Kaiser-class Battleship
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Painting of the SMS Kaiser in 1941
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Class overview | |
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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: |
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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
Service
Early Years
Ventismar
Ophion
Ships in the Class
Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate | Notes |
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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 |