New German battleships largest ever built in Germany according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1902-1903 no. 8

Wittelsbach-class

Braunschweig-class

SMS Braunschweig

Deutschland-class

An item referred to the magazine Marine Française reporting that the German battleships ‘H’ (1), ‘J’ (2), ‘K’ (3) and ‘L’ (4) were being built. With their displacement of 13.200 were they the largest ever in Germany built.(5) The Wittelsbach-class had a displacement of 11.800 ton, Dimensions 121,20 x 22,20 x 7,85 metres. The armour belt had a thickness of 22,8cm and above was the armour 10cm thick. The main guns were protected by 25cm thick armour. The armament consisted of 4-28cm guns and 12-17cm guns instead of the 18-15cm guns of predecessors. Further more were 6 torpedo tubes to be fitted of which 5 submerged. The boilers were partly cylindrical and partly water tube. Horsepower was 16.000 hp (design). Standard coal bunker capacity 800 ton.

Notes
1. The Braunschweig. Laid down at the Germaniawerft, Kiel, Germany on October 1901 as part of the Braunschweig-class, launched on 20 December 1902, commissioned on 15 October 1905 and finally broken up in 1932.
2. The Elsass. Laid down under temporarily name “J” at the Schichau-Werke, Danzig, Germany with yard number 696 in 1901, launched on 26 May 1903, completed at the Kaiserlichte Werft, Kiel since 26 October 1904, commissioned on 29 November 1904, decommissioned on 18 December 1915, disarmed training ship since 25 July 1916, modernized in 1923-1924, decommissioned on 15 February 1924, decommissioned and laid up in reserve on 25 February 1930, stricken on 31March 1931, served for some time as hulk at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, sold to the Norddeutscher Lloyd on 31 October 1935 and finally broken up at Bremerhaven, Germany in 1936. Of the Braunschweig-class consisting of the Braunschweig, Elsass, Hessen, Lotharingen and Preussen.
3. The Preussen. Laid down under the contracted name “K” at AG Vulcan, Stettin, Germany with yard number 256 in April 1902, launched on 30 October 1903, commissioned on 12 July 1905 , guard ship in the Baltic in 1916, fleet tender stationed at Wilhelmshaven, Germany 1917-1918, disarmed and fitted out with platforms with holdings for the F-type minesweepers for which she was used as mother ship at Wilhelmshaven in 1919, stricken on 5 April 1929, sold for 216.8000 Reichsmarks on 25 February 1931and broken up although a part of her hull with a length of around 63 metres survived for years. Nicknamed SMS Vierkant served this part as a target for underwater weapons like torpedoes and mines until sunk by Allied bombers in April 1945. Salvaged and broken up in the end of 1954.
4. The Hessen. Laid down with the contract name “L” at the Germaniawerft, Kiel with yard number 100 in April 1902, launched by princess Irene von Hessen-Darmstadt on 18 September 1903, commissioned on 19 September 1905,  target in the Baltic Sea in December 1916, decommissioned on 18 January 1917, disarmed and converted into an accommodation for submarine crews at Brunsbüttel, Germany nicknamed SMS Kleinste Fahrt, modernized in 1924, decommissioned on 5 January 1925, replaced by the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer decommissioned on 12 November 1934, converted into a radio-controlled target decommissioned on 1 April 1937, used as target and as icebreaker in the Baltic and North Sea between 1939-1945, ceded to Russia at Libau, Latvia in January 1946, renamed Tsel and finally broken up in 1960. Of the Braunschweig-class consisting of the Braunschweig, Elsass, Hessen, Lotharingen and Preussen. 5. The Braunschweig-class pre dreadnought battleships preceded by the Wittelsbach-class and succeeded by the Deutschland-class.