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SMS Oldenburg (1884)
Encyclopedia
SMS Oldenburg was an armored warship of the German Imperial Navy. Laid down at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin in 1883, the ship was launched in December 1884 and commissioned into the Navy in April 1886. Oldenburg was intended to have been a fifth member of the of sortie corvettes, but budgetary limitations and dissatisfaction with the Sachsen class prompted a redesign that bore little resemblance to the earlier vessels. Oldenburg mounted her main battery of eight 24 cm (9.4 in) guns amidships, six in a central casemate on the main deck and two directly above them on the broadside
. She was the first German capital ship constructed entirely from German-made steel.
Oldenburg did not see significant service with the German Navy. She participated in fleet training maneuvers in the late-1880s and early 1890s, but she spent the majority of the 1890s in reserve. Her only major deployment came in 1897–1898 when she joined an international naval demonstration to protest the Greek annexation of Crete
. In 1900, she was withdrawn from active duty and used as a harbor defense ship. From 1912 to 1919, she was used by the High Seas Fleet
as a target ship; she was sold for scrapping in 1919 and broken up that year.
Assessment of the design is mixed; naval historian Erich Gröner states that Oldenburg was an "experimental design, of no real value in combat." Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships concurs, stating that Oldenburg was "considered to be of little fighting value by the time she was completed." The 1889 edition of the Brassey's Naval Annual reported a contradictory opinion, however, stating that "The majority of German naval critics are dissatisfied to a greater or less extent with all of these vessels, the , , , and Oldenburg excepted."
, the vessel displaced 5249 metric tons (5,166.1 LT). When the ship was fully loaded, she displaced 5743 MT (5,652.3 LT). Her hull
was built with transverse and longitudinal steel frames; iron was used for the stem
and stern
. The ship had twelve watertight compartments and a double bottom
that ran for 60 percent of the length of the hull. Oldenburg was the first German capital ships built entirely from German-made steel.
The German navy regarded Oldenburg as an adequate sea boat, though she suffered from significant pitching. As a result of her tendency to pitch severely, a 60 MT (59.1 LT) ballast
was permanently installed in the bow. She also lost a great deal of speed in heavy seas; at conditions above Beaufort sea state 6
, this could be up to a 25 percent loss of speed. The ship could not operate under severe weather conditions. Her transverse metacentric height
was 0.63 m (2.1 ft). Her standard complement consisted of 34 officers and 355 enlisted men, though her crew was later reorganized to 32 officers and 40 enlisted sailors. She carried a number of smaller boats, including one picket boat, one launch
, two pinnace
s, two cutters, two yawl
s, and one dinghy
.
The ship was designed to store 348 MT (342.5 LT) of coal, though she could accommodate up to 450 MT (442.9 LT). An additional 120 MT (118.1 LT) of coal could be stored on her deck. At a cruising speed of 9 kn (4.9 m/s), Oldenburg could steam for 1770 nautical miles (3,278 km). Increasing her speed by one knot reduced her range to 1370 nmi (2,537.2 km), and at 12 kn (6.5 m/s), she could cruise for only 980 nmi (1,815 km). Steering was controlled by a single rudder. She was equipped with three electrical generators with a total output of 29 kilowatts at 65 volt
s.
s at each corner of the central battery to give a measure of end-on fire, and two on the upper deck firing broadside. These guns were supplied with 494 rounds of ammunition, and could depress to −5° and elevate to 8°. This enabled a maximum range of 5700 to 8800 m (6,233.6 to 9,623.8 yd). She was also equipped with four 15 cm (5.9 in) L/22 guns and two 8.7 cm (3.4 in) L/24 guns. Four 35 cm (13.8 in) torpedo tube
s rounded out her armament. One was mounted in the bow, submerged, two were placed on the broadside
above water, and the fourth was located in the stern, also above water. She carried ten torpedoes.
Oldenburgs armor consisted of compound steel backed with teak
; the steel was fabricated by the Dillinger Works
. The main armored belt
was composed of two strake
s; the steel upper strake was 300 mm (11.8 in) thick amidships, where it protected the ship's vitals. The belt was reduced on either end of the central portion to 200 mm (7.9 in). The lower strake was 250 mm (9.8 in) thick in the central section and 180 mm (7.1 in) on either end. The entire belt was backed with 250 mm of teak amidships and 300 mm of teak on either end. The sides of the armored casemate
s for the main battery were 150 mm (5.9 in) thick. The ship's deck was 30 mm (1.2 in) thick. Her forward conning tower
had 50 mm (2 in) thick sides and a 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) thick roof. The rear conning tower was given only splinter protection, with 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in) thick sides and a 12 mm (0.47244094488189 in) thick roof.
Oldenburg was laid down in 1883 at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, under construction number 132. She was launched on 20 December 1884, after which fitting-out
work commenced. She was completed by April 1886 and commissioned into the German Navy on 8 April. She immediately joined the I Division of the fleet, alongside , , and , for the annual fleet maneuvers. Bayern and Württemberg suffered from engine troubles throughout the exercises, but Oldenburg performed satisfactorily.
In June 1887, Germany dedicated the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal; Oldenburg was among the ships present during the celebrations. Oldenburg was assigned to the training squadron for the maneuvers in August–September 1887, along with and . The majority of the exercises were focused in the Baltic, but the fleet did conduct maneuvers in the North Sea for eight days in September. Oldenburg also participated in the visit to Great Britain in August 1889, where Wilhelm II took part in the Cowes Regatta. The ship was assigned to the I Division with Sachsen, , and the new cruiser . Oldenburg and the rest of the fleet joined the Royal Navy
in a fleet review for Queen Victoria.
Oldenburg participated in the ceremonial transfer of the island of Helgoland from British to German control in the summer of 1890. She was present during the fleet maneuvers in September, where the entire eight-ship armored squadron simulated a Russian fleet blockading Kiel
. She remained with the I Division in 1891; the year's maneuvers simulated a two-front war against Russia and either France or Denmark. In 1892, however, Württemberg replaced Oldenburg in the I Division, and the latter went into reserve. The ship remained out of service for the next five years. She returned to active duty in 1897 to join an international naval demonstration off the island of Crete
, which had been annexed by Greece. The ship remained in the demonstration until March 1898, when Germany and Austria-Hungary
withdrew their naval contingents in a show of dissatisfaction over the compromise solution, which left Crete under Ottoman control, but with a Greek prince.
In 1900, Oldenburg was reduced to serve as a harbor guard ship
. She was later used as a depot ship
before being stricken from the naval register on 13 January 1912. The vessel was then used as a target ship by the High Seas Fleet
until after the German defeat in World War I
. Oldenburg was sold to Hattinger Company, a ship-breaking firm, on 5 May 1919. The ship was dismantled for scrap in Wilhelmshaven that year.
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
. She was the first German capital ship constructed entirely from German-made steel.
Oldenburg did not see significant service with the German Navy. She participated in fleet training maneuvers in the late-1880s and early 1890s, but she spent the majority of the 1890s in reserve. Her only major deployment came in 1897–1898 when she joined an international naval demonstration to protest the Greek annexation of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. In 1900, she was withdrawn from active duty and used as a harbor defense ship. From 1912 to 1919, she was used by the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
as a target ship; she was sold for scrapping in 1919 and broken up that year.
Design
Oldenburg was intended to be a fifth member of the of sortie corvettes. The design for the ship was radically altered, between 1879 and 1881, for a variety of reasons. The German Navy was largely dissatisfied with the Sachsen class ships, and a number of design faults required correction. Budgetary constraints also limited the design of the ship, forcing the design staff to work within a displacement some 2000 MT (1,968.4 LT) lower than that of the Sachsens.Assessment of the design is mixed; naval historian Erich Gröner states that Oldenburg was an "experimental design, of no real value in combat." Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships concurs, stating that Oldenburg was "considered to be of little fighting value by the time she was completed." The 1889 edition of the Brassey's Naval Annual reported a contradictory opinion, however, stating that "The majority of German naval critics are dissatisfied to a greater or less extent with all of these vessels, the , , , and Oldenburg excepted."
General characteristics
Oldenburg was 78.4 m (257.2 ft) long at the waterline and 79.8 m (261.8 ft) long overall. She had a beam of 18 m (59.1 ft) and a draft of 6.28 m (20.6 ft) forward and 6.3 m (20.7 ft) aft. At the designed displacementDisplacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
, the vessel displaced 5249 metric tons (5,166.1 LT). When the ship was fully loaded, she displaced 5743 MT (5,652.3 LT). Her 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...
was built with transverse and longitudinal steel frames; iron was used for the stem
Stem (ship)
The stem is the very most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself and curves up to the wale of the boat. The stem is more often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively...
and stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
. The ship had twelve watertight compartments and a double bottom
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...
that ran for 60 percent of the length of the hull. Oldenburg was the first German capital ships built entirely from German-made steel.
The German navy regarded Oldenburg as an adequate sea boat, though she suffered from significant pitching. As a result of her tendency to pitch severely, a 60 MT (59.1 LT) ballast
Sailing ballast
Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of...
was permanently installed in the bow. She also lost a great deal of speed in heavy seas; at conditions above Beaufort sea state 6
Beaufort scale
The Beaufort Scale is an empirical measure that relates wind speed to observed conditions at sea or on land. Its full name is the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.-History:...
, this could be up to a 25 percent loss of speed. The ship could not operate under severe weather conditions. Her transverse metacentric height
Metacentric height
The metacentric height is a measurement of the static stability of a floating body. It is calculated as the distance between the centre of gravity of a ship and its metacentre . A larger metacentric height implies greater stability against overturning...
was 0.63 m (2.1 ft). Her standard complement consisted of 34 officers and 355 enlisted men, though her crew was later reorganized to 32 officers and 40 enlisted sailors. She carried a number of smaller boats, including one picket boat, one launch
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...
, two 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...
s, 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 one dinghy
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,...
.
Machinery
Oldenburg was powered by two horizontal 4-cylinder double expansion steam engines in separate engine roomes; the two engines each drove a three-bladed screw 4.5 m (14.8 ft) in diameter. Steam was provided to the engines by eight transverse cylinder boilers, divided into two boiler rooms. Each boiler was equipped with three fireboxes, for a total of 24, which operated at up to 5 standard atmospheres (506,625 Pa) forced. The engines were designed to operate at 3900 ihp for a top speed of 14 knots (7.6 m/s). On speed trials, her engines slightly exceeded the designed horsepower, at 3942 ihp, though Oldenburg made only 13.8 kn (7.5 m/s).The ship was designed to store 348 MT (342.5 LT) of coal, though she could accommodate up to 450 MT (442.9 LT). An additional 120 MT (118.1 LT) of coal could be stored on her deck. At a cruising speed of 9 kn (4.9 m/s), Oldenburg could steam for 1770 nautical miles (3,278 km). Increasing her speed by one knot reduced her range to 1370 nmi (2,537.2 km), and at 12 kn (6.5 m/s), she could cruise for only 980 nmi (1,815 km). Steering was controlled by a single rudder. She was equipped with three electrical generators with a total output of 29 kilowatts at 65 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
s.
Armament and armor
Oldenburg carried eight 24 cm (9.4 in) L/30 hooped guns in an unusual configuration: six guns on the main deck, one on each broadside, four in embrasureEmbrasure
In military architecture, an embrasure is the opening in a crenellation or battlement between the two raised solid portions or merlons, sometimes called a crenel or crenelle...
s at each corner of the central battery to give a measure of end-on fire, and two on the upper deck firing broadside. These guns were supplied with 494 rounds of ammunition, and could depress to −5° and elevate to 8°. This enabled a maximum range of 5700 to 8800 m (6,233.6 to 9,623.8 yd). She was also equipped with four 15 cm (5.9 in) L/22 guns and two 8.7 cm (3.4 in) L/24 guns. Four 35 cm (13.8 in) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s rounded out her armament. One was mounted in the bow, submerged, two were placed on the broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
above water, and the fourth was located in the stern, also above water. She carried ten torpedoes.
Oldenburgs armor consisted of compound steel backed with teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
; the steel was fabricated by the Dillinger Works
Dillinger Hütte
Dillinger Hütte is a steel producer in Dillingen, in the German Federal State of Saarland, and has a history stretching back more than three hundred years. The plant was originally founded in 1685, and was Germany's first Aktiengesellschaft, or joint stock company . The first continuous-caster for...
. The main armored belt
Belt 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 composed of two strake
Strake
A strake is part of the shell of the hull of a boat or ship which, in conjunction with the other strakes, keeps the sea out and the vessel afloat...
s; the steel upper strake was 300 mm (11.8 in) thick amidships, where it protected the ship's vitals. The belt was reduced on either end of the central portion to 200 mm (7.9 in). The lower strake was 250 mm (9.8 in) thick in the central section and 180 mm (7.1 in) on either end. The entire belt was backed with 250 mm of teak amidships and 300 mm of teak on either end. The sides of the armored 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 for the main battery were 150 mm (5.9 in) thick. The ship's deck was 30 mm (1.2 in) thick. Her 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 50 mm (2 in) thick sides and a 25 mm (0.984251968503937 in) thick roof. The rear conning tower was given only splinter protection, with 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in) thick sides and a 12 mm (0.47244094488189 in) thick roof.
Service history
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
work commenced. She was completed by April 1886 and commissioned into the German Navy on 8 April. She immediately joined the I Division of the fleet, alongside , , and , for the annual fleet maneuvers. Bayern and Württemberg suffered from engine troubles throughout the exercises, but Oldenburg performed satisfactorily.
In June 1887, Germany dedicated the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal; Oldenburg was among the ships present during the celebrations. Oldenburg was assigned to the training squadron for the maneuvers in August–September 1887, along with and . The majority of the exercises were focused in the Baltic, but the fleet did conduct maneuvers in the North Sea for eight days in September. Oldenburg also participated in the visit to Great Britain in August 1889, where Wilhelm II took part in the Cowes Regatta. The ship was assigned to the I Division with Sachsen, , and the new cruiser . Oldenburg and the rest of the fleet joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in a fleet review for Queen Victoria.
Oldenburg participated in the ceremonial transfer of the island of Helgoland from British to German control in the summer of 1890. She was present during the fleet maneuvers in September, where the entire eight-ship armored squadron simulated a Russian fleet blockading Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
. She remained with the I Division in 1891; the year's maneuvers simulated a two-front war against Russia and either France or Denmark. In 1892, however, Württemberg replaced Oldenburg in the I Division, and the latter went into reserve. The ship remained out of service for the next five years. She returned to active duty in 1897 to join an international naval demonstration off the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, which had been annexed by Greece. The ship remained in the demonstration until March 1898, when Germany and Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
withdrew their naval contingents in a show of dissatisfaction over the compromise solution, which left Crete under Ottoman control, but with a Greek prince.
In 1900, Oldenburg was reduced to serve as a harbor guard ship
Guard ship
A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service...
. She was later used as a depot ship
Depot ship
A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...
before being stricken from the naval register on 13 January 1912. The vessel was then used as a target ship by the High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
until after the German defeat in 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...
. Oldenburg was sold to Hattinger Company, a ship-breaking firm, on 5 May 1919. The ship was dismantled for scrap in Wilhelmshaven that year.