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Sunday 17 January 2016

German dreadnought battleship SMS (ex-Ersatz Württemberg) Rheinland 1907-1921


Laid down at the shipyard AG Weser Vulcan, Stettin, Germany on 1 June 1907, launched on 26 September 1908, commissioned on 30 April 1910 and sold to be broken up at Dordrecht, Netherlands under the contract name “F” on 28 June 1920, which was completed at the end of 1921. Of the Nassau-class consisting of the Nassau. Posen, Rheinland and Westfalen. They were built to replace the Sachsen-class under the temporarily names Ersatz Bayern, Ersatz Sachsen, Ersatz Württemberg and Ersatz Baden.

General specifications of this class. Displacement 18.570 tons/18.280 long tons (design)-21.000 tons/(full load) and as dimensions 146,1 x 26,9 x 8,76 metres or 479.4 x 88.3 x 28.9 feet, The 3 shaft vertical expansion engines delivered 21.699 ihp allowing a speed of 19 (design)-20,2 knots and with a speed of 12 knots a range of 8.300 nautical miles. Their crew numbered 1008 (standard)-1.033 (acting as 2nd command flagship)-1.087 (acting as squadron flagship) men. The armour consisted of a 30cm thick belt, 3cm thick torpedo bulkheads while the turrets, battery and conning tower were protected by respectively 28cm, 16cm and 40cm. Double bottom 88% and 19 watertight compartments. The armament consisted of 6x2-28cm/11” L/45 guns, 12-15cm/5.9” quick firing L/45 guns, 16-8,8cm/3.5” quick firing L/45 guns and 6-45cm/18” torpedo tubes.