sms sms second final ship kaiser class ironclads sms kaiser sister ship named germany german ship laid brothers shipyard london ship launched september commissioned german fleet july mounted main battery guns central battery amidships capital ship built german_navy foreign ship builder subsequent ships built germany served fleet commissioning frequently placed reserve career ship regular participant annual fleet training maneuvers conducted exception temporarily replaced newer vessels participated cruises baltic mediterranean escorting official state visits rebuilt early 1890s armored cruiser slow perform role spent years returning germany secondary roles sold broken scrap construction ordered brothers shipyard london keel laid sister kaiser ordered shortly end franco prussian war assumption french quickly attempt war revenge ship launched september commissioned german fleet july cost german government gold marks german capital ship built foreign ship meters long overall beam draft forward powered cylinder single expansion engine supplied steam coal fired trunk boilers ship speed knots mph indicated horsepower equipped ship rig standard complement consisted officers enlisted men armed guns mounted central battery amidships built ship equipped single gun rebuilt armament increased guns later auto cannons torpedo tubes mounted ship hull armor wrought iron backed teak armored belt thick backed teak service history following commissioning july german crew sailed germany arrived late participate annual summer training maneuvers ship ready maneuvers squadron consisted sister kaiser older ironclads commanded rear admiral time batch squadron working summer cruise german consul ottoman_empire murdered attacks german citizens living area feared ordered sail mediterranean_sea stage naval demonstration june arriving ironclads reinforced vessels threat violence subsided august departed kaiser ironclads remained mediterranean rest summer maneuvers new turret ironclad replaced squadron sent mediterranean response unrest ottoman_empire related russo turkish war violence threatened german citizens living squadron command steamed ports july found significant tensions ashore departed cruised mediterranean remainder summer returning germany october newly commissioned friedrich der sister ships replaced kaiser maneuvers accidentally rammed sank great loss life sister kaiser remained reserve years reactivated spring summer maneuvers command long period service engines proved troublesome training cruise maneuvers temporarily hold steam plants kaiser broke regardless cruise year german navy completely abandoned use sails large ironclads went reserve maneuvers conducted squadron composed class ironclads ship active duty summer joined fleet steamed great_britain celebrate coronation ship joined sister kaiser turret ships friedrich der fleet held training maneuvers north_sea command rear admiral rest training squadron fleet year kaiserliche_marine maintained year round ironclad force squadron escorted imperial yacht mediterranean voyage included state visits italy ottoman_empire squadron remained mediterranean april returned germany participated ceremonial transfer island british german control summer present fleet maneuvers september entire ship armored squadron simulated russian fleet blockading kiel including served training squadron winter squadron cruised mediterranean command rear admiral winter participated training squadron alongside old ironclad new coastal defense ships squadron carried fleet maneuvers summer joined class vessels november friedrich der joined brand new pre dreadnought battleship command squadron participated fall maneuvers simulated war france russia squadron acted russian fleet exercises rebuilt wilhelmshaven ship converted armored cruiser heavy guns removed replaced lighter weapons including guns entire rigging equipment removed heavy military masts installed place rigging despite modernization remained slow kaiser old ironclad similarly converted rejoined fleet january seizure november protected cruiser light cruisers reinforced east asia cruiser division arrival ships allowed division expanded flag aboard departed germany december ships arrived hong_kong march prince took ships tour asia culminating state visit april squadron went philippines safeguard german interests spanish american war summer remained chinese waters april left east asia squadron command passed squadron flagship remained station returning germany harbor ship starting renamed november year ship stricken naval register briefly target ship kaiserliche_marine sold ship marks broken scrap following year hamburg
SMS Deutschland (1874)