Part of the pre dreadnought battleships of the Braunschweig-class with as sister ships the Braunschweig, Elsass, Preussen and Lothringen. She was laid down at the Germaniawerft at Kiel. Germany in April 1902, launched on 18 September 1903, commissioned on 19 September 1905, in 1937 used as an disarmed depot ship at Brunsbuttel, in the period 1920’s-1934 refitted and serving as a coastal defence ship while Germany was permitted to keep her in service, stricken on 12 November 1934 and became part of the reserve, 31 March 1935 removed from the reserve rebuilt as an unarmed radio-controlled target in 1935, in the Second World war serving as a target and as an icebreaker in the Baltic and North Seas, was in 1946 handed over to the Soviet Union where she was taken into service as the target ship Tsel and served in the Soviet navy until she was broken up in 1960.
As a battleship was her displacement 14,394 tons or 14,167 long tons and 15,867 tons with as dimensions 419 x 73 x 27’. The dimensions and her whole appearance changed quite intensive during her rebuilding as a target. Two of the three funnels were removed, just a tower/foremast remained and the two armoured barbettes for the main battery turrets, the rest of the original superstructure was complete removed. She was also lengthened with as result 15 in stead of 13 watertight compartments and new engines replaced the old ones. The crew decreased to 80 men although if necessary she was remote controlled while actually acting as a target.
