class battleship class battleships class pre world war pre dreadnought battleships german kaiserliche_marine class ships named german emperors class saw introduction traditional armament layout german battleships large caliber guns comparatively smaller caliber compared contemporary battleships gun turrets prior advent dreadnought type battleship early 1900s standardized use screws battleships laid march followed kaiser october wilhelmshaven der laid kiel january followed august year der month later september hamburg work vessels completed kaiser friedrich iii class battleships assigned squadron commissioning conducted extensive annual training maneuvers rest fleet years fleet service replaced newer ships transferred fleet reorganized high_seas_fleet placed reserve ships recalled active service outbreak world war saw limited duty war initially served squadron ships relegated auxiliary roles primarily prison ships war ships sold scrapped design design work class began lasted ships class marked significant departure previous class battleships influenced japanese cruisers victory heavier armed chinese fleet battle heavy caliber guns designed penetrate armor abandoned replaced smaller quick firing guns guns intended superstructure enemy battleships crew propulsion system improved reorganized incorporate propeller shaft armor system remained similar employed general characteristics class ships meters long waterline overall beam draft forward aft ships displaced metric tons long tons load transverse longitudinal steel frames build hulls class ships steel hull plates frame hull contained watertight compartments double ran percent hull german navy regarded excellent sea vessels tight turning circle responsive ships rolled roll period seconds suffered minor speed loss heavy seas percent rudder hard metacentric height ships carried number smaller boats including picket boats launches crew numbered officers enlisted men serving squadron flagship ship crew augmented officers enlisted men machinery class battleships powered cylinder vertical triple expansion engines drove screws der equipped bladed screws diameter der kaiser equipped bladed screws outer shafts bladed screw diameter center shaft cylindrical boilers similar arrangement boilers replaced marine type boilers der equipped marine cylindrical boilers cylindrical boilers der marine boilers marine double boilers cylindrical boilers rated metric horsepower ihp trials produce ihp generated speed knots mph ships carried metric tons long tons short tons coal use additional spaces ships increased fuel capacity metric tons long tons short tons provided maximum range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph electrical power supplied generators kaiser generators ships armament ships armament consisted main battery guns twin gun turrets fore aft central superstructure guns mounted turrets allowed elevation depression maximum elevation guns hit targets meters guns fired kilogram shells muzzle velocity rate fire shots minute gun supplied shells total secondary armament included eighteen inch guns single turrets amidships mounted casemates guns fired armor piercing shells rate minute ships carried shells gun total rounds total guns degrees elevate degrees maximum range manually elevated trained ships carried quick firing guns mounted casemates guns supplied shells gun guns fired muzzle velocity rate fire approximately shells minute guns engage targets gun mounts manually operated ships gun armament rounded machine guns ships armed torpedo tubes water swivel mounts tubes mounted sides ship bow stern weapons long carried tnt set speeds different ranges knots mph torpedoes range increased speed knots mph range reduced armor class ships armored steel produced krupp armor belt millimeters thick central portion hull waterline tapered forward section rear belt extend fully aft lower portion belt ranged thickness entire belt backed teak armored deck thick conning tower protected armored sides thick roof thick main battery turret thick roof thick sides guns mounted turrets protected thick sides thick gun shields casemates worth armor protection construction ship class ordered intended replace old armored frigate laid construction number launched july fitting commenced included installation ship armament completion superstructure ship completed commissioned german fleet october kaiser keel laid wilhelmshaven construction number ordered contract der replace armored frigate friedrich der kaiser launched september commissioned february der ordered contract replacement obsolete keel laid dockyard construction number ship launched june commissioned fleet keel ordered addition fleet laid danzig construction number launched april commissioned german navy june der laid shipyard hamburg construction number ordered addition fleet assigned contract ship class completed der launched october commissioned fleet february ships service history kaiser commissioned fleet assumed position fleet flagship held position ships joined squadron home fleet remained years ships took extensive training maneuvers september rest fleet maneuvers class ships operated opposing force exception fleet flagship hosted mock engagements served observation point senior staff ships class heavily rebuilt exception der modernization ships cut guns torpedo tube removed ships guns upper decks guns located smoke lengthened fleet reorganized high seas fleet new dreadnought battleships beginning enter service result class ships transferred placed reserve outbreak world war ships recalled active duty placed squadron fleet february ships withdrawn active service second time ships disarmed transferred secondary roles der torpedo training ship kaiser headquarters ship commander ships floating prisons transferred barracks ship duties ships exception stricken navy register december sold scrapping kaiser followed march ships broken scrap metal bow ornaments kaiser preserved der dresden
Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship