Nassau - class battleship The " Nassau " class were a group of four German dreadnought battleship s built for the Imperial Navy . They were the German response to the introduction of the " all big gun " British . The class was composed of , , , and . All four ships were laid down in mid - 1907 , and completed between May and September 1910 . Compared to their British contemporaries , the " Nassau " - class ships were lighter and had a wider beam . They were two knots slower , because the German ships retained vertical triple - expansion engines as opposed to the high - power turbine engines adopted by the British . The ships also carried smaller main guns — 11 - inch ( 280 mm ) guns rather than the 12 - inch ( 305 mm ) guns mounted on the British ships . After their commissioning into the German fleet , all four ships served as a unit : the II Division of I Battle Squadron . Two of the ships , " Nassau " and " Posen " , took part in the inconclusive Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915 , during which they engaged the Russian pre - dreadnought . The " Nassau " - class ships took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916 as the II Battle Squadron ; they suffered only a handful of secondary battery hits and limited casualties . At the end of the First World War , the four ships were seized as war prizes by the victorious Allied powers and sold for scrapping . Design . Development . In 1906 , the launch of the " all big gun " made all other battleships then in existence obsolete . The First Naval Amendment to the 1900 German Naval Law was passed in 1906 prior to the launch of " Dreadnought " ; Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz had originally requested six new battleship s and six armored cruiser s , along with a number of miscellaneous smaller craft . The launch of the revolutionary " Dreadnought " meant that any future battleships that could compete with her would be significantly more expensive than the older pre - dreadnought battleship s . Opposition to budget increases in the Reichstag forced Tirpitz to reduce his request to six armored cruisers — one of which was to have been placed in reserve — and 48 torpedo boats , dropping his request for new battleships completely ; the reduced proposal was voted through on 19 May 1906 . A week after the amendment was passed , funds for two 18 , 000 - ton battleships and a 15 , 000 - ton armored cruiser were allocated to the Navy . Funds were also provided to widen the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and enlarge dock facilities to accommodate the larger ships . A debate ensued in the " Reichsmarineamt " ( Naval Office ) over the construction of the new ships . Tirpitz favored following the Royal Navy by building dreadnought battleship s and battlecruiser s as well . Tirpitz saw it as an opportunity to break Britain ' s commitment to the " two power standard " . Tirpitz also intended to use the funds that had been allocated for armored cruisers to build battlecruisers instead , although they were still to be classified as armored cruisers . " Nassau " and " Westfalen " were the first dreadnoughts ordered under the 1906 – 07 program ; the armored cruiser was ordered along with them . The Second Naval Amendment to the 1900 Naval Law was passed on 27 March 1908 ; this amendment included a budget of 1 billion marks , and provisions that reduced the lifespan of battleships from 25 years to 20 . This had the effect of necessitating the replacement of the coastal defense ship s of the and classes , as well as the pre - dreadnoughts of the . The s ( first put into service in the late 1870s ) also needed replacement , as they were already obsolete , even under the 25 - year standard . The four " Sachsen " s were to be replaced by the " Nassau " class . The second pair of ships in the " Nassau " class , " Posen " and " Rheinland " , were ordered under the 1907 – 08 building program . General characteristics . The ships were long , wide , and had a draught of . The ships had a length to width ratio of 5 . 45 , which was somewhat " stubby " compared to contemporary designs . To some extent , the greater than normal width was due to the four wing turrets , which necessitated a wider hull . They displaced 18 , 570 tons with a standard load , and 21 , 000 tons fully laden . The ships had 19 watertight compartments , with the exception of " Nassau " , which only had 16 . All four ships had a double bottom for 88 percent of the keel . The ships carried a number of boats , including a picket boat , 3 admiral ' s barges , 2 launches , 2 cutters , and 2 dinghies . As designed , the ships did not handle particularly well , even in calm seas , and their motion was quite stiff . The ships experienced severe rolling , due to the weight of the wing turrets . The heavy wing turrets caused the ships to have a large metacentric height , which should have made them very stable gun platforms , but their roll period proved to coincide with that of the average North Sea swell . Bilge keels were later added , which helped to improve the rolling problem . Despite the tendency to roll , the " Nassau " - class ships were maneuverable and had a small turning radius . They suffered minor speed loss in heavy seas , but up to 70 percent at hard rudder . The roll keels that had been fitted to improve handling caused a portion of the speed loss at hard rudder . Propulsion . The German Navy was slow to adopt the advanced Parsons turbine engines used in the British " Dreadnought " , primarily due to the resistance of both Admiral von Tirpitz and the Navy ' s construction department . In 1905 , the latter stated that the " use of turbines in heavy warships does not recommend itself . " The " Nassau " class therefore retained obsolete vertical triple expansion engines rated at 22 , 000 ihp . Each of the three shafts drove a 3 - bladed screw that was 5 m ( 5 . 46 yd ) in diameter . Designed top speed was 19 . 5 knots . On trials , the ships attained 20 to 20 . 2 knots on 26 , 224 to 28 , 117 ihp . By comparison , " Dreadnought " s steam turbines provided a rated speed of 21 knots . Steam was provided by 12 Schulz - Thornycroft boilers , each of which had 2 fireboxes , for a total of 24 . The machinery was divided into three engine and six boiler rooms . The wing turrets and their magazines further divided the machinery into three separated groups , thereby increasing survivability . The ships carried 2 , 700 tons of coal , and were later modified to carry an additional 160 tons of oil that was to be sprayed on the coal , to increase its burn rate . Electrical power was provided by eight turbo - generators , producing 1 , 280 kW at 225 V . Armament . The vertical triple expansion engines consumed large amounts of internal space that could otherwise have been used for magazines . Without sufficient magazine capacity to support superfiring centerline turrets , designers were compelled to distribute six main turrets in an unusual hexagonal configuration . Two twin turrets were mounted fore and aft ( one on each end ) , and two were mounted on each flank of the ship . Firing directly forward and aft , the ships could bring 6 guns to bear , and 8 on the broadside ; this was the same theoretical capability as " Dreadnought " , but the " Nassau " - class ships required two additional guns to achieve it . It was considered that this arrangement provided a useful reserve of heavy guns that were shielded from enemy fire . Each ship carried twelve SK L / 45 guns . The wing turrets were Drh LC / 1906 mounts , as were the centerline turrets on the first two ships of the class , " Nassau " and " Westfalen " . " Posen " and " Rheinland " carried their centerline guns in Drh LC / 1907 turrets , which had a longer trunk than the LC / 1906 design . The Drh LC / 1906 turrets and 11 - inch SK / L45 guns were designed specifically for the new German dreadnoughts in 1907 . Both mountings allowed for elevation up to 20 degrees , but the LC / 1907 mounts could depress an additional two degrees , down to −8 . The main battery propellant magazines were placed above shell rooms , with the exception of the centerline turrets of " Nassau " and " Westfalen " . These guns fired 666 lb shells , with a 57 lb ( 26 kg ) fore propellant charge in silk bags and a 174 lb ( 79 kg ) main charge in a brass case . The guns fired the shells at a muzzle velocity of 2 , 805 ft / s ( 855 m / s ) , and had a maximum range of 22 , 400 yards ( 20 , 500 m ) . At a range of 13 , 100 yards ( 12 , 000 m ) , the 11 in shells would penetrate up to 7 . 9 in ( 200 mm ) of belt armor . The ships ' secondary armament consisted of twelve SK L / 45 guns , which were mounted in casemate s . The guns fired 99 . 9 lb shells at a muzzle velocity of 2 , 740 ft / s ( 835 m / s ) . The guns could be elevated to 19 degrees , which provided a maximum range of 16 , 350 yards ( 14950 m ) . The ships also carried sixteen SK L / 45 guns , also in casemates . These guns fired a 22 - lb projectile at 2 , 133 ft / s ( 650 m / s ) , and could be trained up to 25 degrees for a maximum range of 10 , 500 yards ( 9 , 600 m ) . After 1915 , two 8 . 8 cm guns were removed and replaced by two 8 . 8 cm Flak guns , and between 1916 and 1917 , the remaining twelve 8 . 8 cm casemated guns were removed . These anti - aircraft guns fired a slightly lighter 21 . 2 lb shell at 2 , 510 ft / s ( 765 m / s ) . They could be elevated to 45 degrees and could hit targets 12 , 900 yards ( 11 , 800 m ) away . The " Nassau " - class ships were also armed with six submerged torpedo tube s . One tube was mounted in the bow , another in the stern , and two on each broadside , on either ends of the torpedo bulkhead . Armor . The " Nassau " - class ships were equipped with Krupp cemented steel armor . The ships had an armored belt that was thick at its strongest , where it protected the ship ' s vitals in the center , and as thin as in less critical areas , such as the bow and stern . Behind the main belt was a torpedo bulkhead thick ; there was some difficulty mounting the torpedo bulkhead , due to the four wing turrets and their barbettes . The ships ' decks were armored , between 5 . 5 – 8 cm ( 2 . 1 – 3 . 1 in ) thick . The forward conning tower had a roof that was thick , and sides thick . The aft conning tower was less well protected , with a thick roof and sides . The main battery turrets had roofs that were thick , and sides . The casemated secondary battery had worth of armor protection , and 8 cm thick gun shields . The ships were also fitted with anti - torpedo nets , but these were removed after 1916 . Construction . Four ships of the class were ordered , under the provisional names " Ersatz Bayern " , " Ersatz Sachsen " , " Ersatz Württemberg " , and " Ersatz Baden " , as replacements for the four old s . The first ship of the class , , was laid down on 22 July 1907 at the " Kaiserliche Werft " in Wilhelmshaven , launched on 7 March 1908 , and commissioned into the fleet on 1 October 1909 . was laid down less than a month later , on 12 August 1907 at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen . The ship was launched on 1 July 1908 , and commissioned on 16 November 1909 . , the third ship of the class , was actually the first to be laid down , on 1 June 1907 in the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin . Construction of " Rheinland " proceeded slower than " Nassau " and " Westfalen " , and so the ship was launched later , on 26 September 1908 . " Rheinland " joined the fleet on 30 April 1910 . , the last ship of the class , was laid down at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel on 11 June 1907 . The ship was not launched until 12 December 1908 , and did not join her sisters until 31 May 1910 . Service history . The " Nassau " - class ships operated as a unit in the High Seas Fleet : the II Division of the I Battle Squadron . The ships of the class participated in a number of fleet operations in the North Sea , including the action on 31 May 1916 that resulted in the Battle of Jutland . The ships also saw limited service in the Baltic Sea , including the abortive Battle of the Gulf of Riga in August 1915 . Battle of the Gulf of Riga . In August 1915 , the German fleet attempted to clear the Gulf of Riga , in order to facilitate the capture of Riga by the German army . To do so , the German planners intended to drive off or destroy the Russian naval forces in the gulf , which included the pre - dreadnought and a number of gunboats and destroyers , and lay a series of minefields in the northern entrance to the gulf . The fleet that assembled to assault the gulf included the four " Nassau " - class ships , the four s , and the battlecruisers , , and . The eight battleships were to provide cover for the forces engaging the Russian flotilla . The first attempt on 8 August was unsuccessful , as it had taken too long to clear the Russian minefields to allow the minelayer to lay a minefield of her own . On 16 August , a second attempt was made to enter the gulf : " Nassau " and " Posen " , four light cruisers , and 31 torpedo boats breached the defenses to the gulf . On the first day of the assault , the German minesweeper " T46 " was sunk , as was the destroyer . On 17 August , " Nassau " and " Posen " engaged in an artillery duel with " Slava " , resulting in three hits on the Russian ship that prompted her withdrawal . After three days , the Russian minefields had been cleared , and the flotilla entered the gulf on 19 August , but reports of Allied submarines in the area prompted a German withdrawal from the gulf the following day . Battle of Jutland . The ships took part in the inconclusive Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916 . For the majority of the battle , the I Battle Squadron formed the center of the line of battle , behind Rear Admiral Behncke ' s III Battle Squadron , and followed by Rear Admiral Mauve ' s elderly pre - dreadnoughts of the II Battle Squadron . " Posen " served as the division flagship , under the command of Rear Admiral W . Engelhardt . At around midnight on 1 June , " Nassau " came in contact with the British destroyer , and in the confusion , attempted to ram her . " Spitfire " tried to evade , but could not maneuver away fast enough , and the two ships collided . " Nassau " fired her forward 11 - inch guns at the destroyer , but they could not depress low enough for " Nassau " to be able to score a hit . Nonetheless , the blast from the guns destroyed " Spitfire " s bridge . At that point , " Spitfire " was able to disengage from " Nassau " , and took with her a 20 - foot ( 6 m ) portion of " Nassau " s side plating . The collision disabled one of her 5 . 9 - inch guns , and left an 11 . 5 - foot ( 3 . 5 m ) gash above the waterline ; this slowed the ship to 15 knots until it could be repaired . At approximately the same time , " Posen " accidentally rammed the light cruiser and holed her below the waterline . " Elbing " was damaged so severely that her engine room was completely flooded and she was unable to move ; the captain of the ship ordered " Elbing " be scuttled to prevent her capture by the British . Shortly after 01 : 00 , " Nassau " and encountered the British armored cruiser . " Thüringen " opened fire first , and pummeled " Black Prince " with a total of 27 heavy - caliber shells and 24 shells from her secondary battery . " Nassau " and joined in , followed by . The wreck of the ship was directly in the path of " Nassau " ; to avoid it , the ship had to steer sharply towards the III Battle Squadron . It was necessary for the ship to steam at full speed astern in order to avoid a collision with . " Nassau " then fell back into a position between the pre - dreadnoughts and . Following the return to German waters , " Nassau " , " Posen " , and " Westfalen " , along with the " Helgoland " - class battleships and " Thüringen " , took up defensive positions in the Jade roadstead for the night . The " Nassau " - class ships suffered only a handful of secondary battery hits from the opposing Grand Fleet ; " Nassau " was hit twice , " Westfalen " and " Rheinland " each once , and " Posen " escaped completely unscathed . Not a single ship of the four was struck by a heavy - caliber shell . Later operations . Less than three months after Jutland , " Westfalen " was torpedoed by the British submarine on 19 August 1916 , but suffered minimal damage and was soon repaired . In 1918 , " Westfalen " and " Rheinland " were detached from the High Seas Fleet and ordered into the Baltic Sea . Finland was revolting against Russian rule , and the two ships were to aid the Finns in the civil war . On 11 April at approximately 07 : 30 , " Rheinland " ran aground off the Åland Islands . Approximately 6 , 000 tons of guns , belt armor , and coal were removed in order to lighten her enough to be refloated , which was not accomplished until 9 July . " Rheinland " was never repaired , and instead saw the remainder of her service as a barracks ship in Kiel . Following the end of the First World War in 1918 , eleven battleships of the , , and es and all five battlecruisers , along with a number of light cruisers and destroyers , were interned in Scapa Flow , while their fate was determined in the negotiations over the Treaty of Versailles . The " Nassau " and s were left in Germany . Following the scuttling of the German fleet in June 1919 , all four ships were allotted to the victorious Allied powers as replacements for the scuttled ships . " Nassau " was ceded to Japan , Britain received " Westfalen " and " Posen " , and " Rheinland " was sold directly to the breakers at Dordrecht . Between 1920 and 1924 , " Westfalen " was scrapped at Birkenhead and the remaining ships were scrapped at Dordrecht . References . Online sources