sms prince germany armored cruiser built marine turn 20th century ship named german statesman design improvement previous protected cruiser significantly larger better armed predecessors ship primarily intended colonial duties served capacity relieved point returned germany ship rebuilt start world war briefly coastal defense ship proved inadequate task withdrawn active duty served training ship engineers end war decommissioned sold scrap design designed naval arms race germany united_kingdom admiral state secretary time given dominance british_royal_navy saw competing envisaged small fleet consisting torpedo boats coastal defense ships based german waters supplemented number cruisers overseas duties including trade protection armored cruiser designed german navy enlarged version victoria class cruisers nearly twice displacement significantly powerful armament ship intended overseas use particularly support german colonies asia pacific despite heavy political opposition new ship approved laid april kiel named famous german chancellor completed april cost marks dimensions waterline overall length beam draft forward aft displaced tonnes long tons designed load tonnes long tons load described good sea boat highly responsive commands helm ship suffered roll problems heavy vibration higher speeds metacentric height ship transverse longitudinal steel frame construction hull single layer wooden covered metal extended waterline lower portions ship including stem stern covered bronze plating ship watertight compartments double ran length hull machinery propelled vertical cylinder triple expansion engines engines powered boilers built cylindrical boilers boilers fire boxes apiece total cylindrical boilers fire boxes total engines drove bladed screw center propeller diameter outer screws slightly larger diameter engines produced ihp speed knots trials engines pushed ihp provided speed knots electrical power supplied generators provided kilowatts volts armor protected krupp armor cases thicker subsequent designs armor belt thick central portion ship tapered end ship set armored belt thick shields critical areas ship main armored deck thick thick slopes forward conning tower thick sides thick roof aft conning tower sides roof main battery turret sides thick roofs thick turrets sides gun shields guns shields contrast following armored cruiser design thick armor belt armor turret sides germany armored cruiser armored belt thick turret faces overall scale protection comprehensive armament main armament consisted quick firing guns twin turrets fore aft main superstructure guns degrees elevate degrees maximum range guns fired armor piercing shells muzzle velocity meters second charge weighed stored brass case ship stored rounds total shells gun secondary armament consisted quick firing guns type casemates guns combination casemates shielded mounts guns elevate degrees range guns sustain rate fire rounds minute stored shells gun gun fired muzzle velocity gun supplied shells torpedo tubes fitted total torpedoes tube fitted swivel mount stern ship submerged broadside sixth placed bow submerged service history commissioning assigned arrived august command rear admiral und participated suppression boxer rebellion ship won kaiser gold challenge cup heavy gun new armored cruiser sms arrived replace flagship ordered germany arriving kiel june decommissioned entered lengthy modernization lasted outbreak world war ship reactivated coast defense duties quickly withdrawn active service spent remainder war stationary accommodation engineering training ship kiel short time office ship struck navy register june sold scrap broken following year
SMS Fürst Bismarck (1897)