Helgoland class battleship
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 SMS Ostfriesland |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Helgoland |
| Preceded by: | Nassau class battleship |
| Succeeded by: | Kaiser class battleship |
| Completed: | Four ordered and commissioned |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Battleship |
| Displacement: | 22,808 tonnes (designed) 24,700 tonnes (full load) |
| Length: | 167.20 m (548.6 ft) |
| Beam: | 28.50 m (93.5 ft) |
| Draught: | 8.94 m (29.3 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 3 shafts vertical triple expansion; 28,000 shp |
| Speed: | 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h) |
| Range: | 5,500 nautical miles (10,190 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Armament: | 12 × 30.5 cm (12.0 in) guns 14 × 15 cm (5.9 in) guns 14 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) guns 6× 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes |
| Armour: | Belt: 300 mm Decks: 63 mm Barbettes: 300 mm Turrets: 300 mm |
The Helgoland class was a class of German dreadnought battleships. The ships served in World War I and participated in the Battle of Jutland. All four survived the war, and were taken as war prizes by the victorious Allied powers.
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[edit] Design
Laid down in 1909-10, the Helgoland class was the second type of German Dreadnoughts as a response to the introduction of the 'all-big-gun' British HMS Dreadnought. Like the Nassau class which preceded it, the ships carried their main armament in an unusual 'hexagonal' configuration. Twelve 30.5 cm L/50 guns were mounted in double turrets, with one turret fore and aft, and two on each flank of the ship. Secondary armament consisted of fourteen 15 cm L/45 guns, along with two 8.8 cm L/45 AA-guns. While their armour was slightly superior to that of Dreadnought, the Helgolands adopted older triple-expansion steam engines rather than steam turbines, limiting their speed to 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h).
[edit] Construction
Four ships of the class were built, with construction lasting from 1908 to 1912.
- SMS Helgoland was built at Howaldtswerke, Kiel. Helgoland was laid down 24 November 1908, launched 23 August 1911, and commissioned on 20 December 1911.
- SMS Ostfriesland was built at Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven. She was laid down 19 October 1908, launched 1 August 1911, and commissioned 15 September 1911.
- SMS Thüringen was built by AG Weser in Bremen. Thüringen was laid down 2 November 1908, launched on 1 July 1911, and commissioned on 10 September 1911.
- SMS Oldenburg was built by Schichau in Danzig; she was laid down 1 March 1909, launched 1 May 1912, and commissioned on 1 July 1912.
[edit] History
[edit] World War I
The ships of the Helgoland class were assigned to I Battle Squadron at the outbreak of World War I. All four ships were present during the Battle of Jutland; the Helgoland was hit by a single 15" shell, but sustained minimal damage. The Oldenburg was hit by a shell from a secondary battery that killed 8 and wounded 14 men. Ostfriesland and Thüringen escaped the battle unscathed, although on the return to German waters, Ostfriesland struck a mine, and had to be repaired in Wilhelmshaven.
[edit] Post-war
The ships of the class saw no further action during the war, and were taken as war prizes following the German surrender. Helgoland was taken by the British as a replacement for ships that had been taken earlier, but scuttled by their crews in Scapa Flow. Helgoland was later scrapped in 1924. Ostfriesland was handed over to the US Navy, and was later used as a target during a demonstration of air power, conducted by General Billy Mitchell. Thüringen and Oldenburg were taken by France and Japan, respectively, and used as target ships until they were scrapped in the early 1920s.
[edit] External links
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