Kaiser - class battleship The " Kaiser " class was a class of five battleship s that were built in Germany prior to World War I and served in the Imperial German Navy during the war . They were the third class of German dreadnought s , and the first to feature turbine engines and superfiring turrets . The five ships were , , , , and . As was usual for German battleships of the period , the " Kaiser " class mounted main guns that were smaller than those of their British rivals : , compared to the guns of the British . All five ships saw action in the North Sea during the war ; they served together as the VI Division of the III Battle Squadron . Four were present during the Battle of Jutland ; was in dock at the time . Of the four ships that took part in the battle , only " Kaiser " was damaged , being struck by two heavy - caliber shells . The ships also took part in Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea ; during the operation they were reorganized as the IV Battle Squadron , under the command of Vice Admiral Wilhelm Souchon . At the end of the war , all five ships were interned at the British naval base in Scapa Flow . On 21 June 1919 , they were scuttled to prevent their seizure by the Royal Navy . The ships were subsequently raised and broken up for scrap between 1929 and 1937 . Design . The " Kaiser " - class ships were ordered under the same Second Naval Law as the preceding " Helgoland " - class battleships . The law provided that the life expectancy of capital ships was to be reduced from 25 to 20 years , a measure designed to necessitate construction of newer battleships . This meant that the six s , the two s , as well as the four s would have to be replaced . The five " Kaiser " s were to replace the remaining three " Siegfried " - class ships : , , and , as well as the two " Odin " - class ships : and . General characteristics . The ships of the " Kaiser " class were long at the waterline , and long overall . The ships had a beam of , a draft of forward , aft , and displaced a maximum of 27 , 000 tonnes . The ships had a double bottom for 88 percent of the length of the hull and 17 watertight compartments . The ships had a crew of 41 officers and 1 , 043 seamen . While serving as squadron flagship , the ships had an additional 14 officers and 80 men , and as the second command flagship , the ships were manned by another 2 officers and 23 men . The " Kaiser " - class ships were excellent sea boats , but were very stiff , suffering a slight loss of speed in heavy swells . They were responsive to commands from the helm ; they turned quickly initially , but suffered from severe torque at a hard rudder . With the rudder hard over , the ships would lose up to 66 percent of their speed and heel over as much as 8 degrees . The " Kaiser " - class ships had a transverse metacentric height of . Propulsion . The " Kaiser " - class ships were the first German battleships to be powered by turbines . They used turbines from several different manufacturers as the " Reichsmarineamt " and German shipyards attempted to find an alternative to a Parsons turbine monopoly . Nevertheless , " Kaiser " and " Kaiserin " were both equipped with three sets of Parsons turbines . " Friedrich der Grosse " had three sets of AEG - Curtis turbines , while " König Albert " was powered by Schichau turbines . The turbines drove three - bladed screws that were in diameter , providing a design speed of 21 knots . The ships had two rudders . " Prinzregent Luitpold " was equipped with two sets of Parsons turbines on the outer shafts . It was intended that a single 12 , 000 bhp Germania 6 - cylinder 2 - stroke diesel engine would drive the center shaft . However , the diesel power plant was not ready in time to be installed in " Prinzregent Luitpold " , so the ship sailed with only two shafts . On trials , " Prinzregent Luitpold " was approximately one half knot slower than her sisters . Steam was provided by 16 Schulz - Thornycroft boilers , except in " Prinzregent Luitpold " , which had only 14 boilers . Hollow grates were fitted to the boilers between 1916 and 1917 . The three - shaft ships carried 3 , 600 metric tons of coal , which enabled a maximum range of 7 , 900 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots . " Prinzregent Luitpold " carried a reduced bunkerage — 3 , 200 metric tons — but was designed to carry 400 tons of oil for the diesel engine . On diesel power alone , " Prinzregent Luitpold " would have had a range of 2 , 000 nautical miles at 12 knots . Electrical power was provided by four double turbo - generators and two diesel generators . They produced a total output of 1 , 800 kilowatts at 225 volts . Armament . The " Kaiser " - class ships each carried ten SK L / 50 guns mounted in five twin turrets . One turret was mounted fore , two were mounted en echelon amidships , and the fourth and fifth turrets were mounted in a superfiring pair aft . The guns were supplied with a total of 860 shells , for 86 rounds per gun . The shells were , and were fired at a muzzle velocity of 854 meters per second ( 2 , 805 feet per second ) . The guns were placed in Drh LC / 1909 mountings , which were very similar to the older LC / 1908 gun mounts used in the preceding " Helgoland " - class ships . The mountings were initially capable of depression to −8 degrees and elevation to 13 . 5 degrees . At maximum elevation , the guns had a range of up to . The mountings were later modified to depress to −5 . 5 degrees and elevate to 16 degrees . This extended the maximum range of . The ships had a secondary battery of fourteen SK L / 45 quick - firing guns , each mounted in casemate s . The guns each had a supply of one hundred and sixty shells , for a total of 2240 . Firing at a muzzle velocity of 835 m / s ( 2 , 740 ft / s ) , the guns could hit targets at a distance , and after modifications in 1915 , the range was extended to . The ships were also equipped with eight SK L / 45 guns . They were eventually rearmed with four 8 . 8 cm L / 45 Flak guns , two of which were later removed . As was customary for capital ships of the period , the " Kaiser " - class ships were armed with five submerged torpedo tubes . One was mounted in the bow , while the other four were placed on the broadside , two on each flank of the ship . Armor . As with all major contemporary German warships , the " Kaiser " - class ships were protected by Krupp cemented steel armor . The deck armor ranged in thickness , from in more critical areas of the ship , down to in less important areas . The armored belt was thick in the central citadel , and tapered down to forward and aft . Behind the armored belt , the ships had a torpedo bulkhead 4 cm ( 1 . 6 in ) thick . The forward conning tower had sides that were thick and the roof was thick . The aft conning tower was significantly less well - armored ; the sides were thick , and the roof was only thick . The main battery turrets were protected by 30 cm of armor on the sides and of armor on the roofs . The 15 cm guns had of armor plating on their mounts , and on their gun shields . Construction . , the name ship of the class , was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft Kiel in December 1909 under construction number 35 . The ship was launched on 22 March 1911 , and commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 1 August 1912 . followed on 26 January 1910 , at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Hamburg . She was launched on 10 June 1911 and commissioned as the flagship of the High Seas Fleet on 15 October 1912 . , the third ship of the class , was laid down in the Howaldtswerke in Kiel in November 1910 . She was launched on 11 November 1911 , and commissioned on 14 May 1913 . Service history . Pre - war . In 1913 – 1914 two " Kaiser " - class ships , " Kaiser " and " König Albert " took part in a major overseas tour to South America and South Africa . The cruise was designed to demonstrate German power projection , as well as to test the reliability of the new turbine engines on long - range operations . Both ships had returned to the German bases in the North Sea by the outbreak of World War I . World War I . Raid on Scarborough , Hartlepool and Whitby . The first major operation of the war in which the " Kaiser " - class ships participated was the raid on Scarborough , Hartlepool and Whitby on 15 – 16 December 1914 . The raid was primarily conducted by the battlecruisers of the I Scouting Group . The " Kaiser " - class ships , along with the , , and es steamed in distant support of Franz von Hipper ' s battlecruisers . Friedrich von Ingenohl , the commander of the High Seas Fleet , decided to take up station approximately in the center of the North Sea , about 130 miles east of Scarborough . The Royal Navy , which had recently received the German code books captured from the beached cruiser , was aware that an operation was taking place , but uncertain as to where the Germans would strike . Therefore , the Admiralty ordered David Beatty ' s 1st Battlecruiser Squadron , the six battleships of the 2nd Battle Squadron , and a number of cruisers and destroyers to attempt to intercept the German battlecruisers . However , Beatty ' s task force nearly ran headlong into the entire High Seas Fleet . At 6 : 20 , Beatty ' s destroyer screen came into contact with the German torpedo boat " V155 " . This began a confused 2 - hour battle between the British destroyers and the German cruiser and destroyer screen , frequently at very close range . At the time of the first encounter , the " Kaiser " - class battleships were less than 10 miles away from the 6 British dreadnoughts ; this was well within firing range , but in the darkness , neither British nor German admiral were aware of the composition of their opponents ' fleets . Admiral Ingenohl , loathe to disobey the Kaiser ' s order to not risk the battlefleet without his express approval , concluded that his forces were engaging the screen of the entire Grand Fleet , and so 10 minutes after the first contact , he ordered a turn to port on a south - east course . Continued attacks delayed the turn , but by 6 : 42 , it had been carried out . For about 40 minutes , the two fleets were steaming on a parallel course . At 7 : 20 , Ingenohl ordered a further turn to port , which put his ships on a course for German waters . Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft . The " Kaiser " - class ships took part in another raid on the English coast , again as support for the German battlecruiser force in the I Scouting Group . The battlecruisers left the Jade Estuary at 10 : 55 on 24 April 1916 , and the rest of the High Seas Fleet followed at 13 : 40 . The battlecruiser struck a mine while en route to the target , and had to withdraw . The other battlecruisers bombarded the town of Lowestoft largely without incident , but during the approach to Yarmouth , they encountered the British cruisers of the Harwich Force . A short artillery duel ensued before the Harwich Force withdrew . Reports of British submarines in the area prompted the retreat of the I Scouting Group . At this point , Admiral Reinhard Scheer , who had been warned of the sortie of the Grand Fleet from its base in Scapa Flow , also withdrew to safer German waters . Battle of Jutland . Four of the ships participated in the fleet sortie that resulted in the battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916 . The operation was a repeat of earlier plans that intended to draw out a portion of the Grand Fleet and destroy it . " Kaiser " , " Kaiserin " , " Prinzregent Luitpold " , and " Friedrich der Grosse " , Scheer ' s flagship , made up the VI Division of the III Battle Squadron . The III Battle Squadron was the first of three battleship units ; however , the s of the V Division , III Battle Squadron were the vanguard of the fleet . Directly astern of the " Kaiser " - class ships were the and s of the I Battle Squadron ; in the rear guard were the elderly pre - dreadnought s of the II Battle Squadron . Shortly before 16 : 00 CET , the battlecruisers of I Scouting Group encountered the British 1st Battlecruiser Squadron , under the command of David Beatty . The opposing ships began an artillery duel that saw the destruction of , shortly after 17 : 00 , and , less than a half an hour later . By this time , the German battlecruisers were steaming south in order to draw the British ships towards the main body of the High Seas Fleet . At 17 : 30 , , the leading German battleship , spotted both the I Scouting Group and the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron approaching . The German battlecruisers were steaming down to starboard , while the British ships steamed to port . At 17 : 45 , Scheer ordered a two - point turn to port to bring his ships closer to the British battlecruisers . Shortly thereafter the order was given to commence firing ; the " Kaiser " - class ships , with the exception of " Prinzregent Luitpold " , were not yet within range to engage the British battlecruisers . " Prinzregent Luitpold " managed to fire eight salvos at 22 , 300 – 21 , 300 yards ( 20 , 400 – 19 , 500 m ) before the range again widened sufficiently to prevent further firing . In the meantime , " Kaiser " and " Friedrich der Grosse " , along with the battleships of II Battle Squadron , were within range of the British 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron . However , the massed fire from the ten battleships interfered with accurate spotting , and after only a few salvos fire was largely ceased . At around 19 : 00 , the cruiser , which had earlier been disabled , was coming under attack from British light forces , and so Scheer ordered his ships to turn in order to cover an attempt to bring the ship under tow . At 19 : 05 , the British armored cruisers and began firing on the crippled " Wiesbaden " . However , by 19 : 15 , Hipper ' s battlecruisers and the battleships of III Battle Squadron appeared on the scene , and began to hammer the British ships at a range of less than 8 , 000 yards . " Kaiser " and three " König " - class battleships concentrated their fire on the two cruisers until one of " Defence " s magazines was detonated , which caused a massive explosion that destroyed the ship . " Warrior " , badly damaged and afire , managed to limp northward towards the s of the 5th Battle Squadron . While " Warrior " was retreating northward under the cover of her own smoke , the battleship came too close to her sister , and had to turn to starboard in order to avoid collision . At that moment , a shell from " Kaiser " struck " Warspite " s steering gear and jammed them , temporarily leaving the ship only able to steam in a large circle . " Friedrich der Grosse " , " König " , two " Nassau " and three " Helgoland " - class battleships fired on " Warspite " for a period of about 20 minutes ; " Warspite " was hit 11 times before the Germans lost sight of her . Because her steering gear could not be adequately repaired , " Warspite " was forced to withdraw from the battle ; her absence prompted the Germans to believe they had sunk her . Upon returning to the Jade estuary , the " Nassau " - class battleships , , and and the " Helgoland " - class battleships and took up guard duties in the outer roadstead . " Kaiser " , " Kaiserin " , and " Prinzregent Luitpold " , largely undamaged during the battle , took up defensive positions outside the Wilhelmshaven locks . The other capital ships — those that were still in fighting condition — had their fuel and ammunition stocks replenished . During the battle , " Kaiser " had fired 224 heavy battery and 41 secondary battery shells ; " Kaiserin " fired 160 and 135 respectively , " Prinzregent Luitpold " fired 169 and 106 respectively , and " Friedrich der Grosse " fired 72 and 151 shells , respectively . " Kaiser " was hit twice by heavy - caliber shells during the battle , the only ship of the class to have been hit ; however the ship only suffered a single wounded casualty . Operation Albion . In early September 1917 , following the German conquest of the Russian port of Riga , the German navy decided to expunge the Russian naval forces that still held the Gulf of Riga . To this end , the " Admiralstab " ( the Navy High Command ) planned an operation in the Moonsund archipelago , particularly targeting the Russian gun batteries on the Sworbe peninsula of Ösel . On 18 September , the order was issued for a joint Army - Navy operation to capture Ösel and Moon islands ; the primary naval component was to comprise the flagship , " Moltke " , along with the III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet . The V Division included the four " König " s , and was by this time augmented with the new battleship . The VI Division consisted of the five " Kaiser " - class battleships . Along with nine light cruisers , three torpedo boat flotillas , and dozens of mine warfare ships , the entire force numbered some 300 ships , and was supported by over 100 aircraft and six zeppelin s . The invasion force amounted to approximately 24 , 600 officers and enlisted men . Opposing the Germans were the old Russian pre - dreadnought s " Slava " and " Tsarevitch " , the armored cruiser s " Bayan " , " Admiral Makarov " , and " Diana " , 26 destroyers , several torpedo boats and gunboats , and a garrison on Ösel of some 14 , 000 men with shore batteries . The operation began on 12 October , when the " Kaiser " - class battleships engaged the batteries on the Sworbe peninsula . Simultaneously , " Moltke " , " Bayern " , and the " König " s began firing on the Russian shore batteries at Tagga Bay . Stiff Russian resistance in the Kassar Wick , the entrance to Moon Sound , slowed the German advance . On 14 October , " Kaiser " was detached from the bombardment force to deal with the Russian destroyers holding up the German minesweepers . Under the cover of " Kaiser " s 30 . 5 cm guns , the German torpedo boats dashed into the Sound . During the ensuing clash , the Russian destroyer " Grom " was disabled and eventually sunk . The Russian 30 . 5 cm shore batteries at Zerel remained a significant problem , and so while " Kaiser " was disrupting the Russian destroyers , " Kaiserin " , " König Albert " , and " Friedrich der Grosse " bombarded Zerel at ranges of between 7 . 5 and 12 . 5 miles . Russian counter - fire proved accurate , and so the German dreadnoughts were forced to continually alter course to avoid being hit . The attack lasted only about an hour , due to fears of mines and submarines . The following morning , two " König " - class battleships were sent into Moon Sound to destroy the Russian ships stationed there . " König " sank the pre - dreadnought " Slava " , while " Kronprinz " forced the withdrawal of the remaining warships . By 20 October , the naval operations were effectively over ; the Russian ships had been destroyed or forced to withdraw , and the German army attained its objectives . Fate . Following the capitulation of Germany in November 1918 , the High Seas Fleet , under the command of Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter , was interned in the British naval base in Scapa Flow . The fleet remained in captivity during the negotiations that ultimately produced the Versailles Treaty . It became apparent to Reuter that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June , which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty . Unaware that the deadline had been extended to the 23rd , Reuter ordered his ships be sunk . On the morning of 21 June , the British fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training maneuvers ; at 10 : 00 Reuter transmitted the order to his ships . " Friedrich der Grosse " was the first ship of the fleet to be scuttled , sinking at 12 : 16 . She was raised on 29 April 1937 and towed to Rosyth for scrapping . The ship ' s bell was returned to Germany in 1965 , and is currently in the Fleet Headquarters in Glücksburg . " König Albert " followed at 12 : 54 , the second ship of the fleet to sink . The ship was later raised on 31 July 1935 and broken up in Rosyth over the following year . " Kaiser " sank at 13 : 25 , and was raised for scrapping on 20 March 1929 ; breaking work was conducted in Rosyth by 1930 . " Prinzregent Luitpold " sank five minutes later , at 13 : 30 . She too was raised , on 9 July 1931 , and broken up in Rosyth . " Kaiserin " , the last ship of the class to be sunk , slipped beneath the surface at 14 : 00 . She was raised on 14 May 1936 , and broken up that year in Rosyth . References . Online sources