sms battleship sms sms ironclad turret ship german kaiserliche_marine laid wilhelmshaven completed long construction time redesign completed work ship begun main battery guns initially placed central armored battery redesign altered pair twin gun turrets amidships sunk maiden voyage accidental collision ironclad sms ships steaming english channel ships encountered group fishing boats turning avoid inadvertently crossed closely rammed sank span minutes taking crew loss spurred series investigations circumstances collision ultimately resulted rear admiral squadron commander captain political affair led rear admiral navy construction ordered wilhelmshaven keel laid construction number ship launched september commissioned german fleet cost german government gold marks designed primary armament arranged central battery laid altered mount main guns pair twin turrets ship class vessels laid launched commissioned redesigned work begun built newly established sister built experienced commercial ship builder friedrich der laid redesign completed ship meters long overall beam draft forward powered cylinder single expansion steam engine supplied steam coal fired transverse trunk boilers ship speed knots mph indicated horsepower equipped ship rig standard complement consisted officers enlisted men armed guns mounted pair gun turrets placed amidships built ship equipped guns armor wrought iron backed teak armored belt upper thick lower ranged thickness backed teak gun turrets protected armor sides backed teak service history collision loss april armored squadron reactivated annual summer training cycle command rear admiral joined unit included sisters friedrich der large ironclad commissioning grounding friedrich der caused damage hull prevented taking upcoming training cruise ships left wilhelmshaven 29th steamed line starboard morning 31st ships encountered pair sailing vessels turned port avoid boats sought pass boats distance turned hard port avoid action taken quickly found pointed directly ram bow tore hole failure adequately seal watertight bulkheads aboard caused ship sink rapidly span minutes figures number fatalities vary reports crew men died accident states men killed bodies ended substantial memorial way paris witnessed incident writing saw saw unfortunate vessel slowly disappear water clear bright sunshine water like calm lake horrible saw boats moving picking survivors exhausted lifted ships rescued ship captain badly damaged collision severe flooding forward captain initially planned ship prevent sinking determined ship pumps hold flooding acceptable level ship portsmouth temporary repairs effected allow ship return germany aftermath collision german navy held court martial squadron commander commanders ships officer aboard investigate sinking inquiry ensuing inquiry chaired testified given sufficient time ship crew unfamiliar vessel argued process newly commissioned ship lasted weeks given day squadron left wilhelmshaven complained general chief kaiserliche_marine significant number dockyard workers finishing work board determined admiral fault infuriated proceedings allowed forum criticism policies blamed appealed stating inquiry blamed admiral requested new court martial involved officers simultaneously began campaign force navy ensure protégé line retired despite popularity particularly son unable resist efforts force october requested retirement second court martial found guilty innocent investigation held january reversed decision previous sentenced prison term month days kaiser refused implement punishment necessitated trial returned initial verdict sentenced months prison kaiser sentence served months time disappointed protégé taken blame sinking requested court martial found guilty kaiser officially approved verdict end series trials sinking
SMS Grosser Kurfürst (1875)