Braunschweig class battleship
Encyclopedia
The Braunschweig class battleships were pre-dreadnought
battleship
s of the Kaiserliche Marine
(the German Imperial Navy). The class comprised five ships: , , , , and . The ships were an improvement over the preceding Wittelsbach class
; the ships mounted a more powerful main battery, were two knots faster, and had better armor protection.
The five ships all saw active service during World War I
, primarily as coast defense ships in the IV Battle Squadron. Hessen was transferred to the II Battle Squadron in 1916 and took part in the Battle of Jutland
on 31 May–1June 1916. All five ships of the class were retained by the Reichsmarine
following Germany's defeat in World War I, and saw further service in a variety of roles. Hessen was eventually rebuilt as a radio-controlled target ship
, while Preussen and Lothringen were converted into minesweeper tenders. All of the ships, with the exception of Hessen, were broken up in the 1930s; Hessen survived until the end of World War II
, when she was taken over by the Soviet Navy, for continued use as a target ship.
The Braunschweig class ships were 413 ft 3 in long at the waterline, and 419 ft (127.7 m) overall. The ships had a beam of 73 ft (22.3 m), and a draft of 26 in 7 in (8.1 m). The ships had thirteen watertight compartments and a double bottom
for 60 percent of the length of the hull
. The ships displaced 13,208 tonne
s at their designed weight, and 14,394 t at a full load.
The ships were described as good sea-boats, but were prone to heavy pitching. The ships were responsive and had a tight turning radius at low speed, but at hard rudder of 12 degrees, the ships lost up to 70 percent speed. The ships had a crew of 35 officers and 708 men normally, and when serving as a squadron flagship, they had an additional 13 officers and 66 men. The ships carried a number of smaller boats aboard, including two picket boats, two launches
, a pinnace
(later removed), two cutters, two yawl
s, and two dinghies
.
was 250 mm (9.8 in) thick. The forward conning tower
had a 50 mm (1.97 in) thick roof, while the sides were 300 mm (11.8 in) thick. The aft conning tower had a roof protected by 30 mm (1.2 in) of armor plating and 140 mm (5.51 in) armor on the sides. The ship's citadel was also protected by 140 mm of armor. The main battery turrets had 50 mm thick roofs and 250 mm sides. The secondary battery turrets were protected by 150 mm (5.9 in) of armor, while the casemated guns had gun shields 70 mm (2.75 in) thick.
The ships' main armament was increased from previous designs, but still weaker than contemporary foreign battleships. The main armament comprised four 28 cm (11 in) SK L/40
gunsIn Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnellfeuerkanone) denotes that the gun is quick firing, while the L/40 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/40 gun is 40 calibers, meaning that the gun is 40 times long as it is in diameter. quick-firing guns in twin turrets
, increased from four 24 cm (9.4 in) guns from previous designs, compared with the 12 in (30.5 cm) guns used on many foreign ships. The guns could depress down to −4 degrees, and elevate to +30 degrees, which enabled a maximum range of 18,800 m (20,600 yd). The guns fired 529 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2690 feet per second (820 m/s) The main battery had a total of 340 shells, for 85 shells per gun.
The secondary battery consisted of fourteen 17 cm (6.7 in) SK L/40 quick-firing guns, four of which were mounted in single turrets amidships, with the remaining ten in casemates around the superstructure. The guns fired 141 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2789 f/s (850 m/s). The turret-mounted guns could be elevated to 30 degrees, for a maximum range of 16,900 m (18,500 yds), while the casemated guns could only elevate to 22 degrees, and had a correspondingly lower range of 14,500 m (15,850 yd). These guns had a total of 1820 shells, for 130 rounds per gun. To transit the Kiel Canal
, the three central 17 cm casemated guns had to be withdrawn into their housings, as they were unable to train fully flush with the sides of the ships. With the guns fully emplaced, the ships would have been too wide to fit in the canal.
The ships also had fourteen 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/35 quick-firing guns in casemate
s along the length of the ship. The guns fired 15.4 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2,526 f/t (770 m/s), and could be elevated to 25 degrees for a maximum range of 9,090 m (9,940 yd). They were also armed with six 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, with a total of 16 torpedoes.
shipyard in Kiel in 1901, was launched on 20 December 1902, and commissioned into the fleet on 15 October 1904. Elsass was built at Schichau
in Danzig, starting in 1901. The ship was launched on 26 May 1903 and commissioned on 29 November 1904. Hessen was also built at Germaniawerft, starting in 1902. She was launched on 18 September 1903, and commissioned just over two years later on 19 September 1905.
Preussen was laid down in 1902 at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, launched on 30 October 1903, and commissioned into the fleet on 12 July 1905. Lothringen, the final ship of the class, was laid down at the Schichau dockyards in 1902. She was launched on 27 May 1904, and commissioned just under two years later on 18 May 1906.
At the start of the First World War
, the members of the Braunschweig class were assigned to IV Battle Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Erhard Schmidt, and tasked with coastal defense duties. Braunschweig and Elsaß both participated in the early portion of the Battle of the Gulf of Riga
. The two ships kept the Russian pre-dreadnought Slava
at bay while a Russian minefield was cleared, but the Russian forces put up a strong defense. Vice Admiral Schmidt decided to withdraw his forces when it became apparent that the mine clearing had taken too long, and there wasn't sufficient daylight left for the minelayer to lay a minefield of its own. In 1916, Hessen was assigned to II Battle Squadron, and participated in the Battle of Jutland
on 31 May–1 June 1916. Late in the day on the 31st, Hessen and the other pre-dreadnoughts of the II Battle Squadron briefly engaged Vice Admiral David Beatty
's 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, and in doing so, covered the withdrawal of the battered German battlecruisers under the command of Franz von Hipper
.
Starting in 1916, the ships of the Braunschweig class were withdrawn from active service, primarily because of manpower shortages. Braunschweig was used as a training ship, and on 20 August 1917, was converted into a barracks ship in Kiel. Elsaß was also used as a barracks and training ship in Kiel, having been withdrawn from active service on 25 July 1916. Hessen was converted into a depot ship in Brunsbüttel in 1917, while Preussen became a depot ship in Wilhelmshaven that same year. Lothringen was withdrawn from service in 1917 and used as an engineer training ship in Wilhelmshaven.
Because all of Germany's powerful dreadnought
s had either been scuttled in Scapa Flow
or ceded to the Allies as war prizes, the Braunschweig class battleships were recommissioned into the newly reorganized Reichsmarine
. In the years following World War I, Braunschweig, Elsass, and Hessen were to be rebuilt as coastal defense ship
s, although this plan was abandoned. Braunschweig served in the Reichsmarine from 1921 to 1926, at which point she was withdrawn from active duty. On 31 May 1931, she was stricken and converted into a hulk
at Wilhelmshaven
, and eventually scrapped. Elsass saw active duty in the fleet from 1924 until 25 February 1930, at which point she was removed from active service. On 31 March 1931, she was stricken, hulked in Wilhelmshaven. On 31 October 1935, Elsass was sold to Norddeutscher-Lloyd in Bremerhaven
, and scrapped in 1936.
Hessen served in the fleet from 1925 to 12 November 1934, when she was withdrawn and converted into a target ship
. Conversion work lasted from 31 March 1935 to 1 April 1937, when she was recommissioned as a target. She served in this capacity until 1945; at the end of World War II
, she was renamed Tsel and ceded to the Soviet Union. The ship was eventually scrapped in the 1960s. Preussen saw active service with the fleet as a minesweeper depot ship from 1919 to 5 April 1929, when she was stricken from the navy list. The ship was sold for breaking on 25 February 1931 for 216,800 Mark, and scrapped in Wilhelmshaven. A 63 m (68.9 yd) section of the hull was kept for use as a torpedo target and other explosives. The hull section was bombed and sunk by Allied aircraft in April 1945. The wreck was eventually raised and scrapped in 1954. Lothringen was also converted into a minesweeper depot ship, and she served in this capacity from 1922 to 1926. The ship was stricken on 31 March 1931, sold for scrapping for 269,650 Marks, and broken up by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg
.
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s of the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
(the German Imperial Navy). The class comprised five ships: , , , , and . The ships were an improvement over the preceding Wittelsbach class
Wittelsbach class battleship
The Wittelsbach-class battleships were a group of five pre-dreadnought battleships of the German Kaiserliche Marine . They were the first battleships produced under the Navy Law of 1898. The class was composed of the lead ship, , , , and . All five ships were laid down between 1899 and 1900, and...
; the ships mounted a more powerful main battery, were two knots faster, and had better armor protection.
The five ships all saw active service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, primarily as coast defense ships in the IV Battle Squadron. Hessen was transferred to the II Battle Squadron in 1916 and took part in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on 31 May–1June 1916. All five ships of the class were retained by the Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
following Germany's defeat in World War I, and saw further service in a variety of roles. Hessen was eventually rebuilt as a radio-controlled target ship
Target ship
A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing.-Rationale:Sinking redundant warships is an effective way of testing new weapons and warships in as realistic a manner as possible. Whilst practice torpedoes are fired...
, while Preussen and Lothringen were converted into minesweeper tenders. All of the ships, with the exception of Hessen, were broken up in the 1930s; Hessen survived until the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when she was taken over by the Soviet Navy, for continued use as a target ship.
General characteristics
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
for 60 percent of the length of the hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. The ships displaced 13,208 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s at their designed weight, and 14,394 t at a full load.
The ships were described as good sea-boats, but were prone to heavy pitching. The ships were responsive and had a tight turning radius at low speed, but at hard rudder of 12 degrees, the ships lost up to 70 percent speed. The ships had a crew of 35 officers and 708 men normally, and when serving as a squadron flagship, they had an additional 13 officers and 66 men. The ships carried a number of smaller boats aboard, including two picket boats, two launches
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
, a pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
(later removed), two cutters, two yawl
Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
s, and two dinghies
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
.
Propulsion
The ships of the Braunschweig class were propelled by three shaft triple expansion engines that were rated at 16000 ihp. The triple expansion engines were powered by eight Marine type boilers and six cylinder boilers. After 1915, oil-firing capability was added to supplement the coal-fired boilers.Wartime shortages in high-quality coal meant only poor-quality, low-efficiency coal was available. In order to maintain engine power, oil would be sprayed onto the coal in order to increase its burn rate. The ships had a single rudder and three screws. The two outer propellers were three-bladed, and 4.8 m (5.24 yd) in diameter. The center screw was four-bladed and 4.5 m (4.92 yd) in diameter. The ships' top speed was rated at 18 knots (35.3 km/h). During trials, however, the engines produced between 16400 ihp, and a top speed between 18.2 and 18.7 kn (35.7 and 36.6 km/h). The ships of the class could steam 5,200 nautical miles (10,000 km) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (20 km/h), with the exception of Hessen. Hessen suffered from unstable steering, which increased fuel consumption and shortened her operational range to 4530 nmi (8,389.6 km) at 10 knots (19.6 km/h). The first two ships—Braunschweig and Elsass had four generators that produced 230 kW (74 V), while three following ships—Hessen, Preussen, and Lothringen had four turbo-generators that provided 260 kW (110 V).Armor
The ships were equipped with Krupp armor. The deck armor was 40 mm (1.57 in) thick on the horizontal, and ranged between 140–75–140 mm (5.51–2.95–5.51 in) in the sloped deck armor. The main armored beltBelt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
was 250 mm (9.8 in) thick. The forward conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
had a 50 mm (1.97 in) thick roof, while the sides were 300 mm (11.8 in) thick. The aft conning tower had a roof protected by 30 mm (1.2 in) of armor plating and 140 mm (5.51 in) armor on the sides. The ship's citadel was also protected by 140 mm of armor. The main battery turrets had 50 mm thick roofs and 250 mm sides. The secondary battery turrets were protected by 150 mm (5.9 in) of armor, while the casemated guns had gun shields 70 mm (2.75 in) thick.
Armament
28 cm SK L/40 gun
The 28 cm SK L/40 was a German naval gun that was used in World War I and World War II by all German pre-dreadnought battleships...
gunsIn Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" (Schnellfeuerkanone) denotes that the gun is quick firing, while the L/40 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/40 gun is 40 calibers, meaning that the gun is 40 times long as it is in diameter. quick-firing guns in twin turrets
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
, increased from four 24 cm (9.4 in) guns from previous designs, compared with the 12 in (30.5 cm) guns used on many foreign ships. The guns could depress down to −4 degrees, and elevate to +30 degrees, which enabled a maximum range of 18,800 m (20,600 yd). The guns fired 529 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2690 feet per second (820 m/s) The main battery had a total of 340 shells, for 85 shells per gun.
The secondary battery consisted of fourteen 17 cm (6.7 in) SK L/40 quick-firing guns, four of which were mounted in single turrets amidships, with the remaining ten in casemates around the superstructure. The guns fired 141 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2789 f/s (850 m/s). The turret-mounted guns could be elevated to 30 degrees, for a maximum range of 16,900 m (18,500 yds), while the casemated guns could only elevate to 22 degrees, and had a correspondingly lower range of 14,500 m (15,850 yd). These guns had a total of 1820 shells, for 130 rounds per gun. To transit the Kiel Canal
Kiel Canal
The Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula....
, the three central 17 cm casemated guns had to be withdrawn into their housings, as they were unable to train fully flush with the sides of the ships. With the guns fully emplaced, the ships would have been too wide to fit in the canal.
The ships also had fourteen 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/35 quick-firing guns in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s along the length of the ship. The guns fired 15.4 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2,526 f/t (770 m/s), and could be elevated to 25 degrees for a maximum range of 9,090 m (9,940 yd). They were also armed with six 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, with a total of 16 torpedoes.
Construction
Braunschweig was laid down at the GermaniawerftFriedrich Krupp Germaniawerft
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft was a German shipbuilding company, located in the harbour at Kiel, and one of the largest and most important builders of U-boats for the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I and the Kriegsmarine in World War II.-History:The company was founded in 1867 by Lloyd Foster, as...
shipyard in Kiel in 1901, was launched on 20 December 1902, and commissioned into the fleet on 15 October 1904. Elsass was built at Schichau
Schichau-Werke
The Schichau-Werke was a German engineering works and shipyard based in Elbing, formerly part of the German Empire, and which is today the town of Elbląg in northern Poland. It also had a subsidiary shipyard in Danzig .-Early years:...
in Danzig, starting in 1901. The ship was launched on 26 May 1903 and commissioned on 29 November 1904. Hessen was also built at Germaniawerft, starting in 1902. She was launched on 18 September 1903, and commissioned just over two years later on 19 September 1905.
Preussen was laid down in 1902 at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, launched on 30 October 1903, and commissioned into the fleet on 12 July 1905. Lothringen, the final ship of the class, was laid down at the Schichau dockyards in 1902. She was launched on 27 May 1904, and commissioned just under two years later on 18 May 1906.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the members of the Braunschweig class were assigned to IV Battle Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Erhard Schmidt, and tasked with coastal defense duties. Braunschweig and Elsaß both participated in the early portion of the Battle of the Gulf of Riga
Battle of the Gulf of Riga
The Battle of the Gulf of Riga was a World War I naval operation of the German High Seas Fleet against the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea in August 1915...
. The two ships kept the Russian pre-dreadnought Slava
Russian battleship Slava
Slava was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Russian Navy, the last of the five s. Commissioned too late to participate in the Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War, she survived while all of her sister ships were either sunk during the battle or surrendered to the Imperial...
at bay while a Russian minefield was cleared, but the Russian forces put up a strong defense. Vice Admiral Schmidt decided to withdraw his forces when it became apparent that the mine clearing had taken too long, and there wasn't sufficient daylight left for the minelayer to lay a minefield of its own. In 1916, Hessen was assigned to II Battle Squadron, and participated in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on 31 May–1 June 1916. Late in the day on the 31st, Hessen and the other pre-dreadnoughts of the II Battle Squadron briefly engaged Vice Admiral David Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
's 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, and in doing so, covered the withdrawal of the battered German battlecruisers under the command of Franz von Hipper
Franz von Hipper
Franz Ritter von Hipper was an admiral in the German Imperial Navy . Franz von Hipper joined the German Navy in 1881 as an officer cadet. He commanded several torpedo boat units and served as watch officer aboard several warships, as well as Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht Hohenzollern...
.
Starting in 1916, the ships of the Braunschweig class were withdrawn from active service, primarily because of manpower shortages. Braunschweig was used as a training ship, and on 20 August 1917, was converted into a barracks ship in Kiel. Elsaß was also used as a barracks and training ship in Kiel, having been withdrawn from active service on 25 July 1916. Hessen was converted into a depot ship in Brunsbüttel in 1917, while Preussen became a depot ship in Wilhelmshaven that same year. Lothringen was withdrawn from service in 1917 and used as an engineer training ship in Wilhelmshaven.
Post World War I
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
s had either been scuttled in Scapa Flow
Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow
The scuttling of the German fleet took place at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in Scotland, after the end of the First World War. The High Seas Fleet had been interned there under the terms of the Armistice whilst negotiations took place over the fate of the ships...
or ceded to the Allies as war prizes, the Braunschweig class battleships were recommissioned into the newly reorganized Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
. In the years following World War I, Braunschweig, Elsass, and Hessen were to be rebuilt as coastal defense ship
Coastal defence ship
Coastal defence ships were warships built for the purpose of coastal defence, mostly during the period from 1860 to 1920. They were small, often cruiser-sized warships that sacrificed speed and range for armour and armament...
s, although this plan was abandoned. Braunschweig served in the Reichsmarine from 1921 to 1926, at which point she was withdrawn from active duty. On 31 May 1931, she was stricken and converted into a hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
at Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
, and eventually scrapped. Elsass saw active duty in the fleet from 1924 until 25 February 1930, at which point she was removed from active service. On 31 March 1931, she was stricken, hulked in Wilhelmshaven. On 31 October 1935, Elsass was sold to Norddeutscher-Lloyd in Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
, and scrapped in 1936.
Hessen served in the fleet from 1925 to 12 November 1934, when she was withdrawn and converted into a target ship
Target ship
A target ship is a vessel — typically an obsolete or captured warship — used for naval gunnery practice or for weapons testing.-Rationale:Sinking redundant warships is an effective way of testing new weapons and warships in as realistic a manner as possible. Whilst practice torpedoes are fired...
. Conversion work lasted from 31 March 1935 to 1 April 1937, when she was recommissioned as a target. She served in this capacity until 1945; at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she was renamed Tsel and ceded to the Soviet Union. The ship was eventually scrapped in the 1960s. Preussen saw active service with the fleet as a minesweeper depot ship from 1919 to 5 April 1929, when she was stricken from the navy list. The ship was sold for breaking on 25 February 1931 for 216,800 Mark, and scrapped in Wilhelmshaven. A 63 m (68.9 yd) section of the hull was kept for use as a torpedo target and other explosives. The hull section was bombed and sunk by Allied aircraft in April 1945. The wreck was eventually raised and scrapped in 1954. Lothringen was also converted into a minesweeper depot ship, and she served in this capacity from 1922 to 1926. The ship was stricken on 31 March 1931, sold for scrapping for 269,650 Marks, and broken up by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.