German armoured cruiser SMS (ex-Ersatz Deutschland) Yorck 1902-1914

Prinz Adalbert-class

Roon-class

Scharnhorst-class

Laid down with the provisional name Ersatz Deutschland as at the Blohm&Voss shipyard, Hamburg, Germany with yard number 167 in 1902, launched on 14 May 1904, completed on 21 November 1905, lost when she hit a German minefield after an attack on Yarmouth, England on 3-4 November 1914 and since then broken up in 1929-1930, 1965 and which was completed not earlier as in 1982. Of the Roon-class consisting of the Roon and Yorck, preceded by the Prinz Adalbert-class and succeeded by the Scharnhorst-class. Building costs 16.241.000 German Goldmarks.

General technical specifications. Displacement 9.533 (normal)-10,266 (full load) tons and as dimensions 127,3 (waterline)-127,8 (overall) x 20,2 x 7,76 metres or 418-419 x 66 x 25.5 feet. Their crew numbered 633 men (included 35 officers). The armament consisted of 2x2-21cm/8.3” l/40 quick firing guns, 10x1-10cm/5.9” L/40 quick firing guns, 14x1-8,8cm/3.5” guns and 4-45cm/17.7” torpedo tubes. The armour consisted of 1 8-10cm,/3.1-3.9” thick belt, a 4-6cm/1.6-2.4” thick deck with the gun turrets protected by 15cm/5.9” thick armour. Fitted out with 3-3 cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engines with 16 14 Dürr boilers delivering 19.000 ihp allowing with the 3 screws a maximum speed of 21 knots. With a speed of 12 knots a range of 4.200 nautical miles. Hull built up from transverse and longitudinal frames to which the hull plates were riveted and divided into 12 watertight compartments and of the 60% of the ships’ length a double bottom.