Kaiser-class Battleship

Painting of the SMS Kaiser in 1941
Class overview
Builders:	Template:Germaniawerft
Operators:	Kaiserliche-Marine
Preceded by:	Tannhäuser Class
Built:	1934-1938
In commission:	1939-1992
Planned:	3
Completed:	1
Active:	0
Retired:	1
Preserved:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Battleship
Displacement:	70,000 tons
Length:	330 m (1,080 ft)
Beam:	49 m (161 ft)
Draft:	12 m (39 ft)
Propulsion:	11x Junkern Marine 9Zu62/91 9-cylinder diesel engines
Speed:	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Complement:	1,650
Armament:	2 x 50.8 cm SK C/36 guns 6 x 46 cm SK L/45 guns 16 x 15,0 cm SK L/45 guns 16 x 10.5 cm/65 SK C/33 28x 3.7 cm/L83 SK C/35 (1942 refit) 38 x 20,0 cm FlaK 26 guns (1942 refit)
Armour:	385 mm (15.2 in) on face of main turrets 350 mm (13.78 in) side armour, inclined at 20 degrees 150 mm (5.9 in) armoured deck
Aircraft carried:	2 x reconnaissance aircraft
Aviation facilities:	2 x catapult

The Kaiser class battleships were a class of battleship constructed for the Kaiserliche-Marine in the mid-20th Century and operated during the Second Great War. At the time of construction, this class was the heaviest class of battleship to have been built until the completion of the Taoist Yashina class in 1940. Designed to be a "superior surface combatant of the modern world," the vessels were the products of years of design and the repurposing of multiple scrapped former battleships from the First Great War. These ships were armed with the largest naval artillery fitted to a warship, two 50.8 cm (20 in) naval guns complemented by six 46 cm (18 in) guns. Three ships were planned to be built within the class, but it was determined that one vessel was enough and resources were diverted to more pressing matters after the completion of the SMS Kaiser. Currently the Kaiser serves as a commissioned museum ship in Engelberg.

Development

Construction

Hull of the SMS Kaiser being launched, 1938

Service

Early Years

Kaiser in Kreil, 1939

In the early years of the Kaiser, the ship was primarily used as a propaganda tool due to its immense size and armaments.

Shortly after the commissioning ceremony of the ship in 1939, Talvistovan marshal Artemi Kapanen was noted in commenting to Admiral Gunther Krallwitz "Joku korvaa," which roughly translates to "Someone must be compensating" in reference to the ship's size and armament - 2 20 inch and 6 18 inch guns. It was also noted that Admiral Krallwitz responded with "Wir brauchen nur eins, es ist nicht Überkompensieren" (We only need one, so it is not over-compensating"), followed with "Wenigstens wir können mehrere aufbauen" ("At least we can build more than one"), referencing that the Royal Talvistovan Navy currently operated its first and only battleship in comparison to the multiple classes built by the Engleans since the mid-19th century.

Ships in the Class

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fate	Notes
Kaiser	Kaiserlichemarinewerft-Germaniawerft Großwerk	4 June 1934	2 December 1938	29 December 1939	Retired, 1992
Kaiser Heinrich I	Kaiserlichemarinewerft Hasselberg	N/A				Canceled, 1936
S.P. 4099	Kaiserlichemarinewerft Hörselburg	N/A				Canceled, 1936