Translate

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

German pre-dreadnought battleship (ex-'F') Mecklenburg 1900-1921

Kaiser Friedrich III-class


Wittelsbach-class

Braunschweig-class

Building ordered under the contract name ‘F’, laid down at the AG Vulcan shpyard, Stettin, Germany on 15 May 1900, launched on 9 November 1901, completed inon 25 May 1903, commissioned on 25 May 1903, decommissioned on 24 January 1916, since then prison ship and barracks ship at Kiel, Germany, stricken on 25 January 1920 and broken up in 1921.

Of the Wittelsbach-class built under the Naval Law of 1898, consisting of the Wittelsbach, Wettin, Zähringen, Schwaben and Mecklenburg precedent by the Kaiser Friederich III-class and succeeded by the Braunschweig-class. General technical class specifications. Displacement 11.774 tons/11.588 long tons (standard)-12.798 tons/12.596 long tons (combat)) and as dimensions 125,2 (waterline)-126,8 (over all) x 22,8 x 7,95 (fore) metres or 410’9”-416’0”x 74’10”x 26’1”. The 3-3cylinder triple expansion steam engines, 6 transverse cylindrical boilers  and 6 Thornycroft boilers supplied via 3 shafts 14.000 hp allowing a speed of 18 knots or with a speed of 10 knots and coal bunker capacity of 650-1.800 (maximum) tons a range of 5.000 nautical miles. Their crew numbered 683 (included 33 officers)-762 (included 46 officers while acting as a flagship) men. The Krupp armour consisted of a 10-22,5cm/3.9-8.9” thick belt, a 5cm/2.0” thick deck, the main gung turrets protected by 5cm (roofs)-25cm/9.8” (sides), 15cgm gun turrets by 7cm/2.8” (roofs)-15cm/5.9“ (sides), forward conning tower 25cm/9.8” (sides)-3cm/1.2“(roof) and aft conning tower 3 (roof)-14cm (sides). The armament consisted of 2x2-24cm/9.4”40 cal guns, 18x1-15cm/4.9” guns, 12-8,8cm/3.5” quick firing guns, 12 machine guns and 6-45cm/17.7” torpedo tubes (surfaced swivel mountings). Described as having excellent sea going qualities. Divided by 14 watertight compartment and fitted out with a double bottom covering 70% of her hull length.