Kaiser Friedrich III-class
An item referred to the German newspaper Hannover Courant which was complaining about the worse condition of the newest German warships. The Hertha (1) returning from Palestina was to be docked at Genoa, Italy already lying there 45 months docked. According to the first tiding just for replacing fire pipes but now it seems for replacing the complete boiler. The new cruiser Gazelle (2) proved during her trials that her boilers were useless and needed also to be docked and in stead of in the spring not earlier to be commissioned as in the autumn. The praised monster battleship Kaiser Friedrich III returned also for her boilers to the dock and was for the coming months not available. (3) The German newspaper asked what the value of a navy with could not sail lacking sufficient boilers.
Notes
1. Ordered as the ‘K’. Laid down by AG Vulcan, Stettin, Germany with yard number 233 in 1895, launched on 14 April 1897, commissioned on 23 July 1898, stricken on 6 December 1919 and broken up in 1920. Part of the Victoria Louisa-class protected cruisers consisting of the Victoria Louise, Hertha, Freya, Vineta and Hansa, preceded by the Kaiserin Augusta and succeeded by the Fürst Bismarck.
2. Of the Gazelle class light cruisers, preceded by SM S Hela and succeeded by the Bremen-class, laid down by the Germaniawerft, Kiel Germany in 1897, launched on 15 June 1901, commissioned on 15 June 1901, hulked for minelayers in 1916, stricken on 28 August 1920 and broken up.
3. Of the Kaiser Friedrich III-class pre dreadnought battleships consisting of the Kaiser Friedrich III, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Kaiser Karl der Grosse and Kaiser Barbarossa. Preceded by the Brandenburg-class and succeeded by the Wittelsbach-class. Laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven, Germany under the contract name Ersatz Preussen with yard number 22 on 5 March 1895, launched on 1 July 1896, commissioned on 7 October 1898, modernized in 1908, coastal defence ship in 1915, prison ship after January 1915, stricken on 6 December 1919 and sold to ship breaking firm at Berlin, Germany and broken up at Kiel-Nordmole in 1920.
