Kaiser-class Battleship
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 Painting of the SMS Kaiser in 1941
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| 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: |
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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
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.
Ventismar
Ophion
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 | |||
 Englean Empire | |
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