SMS Oldenburg
Siegfried-class
Ordered as “U”, laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven with yard number 14 in 1891, launched on 27 July 1892, commissioned on 7 August 1894. De mobilized, crew transferred elsewhere within the navy and barracks ship for submarine crew and coastal defence flotillas on the Ems river since 1915, stricken on 17 June 1919, navy intentions to convert her into a salvage ship cancelled and sold and broken up at Rönnebeck in 1921.
Of the Siegfried-class consisting of the Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall, Hildebrand and Hagen, named after Norse mythological figures. Preceded by the Oldenburg-class and succeeded by the Odin-class. Within short time due the rapid technical evolution was this class outdated and were the Siegfried, Beowulf and Frithjof to be replaced by the Helgoland-class battleships Helgoland, Thüringen and Oldenburg and the Heimdall, Hildebrand and Hagen by the Kaiser, Friederich der Grosse and Kaiserin of the Kaiser-class battleships.
Displacement 3.500 tons and as dimensions 76,40 (waterline)-79 over all) x 14,90 x 5,70 metres or 250.8-259.2 x 48.11 x 18.8 feet. Two triple expansion steam engines and 8 Marine type boilers supplied via 2 shafts 4.800 ihp allowing a speed if 14 knots and with 15 knots a range of 4.800 nautical miles. Their crew numbered 276 men. The armour consisted of a 18-24cm/7.1-9.4” thick belt. 3cm/1.2” thick deck with the gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 20cm/7.9”, 20cm/7.9” and 18cm/7.1” thick armour. The armament consisted of 3x1-24cm/9.4” guns, 8x1-8,8cm/3.5” guns and 4-35cm/13.8” torpedo tubes. Rebuilt at the Kaiserliche Werft at Wilhelmshaven in 1901-1902, lengthened to 86,13 metres/282.6 feet, displacement 4.436 tons, second funnel added, 2-8,8cm guns, 35cm torpedo tubes replaced by 45cm ones and original 4 Locomotive boilers replaced by 8 new Marine type boilers.
