 maneuvers, Württemberg and her three sisters were removed from active duty to serve as the Reserve Division of the Baltic Sea. In June 1887, Germany dedicated the
The ship returned to active service with the fleet on 2 May 1890, under the command of KzS
Württemberg remained in I Division through 1894, and these years passed uneventfully for the ship beyond the normal routine of peacetime training activities. KzS Curt von Maltzan replaced Fischel in October 1893.[10] By the winter of 1894–1895, the last of the four Brandenburg-class battleships had been commissioned; these ships were assigned to I Division, which displaced Württemberg and her three sisters to II Division. The eight ships conducted training cruises over the winter and spring before conducting the annual autumn fleet exercises.[19] On 21 June 1895, the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal was opened for traffic, eight years after work had begun. Württemberg and her three sisters, along with dozens of other warships, attended the ceremonies. The major naval powers sent fleets to join the fleet review.[20] The autumn 1895 maneuvers simulated a high-seas battle between I and II Divisions in the North Sea, followed by combined maneuvers with the rest of the fleet in the Baltic.[21] Maltzahn left Württemberg in September, and the following month KzS Karl Ascher replaced him. On 24 October, the ship ran aground in the Great Belt, but she was able to be pulled free without damage.[10]
From 9 December 1895 to 10 March 1896, Württemberg temporarily served as the flagship of I Squadron for now-Vizeadmiral (VAdm—Vice Admiral) Koester, while his normal flagship was in drydock for periodic maintenance. The ship took part in the 1896 and 1897 maneuvers, though Sachsen was her only sister to join the exercises. Baden and Bayern were out of service for extensive modernization. By that time, the fleet had been reorganized and the ships were part of I Squadron. Württemberg had two more brief stints as temporary fleet flagship in 1897, the first from 4 October to 2 November, and the second from 17 to 26 December. During these periods, VAdm August von Thomsen commanded the squadron. At the same time, from 30 November to 16 December, Württemberg also served as the flagship for II Division under KAdm Felix von Bendemann. On 6 December, the ship suffered an accident that caused her to be decommissioned for repairs on 15 January 1898, somewhat earlier than had been planned.[22][23]
Reconstruction and later career
After being decommissioned in early 1898, Württemberg was taken into drydock at the Kaiserliche Werft Kiel in Kiel for an extensive reconstruction that significantly altered her appearance. The work lasted more than a year and a half, and she was finally recommissioned on 8 October 1899 under the command of KzS
Württemberg again served with I Squadron for the first half of 1901, taking part in all of the unit training exercises and cruises through July, when the Detached Division returned from East Asia. During this period, in March, KzS Carl Friedrich took command of the ship. On 25 July, Württemberg and the rest of the squadron went to sea for a cruise to Norway, including a visit to Ulvik that lasted until 31 July. On the voyage back to Germany, the Detached Division met the fleet, which was reorganized for the autumn maneuvers. The Detached Division retook its place as I Squadron, and Württemberg and the rest of her unit became II Squadron for the exercises. Following the maneuvers, Württemberg resumed her role in the Reserve Division of the North Sea, based in Wilhelmshaven. Fregattenkapitän (FK—Frigate Captain) Otto Hoepner replaced Friedrich in September. The training cycles for 1902 and 1903 passed uneventfully for Württemberg, interrupted only by another cruise to Norway in May and June 1903. During this period, the ship was commanded by KzS Carl Schönfelder. The fleet maneuvers that year were longer than normal, beginning on 4 July and lasting until 12 September. In both years, Württemberg served in II Squadron. On 29 September 1903, Württemberg was decommissioned and reduced to the reserve. She was transferred to the Baltic Sea on 2 January 1904, as the Reserve Division of the North Sea was disbanded at that time, and she remained there until 1906.[24]
In 1906, Württemberg was selected to replace the old corvette
The years 1910 and 1911 passed largely uneventfully for the ship. The ship remained on the list of battleships until 28 March 1911. In February 1912, she was used as an emergency
Following Germany's defeat in late 1918, Württemberg was decommissioned on 1 February 1919. She was thereafter used as a
Footnotes
Notes
- Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship".
- ^ The Chinese ironclad Dingyuan was built to a modified Sachsen-class design, the chief difference being the arrangement of the main battery in two twin gun turrets, rather than the open barbette battery of the Sachsens.[9]
Citations
- ^ Dodson, pp. 23–25.
- ^ a b Hovgaard, p. 111.
- ^ a b Gröner, pp. 7–8.
- ^ a b c Gröner, p. 8.
- ^ a b Lyon, p. 245.
- ^ Gröner, p. 7.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 219.
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 116.
- ^ Wright, pp. 50–51.
- ^ a b c Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, pp. 116–117.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 161.
- ^ Sondhaus, pp. 135–136.
- ^ Sondhaus, pp. 161–163.
- ^ a b c Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, pp. 115, 117.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 171.
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 117.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 192.
- ^ Sondhaus, pp. 194–196.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 198.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 199.
- ^ Sondhaus, p. 201.
- ^ Sondhaus, pp. 219–221.
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, pp. 117–118.
- ^ a b c d Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, pp. 116, 118.
- ^ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 118.
References
- ISBN 978-1-84832-229-5.
- ISBN 978-0-87021-790-6.
- Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert & Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1993). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart [The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present] (in German). Vol. 8. Ratingen: Mundus Verlag.
- Hovgaard, William (1971). Modern History of Warships. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-040-6.
- Lyon, Hugh (1979). "Germany". In Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
- Sondhaus, Lawrence (1997). Preparing for Weltpolitik: German Sea Power Before the Tirpitz Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-745-7.
- Wright, Richard N.J. (2000). The Chinese Steam Navy. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-144-6.