SMS Victoria Louise
Encyclopedia
Seiner Majestät Schiff Victoria Louise was the lead ship
of her class
of protected cruiser
s, built for the Kaiserliche Marine
before the turn of the 20th Century.
Victoria Louise was laid down in Bremen
by the AG Weser
shipyard in April 1896. She was completed in February 1899, at a cost of 10,714,000 Marks
. She was designed primarily for an overseas cruiser role.
Between 1905 and 1911, the ships of the Victoria Louise class were modernized. The ships had their boilers replaced, and had their original three funnels reduced to two stacks.
, Victoria Louise served as a coastal defense ship, but by November 1914, she was consigned to a barracks ship role, along with her sister ships. In 1923, she was sold for scrap.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of her class
Victoria Louise class protected cruiser
The Victoria Louise class of protected cruisers was Germany's last class of ships of that type. They were designed for overseas cruiser duties. The class design introduced the clipper bow and blocky sides that typified later German armored cruisers....
of protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
s, built for 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...
before the turn of the 20th Century.
Victoria Louise was laid down in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
by the AG Weser
AG Weser
Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...
shipyard in April 1896. She was completed in February 1899, at a cost of 10,714,000 Marks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
. She was designed primarily for an overseas cruiser role.
Dimensions and machinery
Victoria Louise was 358 in 3 in (109.19 m) long at the waterline, and had an overall length of 363 in 2 in (110.69 m) She had a beam of 57 in 2 in (17.42 m) and a draught of 22 in 9 in (6.93 m) Victoria Louise displaced 5,660 tons on a standard load, and 6,491 tons fully loaded. The ship was powered by three shaft triple expansion engines, that produced 10000 ihp and delivered a top speed of 19.5 knots (38.2 km/h).Between 1905 and 1911, the ships of the Victoria Louise class were modernized. The ships had their boilers replaced, and had their original three funnels reduced to two stacks.
Armor and armament
Victoria Louise was protected by 4 inches (101.6 mm) thick armor plate on the decks. The ship was armed with a wide mix of armaments. The main armament consisted of two 8.2 inches (208 mm) guns mounted in single turrets fore and aft. The secondary armament comprised eight 5.9 inches (150 mm) guns in casemates along the length of the ship, along with ten 3.4 inches (86 mm) guns, also casemated. The ships were also armed with three 17.7 inches (450 mm) torpedo tubes.Service history
At the start of World War IWorld 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...
, Victoria Louise served as a coastal defense ship, but by November 1914, she was consigned to a barracks ship role, along with her sister ships. In 1923, she was sold for scrap.