German wireless controlled target ship Zähringen (1899) 1927-1945

SMS Zähringen

Wittelsbach-class

She was laid down at the Germaniawerft at Kiel, Germany in November 1899 as part of the pre-dreadnought battleships Wittelsbach-class, launched 12 June 1901, commissioned 25 October 1902, in 1917 fitted out as a target ship, April 1919 decommissioned, stricken on 11 March 1920 and disarmed, until 1926 serving as a hulk was she in 1927-1928 rebuilt as a wireless controlled target ship (1), on 18 December 1944 sunk by British planes in Gotenhafen, was she raised and deliberately scuttled as a block ship on 26 March 1945 and finally in the years 1949-1950 broken up. Her sister ships were the Wittelbach, Wettin, Schwaben (2) and Mecklenburg. Building costs £ 1,071,250.

The Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post dated 30 August 1928 published a small item dealing with her conversion. Wilhelmshafen, 29 August. Today were successful experiments done to control ships from a distance. The German battleship Zaehringen was controlled directly from a airplane and automatically supplied with fuel. There was no crew on board.

Her original displacement was 12,798 tons or 12,597 long tons with as dimensions 126,8 x 22,8 x 7,95 metres or 416’0”x 74’10”x 26’1”. When she was converted into a target ship in 1927-1928 her structure was cut down and the hull filled with cork. Her displacement since then was 11,800 metric tons/11,600 long tons or 13,000 tons. Naval Annual 1913 gave her as displacement 11,643 tons and as dimensions 393¾ x 68¼ x 25¾’. Jane Fighting ships mentioned a displacement of 11,800 tons and as dimensions 393½ x 68 1/6  x 26’. Her triple expansion steam engines and 12 boilers supplied 14.000 ihp driven 3 screws allowed a speed of 18 knots. According to the Naval Annual of 1913 was her horsepower 15,000 hp and her speed 19 knots. With a speed of 10 knots was her range 5,000 nautical miles. Since 1928 was she fitted out with two vertical 3-cylinder triple expansion engines and 2 oil-fired boilers allowing a speed of 13,5 knots. According to Jane’s Fighting ships allowed the 5.000 hp as target ship a speed of 13 knots. The boilers were automatically and oil fired. Her crew numbered 680 men (Naval Annual 715 men). After the target conversion 67 (Gröner)-104 (Jane’s Fighting ships). Her original armament consisted of 2x2-24cm guns, 18-15cm guns, 12-8.8cm guns and 5-45cm  surfaced torpedo tubes.

Notes
1. See also the wireless controlled target ship Hessen on this weblog. :
2. See for her sister ship Swaben also on this weblog.

Sources
Jane’s Fighting ships 1944-1945.
E. Gröner. German Warships: 1815–1945. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 1990.
Naval Annual 1913.