sms sms king william armored frigate prussian later german_imperial_navy ship laid thames shipyard london originally ottoman_empire purchased prussia february launched april commissioned february ship fifth ironclad ordered built armored frigate armed main battery sixteen guns smaller guns torpedo tubes added later career ship time largest powerful warship german navy served flagship franco prussian war engine troubles prevented ship seeing action ship accidentally rammed sank ironclad great loss life converted armored cruiser early superseded newer vessels year placed active service floating barracks training ship role held world war ship ultimately broken scrap career spanning years german states design general characteristics machinery meters long waterline long overall beam draft forward aft ship designed displace metric tons long tons short tons normal loading long tons short tons combat load ship hull constructed transverse longitudinal iron frames contained watertight compartments double ran percent length vessel noted german navy having satisfactory sea keeping qualities ship responsive commands helm moderate turning radius suffered severe roll little pitch ship crew numbered officers enlisted men serving flagship crew augmented command staff composed officers enlisted men carried number smaller boats including picket boats launches horizontal cylinder single expansion steam engine built son field london powered ship drove bladed screw diameter built trunk boilers ship divided boiler rooms supplied steam engine standard kpa propulsion system rated indicated horsepower speed knots mph trials managed ihp knots mph ship carried long tons short tons coal enabled maximum range nautical miles cruising speed knots mph ship rig surface area square meters supplemented steam engine service added little ship performance steering controlled single rudder armament armor built equipped thirty rifled pounder cannon delivery germany guns replaced eighteen centimeter guns supplied total rounds ammunition guns mounted central battery broadside guns elevate maximum elevation guns reach targets ship armament rounded guns elevate maximum range reconstructed armored cruiser rearmed guns single gun rounds mounted stern eighteen quick firing guns upper deck broadside gun range torpedo tubes installed placed bow stern water torpedo tubes supplied total rounds following conversion training ship armament removed ship carried sixteen guns removed built ship protected wrought iron plating mounted teak backing protection waterline amidships outer layer iron armor thick inner layer thick iron teak iron outer layer reduced stern extend bow inner layer thick bow stern teak backing ends ship main battery protected thick plating capped end thick transverse bulkheads reconstruction armored cruiser iron armor cut away replaced stronger steel armor conning tower received armor protection refit sides thick sloped plates thick roof service history laid thames shipyard london england ship originally ordered ottoman_empire ship built design created british naval architect launch purchased ship february initially renamed december ship renamed launched april commissioned year later february ship commander von ship largest powerful vessel prussian fleet served flagship remained largest german vessel fact germany laid small ironclad class battleships launched ships surpass size franco prussian war outbreak franco prussian war greatly numerically inferior assumed defensive posture naval blockade imposed french_navy broadside ironclads small ironclad ram steaming english channel french declared war left plymouth july intention steaming azores 13th port learned rising tension france prussia ships returned wilhelmshaven immediately arriving july france declared war prussia days later july concentrated north_sea port wilhelmshaven subsequently joined turret ship stationed kiel despite great french naval superiority french conducted insufficient pre war planning assault prussian naval installations concluded possible danish assistance forthcoming ships command vice admiral offensive sortie early august encountered french warships broadside ironclads suffered chronic engine trouble left conduct operations stood island majority conflict stationed mouth river september broadside ironclads ready action joined major operation north_sea encounter french opposition french_navy time returned france war resumed peacetime training routines general chief organized fleet coastal defense collision steaming accidentally collided newly commissioned turret ironclad ships left wilhelmshaven 29th steamed line starboard morning 31st ships encountered pair sailing vessels turned port avoid boats sought pass boats distance turned hard port avoid action taken quickly found pointed directly ram bow tore hole failure adequately seal watertight bulkheads aboard caused ship sink rapidly span minutes crew men died accident badly damaged collision severe flooding forward captain initially planned ship prevent sinking determined ship pumps hold flooding acceptable level ship portsmouth temporary repairs effected allow ship return germany aftermath collision german navy held court martial squadron commander commanders ships officer aboard investigate sinking damage necessitated lengthy period repairs work carried included replacement ship ram torpedo nets fitted ship later service assigned flagship german fleet class armored composed squadron ship flew flag admiral based wilhelmshaven february special ceremony held board ship commemorate 25th anniversary commissioning kaiser attended ceremony time retired april conducted training cruise prepare annual summer maneuvers cruise ran aground mud bank coast friedrich der quickly pulled ship free minimal damage ships proceeded scotland oslo bergen division returned kiel end stocks coal provisions summer exercises maneuvers acted opposing force baltic russian fleet attacking germany baltic coast following conclusion maneuvers september left squadron replaced admiral went drydock shipyard hamburg extensive reconstruction armored cruiser vessel armament increased ship rig removed new fighting masts installed place old masts ship crew dramatically increased officers enlisted men work lasted ship returned fleet new guise january june represented germany served fleet removed active duty starting harbor ship barracks ship training vessel naval cadets based kiel starting october years later moved continued duties starting old corvette charlotte served support vessel ship light cruiser replaced charlotte auxiliary vessel served world war germany defeat january ship stricken naval register broken scrap
SMS König Wilhelm