sms sms lead ship class pre dreadnought battleships included built german kaiserliche_marine early 1890s pre dreadnought built german_navy earlier navy built coastal defense ships armored frigates ship laid vulcan dockyard launched september commissioned german_navy november sisters unique time carried heavy guns instead standard navies named province saw major deployment sister ships deployed china suppress boxer rebellion returning germany sisters exception took extensive fleet maneuvers early 1900s ships heavily rebuilt obsolete start world war served limited capacity initially coastal defense ship primarily barracks ship following end war scrapped danzig design long beam draft displaced long tons designed long tons combat load equipped sets cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines produced indicated horsepower speed knots mph trials steam provided transverse cylindrical water tube boilers maximum range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph crew numbered officers enlisted men armed main battery guns types forward rear turret guns long amidships guns necessary allow train ship secondary armament initially consisted seven guns additional gun added modernization carried guns torpedo tubes ship protected compound armor main belt armor millimeters thick central section protected ammunition magazines machinery spaces deck thick main battery barbettes protected thick armor service history ordered battleship ship class laid kiel hull completed september launched september fitting work followed finished later ship commissioned fleet november weeks sister vessel class join fleet february steam pipes exploded ship door engine rooms open allowed steam enter thirty men killed blast severely injured later died injuries june completed celebrate dozens warships different countries gathered kiel celebration hosted including sisters boxer rebellion boxer rebellion chinese nationalists laid siege foreign murdered baron german minister widespread violence china led creation alliance germany seven united_kingdom italy russia austria-hungary united_states france japan soldiers china time number defeat force slightly officers infantry armies european powers time primary german military force china consisted protected cruisers small cruisers jaguar like foreign ships german squadron anchored guarded access relieve foreign british admiral mounted multinational force men disembarked marched chinese capital force included german man detachment dispatched fleet anchored heavy resistance reach forced retreat result kaiser determined expeditionary force sent china reinforce naval expedition included class pre dreadnought battleships sent china reinforce german flotilla admiral opposed plan saw unnecessary costly force sent spite objections arrived china september time siege lifted result task force suppressed local uprisings german concession end operation cost german government million marks force returned germany following year fleet training august annual fleet maneuvers began portion exercise positioned germany naval war powerful enemy superior forces north baltic seas german squadron consisting coastal defense ships division torpedo boats trapped superior enemy unit north_sea german squadron tasked returning kiel baltic return wilhelmshaven rejoin rest fleet cruisers positioned main channels kiel act opposing force battle squadrons positioned block advance isolated german squadron morning september operation commenced morning commander german squadron decided ships channel assigned hostile torpedo boat screen sighted german flotilla dense fog effective pursuit battleships fog thick sisters drop anchor avoid unnecessary risks later evening opponent forces pursue german ships cruiser torpedo boat screen detached engage german torpedo boat screen lighter ships quickly destroyed german torpedo boats prompted german squadron retreat northward cruisers pursuit german squadron chased exercise called night september entire fleet anchored island crews rest following day september exercise resumed german squadron reinforced battleships armored cruiser german flotilla ordered sail north_sea attempt reach safety island fortress short engagement hostile screen ensued damaged protected cruisers torpedo boat attack german squadron followed early hours september hostile force unable prevent escape german squadron reached fleet anchored september day ships conducted training steam tactics september ships returned wilhelmshaven following days ships coal supplies september final operation annual maneuvers began situation specified naval war gone badly germany battleships including service force augmented pair cruisers division torpedo boats ships stationed mouth river protect access hamburg september hostile force blockaded rivers north_sea hostile battleship squadron steamed mouth remaining torpedo boats stationed happened day september night german torpedo boats managed destroy blockading cruisers badly damage weather began storm operation postponed following day morning hostile fleet forced way past fortifications mouth river german flotilla desperate attack resulted sinking hostile battleships hostile force ultimately overwhelmed outnumbered german ships exercise ended victory reconstruction later service early 1900s taken major reconstruction vessel class enter drydock didn follow modernization second conning tower added aft superstructure ships boilers replaced newer models amidships reduced emerging dry dock modernization battleships class assigned fleet replaced old class coastal defense ships armored frigates class battleships began enter service replaced sister ships battle fleet reserve joining class ships sisters sold ottoman_empire world war outbreak world war brought ball cemetery recommissioned fleet served sister age ships lasted withdrawn active service year ships service barracks ships stationed danzig placed struck naval register sold scrapping ships purchased firm headquartered berlin broken scrap danzig
SMS Brandenburg