SMS Oldenburg
An item reported that the German naval budget included a post of around 200.000 Mark to convert an aged battleship into a target. The German navy valued extra ordinary gunnery training exercises with the use of such targets. The aged ships were converted into targets for special purposes like testing new armour plates, the strength of the used explosives and the fragility of the conning towers. At that moment were the Saksen (1) and Oldenburg (2) used as targets, in the meantime by in the active fleet replaced by namesakes.
Notes
1. Of the Sachsen-class armoured corvettes consisting of the Sachsen, Bayern, Baden and Württemberg. Laid down at A.G. Vulkan, Stettin in April 1875, launched on 21 July 1877, commissioned on 29 October 1878, decommission in 1902, stricken on 19 February 1910, reserve since 1902, target hulk since 1911 and sold to Hattinger Co, be broken up on 5 May 1919 which was executed at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
2. German armoured corvette. She was laid down at the AG Vulcan Shipyard at Stettin in 1883 with building no. 132, launched on 20 December a year later, commissioned on 8 April 1886, stricken on 13 January 1912 and she became a target ship, sold on 5 May 1919 to the ship-breaking firm Hattinger Company which apparently was done the same year at Wilhelmshaven. She had to be part of the armoured corvettes of the Sachsen-class but lacking money and the fact that the navy was not pleased with this class resulted in a radically alteration of her design.
