class battleship class pre dreadnought battleships germany ocean going battleships german warship type fitted wireless communications class comprised laid completed completed lead ship built cost million marks cost million marks british_royal_navy referred ships sisters served wide range roles ships deployed china boxer rebellion substantially modernized ships sold sunk british submarine survived war broken saw limited service world war coastal defense ships withdrawn auxiliary duties ships sold scrapping design class ships ocean going battleships built german_navy followed number coastal defense ships including classes intended local defense german coastline design work ships began late leadership vice admiral secured funding new ships admiral naval officer appointed recently crowned class ships foundation eventually high_seas_fleet represented shift strategic outlook german navy traditional method ship construction relied heavily foreign models abandoned experimentation implemented design process particularly armor types installed ships equipped compound armor consisted layers different materials ships received harvey steel armor plating addition main battery turret significant innovation novel concept turret caused blast damage surrounding superstructure fired led idea abandoned arrangement led authors characterize ships dreadnoughts incorrect guns caliber ships designed fight close range unlike later dreadnought battleships general characteristics ships class long waterline long overall beam increased addition torpedo nets draft forward aft displaced long tons designed weight long tons combat load standard german warships period hulls class ships constructed transverse longitudinal steel frames steel plates vessels watertight compartments double ran percent length hull german navy regarded ships excellent sea boats easy motion responsive commands bridge moderate turning circle speed loss hard rudder reduced percent metacentric height ships wet high speeds suffered severe pitching ships crew numbered officers enlisted men serving squadron flagship standard crew augmented additional officers men machinery ships equipped sets cylinder triple expansion engines set drove bladed screw diameter sets engine room transverse cylindrical boilers supplied steam engines pressure boilers divided boiler rooms engines rated ihp practice maximum power ranged ihp ihp ships designed speed knots mph slowest knots mph achieved knots mph trials ships designed carry long tons coal boilers additional spaces hull allowed long tons enabled maximum range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph electrical power provided generators equipment varied ship ship power output ranged kilowatts volts ships single rudder armament vessels unusual time possessing broadside heavy guns twin gun turrets guns typical contemporary battleships forward turret carried inch guns center turret carried shorter barrel shorter barrels required allow turret train guns mounted type turrets provided depression degrees elevation degrees types guns fire armor piercing high explosive shells shells weighed charge muzzle velocity gun meters second maximum elevation guns hit targets yards barrels guns shorter lower muzzle velocity approximately mps result range guns somewhat shorter range shell penetrate belt armor ammunition magazines stored total shells class secondary armament initially consisted seven quick firing guns casemates arranged forward superstructure modernization received additional gun guns supplied total rounds modernization magazines increased provide storage total shells ships carried quick firing guns mounted casemates placed pairs bow remaining rear superstructure guns supplied total shells guns ammunition storage increased modernization rounds guns fired muzzle velocity mps rate fire approximately shells minute guns engage targets gun mounts manually operated ships armed torpedo tubes water swivel mounts tubes mounted sides ship bow stern tubes supplied total torpedoes weapons long carried tnt set speeds different ranges knots mph torpedoes range increased speed knots mph range reduced tubes removed modernization armor armored steel krupp armor delivery problems armored composite armor composite armor constructed steel clad wrought iron plates wood backed layers sheet iron krupp steel armor based harvey process enriched upper layers steel carbon type armor produced greater strength thinner armor belts enabled ships equipped carry complete protection portions receive new krupp armor including barbettes held fore center main battery turrets ships retained teak backing armor belts thick armored deck forward conning tower thick sides thick roof waterline armored belt central portion ship tapered slightly fore aft including teak backing total thickness belt strongest area waterline armored belt significantly thinner section belt thick tapered end belt ships thick roofs sides consisted thick layers total barbettes thick backed wood construction ordered battleship laid vulcan shipyard stettin launched september fitting work included installation ship armament lasted november commissioned german navy ordered battleship laid kiel initial work ship proceeded slowest vessels class launched august fitting work proceeded quickly commissioned october ship class enter active duty ordered battleship laid vulcan shipyard launched december ship class enter active service commissioned june fourth final ship class ordered battleship laid ship class launched june commissioned fleet day sister shortly turn century ships taken major reconstruction starting followed entered shipyard modernization second conning tower added aft superstructure ships boilers replaced newer models amidships reduced modifications resulted weight decrease long tons short tons long tons short tons depending ship service history ships class assigned commissioning older class armored frigates replaced new class battleships saw major operation deployed china boxer rebellion expeditionary force consisted cruisers torpedo boats regiments marines command marshal alfred von admiral opposed plan saw unnecessary costly force arrived china siege lifted result task force suppressed local uprisings end operation cost german government million marks class ships emerged refit rejoined active fleet rapidly obsolete launch result service careers limited september advanced ships class sold ottoman_empire renamed respectively outbreak world war assigned coastal defense duties lasted withdrawn active service year ships transferred role barracks ships stationed danzig intended rebuild target ship plan eventually abandoned struck naval register sold scrapping ships purchased firm headquartered berlin firm towed danzig sister ship broken scrap august route support turkish defenses dardanelles sunk british submarine loss men january battlecruiser light cruiser left dardanelles attack british ships ran aground subjected air attacks salvage attempts january arrived scene towed battlecruiser port survived war training ship later hulk eventually scrapped
Brandenburg-class battleship