sms sms majesty ship lead ship class pre dreadnought battleships marine built laid completed october cost marks capital ship built navy law brought admiral ship served squadron german fleet majority career rapidly superseded new big gun warships result served years decommissioned september start world war august brought active duty ship saw limited duty baltic_sea russian forces threat british submarines forced ship withdraw ship saw service number auxiliary roles ultimately tender july ship sold broken scrap metal description long overall beam draft forward ship powered cylinder vertical triple expansion engines drove screws steam provided naval cylindrical coal fired water tube boilers powerplant rated metric horsepower ihp generated speed knots mph crew officers enlisted men armament consisted main battery guns twin gun turrets fore aft central superstructure secondary armament consisted eighteen inch guns quick firing guns armament suite rounded torpedo tubes water swivel mounts armored belt millimeters thick central portion protected magazines machinery spaces deck thick main battery turrets armor plating service history keel laid wilhelmshaven construction number ordered contract new unit fleet vessel battleship built direction state secretary admiral according terms navy law launched july commissioned october commissioning assigned squadron german fleet reorganized squadrons battleships assigned ship joined sisters german fleet consisted ship division squadron ship divisions supported cruiser division composed armored cruisers protected cruisers year command outbreak world war took command ship newest class battleships beginning enter service provided navy ships form battle squadrons ships fleet renamed high seas fleet served division september ship decommissioned placed reserve crew sent man newly commissioned dreadnought world war start world war mobilized command vice admiral starting september squadron assisted armored cruiser conducted sweep baltic operation lasted september failed bring russian naval units battle rest squadron transferred support german_army baltic_sea area sisters based kiel squadron ships tasked providing support assault ships stationed intercept russian cruisers attempt intervene landings russians invasion force entered british submarines hms spotted squadron far away attack threat submarines baltic convinced german navy withdraw elderly class ships active service initially training ship based kiel ship transferred wilhelmshaven use fleet tender converted depot ship newly constituted carried shallow draft vessels ship served capacity little year march stricken navy list sold months later july marks ship broken scrap wilhelmshaven
SMS Wittelsbach