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Chapter 65: The Photo Tour 21
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 65: THE PHOTO TOUR 21 EAST BREAKWATER Picking up where we left off, this is an overview of the eastern half of the breakwater. You will note a visiting British squadron anchored along the outer breakwater wall. Unable to find a space where the three British warships could be berthed together, it was thought best to anchor the “guests” just offshore. Anchored just astern of SMS Hindenburg are two of the four Mackensen Class battlecruisers. (See Chapter 42 for complete design and construction details.) Design work on these ships was started in 1912 and the first two were laid down in 1915. Though intended to be nearly identical to the Derfflinger’s, they were actually an improvement, with an increase in tonnage, more powerful engines, and a main battery up-gunned to 14-inch rifles. It is fair to say they would have given the British Queen Elizabeth Class fast-battleships a “run for their money”. Had they been completed, they would have joined the fleet in 1919. As in previous mooring scenes along the breakwater, this one is composed of seven modular lots plopped to create a vignette. Two of the @mattb325 mooring points were plopped against the breakwater, and then the two battlecruisers (courtesy of @Barroco Hispano) were plopped adjacent to them. The two lighters and the harbor tug standing by to come alongside are a fifth lot – and the two small boat lots were then added. The white harbor tug was “gifted” by “WolfZe“, while the two lighters and the small boats were the detailed work of @AP. Next astern we have two of the four planned Ersatz Yorck Class battlecruisers. These were not the last battlecruisers designed by the Kaiserliche Marine – but they were the last to actually start construction. (See Chapter 43 for complete design and construction details.) Unfortunately, the Ersatz Yorck Class were the only ships ever designed to mount 15-inch rifles. In this scene, the collier SS Erlangen has come alongside and is preparing cargo nets to hoist sacks of coal across to the battlecruiser. This view gives you a good idea of the long, fine, hull lines of the battlecruiser design. This vignette was composed of five modular lots. Two mooring points, two battlecruisers, and a single lot with the collier and three tugs. The wonderful model of SMS Yorck is courtesy of @AP, while the collier and tugs are his superbly detailed work as well. The breakwaters are, of course, by “Yuki”. Though not actually part of the Kaiserliche Marine of the great War era, the very last battlecruisers designed and built by Germany were the KM Scharnhorst (1939) and Gneisenau (1938). They were directly descended from the Ersatz Yorck Class but, oddly enough, the two ships did not mount 15-inch guns. Designed in 1933-1934, it was feared mounting the larger main guns would unsettle the somewhat precarious political climate in Europe – so only three triple turrets with 11-inch guns were mounted. However, the designers kept their options open for the future, and the barbettes were designed to be big enough to accommodate 15-inch guns and turrets at some later date. In the event, war broke out in Europe sooner than expected and no convenient time was ever found to make the change. This is a view of KM Gneisenau as she would have looked with her intended armament of three twin turrets mounting 15-inch rifles. This scene was created using six modular lots. Two “Mattb325” mooring points and the battlecruiser (by Barroco Hispano). The boat boom deployed on the port side is a stand-alone-lot” plopped alongside the ship. The Esmeralda Class tug and lighter alongside are a fifth lot, and the small boat off the starboard quarter is number six. The paddle tug, lighter, boat boom, and small boat are all the work of “AP”. This is the last chapter of Imperial Dockyards: Cuxhaven, and though there will be an ”Imperial Dockyards: Bremerhaven” in future – I do not have the slightest idea when that one will begin. The forthcoming third entry in the “Kaiserliche Marine Trilogy” will deal with the birth of the Imperial German Navy and its growth and evolution up until about 1910 – basically – the Pre-Dreadnought Era. But before I close this second installment in the series, I would like to say a few words…… In the first two series we have, considering the technology of the early 20th Century, thoroughly analyzed and dissected the most complex and destructive weapons ever conceived by the mind of man – battleships and their rivals, the battlecruisers. I have recounted the courage, honor, and devotion to duty of the men who sailed and fought them. And I have touched, briefly, upon the horror and death of the Great War at sea. It has long been the warrior’s creed that “glory” can only be won in battle. But that is true -- only if you believe it to be true. William Tecumseh Sherman said...”War is Hell. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it.” On a later occasion, he added...”There is no glory in war.” Say what you will about W.T. Sherman -- he was an immanently practical man with a firm grasp of reality. I am an Old Soldier – I did my warrior’s duty some fifty years ago – and sleep peacefully knowing that I did not disgrace myself, my men, or my Country. And I tell you -- there is no glory in war. But my proudest moments were when I was privileged to salute, and shake the hand, of men holding the Congressional Medal Of Honor. I honor the grit and determination of all men -- of every nation -- that have, throughout history, done their duty. But make no mistake – I do not glorify war. Having said all that – we can now shift to a lighter note…… In the years leading up to the Great War, while the diplomats schemed for political advantage, the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine shared, for the most part, a friendly rivalry. The British had, in the past, viewed the nations of Europe as weights on a balance scale – and her diplomats spent all their time trying to keep the scales evenly balanced. Goodwill visits by the Royal Navy to German ports was an important part of this balancing act. These visits were swapped back and forth, from nation to nation, and generated friendly feelings between the two navies as well as providing festive occasions for the civilian populations. A port call at Kiel by the Royal Navy was always an occasion of great ostentation and merry-making. A Royal Navy squadron usually appeared around 6am, emerging from the mists about ten miles offshore. Word of the sighting passed quickly around the busy port and crowds began to gather within minutes. By 8am, the British Battle Squadron would arrive at the mouth of the fjord, secure the services of a harbor pilot, and begin steaming up the Kielerhaffen. The visit would have been announced in the newspapers several days before, and it was an event that could not be missed – even the Kaiser, himself, would be in attendance. Shopkeepers closed-up, offices were shut down, and restaurants (especially those without a view of the harbor) closed during mid-day. Even the school children were dismissed at noon. Special “tourist” trains were laid-on to bring in sightseers from far out in the countryside, and as far away as Hamburg and Berlin. The shore, promenades, and overlooking hillsides, were literally black with spectators. The Kielerhaffen, itself, was crowded with small craft, yachts, and packet steamers jammed to the railings with sightseers. Once the British battleships anchored, many of these tourist boats would crowd around the ships and anchor as near as possible, while others continually circled around the big ships. It was a great public spectacle replete with gold-braided admirals, Royal princes and princesses, and Kaiser Wilhelm wearing the uniform of a British Admiral Of The Fleet (an honor bestowed on him by Queen Victoria). The pictures below are my own homage to the happier days before the Great War…... The 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet lies moored at buoys just outside the Cuxhaven roadsted breakwater. They are returning a courtesy port call circa 1911. (Left to right – HMS Invincible, Inflexible, Indomitable.) These port calls by foreign navies were always festive occasions, with much “show and ceremony”. A large number of civilian small craft have gathered to see the big British cruisers up close. The tourists are immensely entertained by such simple things as “morning and evening color” ceremonies – when the ship’s bands play the national anthem while the flag is raised in the morning and lowered in the evening, with a detachment of sailors assembled to “salute the colors”. The steamer SS Lorena (foreground) has come out from the city docks with a boatload of sightseers on a “day trip”. In the evenings, the British captains might even have the ship’s band serenade the small craft anchored nearby. These ostentatious shows of courtesy were quite common in the Edwardian Age. Here we have two views of the SS Lorena. She was, in reality, a British packet steamer out of the Humber, sometime in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. When I came across the photo of Invincible and the tourist small craft (See the “banner” photo at top.) Lorena seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. The model is provided by @Barroco Hispano, and is a prefect little gem of detail. The sailing ketch in the upper right is by @Mattb325, while the remaining small craft are from NBVC’s marina sets. (Please excuse the “modern” motorboats.) Here you have an excellent view of the squadron flagship –HMS Invincible. The ship’s boat boom has been extended, with a motor launch tied on. The Port Admiral has placed the motor launch and crew at the disposal of the squadron commander (Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood) for the duration of the visit. During these “courtesy visits” the ships were often festooned with strings of electric lights in the rigging and along the decks to provide the tourists with a “night show”. Awnings were usually spread on both sides of the aft turret reaching back to the stern. Guests were often invited aboard for afternoon teas, complete with a string quartet providing music. In the evening, a cold buffet supper was provided, with a dance band to entertain the guests. These were, indeed, social occasions that would be fondly remembered for many years. The very fine armored cruiser models are courtesy of @Barroco Hispano. (It should be noted the British did not officially adopt the term “battlecruiser” until late in 1911.) The boat boom, motor launch, and small cutter are the finely detailed work of @AP. As a point of interest -- amidships you see a problem common to many capital ships prior to WW I. In their desperation to maximize the number of guns on a warship (before superimposed turrets came into fashion), designers often used “wing turrets” placed amidships. In this instance, the two center turrets have been placed in such a manner that they might, possibly, be able to fire cross-deck on either beam. Theoretically, this would allow an eight gun broadside. In reality, the port side turret, firing cross-deck to starboard, would have a very narrow arc of fire (unless you were willing to fire over the top of the starboard wing turret – not recommended.) And – the blast over-pressure of a 12-inch gun would rip the planking right off the deck, buckle the steel deck plates beneath it, buckle any superstructure plates within 40 feet, and make toothpicks out of nearby ship’s boats. The fact was, though Invincible carried eight main battery guns, she only had a fully effective broadside of six guns. This is the chief reason broadside fire was so important and why battle formations were “single-line-ahead” – to maximize broadside firing arcs. (Note: If you examine the cutter hooking onto the boat boom, you will see the boat crew has their oars raised to the “oars up” position for docking. “AP” likes everything done “ship-shape” and proper.) FINALLY…… IN MEMORY OF "ODAINSAKER” I was greatly saddened when I learned of “Odainsaker’s” passing. He had always been a great help to me when searching for pictures and anecdotes on the German Imperial period. He, too, was fascinated with the Edwardian Era, and we exchanged e-mails so that we might have many long conversations about an enormously wide range of topics…... ”The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax — Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.” I found him to be a man of jovial nature, who’s comments were witty, urban, and occasionally a tad pithy -- backed by a vast lexicon of knowledge – which he freely shared. A sharing of fact-based-knowledge is a rare thing these days, and I honor his memory. “Odainsaker” was especially interested in the Imperial Austrian Navy and the battleships of the Tegetthoff Class. I present a few photos of them and hope that wherever he is – they will please him. He is sorely missed…… “Hail and farewell” -- May God hold you in the palm of his hand, Old Friend…... The 1st Division of the Austrian battle fleet as they might have looked moored along the breakwater at Pola – circa 1914. Left to right – SMS Prinz Eugen, Viribus Unitis, and Tegetthoff. SMS Prinz Eugen with a machinist’s barge alongside. SMS Viribus Unitis is seen preparing to coal ship. SMS Tegetthoff taking on fresh provisions for the flagship. The two steam launches tied-up at the boat boom would indicate an admiral aboard. Battleships courtesy of Barroco Hispano. Another overview of the division at their moorings. NEXT TIME…… ???? I’ll keep you posted as to when you can expect the third installment of the trilogy. MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication. This installment would not have been possible without his kindness and generosity. If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 4 Comments
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Chapter 64: The Photo Tour 20
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 64: THE PHOTO TOUR 20 BREAKWATER ANCHORAGE Since the Neu Hafen was, more or less, built from scratch – it was better arranged than many of the old, established harbors. Wilhelmshaven, for example, was an “old” harbor, and was more than adequate to handle the early beginnings of the Imperial Navy. But by the end of the 19th Century the docks and basins were becoming crowded with an ever expanding fleet of steel battleships. Later, as the larger dreadnoughts began to join the fleet, it was often necessary to anchor entire battleship divisions offshore in the scarce deep water areas like the Vareler Deep. In Cuxhaven, the Panzerkreuzer (battlecruisers) were assigned permanent berths along the outer breakwater on the opposite side of the roadsted. This suited Hipper perfectly. It kept the big ships separated from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the harbor, thereby avoiding distractions and allowing the sailors to concentrate on their work. This is an overview of the western half of the breakwater. It was originally intended that each battlecruiser should have its’ own berth, but as the number of cruisers grew, it became necessary to moor some of them inboard and outboard of each other. This shot also gives you a partial view of the rest of the activity in the harbor – tugs, lighters, barges, and cranes – all busily going about their assigned tasks. This is a view of the first two battlecruisers in the breakwater mooring line. SMS Moltke is on the left, and the immortal Seydlitz on the right. The “Uki” breakwater is plopped at the very edge of the 30 meter harbor floor. Beyond the breakwater, the seabed drops off rather precipitately. Looking back on it, I probably should have dropped the seabed to 40 meters and been done with it. (Unfortunately, if you want to get the “whale automata” you have to go considerably deeper than that – and I’m a “sucker” for the whales.) This scene was created with five separate lots – two for the mooring points, one for the battlecruiser, one for the motor launch, and one for the boat boom and small boats. Again, this is the “modular” concept at work. By utilizing four different models which can be used in a variety of different scenarios, I avoided making a single large lot that would only be good for a single use. The mooring points built adjacent to the breakwater were made by “Mattb325” as a request and then uploaded to the STEX. I took his basic model and modified it with sailors, lighting, and rope coils. The idea was for the sailors to act as a “mooring party” securing the ship. Each mooring point is an individual lot plopped, roughly, one square apart. They were patterned after those found along “Battleship Row” in Pearl Harbor. In retrospect, the mooring points should have been made about half their size. The beautifully detailed battlecruiser is courtesy of @AP. (Full details on SMS Moltke can be found in Chapters 17 and 18.) This is SMS Seydlitz at her berth. This scene was also constructed with five modular lots. There are two lots for the mooring points, one for the battlecruiser, one for the boat boom and small boats, and one large one for the replenishment operation off the port quarter. Just for the record; with the exception of the mooring points (Mattb325), the breakwater (Uki), the steam tug (WolfZe), and the crane on the barge (PEG Trash Lot) – EVERYTHING in the picture was modeled by @AP. This view gives you a better look at the details of the mooring point. Unfortunately, they are both exactly the same. I should have made at least two different arrangements so the pieces would not be duplicated, but in my stupidity, I was trying to cut down on the number of custom lots I was putting into my Plugins folder. (When I first started out, I foolishly thought I could get away with a couple of hundred new lots – go figure.) And, again, the beautifully detailed model of Seydlitz is by the talented “AP”. (Details on the battlecruiser can be found in Chapters 21 and 22.) This gives you a little better view of the replenishment operation. I wanted something a little bit more complicated than just a couple of lighters, so I decided to go with a larger and more intricate lot. This lot is 5x2, and includes the barge crane, lighters, tugs, and small boat you see in the picture. All of these props have been placed on the lot in such a manner as to be “flush” against the battlecruiser, while overhanging the other three sides of the lot. “Overhanging props” takes advantage of the smallest possible lot space to accommodate the largest possible number of visual props. This is a better view of the “replenishment lot”. Due to the unique nature of the lot, I would probably not use it twice on the same map tile, but as a “modular lot” it can be placed against docks or any of the large ships in the game. This close-up, yet again, allows you to see the amazing level of detail “AP” has built into his models. These models are so good, so realistic – they actually “inspire” and motivate the creation of life-like scenes. This is an overview of the next two battlecruisers moored along the breakwater – SMS Derfflinger on the left, and Hindenburg on the right. Almost everything in the picture has already been discussed on several different occasions, and should be familiar to you. But down in the lower right of the picture, you can just make out the steam tug Goliath towing what was at the time, the world’s largest floating crane – “Langer Heinrich”. (See Chapter 14 for details on “Langer Heinrich”.) SMS Derfflinger is moored along the breakwater in the same basic fashion as the other battlecruisers. Like the other ships, she has her boat boom extended and is also preparing to take aboard stores and fresh provisions. Derfflinger model kindly provided by @Barroco Hispano. In this close-up, you can examine the fine detailing of the warship as well as those of the accompanying ships. In the upper left, a cutter is standing by the mooring point while the sailors prepare to tighten the slack in the mooring hawsers. At the port side boat boom, sailors are unloading some small boxes from another cutter, with a dinghy trailing astern. Lastly, the paddle tug Sophia is standing by with two lighters loaded with ship’s stores and assorted fresh provisions. The cutter at the mooring point is a stand-alone 1x1 plopped next to the platform. The boat boom and small boat is also a 1x1 designed so that it can be plopped alongside any larger ship. The paddle tug and lighters are a 2x1 lot with the props positioned to overhang the lot. Many people can create new lots or re-lot and improve an old game lot. But learning how to use overhanging props can add an entirely new dimension of reality to the game. Once again, let me call attention to the brilliant level of detail in the small boats, boat boom, paddle tug, and lighters by “AP”. Moored along the breakwater, just astern of Derfflinger, is SMS Hindenburg – the last active duty battlecruiser designed and built by the Kaiserliche Marine. As the last flagship of Scouting Forces Hochseeflotte, the flag of Vizeadmiral Hipper flies at her forepeak. Being an “improved” version of the Derfflinger Class, she was “the best of the best”. Appropriately enough, the model is scratch-built by @AP -- and may well be his finest work yet. This shot shows all the magnificent detail built into “AP’s” battlecruiser, and it is well worth a few minutes of close examination. The two steam launches tied-up at the boat boom are courtesy of Barroco Hispano, while the small boats and boat boom are by “AP”. The beautiful little harbor tug Thor – pulling alongside with a lighter of fresh provisions – is also the work of “AP”. NEXT TIME…… CUXHAVEN: THE PHOTO TOUR 21 MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication. If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 4 Comments
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Chapter 50: The Photo Tour 06
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 50: THE PHOTO TOUR 06 THE WEST LOCH – Part 06 This chapter will wrap-up our tour of the West Loch – with a look at the permanent berths along the breakwater. There are, basically, two types of harbors in the world – “natural” and “man-made”. The natural harbor is just that – a terrain feature created by nature that is large enough and deep enough to accommodate large ships, while sheltering them from the ill-effects of stormy seas. Examples of a natural harbor might be Oslo, Norway, the Thames Estuary, or New York. A man-made harbor is usually found on an open, exposed stretch of shoreline with no surrounding land features to block the wave action caused by heavy seas. An offshore breakwater has to be constructed to provide an area of calm water behind it. That is exactly what was done in the West Loch. The original shallow bay was too small to accommodate numbers of large ships, so the breakwater was constructed offshore to create a sufficiently large safe anchorage. This is a clear view of the breakwater constructed to form the renovated West Loch anchorage. The engineers saved a few Marks by using the only natural island as part of the breakwater. It was later decided to add permanent mooring points along the breakwater to accommodate the growing numbers of armored cruisers. The Kaiserliche Marine traditionally favored permanent mooring arrangements, usually at quays and docks, but could not afford the expense of building numerous new docks – so “mooring points” became the alternative. (By contrast, the Royal Navy, long before Nelson’s day, chose to anchor far offshore -- in the Solent and the Thames Estuary. Unbelievably large numbers of British tars could not swim, so it was a simple means of preventing sailors from “jumping ship”.) Here is a closer look at the join between the breakwater and the island. As already mentioned, these breakwaters are by “Uki”. It is a Japanese website, but the lots are in common usage in SC4 and should be readily obtainable. I tested every available breakwater set and settled on these because they were (for the most part) easy to work with and are certainly the most realistic available. You will notice two light cruisers have been moored at a temporary buoy just off the island. Moored at the buoy offshore of the island are the light cruisers SMS Karlsruhe and her sister ship Konigsburg. They were commissioned in 1915 and were among the most modern in the Hochseeflotte. German light cruisers were widely known to be handled aggressively, and at 27.5 knots and packing eight 5.9-inch guns – they were fast with a formidable “bite”. The cruiser models were generously provided by @Barroco Hispano. This is the same scene from a different angle. This gives you a close-up detail shot of how the island has been put together. The basic land mass was created by raising the land level some 15 meters above sea level (about 45 meters above the seabed). I gave the island an irregular shape to make it more “natural”, then used the “God Mode” tools to lower some of it below sea level. Once the rough shape was achieved, I used the “softening tool” to give it a smooth, rounded look with gently sloping sides that ease down into the water. I then applied a scattering of various bushes and ground cover. This was followed by MMP trees by @Girafe. The “earthen” areas were painted with “Heblem” brown sand, and the light gray sand – which actually looks more like loose gravel. Finally, I dotted the underwater areas with “Girafe” cattails and feather grass. It took the best part of an afternoon and evening to finish the island – very tedious and a lot of “trial and error” – but I think it was worth it. The most difficult part of building the island and the breakwater was finding a way to bring the breakwater ashore. The “Uki” set does not include a specialized piece that merges the breakwater with the shore line. Apparently he thought offshore breakwaters were sufficient and there was no need to attach them to land. The “Uki” pieces are placed at sea level – no higher, and no lower. If you try to bring it ashore on a raised land area – it jumps up and towers over the other breakwater pieces out in the ocean. So the secret is to lower the land below sea level (like digging a small trench) where it comes ashore – while matching the height of the offshore breakwater pieces. Then you can cover the “watery ditch” with large rocks, small stones, and overhanging trees that will cover up the “join area”. It’s not a perfect solution to the visual problem – things always look different when you change camera angles – but it was the best I could do. The rocks and stones are by either “PEG” or “NBVC” – I think – I could be wrong about that. One last view of the island. This is the armored cruiser SMS Yorck (not to be confused with the later battlecruiser class). You will notice there is a “change-of-command” ceremony in progress on the forecastle deck. You will also notice the boat boom and small boats deployed on the port quarter. The boom and boats were lotted as a stand-alone lot designed to be plopped alongside any warship you like. Model by AP. (Complete details on the armored cruiser can be found in Chapter 06.) The armored cruisers SMS Prinz Adalbert and Friedrich Carl. (For full details on the armored cruisers – see Chapter 05.) This beautifully rendered model of SMS Furst Bismarck is being nudged into the berth by two tugs – Nordwind on the left – and the more modern Passat on the right. All three are the meticulous work of @AP. (Details on Furst Bismarck are in Chapter 03.) SMS Hertha and Hansa, both painted in “foreign station” livery. The two protected cruisers spent most of their service life on the China Station. You will note Hansa is lowering a manned cutter over the side, while a small dinghy is unloading boxes of supplies up forward. Cruisers by “AP”. (Details can be found in Chapter 02.) Another view of the protected cruisers. NEXT TIME…… CUXHAVEN: THE PHOTO TOUR 07 MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication. If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496-
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Laid down in 1912 for the Imperial Russian Navy, the Borodino Class battlecruisers would have been contemporaries of the Ersatz Yorck Class. At 32,500 tons, with twelve 14-inch guns, the Borodino’s were slower and considerably less well armored than the German ships, but could have been formidable opponents. Borodino (seen here on the builder’s slip) was eventually launched, but the October Revolution of 1917 put an end to her construction, and she was finally scrapped in 1931. IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 43: THE PIPE DREAMS “Pipe Dream”…...“A fantastic notion or vain hope”. In the early 20th Century, it was often said such fanciful dreams were “born in the bowl of an Opium pipe”. GROSSE KREUZER - 1915 Three weeks after the keel was laid for SMS Mackensen, and the details had been settled for her three sister-ships, the topic of discussion turned to the remaining three ships in the class. These ships were to be named Ersatz Yorck, Ersatz Gneisenau, and Ersatz Scharnhorst, and the contracts were awarded to Germania Werft Kiel and Blohm & Voss Hamburg, in April 1914. The contract for Ersatz Yorck was awarded to AG Vulcan Werft Hamburg, and her keel was laid in July 1915. With the war nearly a year old, there was remarkably little haggling about the cost. The three ships would be authorized under the “replacement clause” of the Naval Law, to cover armored cruisers already lost in combat. The money would come from the “Wartime Extraordinary” budget. And work moved along, wartime priorities notwithstanding. On 17 March 1916, Admiral Eduard von Capelle replaced Grossadmiral Tirpitz as Secretary Of State for the Navy. In the blink of an eye, some twenty years of continuity in thought and policy was wiped away. The old admiral had dominated and directed every aspect of the Imperial Navy -- and he brooked no opposition. Now everything seemed open for discussion, and the old departmental debates returned with renewed vigor. The Construction Department stood firmly against merging the Grosse Kreuzer with a battleship, unless technological advances could be made in all weight groups – and the Kaiser’s desire for 15-inch guns would involve a considerable increase in displacement. At a 19 April 1916 meeting, Construction presented three new designs for the Grosse Kreuzer – GK-1, GK-2, and GK-3 – all mounting 15-inch rifles and varying in displacement between 34,000 and 38,000 tons. Much of the increased tonnage went to speed – larger and more powerful engines and increased length for boilers – adding as much as 2 knots more than the Mackensen design. The oil-fired boilers were increased to 12, but von Capelle wanted to retain the coal-fired boilers and their protective coal bunkers to offset retaining Mackensen’s armor suite. The new State Secretary agreed to dismiss the draft limitations placed on previous designs because of the shallow channels along the German coast. This had not been of great concern as long as ship displacement did not exceed 31,000 tons, but the new design proposals were another matter. (Anything deeper than a 32-foot draft would require expensive and time-consuming dredging of harbors and deep-water channels.) The Flottenchef, Vizeadmiral Scheer, favored design GK-2, which was, of course, the largest and fastest design at 29.5 knots. Konteradmiral Hebbinghaus (General Navy Department) was of the opinion the two types of warship could not be merged under the existing Navy Laws – although the development of the two types should be given a certain degree of leeway. Secretary von Capelle (who had written the Naval Laws) pointed out...”We can no longer afford the luxury of two highly developed types.” This is the problem von Tirpitz had tried so long to avoid – fearing the Naval Laws would have to be redrafted. The laws had been designed to benefit the Navy on every possible point – but redrafting might give the Reichstag the opportunity to decrease the number of ships – in view of the ever-increasing costs. Konteradmiral Hebbinghaus, in effect, wanted to “have his cake – and eat it, too”. He wanted to develop the battlecruisers to work as fast-battleships – while developing the battleships into fast-battleships – and maintain the fiction that the two types were separate. He argued the Mackensen Class should not be built, criticizing them on the grounds they were a pre-war design and incorporated no experience gained in the first year of combat – therefore – they would be obsolete at launch. Admiral von Capelle then suggested all work on Ersatz Yorck, Ersatz Gneisenau, Ersatz Scharnhorst, and even Furst Bismarck should cease – and design GK-6 should be pursued. GK-6 mounted eight 15-inch guns and displaced 36,500 tons with a speed of 28 knots. Admiral Scheer then criticized this design as sacrificing speed for armor. Whereupon, the meeting broke up. In the 24 August 1915 meeting, State Secretary Capelle reconfirmed the seven ships would be built to the Mackensen design after all. Vizeadmiral Schrader (Director of Construction) justified this to avoid construction delays and unnecessary cost increases. Schrader stipulated Mackensen’s speed was equal to the latest British battlecruisers – and the main armament, torpedo armament, armor suite, and underwater protection were considered superior in all respects. He was convinced the seven Mackensen’s would...”undoubtedly represent a valuable addition to the fleet in 1919”. Later in the month the subject of changing the design of the last three ships was raised yet again. It seems the US Navy had sent unofficial observers to Britain, and based on everything they could discover, the United States had now decided to build their own battlecruisers. The new information merely confirmed the train of thought – it would be unwise to risk naval funding at this point by trying to introduce a “merged” ship-type. It was also decided to change the composition and number of ships in the fleet “building goals”. Instead of 41 battleships and 20 Grosse Kreuzer – a more reasonable and attainable number was fixed at 25 battleships and 15 battlecruisers. In mid-June 1916, the design guidelines and type decisions for the immediate future were given to Vizeadmiral Scheer for comments and suggestions – in view of his recent engagement at Jutland. Scheer, of course, with a fleet of 11-inch and 12-inch-gunned warships, expressed the extreme need for heavier guns and faster hulls. On 31 October 1916, Konteradmiral Hebbinghaus provided new intelligence material and called for a review of the main armament on the “Ersatz Yorck” ships. A report had just come in from England indicating the most recent British battlecruisers – HMS Renown and Repulse would mount 15-inch guns. The same old pattern was repeating itself. Tirpitz had embraced the “D-48” design because of the British 15-inch guns on the Queen Elizabeth and Revenge Class battleships. Then an erroneous intelligence report convinced everyone the British would mount nothing heavier than 14-inch guns – so Tirpitz went off the bigger gun. But now that the British were going to 15-inch guns on a battlecruiser – the subject was once more open to discussion. Rumors were also circulating about the US Navy – they were developing a 16-inch gun. By this time the completion date of the Mackensen Class had been pushed back to 1920 – to accommodate the urgent needs of U-Boat construction. Extending their time frame yet again meant they would have to be “improved” to maintain some sort of parity with the English and Americans. Hebbinghaus now recommended rearming the Mackensen’s with 15 inch guns and – due to increasing construction difficulties – simply canceling the Erstaz York ships. Unfortunately, rearming the Mackensen’s would involve financial problems and a considerable delay while the plans were redrawn. Abruptly canceling the contracts for the Ersatz Yorck Class would also entail legal consequences. The only option was to modify the Ersatz Yorck design to carry 15-inch guns. The barbettes for the 14-inch rifles would only require a slight enlargement to carry the larger gun. But, strangely enough, Vizeadmiral Schrader spoke against the plan – convinced the Royal Navy would not go to the larger caliber. (The reasoning behind this naive belief was never made clear, and was never taken seriously.) In the end, the Construction Department worked for months to redesign the last three cruisers of the Mackensen Class to take eight 15-inch rifles (Mackensen, herself, was too far along). But the complicated sequence of capital ship construction proved resistant to change. Materials had already been assembled for the four ships, and the construction was simply too far along to adapt to a new design that easily. The Mackensen Class would remain as originally designed. ERSATZ YORCK CLASS BATTLECRUISERS Ersatz Yorck Class Ersatz Yorck – Ersatz Gneisenau – Ersatz Scharnhorst 33,500 tons – 747 feet in length – 27.25 knots – 8x15-inch guns – 12x5.9-inch guns – 8x3.1-inch guns – 3x28-inch torpedo tubes – Belt armor 11.75 inches – Crew compliment: 47 officers and 1,180 enlisted men. Ersatz Yorck’s construction had already begun, and materials for all three ships had also been ordered. But work was halted while the new designs were again altered. Redesigning the hull was inevitable because the 15-inch guns would require slightly larger barbettes, and a marginal increase in length to accommodate more storage space in the magazines. The architects made every effort to preserve her basic size and appearance in order to use the stockpiled materials – and especially the armor plate that had already been contracted for. (Forging, bending, and punching hundreds of thick steel plates was not an easy job, and sudden and extensive requests for change would not sit well with Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach – a close friend of His Majesty, the Kaiser.) Vizeadmiral Scheer’s request for higher speed, bigger guns, and more armor would have to wait – all he got was the bigger guns. The armor suite remained largely as it was in the Mackensen Class and the larger gun caliber cost Ersatz Yorck a half a knot in speed. In the final design configuration Ersatz Yorck was to displace 33,500 tons – the 15-inch rifles and turrets requiring nearly 1,000 tons per gunhouse. The new cruiser would be 747 feet in length with a beam of 99 feet-6 inches and a draft of 30 feet-6 inches. The ratios and clean lines of the hull remained approximately the same as Mackensen -- largely because Ersatz Yorck’s midships bottom had already been assembled on the slipway. The torpedo armament was reduced to three tubes – one bow and one on either broadside – now located abaft the boiler rooms and protected by the anti-torpedo bulkhead. Surviving documents indicate the location was chosen to provide more room to handle yet another new torpedo – the J-9 Type – 28 inches in diameter and some 9 meters long, with fifteen reloads. The boiler plant was the same as in Mackensen, with the same arrangement of steam turbines and reduction gearing providing a speed of 27.25 knots. The Fottinger Hydrodynamic Transmission was slated to be used as well. Operational radius was calculated at 6,000 miles at a cruising speed of 14 knots. Unlike the Mackensen Class, the boiler rooms in Ersatz Yorck were not separated by other compartments and were moved forward “en masse” allowing all of them to be trunked into a single funnel. Though less handsome, the single funnel arrangement allowed better spacing between the conning tower, tripod mast, and forward searchlight bridge, which provided a better field of vision from the conning tower – and funnel smoke was less apt to trouble the bridge. Cost estimates at the various stages of design had varied widely, but the final design – with all the changes and wartime inflation figured in – were expected to cost 75 million Marks apiece. (A cost that would undoubtedly have thrown Admiral von Tirpitz into cardiac-arrest!) Ersatz Yorck’s main battery consisted of eight 15-inch rifles mounted in four twin turrets. The SK L/45 38cm gun tube weighed-in around 89 tons and at +28 degrees elevation was capable of hurling a 1,653 lb projectile out to 34,000 yards at the rate of 2.5 shells per minute. The gun fired both high-explosive and capped armor-piercing shells. The main battery gunhouses were the Drh L/C 1916 model, very similar in design to the Mackensen Class turrets – only a bit more robust in the trunnion cradles to handle the greater weight and recoil stresses. In the Ersatz Yorck Class, the secondary battery was the standard SK L/45 (QF) 5.9-inch gun -- reduced from fourteen guns in Mackensen, to just twelve. The anti-aircraft battery was the same as in Mackensen. In most other respects, SMS Ersatz Yorck was to be constructed with the same materials and methods used in SMS Hindenburg – the template for her design. I refer you to Chapter 41 for the most modern innovations prior to the Ersatz Yorck design. CONSTRUCTION The builder’s contract was awarded to the AG Vulcan yards in Hamburg, and was signed on 10 April 1915 – some nine months into the war. The Vulcan yards had already assembled the construction materials and immediately began the prefabrication work. The process encountered several delays, and at least one temporary halt to re-examine the design -- but the ship’s keel was eventually laid in July 1915. In time, the midships portion of the hull bottom was assembled on the slip – but no more than that. Much like the Mackensen Class, Ersatz Yorck’s complicated and specialized materials placed such demands on the strategic supply chain that construction was suspended – and then canceled in 1917 – with the hull requiring 26 months of work before launch. Ersatz Yorck never did slide into the water that was her natural environment -- and was eventually broken up on the slipway. The keels were never laid for Ersatz Gneisenau and Ersatz Scharnhorst. Also canceled in 1917, their diesel dynamos were used in the construction of much more useful U-Boats, and the remainder of their assembled materials were used wherever possible, or simply scrapped. The ships of the Ersatz Yorck Class were the “last gasp” of a dying Empire. The metal bones of the “behemoths” would considerably out-live the Monarchy that bore them. The abandoned keel plates would gather rust on the builder’s slip -- timber balks would twist and warp in the weather -- and strangely shaped metal fabrications would be shoved out of the way to make room for U-Boats. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that the “last” was the “best”, and they never came to life. Their armor was superior to the British battlecruisers – and their 15-inch guns were arguably as good. Though they were slower than HMS Renown and Repulse, it should be remembered that speed had not figured prominently at Jutland. Hipper’s Panzerkreuzer had not fought at full speed during most of the battle, and Beatty’s desire to engage meant he had to match their speed – not exceed it. The German armor suite, matched with powerful 15-inch guns, could have been decisive. HMS Renown as she would have looked – circa 1920. In yet another ironic twist, the Ersatz Yorck Class were designed as a counter to the 15-inch guns of HMS Renown and Repulse. Within days of finishing their sea trials the British battlecruisers were ordered to Scapa Flow for gunnery exercises. As the two ships steamed into Scapa Bay and moored to their buoys, they looked sleek and powerful – at first. Admiral Jellicoe watched in horror through his binoculars…… “...the two White Elephants displayed two rows of scuttles (portholes) the length of their hull...for all the world to see they had only a thin strip of armor at the waterline…” It is quite true Admiral Jackie Fisher was “midwife” to the battlecruiser – what is not generally acknowledged is that he was also their “undertaker”. Fisher had an absolute obsession for speed – almost a fetish. While German designers added armor to their Panzerkreuzer – Fisher built them bigger and faster, without adding armor. Eight years after HMS Invincible was launched, the Renown Class carried the same armor scheme. He believed “speed equaled armor”. If the ship was fast enough – it could run away from big guns – “armor was not needed”. The British paid dearly for Fisher’s failure of judgment -- in ships and men lost at Jutland. If Jellicoe was not already horrified enough, HMS Renown’s hull was strained during gunnery practice – popped rivets, warped frames, and buckled decks and hull plates. The ships were too “lightly” built, and could not withstand the firing shock of their own guns. Renown and Repulse spent so much time being strengthened and repaired, the British “tars” nicknamed them “Refit & Repair”. The German designers were concerned about the 15-inch guns -- but in reality, the British battlecruisers had only 6 inches of main belt armor and could easily have been handled by SMS Seydlitz or Derfflinger. POST SCRIPT The story never ends with the last word – there is always more – and the story of the German battlecruisers is no exception. The Imperial German battlecruisers ended when the Kaiserliche Marine ended – but the end of the Kaiserliche Marine was merely the beginning of the Reichsmarine. The Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic struggled through the years after The Great War, strangled by lack of funds and high national inflation, while always burdened with the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty. But the German Navy was determined to survive and carry on their traditions – always looking ahead to better days. An enormous amount of design work had been done following the Ersatz Yorck Class. In 1917 and 1918 alone, the Imperial Construction Department turned out at least 18 design studies. But with the war going badly, everyone knew they were no more than “pipe dreams”. With the fall of the Monarchy and rise of the Republic, a chaotic political period ensued and records were lost or intermingled. During the succeeding Weimar Republic, the Treaty of Versailles prevented any new construction – except to replace ships if they were lost or reached “retirement age” at 20 years. (Four of the old pre-dreadnoughts survived some 30 years – and into WW II – with Schleswig-Holstein firing the opening shots of that war.) During the 15 years of the Republic, as many as six studies a year were carried out – but mostly to keep the design staff trained and to appraise modern developments in foreign navies. But the studies were dutifully filed away in the belief the political situation, and the national finances, would one day be stable enough to make use of them. Deutschland Class Panzerschiffe Deutschland -- Admiral Scheer – Admiral Graf Spee Displacement: 10,600 tons – Length 610 feet – Speed 28 knots – 6x11-inch guns – 8x5.9-inch guns – 3x3.5-inch AA guns – 8x21-inch torpedo tubes (deck mountings, fantail) – Complement: 33 officers, 586 enlisted – Operating Radius: 12,000 miles at 20 knots. The first ship built under treaty limitations was the Panzerschiffe (armored ship) RM Deutschland, built for the Reichsmarine, and commissioned in 1933. She was followed by two sister-ships -- Admiral Scheer in 1934 – and Admiral Graf Spee in 1936. The Versailles Treaty specified any new construction could be no more than 10,000 tons – thereby, effectively preventing Germany from building large capital ships capable of threatening Britain or France. When Deutschland was commissioned, she startled both the Royal Navy and the British Press with her battery of six 11-inch guns on a 10,000 ton displacement – and the British newspapers immediately dubbed her a “pocket-battleship”. (Ten thousand tons would become the standard Allied displacement for the WW II era “heavy cruiser”.) The German designers had set out to see just how much “battleship” they could pack into a 10,000 ton hull, and her modern diesel engines gave her “battlecruiser speed” with an extended operational radius. She was, in fact, an ideal commerce raider – the thing the British feared most. The design was, actually, far more effective than historians have admitted – probably because Graf Spee’s Kapitan handled her poorly off the River Plate in 1939. In 1933, the Weimar Republic all but ceased to exist when the tottering government of President Paul von Hindenburg passed into the control of a new set of actors. But – regardless of politics – the spirit of the Imperial Navy lived on. When the political climate and available finances finally came together, the opportunity to build a descent warship was taken up with enthusiasm. In early 1934 the old plans and specifications for “D-47” and the Mackensen and Erstaz Yorck Classes were pulled out of the files to form the basis of a new capital ship design. Updated with the latest maritime technology and incorporating modern weapons systems and naval practices – the last of the German battlecruisers was born. Scharnhorst Class Battlecruiser (Schlachtkreuzer) KM Scharnhorst – Commissioned: 1939 KM Gneisenau – Commissioned: 1936 Displacement: 32,100 tons – 771 feet in length – 31 knots – 9x11-inch guns – 12x5.9-inch guns – 14x4.1-inch AA guns – 10x20mm AA guns – 6x21-inch torpedo tubes (deck mounted amidships, either beam) 3 Arado Ar-196A-3 float planes – belt armor 13.8 inches. First, let me say there is some debate among analysts and historians about the classification of these ships. They were the first post-WW I ships to be officially classed as battleships by the Kriegsmarine. “Janes Fighting Ships: 1940” lists them as battleships. And the US Navy of that time considered them battleships. The Royal Navy considered them battlecruisers, but changed the classification to battleships AFTER World War II. The noted researcher and author Siegfried Breyer also classified these ships as battleships. However – Herr Breyer is careful to trace their lineage through the battlecruiser “tree” all the way back to SMS Von der Tann. All Imperial Panzerkreuzer were built as fast-battleships – but the battlecruiser classification is accepted without argument. In the final analysis, the only real difference between SMS Hindenburg and KM Scharnhorst – is about 20 years. And to anyone who has ever owned a horse, the “blood-line” is all-important. Battlecruisers sired KM Scharnhorst – and a battlecruiser she shall remain. Two views of Scharnhorst taking on main battery ammunition. Constructed between 1935 and 1939, these were powerful ships – but not as powerful as they could have been. Germany was actively seeking to get out from under the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty and had only recently signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 with the British. The new treaty still had many restrictions intended to keep German rearmament within limits. Consequently, the Government in Berlin did not wish to cause alarm in Britain by appearing to engage in yet another naval arms race. This existing political situation (as well as a shaky German economy) effected several design elements of the Scharnhorst Class. The new ships were designed with a tonnage no higher than the previous Imperial battlecruisers, and the main guns were the old reliable 11-inch rifles – fearing a bigger ship with 15-inch guns might set off alarm bells in London. As built, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were thought of by the British as...“fast but under-gunned...and better suited to convoy raiding”. But the Naval High Command made sure the British never received a vital piece of information. The barbettes and turret machinery in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had been built big enough and strong enough to accommodate twin gun houses with 15 inch rifles – the same arrangement designed for Ersatz Yorck – but with modern and more powerful rifles. Unfortunately, WW II broke out within months of commissioning, and they never found an appropriate time to install the bigger guns. Model courtesy of "Barroco Hispano" Two views of KM Gneisenau as she would have appeared with the new gun houses and rifles. The commissioning of KM Scharnhorst in 1939 was the last chapter in the story of the German battlecruiser. The Kaiserliche Marine had seen the “heyday” of the ships, while WW II saw the sad end. A year after Scharnhorst was commissioned, the British would attack the Italian battle fleet in Taranto harbor with Swordfish torpedo planes from an aircraft carrier. A year later, the Japanese would bomb Pearl Harbor, as well as sinking HMS Repulse and Prince Of Wales in the South China Sea – the last instance was with land-based aircraft. No longer would events be decided by long, lumbering lines of battleships, battlecruisers, and thundering guns. Now the long lines would simply present the perfect target for massed squadrons of torpedo planes and dive bombers. Though battleships proved useful throughout WW II, the dreadnoughts were no longer the “Queen of the Seas”. Britain retired HMS Vanguard in 1960, and the four battleships of the USS Iowa Class were retired between 1990 and 1992. Having fought in WW II, Korea, Viet NAM, Lebanon, the Persian Gulf, and the 1991 Gulf War, the citizens of a grateful nation preserved them as museum ships. “Big Mo” (USS Missouri) entering Pearl Harbor to be berthed on “Battleship Row” ahead of the USS Arizona Memorial – 22 June 1998. It is only fitting the two ships be anchored together – World War II started on one -- and ended on the other. (USS Arizona is still in commission – her name will never be stricken from the United States Naval Register.) Long before KM Scharnhorst’s hull slipped into the waters of Wilhelmshaven’s Inner Basin, the battlecruiser had fallen out of favor. The face of naval warfare – indeed, the whole world – had been transformed by the all-encompassing ruin of The Great War. An entire generation of young men had been slaughtered in Flander’s fields, the Italian Alps, the Steppes of Russia, and on the craggy cliffs of Gallipoli. Along with millions upon millions of broken lives, three great Monarchies had been swept away by the whirlwind -- and the political face of Europe was changed forever. There would be no return to the lazy, carefree summer of 1914 when the Edwardian Era marched off to war. The surviving “Great Powers” of Europe – “the winners” – were broken and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The occupied portions of France had been brutally devastated and fought over through four long years – her industrial areas of the north all but destroyed. Britain now faced a serious shortage of manpower – most of it buried in Belgium and northern France. And her finances were in ruins. The British had built the mightiest battle fleet the world had ever seen. She spent nearly a billion Pounds on battleships and battlecruisers alone – mostly borrowed from America – and with Peace, the bills came due. By the time HMS Hood was launched in 1920, the Royal Navy had already begun to lay-up or scrap the older dreadnoughts to reduce operating costs. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 had been agreed upon by all the major naval powers with a great sigh of relief. It seemed the only way they could reduce the size of their ponderous and hugely expensive battle fleets. HMS Hood was altered on the builder’s slip to incorporate the lessons of Jutland, and though classified as a battlecruiser, it was clearly understood she had been finished as the most modern fast-battleship afloat. All the naval powers arrived at the conclusion they could no longer afford to build both battlecruisers and battleships – so the ship types were finally merged and a new era of naval design came into being. As the precursor of the fast-battleship, the Imperial Panzerkreuzer had established the pattern with their speed and magnificent armor suite. And, in the process, the Kaiserliche Marine designed some of the most powerful – and certainly the most handsome warships ever built. They were admired and respected in their day, and have become “Legendary” over the past century. They will always be pictured in the mind with great clouds of billowing smoke trailing away as their sharp bows slice through the waves. Their low-lying profile charges ahead, throwing spray as high as the bridge before it settles to the deck and trickles off the massive, squat shapes of the menacing gun turrets. And in your mind, you can imagine the old “Bavarian buccaneer” smiling on Seydlitz’ bridge – confident in his ships and the men who sail them. An artist’s rendition of SMS Hindenburg as she might have looked at sea in 1917. SIDE BAR Since the Ersatz Yorck Class ships were never built, we do not have the benefit of historical photographs. The only known visual representation of the ships are a few plan drawings that miraculously survived the trauma of two World Wars and still exist in the BundesArchive. These drawings alone made it possible to arrive at the basic size and layout of the battlecruisers. These ships were designed in the same time frame as the battlecruiser Hindenburg and the battleship Baden. In order to fill in details that were not obvious from the 2-D drawings, it was only necessary to look back at the previous designs. @AP has generously provided us with a magnificent scratch-built 3-D model presenting SMS Ersatz Yorck in vivid detail – never before seen, to my knowledge – anywhere. I have waited to see this warship in a “physical representation” for most of my life – and it has truly been a pleasure to work with this superb model. I have provided a variety of photos – and hope you enjoy them as well. (BELOW) Four views of SMS Ersatz Yorck nested inboard of Ersatz Gneisenau. The collier SS Erlangen is preparing to transfer “bagged” coal aboard Gneisenau. The breakwater is by “Uki” and the mooring points are courtesy of “Mattb325”, modified for use in the CJ. Top right of the picture is an Invincible Class battlecruiser by @Barroco Hispano, Everything else in the picture is the impeccable work of “AP”. The decks are largely “clutter-free” with the superstructure concentrated amidships between the main battery turrets. With careful examination, you will see the massive 15-inch gun turrets – dominating the silhouette of the warship – have clear and extremely wide firing arcs. Here you see the long, streamlined shape of the hull, which would have contributed to SMS Ersatz Yorck’s high speed. It is also evident from her wide beam and low profile that she was designed to be a stable gun platform, even in high sea states. BELOW are four views of SMS Ersatz Yorck moored at the repair docks with a machinists barge tied-up alongside. They are making adjusts to her turbine machinery. The docks are modified from the “PEG SNM Naval Series” with a wide variety of props from various sources. The workshops atop the barge are from the “NOB 1905 Naval Series. The steam tug Goliath, alongside the barge, is by Barroco Hispano. The battlecruiser, both barges, small boat, barge crane and towing tug, and dockside cranes are all courtesy of “AP”. This is a close-up detail shot of Ersatz Yorck. Most Imperial warships were low-freeboard compared to the high-sided capital ships of the British. This tended to make them “wet” at high speeds or in rough weather but, more importantly, it made them a smaller target in battle. German designers took this concept a step further by shrinking the above deck superstructure into the smallest possible space. The “upper works” on Ersatz Yorck have been reduced to the bare essentials, with as little height as possible, and occupy only 22% of the ship’s overall length. The result is a remarkably small target silhouette, while significantly reducing the unarmored portions of the ship. The single funnel is a notable innovation in design over previous multi-funnel ships. Fewer funnels reduces the overall superstructure area and largely remove the “blind spot” behind the bridge. The sloping base of the funnel is a 5.9-inch armored shield protecting the boiler uptakes and trunking. Note the individual 3.5-inch guns on the upper deck beside the forward bridge, and on the main deck beside “D” turret. More on them coming up. BELOW are four images – depicting what a Battlecruiser Division (4 ships) might have looked like had they ever been completed. The four Erstaz Yorck’s are moored in Schillig Roads as a “reaction force” should British light forces appear in the German Bight. Ersatz Scharnhorst (left) is taking on supplies and fresh provisions from two tugs, with a third tug standing by with more provisions. Ersatz Gneisenau (right) is taking on ship’s stores and coal, with another coal tow standing by. The flagship, inboard of her is Ersatz Yorck, with a motor launch waiting in case the Konteradmiral commanding is required in Wilhelmshaven. (BELOW) Four views of SMS Ersatz Yorck coaling ship. Note the green channel marker buoys inshore marking the limits of the dredged channel. The steam tug Goliath is courtesy of “Barroco Hispano”, while the battlecruiser, motor launch, coal lighters, paddle tug, small boat, and channel buoys are by “AP”. This is a “snap-shot” from “AP’s” modeling program of the German 3.5-inch SK-L/45 Schneklladekanone (quick-firing gun). These guns were originally carried as anti-torpedo boat armament on all capital ships, but were phased out after combat experience in 1914 proved them incapable of causing serious injury to modern torpedo boats and destroyers. With the emergence of aircraft as a weapon of war, Krupp developed a high-angle mounting for the gun with a protective shield. (The mounting was an MPL-CC/13 type.) These weapons were first installed on SMS Derfflinger and would eventually be retro-fitted to all German warships. SMS Ersatz Yorck was equipped with eight guns – four grouped on either side of the forward bridge structure, and four grouped on either side of “D” turret. You might think this to be a small number of guns, but it was more than adequate to “see off” the fragile aircraft of that time. I included this picture as an example of the extreme level of detail included in “AP’s” modeling. Until you have examined his work at length, you cannot imagine the amount of detail and degree of authenticity he brings to his craft. His models never fail to impress and amaze, and are nothing short of magnificent works of art. NEXT TIME…… IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous models, colorful imagination, and extreme dedication. If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496
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Chapter 21: Grosse Kreuzer J - 1910
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
A beautiful painting of SMS Seydlitz lying at anchor in Schillig Roads on a foggy morning early in 1917. Note the new “Carley Floats” mounted on the main battery turrets. As an item of interest, the stern anchor pictured weighs approximately 8 tons. IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 21: GROSSE KREUZER “J” - 1910 SMS Seydlitz – circa 1913 – lying moored to a buoy in the Kieler Hafen. Seydlitz had supremely graceful lines while presenting a low profile with a squat and powerful appearance. Three months after SMS Moltke’s keel was laid, the preliminary discussions about “Grosse Kreuzer J – 1910” were already beginning. In keeping with their policy of improving each new warship, Korvettenkapitan Vollerthun of the General Navy Department sent a memorandum to State Secretary von Tirpitz on 8 March 1909. The topic was the Grosse Kreuzer’s development in comparison to navies of other nations…… “The development of our grossen kreuzer since 1907 has been inspired by the English Invincible Class, but we have increasingly pursued the qualities of a fast battleship. It has been our intention to make the authorized number of large ships, as far as possible, capable of also fighting in the battle line. This approach has given our grossen Kreuzer a different character than the English, and has brought their displacement to that of the battleships. The English pattern has heavy artillery (12-inch guns) and extreme speed (allegedly 26.5 to 27 knots), but it is bought at the expense of armor (belt only 6 inches) – and, therefore, is of limited suitability for the battle line. Against an enemy with heavy artillery, this type of ship is severely compromised – even at long ranges. In effect, the English ‘Battleship-Cruisers’ stand against our ‘Cruiser-Battleships”. In those very few words, Vollerthun had accurately defined the Anglo-German Arms race and the battlecruisers it produced. He went on to say…… “Future grossen kreuzer should continue to be patterned after contemporary battleship development in regard to combat power. The superiority in speed, necessary to maintain the character of cruisers, has to be bought (compliant with the Naval laws) with a modest sacrifice in combat power – or by an increase in displacement above that of the battleship. Speed must also be maintained with an advantage of 3.5 to 4 knots over the battleship.” Since 1909, contemporary battleships in both Britain and Germany had made a further jump in armament and displacement, and it was recommended the new Grossen Kreuzer do likewise. The five 11-inch gun turrets should be replaced with four 12-inch gun turrets – though Vollerthun hedged the point by saying the 11-inch gun was still sufficient to penetrate the armor of foreign navies. (Personally – I consider it extraordinarily backward not to increase the gun power. The bigger shell would, of course, deliver more destructive force – and not using it – gave the enemy an advantage.) At a 4 April conference, the Naval Budget Office rejected an increased expenditure for the 1910 cruiser, and von Tirpitz discouraged improvements entailing higher costs. The discussions, somewhat understandably, seemed to cease at that point. Cost – more than any other factor – would be the driving element in the design of “Grosse Kreuzer J”. By 1909, Imperial Germany was just beginning to feel the financial strain of supporting a world-class army while creating a first-class navy. Tsarist Russia had the largest army in Europe, while Germany diligently maintained a slight edge in troop strength over the French. But the “Kaiserliche Heer” was, without doubt, the best trained and finest equipped army in all of Europe – and that cost a lot of money. With the emergence of Admiral von Tirpitz, warship construction assumed an importance never before experienced – at an unheard of cost. Around five years later, the “dreadnought” battleship appeared and costs became astronomical. Germany’s last pre-dreadnought battleship (SMS Deutschland) had cost in the neighborhood of 5 million Marks in 1903 (the entire class of five ships cost about 26 million Marks). By 1909, the cost of a single Moltke Class battlecruiser was in excess of 44 million Marks – roughly nine times that of a single pre-dreadnought. And there was also the operating costs to be considered. By 1912, the annual expense of daily operation and maintenance of a dreadnought was roughly 2 million Marks per ship. As discussed in Chapter 1, “national wealth” had its limits – and excessive taxation could cause financial collapse. In August 1909, the Construction Department raised the issue of deadlines that had to be met in preparing documents, and for Krupp to be able to deliver the gun turrets on schedule. Discussions began again, but Chancellor von Bulow had been replaced by an even more frugal von Bethman-Hollweg, so no budget increase would be allowed. By 23 September, several designs had been produced – almost all with a cost increase over the Moltke Class of 750,000 to one million Marks. Consequently talks were started with Blohm & Voss to see if construction discounts could be obtained on the hull and engines. Both Krupp Armaments and Dillingen-Hutte Fabrik were also brought into discussions to possibly obtain discounts. (Krupp provided the naval rifles and face-hardened exterior armor belts, while Dillingen-Hutte produced the hull plates, girders, interior deck plates, and non-face-hardened armored areas.) At this point, the design studies had been whittled down to just two choices – Study IIc, which was an improved version of SMS Goeben – and Study IVe, with five twin turrets on the centreline (two superfiring forward, two superfiring aft, and one amidships). Design IVe was favored both structurally and tactically by several bureau chiefs. On 21 December 1909, Admiral von Tirpitz convened yet another meeting. He opened by reassuring the Budget Office that a one million Mark increase was acceptable to the Reichstag. Whereupon, their representative urged the State Secretary to make a decision quickly so advantage could be taken of favorable negotiations with Blohm & Voss. Early on in the lengthy meeting, any discussion of design IVe was shelved. Von Tirpitz was opposed to the superfiring turrets forward (he had not liked the superfiring stern turrets on Moltke and Goeben, either). He felt superfiring turrets were too close together, and risked having two turrets put out of action by a single shell. (Ironically, this would actually come to pass – see Chapter 13 – Seydlitz -- Dogger Bank.) A further discussion was held about going to a three-shaft propeller arrangement to improve ship-handling at lower speeds. But the rudders would have to be redesigned, the aft torpedo tube moved, and the stern reconfigured. When a long delay was mentioned, von Tirpitz rejected that notion. On 7 January 1910, a final meeting was held and design IIc was altered to include a raised forecastle deck, the forward turret barbette was raised by 1.6 meters, main belt armor increased, turret armor increased, boilers increased, and machinery output boosted to a designed 63,000shp to compensate for weight increases. The budget was estimated at 45.83 million Marks, and the Kaiser approved the design concept on 27 January 1910. Detailed design drawings, mechanical pages, final cost estimates, and the finished blueprints were prepared over eight weeks. On 26 March 1910, Kaiser Wilhelm II signed the builder’s order in the Royal Palace, Berlin. His Majesty could not have known at the time, but he had just ordered the construction of one of the toughest and most battle-worthy ships ever built. The Imperial battlecruisers would become, perhaps, the finest dreadnought warships ever built. But “Grosse Kreuzer J” would be the finest of them all. SEYDLITZ CLASS BATTLECRUISER The final design of “Grosse Kreuzer J” as she would have appeared at her commissioning. There are a few details missing from this “plan profile” – notably no ship’s boats or launches which would have been stowed on deck amidships. But the plan gives you an excellent idea of the deck layout, the placement of the turrets, and the wide range of the firing arcs. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS The contract for “Grosse Kreuzer J” was awarded to Blohm & Voss Dockyards, Hamburg, on 2 April 1910, and her keel was laid on 4 February 1911. She would be launched thirteen months later, on 30 March 1912. Thirteen months on the builder’s slip was very good time – even for Blohm & Voss. The main design features of the new cruiser (an “improved” Moltke) were limited somewhat by budgetary constraints but, significantly, returned to the raised forecastle deck formula – incorporating the forward bridge and funnel elements. This feature was thought necessary to keep the fore-ship as “dry” as possible. At 24,988 tons, her displacement was nearly 2,000 tons heavier than Moltke. The new cruiser’s hull was longer, at 656 feet, with a newly tested hull form having finer lines and a slightly reduced beam. The reduction in beam was unusual for German capital ships, and was made possible by a more refined armor scheme. The new hull design also resulted in a nearly vertical-cut stem and the elimination of the ponderous “ram bow”. The hull was constructed of transverse and longitudinal framing, and plated with Siemens-Martin “mild steel” for flexibility and resilience. There were sixteen watertight compartments (one more than in Moltke) on seven deck levels, with a double bottom running 76% of her length. The double bottom and extensive use of internal compartmentalization between the watertight transverse bulkheads contributed significantly to her underwater protection -- slowing flooding and confining it to a smaller area. Bilge keels – or anti-roll keels -- were included in the original design to improve stability, and anti-torpedo nets were a design feature. SMS Seydlitz (“Grosse Kreuzer J”) laying at anchor off a warehousing area. Alongside you can see a steam tug with two lighters full of fresh vegetables ready to be transferred aboard the battlecruiser. This view clearly shows the arrangement of the three different deck levels – the Forecastle Deck – Battery Deck – and the Fantail Deck. All interior decks were steel plated and covered with linoleum, while exterior (“weather”) decks were steel plated with 2.5 inches of teak planking. The “flush deck” design of Moltke was done away with, and a Forecastle Deck was raised by one level. The Forecastle Deck ran aft from the stem, over the Battery Deck, to include the conning tower, forward bridge, and mainmast, then angled gracefully toward the centreline to wrap around the first funnel housing and boiler room air intakes. This compact arrangement (similar to Von der Tann) was designed to reduce the water taken over the bow in heavy weather. The Battery Deck (just below the Forecastle Deck) ran aft and angled into the barbette of superfiring “Caesar” turret. One deck below that, on the fantail, was turret “David”. So the “weather decks” on the new cruiser were on three different levels. This close-up shows the arrangement of the various superstructure elements – the forecastle with “A” turret, bridge, and first funnel housing -- midships gun turrets – the second funnel housing – the aft control structure – and the two superfiring turrets. This also shows the ship’s small boats stowed on deck amidships. The boat derrick abaft the second funnel is seen hoisting out a steam launch across the top of “B” turret. If you examine the ship and crew carefully, you will see many small details and scenes built into this wonderfully detailed model by @AP. The steam tug "gifted" by “WolfZe” – and the two lighters are also “AP’s” work. The deck layout was very similar to Von der Tann -- and especially Moltke. Behind “A” turret was the forward superstructure housing the Navigation Bridge, the forward armored Conning Tower with rangefinder, a Chart Room, the forward pole mast (steel with wooden yards), and the Flag Bridge. The forward funnel was incorporated into the rear of this structure. The funnels on this class were not as large in circumference as Motlke’s, but they were raised an additional ten feet, and a further ten-foot “boot cap” was designed on the forward funnel to keep smoke off the bridge and searchlight areas. Searchlight platforms were attached directly to the funnel casing – one pair facing forward, with single searchlights on either side. Air intakes for the boiler rooms were found at the rear base of the funnel. Like Von der Tann and Moltke, there was another “lozenge-shaped” funnel housing with air intakes and boat derricks located amidships between “B” and “E” wing turrets. The “lozenge” shape was a special design element to improve the main battery firing arcs, and allow cross-deck firing. The aft superstructure block included the secondary conning tower with rangefinder, four searchlights on two platforms stepped against the after mast, and air intakes around the base. Beyond that were two main battery turrets – “C” turret superfiring over “D” turret. The same machinery layout below decks as her predecessors, allowed the funnels and superstructure groups to be placed well clear of the main battery and firing arcs. Wide firing arcs were a critical element in Imperial Navy design, while foreign navies, like the British, crowded their decks with bulky superstructures -- restricting their firing arcs – a noted fault of the Invincible Class battlecruisers. “Grosse Kreuzer J” would ship a crew of 43 officers and 1,025 men. Close-up of the aft superfiring main battery turrets and the aft superstructure block. This shows the newly designed “Drh-L-C/1910” gun houses – a bit lower in profile and slightly broader. Note the rangefinder sighting hood on the top turret, while the roof of the bottom turret is clear to avoid damage from over-blast pressure. Behind “C” turret is the aft armored conning tower and fire control rangefinder, with engine room air intakes built into the housing around it. Here you can see the searchlight platforms stepped against the aft mast. Seydlitz is taking on fresh provisions. The barge crane is shifting them from lighters to the fantail deck where sailors are carrying them below through deck hatches. Some may be destined for an Admiral’s table while some might even be earmarked for the Kapitan. It was accepted practice for an admiral to have his own “chef”, “mess steward’, and store of delicacies. And it was quite common for the (usually) well-to-do Kapitans to have similar arrangements. The ship’s electrical suite was boosted over that of Moltke -- six turbo-generators totaling 1,800kw output at 220 volts. As a precaution against battle damage, the generators were divided between four dynamo rooms – one each to port and starboard of the forward engine room, and two more on the centreline, all on the Upper Platform Deck. The new ship retained Von der Tann’s extensive drainage and pumping system, with three high-capacity centrifugal pumps (two steam driven – one electrical) mounted on the Hold Deck. Several portable, electric “leak” pumps were carried to deal with “hard to reach” areas. In an emergency, the condenser pumps could be connected to the drainage system. Because of the obvious problems with visual communications between ships; ships operating out of sight of one another – bad weather – smoke or haze limiting visibility. In 1907, the Hochseeflotte began installing “wireless” telegraphy transmitters developed by the physicist Heinrich Hertz. They used an encrypted form of “Morse Code” to communicate between ships. By 1909, every ship in the Kaiserliche Marine had its own wireless transmission (WT) office equipped with at least one Telefunken vacuum tube wireless apparatus. The Grosse Kreuzer and other capital ships were equipped with the “standard” two wireless transmitters, three receivers, and as many antennas, and prior to 1914, an additional transmitter/receiver was installed in the forward conning tower. The devices were usually installed in at least three different locations to avoid loss of communication to battle damage. Unfortunately, for proper operation, the wireless antennas could only be strung between the foremast and mainmast – leaving them open to damage by gunfire. The bulk of these early vacuum tube transmitters had a tactical range of between 20 and 30 miles (just over the horizon). For longer range communication or, ship-to-shore traffic, larger sets were installed in the fleet, squadron, and division flagships. These bulky transmitters were capable of sending signals anywhere within the North Sea area – possibly 300 miles – but were, of course, subject to good or bad “atmospherics”. PROPULSION PLANT ”Grosse Kreuzer J” received a completely redesigned propulsion system with more powerful engines and an increase to twenty-seven naval-type Schulz-Thornycroft water-tube boilers. These were custom-built in the Blohm & Voss Boiler Works to a modified design. Six different sizes and shapes of boilers were specifically designed to conform to the ship’s hull contours, and the available space. Specially developed for the Kaiserliche Marine, the boilers were, for the most part, smaller and built of lighter, weight-saving materials. The double-ended, coal-fired boilers could deliver more steam, under higher pressure, and with lower coal consumption than other contemporary designs. They were arranged in five boiler rooms – two ahead of the “B” turret barbette – and three aft. Each of the three aft boiler rooms was divided into three compartments by two longitudinal bulkheads. There were 52 fire boxes, and from 1916, supplemental “oil-firing” was installed. Maximum bunker capacity was 3,460 tons of coal, providing an operating radius of 4,440 miles at 14 knots. “Grosse Kreuzer J” was designed for 63,000shp, to provide 25.5 knots. The boilers fed four sets of Parsons Steam Turbines manufactured at the Blohm & Voss Engine Works. High pressure turbines in the forward engine room worked two outer shafts, while low pressure cruising turbines in the aft engine room worked two inner shafts. There were reversing arrangements on all four shafts. The forward and aft engine rooms were divided along the centreline by a longitudinal bulkhead. Once again, two rudders were fitted, “in tandem”, along the centreline – irrespective of Moltke’s poor handling characteristics at low speeds. During design meetings, the subject of changing the new cruiser’s rudder arrangement had been taken up, but was dismissed due to long delays in redesigning the shape of the ship’s stern. Mostly by default, the “tandem rudder feature” would become standard on battlecruisers. Each rudder was driven by an auxiliary steam steering engine. In the event of damage, both rudders could be coupled to a single engine, or manually operated. Here you see SMS Seydlitz tied up at her berth along the breakwater in Cuxhaven Roadsted. Anchored ahead of her is SMS Moltke. Astern of her is SMS Derfflinger. This would have been the appearance of an average day in the main anchorage – each ship at its assigned berth, going about the every-day business of running a big warship. Warships are rarely, if ever, serene and peaceful – there is always work to be done – a complex piece of machinery to be tended – a thousand mouths to be fed – and a small floating city to be administered. SMS Derfflinger is courtesy of @Barroco Hispanoand the breakwaters are by “Uki”. The mooring points are by @mattb325, modified for use in my harbors. The white steam tug is by “WolfZe” – and EVERYTHING else is the wonderful work of "AP". SHIP’S ARMAMENT MAIN BATTERY “Grosse Kreuzer J” was armed with the same main battery as the preceding Moltke Class battlecruisers -- the Krupp 11-inch SK-L/50 (QF) high-velocity gun. The gun came into service in 1911 with an increased barrel length of 50 calibers – specifically designed to improve the velocity and accuracy of the previous SK-L/45 gun. Like Moltke, the gun houses (turrets) only allowed a +13.5 degree elevation, which limited the range to approximately 19,800 yards. After experiencing the battle ranges at Dogger Bank in 1915, the turrets were modified and the range increased to 20,900 yards. The prevailing poor visibility in the North Sea meant battle ranges varied considerably. On a rainy, hazy day, with blowing squalls – visibility could be intermittent – and only five miles. On better days (there is rarely a “good” day) visibility might vary between eight to ten miles – well within the maximum range of the guns. Mounted in five twin turrets, the guns were well placed: “A” turret (Albert) forward on the forecastle deck – “B” turret (Berta) in the starboard “forward wing” position – the aft superfiring turret “C” (Caesar), and “D” turret (David), aft on the fantail deck, with “E” turret (Emil) in the port “aft wing” position. By carefully positioning the turrets and superstructure, and keeping the “deck clutter” to an absolute minimum, the architects enabled her to “cross-deck fire” with the midships “wing turrets” on a 75 degree firing arc. This is a closer view of Seydlitz. She has a boat boom rigged-out and smaller boats are going and coming. A Thor Class harbor tug has pulled a barge crane alongside to transfer cargo to the battlecruiser. A Helena Class paddle tug has towed three lighters of fresh provisions out from shore and is standing-by to unload. A small cutter from the tug is trying to “hook-on” to the third lighter to work it into position. A small steam tug is passing to port with more fresh provisions, headed for another warship. The white steam tug is from “WolfZe” – the crane on the barge was borrowed from the “PEG” trash lots – and the mooring points are from “Mattb325”. The breakwaters are by “Uki” – but everything else is by "AP" – including the diagonal paddle tug and a lighter to match! Yet another new main battery gun house (turret) design was developed for “Grosse Kreuzer J” to replace the Drh-L-C/1908 (turntable mounting model 1908). The new Drh-L-C/1910 gun house had been designed with several changes in mind. But at the last minute, it was found these changes could not be implemented without major redesign of the ammunition hoists. However, some alterations to the turret roofs were carried out. The turret sighting hood was removed and its telescope was installed in the forward face of the turret, between the two guns, in a manner similar to the gun cradle telescopes. The “Turret Captain’s” hood was retained on top of “A”, “B”, “C”, and “E” turrets – but was removed from “D” turret because that one had “C” turret firing over the top. Each Turret Captain’s hood (or cupola) was equipped with a nine foot Zeiss rangefinder. If the Central Director Fire Control was disabled, the turret could be switched to “local control” and fired using the Zeiss optics. As in Moltke, an apparatus was installed coupling the barrels together for elevation and aiming in “director fire”. The gun houses were electrically trained, with an electrohydraulic elevating system for the gun tubes. The SK-L/50 rifle could fire a 666 lb armor-piercing shell at the rate of 3 rounds per minute. The shell was propelled by a “fore charge” of 58 lbs in a double silk bag – and a main charge of 175 lbs in a brass case. The brass case had two advantages; (1) the Krupp guns used a horizontal “sliding wedge breech”, sealed by the rear rim of the shell casing (an obturator seal) – and (2) “cased” charges were far less likely to burn or explode in an accident. The shells were capable of penetrating 11 inches of nickel-steel at 11,000 yards, and 8 inches at 13,000 yards. The magazines stored a total of 870 rounds. Fire Control “ranging and spotting” was handled from the fore or aft conning towers, whose upper floors housed the Fire Control Party operating Zeiss 12-foot stereoscopic rangefinders mounted on the roof. Other, smaller rangefinders were installed in various locations, and after 1914, a crow’s nest Fire Control position and rangefinder was added to the foremast. The control stations were connected to a Central Gunnery Control situated beneath the protective armored deck. Here, the ship’s Gunnery Officer received data from the remote stations, calculated target information, and issued firing orders to the “Turret Captains” via telephones or electro-mechanical “repeaters”. This view of SMS Seydlitz gives you a really good idea of just how sleek her hull form really was. At 656 feet in length, she was long for her day, and (as was common to German warships) just a bit wider in the beam than some foreign warships. But her hull model was “tank tested” and altered several times to get the optimum shape for high speed. She had powerful engines and “clean” underwater lines that made her faster than her opponents. SECONDARY BATTERY ”Grosse Kreuzer G” followed the now-standard pattern, and carried a strong secondary battery of 5.9-inch guns – the usual SK-L/45 (QF) high velocity weapon. It was an excellent, all-around, complement to the ship’s main battery. The twelve guns were mounted on the Battery Deck, in MPL-C/1906 armored casemates, six amidships on either beam. Like Moltke, the freeboard had been raised on Seydlitz and the Battery Deck guns were dry in all but the worst weather. (See Chapter 17 for specifics on gun performance.) TERTIARY BATTERY Twelve 3.5 inch SK-L/45 (QF) high-velocity guns were provided for torpedo boat defense in the original design. But war experience proved these light guns useless against modern destroyers, and they were gradually removed. In the end, the 5.9-inch guns were more than adequate for the job. (See Chapter 15 for specifics on gun performance.) TORPEDO ARMAMENT As was customary for the time period, all German capital ships carried a torpedo armament. “Grosse Kreuzer J” was fitted with four submerged 20-inch torpedo tubes. They were arranged in the standard pattern -- one fore and aft, and one on each beam. Eleven type G-7 torpedoes were carried. This view of Seydlitz shows the details of the uniquely designed forecastle deck and forward bridge structure. The graceful angles merging into the curves of the hull are classic design elements found in no other era of naval construction. The bridge superstructure, seemingly complicated, is – in fact – minimalist and utilitarian. One unusual feature is the upper “flying bridge” (Sometimes referred to as the Admiral’s bridge.) – extending out from both sides to provide a better view ahead and to make “docking” easier. It is set much higher than the navigation bridge and armored conning tower, and was preferred by both Kapitans and Admirals as a “command” position. Beside “A” turret you can see 11-inch shells, recently brought aboard, being stowed below by a work party. ARMOR “Grosse Kreuzer J” was an “improved” Moltke Class, and in keeping with that theory, her armor suite was laid out in an almost identical manner, but “tweaked” a bit – moving a bit from over here to over there – where it would do more good. And naval Intelligence had determined the British were replacing their 12-inch gun with the new BL 13.5-inch Mark V/45 – a much more powerful weapon. The new battlecruiser would have to be armored to withstand battle damage from these guns – so the three side belts (main, citadel, and battery) were thickened, and Krupp Cemented Armor, face-hardened with nickel-steel, was used in more places than previous designs. In essence, her armor was not only thicker, but harder to penetrate. German designers had to strike a delicate balance between guns, armor, and speed when designing their “Battleship-Cruisers” – as Korvettenkapitan Vollerthun called them. Eventually, they arrived at a very complicated and comprehensive layout compatible with the gun and speed requirements of a fast-battleship. Imperial German capital ships were consistently built with extensive and unusually thick armor suites by comparison to other navies. (I’m only going into the armoring scheme’s important aspects – see Chapters 15 and 17 for extensive details.) The new battlecruiser was armored throughout with Krupp Cemented Armor, face hardened with nickel steel, and backed with 2 inches of Teak to prevent spalling. (Dillingen-Hutte Werk provided the structural steel for construction and hull plating – not for armoring purposes.) The “protective armored deck”, unlike foreign warships, extended from stem to stern. The main belt armor was 11.8 inches of face-hardened nickel steel. The Citadel armor (the next level up) ran from barbette to barbette with 10.5 inches of armor – increasing to 11 inches in the area of the “wing turrets”. The Casemate armor (the final layer reaching the deck level) ran barbette to barbette and was 5.9 inches thick. The main battery turrets were also protected with Krupp Cemented Nickel Steel armor – turret faces 9.2 inches – sides and back 7.3 inches – roof 3.9 inches. The forward conning tower was protected by 12-inch armor -- the aft conning tower had 8 inches. The armor scheme was thicker and better arranged, and was, by itself, an achievement of some merit – but there were other factors to be considered. Another view of the forecastle. You can clearly see the navigation bridge to the rear of “A” turret, with the armored conning tower and rangefinder behind that. This is also a better view of the “flying bridge”. The boat boom, small cutter, and motor launch (by “AP”) were all placed on a stand-alone 1x1 lot plopped adjacent to the battlecruiser. The work party on the Mooring Points (by Mattb325) is preparing to tighten up the slack in the mooring hawsers – they often stretch after mooring (dampness). Note the fine detail on the small boats, motor launch, and the diagonal Helena Class paddle tug (also “AP”). The underwater protection of “Grosse Kreuzer J” was even more extensive than that of the Moltke Class battlecruisers. Sixteen transverse bulkheads divided the ship into seventeen vertical watertight compartments (two more than in Moltke). The protective armored deck (at the waterline) further divided some compartment horizontally – effectively creating twenty-two watertight compartments above and below the waterline. Between the transverse bulkheads -- within each of those “armored, watertight boxes” -- were numerous subdivisions. These were lighter steel bulkheads (in a house, you would call them “walls”) forming individual compartments (rooms) throughout the hull – Damage Control Center, Boatswain’s Store, Sail Locker, Capstan Engine Room, etc, etc. Each compartment could be sealed against flooding with watertight doors. In effect – the interior of the hull was a labyrinth of passageways, small compartments, and watertight doors – a “honeycomb” designed to keep the ship afloat in the event of damage. There were exceptions to the system, usually in the engineering spaces – boiler rooms and engine rooms – where the compartments were large, and often two or three decks in height. But “Grosse Kreuzer J” had well over 85 watertight subdivisions in her design – considerably more than most foreign warships – and she would be able to withstand a great deal of damage before sinking. (See Chapter 13 for difficulty sinking Blucher.) Here are two wider views of Seydlitz taking on stores and fresh provisions. “AP’s” battlecruiser model is highly detailed, Hi-Def, historically accurate, and a thing of beauty. In the second picture you have a clear view of the second funnel. Apparently, Seydlitz has just returned from a sortie into the North Sea, for her second funnel is still painted red. It was customary for German warships to paint their second funnels red upon leaving port -- as a recognition device. The red funnel could be more easily spotted in the dark and hazy North Sea conditions – thus preventing other German ships from exchanging fire with their own side. The white circles on the turret roof are for aerial recognition. German Zeppelins were notorious for mistaking German ships for British – and dropping bombs. Fortunately, they invariably missed. Some designers found watertight transverse bulkheads difficult to work with. In order to be effective, they must be solid, with no openings – or the openings must be sealed with watertight doors capable of withstanding immense water pressure. Warships are packed full of electrical lines, communication lines, water pipes, ventilation systems, and steam pipes -- running, in some cases, from end to end of the ship. It would be impractical to run a drain line from the Hold Deck up a bulkhead to the top, then down the other side, and back to the Hold Deck. Consequently, holes are often cut in bulkheads to run pipes, lines, and ventilation ducts. Anywhere one of these “lines or “pipes” goes through a bulkhead, it must be sealed – and sealed properly. Unfortunately, many dockyard workmen were never sufficiently impressed with the need to seal these openings securely. (This was to prove a curse to many dreadnoughts of the era.) And – it was not uncommon for a ventilation duct to be damaged by an explosion that flooded the compartment – allowing water to get into the duct – and flood a compartment on the other side of the bulkhead. Many possibilities for problems. Consequently, to make things less difficult in the design and construction phase, designers attempted to limit the number of watertight bulkheads they would have to deal with (the usual British solution). Following her predecessors, the new cruiser was given a built-in, armored torpedo bulkhead. (See Chapter 15 for details.) This was still a novel innovation and not at all common in foreign navies. But it was easier to repair a damaged ship than to build a replacement. As always, the ubiquitous coal bunker provided another layer of protection for Imperial warships. Like Von der Tann and the Moltke’s, the new battlecruiser made extensive use of outboard hull spaces as coal bunkers. (See Chapter 17 for specific details.) “Grosse Kreuzer J” was given the full suite of wrap-around coal bunkers. As a simple solution, coal was cheaper than Krupp steel, necessary to power the ship, and could absorb more destructive energy than a thick armor plate. Though other navies used protective coal bunkers, none were as comprehensive as those found on German capital ships. This is a close-up of the offshore replenishment. There are many details in the picture, especially among the sailors at work or in the boats. With the exception of the breakwater, mooring points, and – of course – the sea gulls – everything in the scene is courtesy of “AP”. (Note the gangway on the barge deck – nice touch.) A few of the props on the barge (gray barrels and crates) are from “Historic Harbors” and the crane is re-purposed from the “PEG” Trash lots. And special attention for the two diagonal models – many more to follow. “Grosse Kreuzer J” was, indeed, an improvement over the Moltke Class, but – as with all capital ships -- it was a vastly complicated, technically superior, and carefully conceived engineering marvel. And all of that – for the bargain price (after discounts) of 44.685 million Marks. It was during the First World War that German capital ships earned a reputation for being lethal in combat and almost impossible to sink – and “Grosse Kreuzer J” would be largely responsible for that reputation. She would prove to be – very nearly – the perfect “fast battleship” of her day. On 30 March 1912, “Grosse Kreuzer J” was christened SMS Seydlitz – in honor of the Prussian Lieutenant General der Cavallerie. Friedrich Wilhelm Seydlitz – ranked as, quite possibly, the greatest of all Prussian cavalry commanders. He became legendary for his reckless bravery, expert horsemanship, and tactical acumen. Brilliant leadership of Seydlitz’ massed cavalry squadrons were largely responsible for Frederick The Great’s victories at the battles of Kundersdorf, Kolin, Zorndorf, Leuthen, and especially Rossbach. He fought in the War Of The Austrian Succession and the Seven Year’s War – and was awarded both the Pour le Merite and the Prussian Order Of The Black Eagle. As SMS Seydlitz slid down the Blohm & Voss slipway at Hamburg, none could know she would embody the very spirit of her illustrious namesake. SMS Seydlitz under easy steam – circa 1915. NEXT TIME…… THE FLAGSHIP MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warship models. SPECIAL THANKS to my friend and partner, @AP, for his talents, meticulous detail, colorful imagination, and wonderful models. Wt hope you enhoy them just half as much as I do ! If you enjoyed anything – please punch the “like” button so WE will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 4 Comments
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Chapter 07: The Last Of The Armored Cruisers
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
SMS Scharnhorst - 1908 – Photographed during her speed trials. IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 07: THE LAST OF THE ARMORED CRUISERS Once the Oberkommando der Marine faced the fact that Admiral Tirpitz (Secretary Of State for the Navy) was building a fleet to be used against Great Britain, the whole course of strategic thinking changed. The design for the next class of armored cruisers was well under way, when the naval architects received a directive in mid-1904. The new design should be a considerably improved version of the Roon Class that would be capable of not only parity with British cruisers, but should be able to fight with the battle line in an emergency. This was, in many respects, a giant leap for the Imperial Navy. And though they did not yet know it, the entire concept of naval design would soon outstrip anything they had ever known. Another shot of Scharnhorst – on her second day of speed trials. Note the height of the bow wave in relation to the people on the forecastle. SCHARNHORST CLASS ARMORED CRUISERS The new cruisers would be the Scharnhorst Class (sister ship Gneisenau). Some naval analysts call them the last German armored cruisers. Some call them the last “traditional” class of German armored cruisers. And still other analysts make no distinction whatever. I have always thought of these ships as the last “true” German armored cruisers to be built – because what followed them was “neither fish nor foul” (to borrow a line from Shakespeare). But there will be more on that subject in the next chapter. The new design was based on incremental improvements of the preceding classes, beginning with Prinz Heinrich, and was the final culmination of that evolutionary process. The ship was named after Generalleutnant Gerhard von Scharnhorst, a Prussian army reformer during the Napoleonic Era. Perhaps his greatest contribution was laying the groundwork for the command and control concept that would become the “Great General Staff”. Scharnhorst was laid down in march 1905 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, and commissioned into the fleet in October of 1907. Scharnhorst Class – Plan Profile. The new armored cruisers displaced 12,985 tons -- about a 3,500 ton increase over the Roon Class, and roughly comparable with cruiser displacement in the Royal Navy. The bulk of the added tonnage would go to increased armament, additional armor, and an increase in speed. At 474 feet, she was nearly 25 feet longer than Roon, and the additional length was quite becoming. It displayed the long, clean lines well, and gave her a “sleek” look that bespoke speed and power. The hull was built with transverse and longitudinal steel frames, over which, the hull plating was riveted. These ships were designed with 15 watertight compartments and a double bottom over 50% of the ship’s length. Here you see Scharnhorst at her mooring buoy in the West Loch of Cuxhaven naval base. This picture gives a good view of the “streamlined” hull form. Her “length-to-beam” ratio is about 6.5 to 1, which naval architects sometimes call the “Golden Ratio”. It is considered the optimal ratio for fast hull forms (without going to extremes). On the left, you see a Midgard Class tug passing outboard of a Jupiter Class collier (more on that one later). The cruiser’s triple screw arrangement was driven by three 3-cylinder triple-expansion engines powered by 18 coal-fired, water-tube boilers, with 36 fire boxes. The boiler uptakes were trunked into four funnels, a bit taller than usual, to keep the bridge and fighting-tops clear of smoke in a following wind. The engine design was rated at 26,000 shp for a speed of 22.5 knots, but on trials Scharnhorst achieved 28,782 shp for a speed of 23.5 knots. Gneisenau generated 30,396 shp and managed 23.6 knots. The maximum coal bunker capacity was 2,000 tons, which provided an operating radius of 4,800 miles at 14 knots. The crew was made up of 52 officers and 788 enlisted men. This is an excellent broadside view of the cruiser. Amidships, you see the slab-sided, pyramid-like arrangement of broadside guns. The two round, yellow-ocher, turrets are two 8.3-inch guns mounted in “turreted casemates” on either broadside. The three guns below that are 5.9-inch secondary guns mounted in casemated turrets at main deck level. Notice the searchlights in both fighting tops, and two each mounted on a broadside platform between the second and third funnels. I should also mention the paint scheme. The white hull – yellow-ocher upper works – and black funnel caps – is the standard paint scheme of the Imperial Navy on foreign duty stations. Since Scharnhorst served most of her career as flagship of the East Asiatic Squadron, she was assigned an additional 14 officers and 62 enlisted men as the squadron commander’s staff. No one really stops to think about the requirements of squadron command. But as the only German Asian Station, the ships based at Tsingtao were responsible for an area stretching from Vladivostok, Russia, to Sydney, Australia, and from Bombay, India, to the shores of sunny California – virtually the entire, vast, Pacific Ocean. Scharnhorst did not spend a great deal of time lying at anchor off Tsingtao -- she spent much of her time at sea, even visiting the tiny Pacific island archipelagos. And having ships scattered in all directions, carrying out a multitude of duties, required a well-trained and competent staff. Whether you’re a squadron commander or a fleet commander, competent staff work could spell the difference between victory or defeat. (Royal Navy Signals Officers would prove particularly troublesome when the “big show” came in the North Sea.) Previous scene from a different angle. The cruiser, motor launch, mooring buoy, boat boom, small boats, collier, and the cruiser in the right lower corner, are all courtesy of @AP. The cruiser’s main battery comprised eight 8.3-inch SK-L/40 (QF) guns – double the number on the Roon Class. Four of the guns were mounted in two hydraulically operated DrL-C/01 twin turrets, one fore and one aft of the main superstructure, on the centreline. The remaining four 8.3-inch guns were mounted amidships, two on either beam, in casemated single turrets. These guns had electric training, but only manual elevation. It is worth noting these guns were positioned on the weather deck -- high enough to remain dry during high speeds or even extremely rough weather. The fore and aft turreted guns could fire a 238-lb armor-piercing shell out to 18,000 yards at a rate of 5 rounds per minute. The turreted casemate guns had a limited elevation and could only reach 13,500 yards. A total allowance of 700 shells were stored in the magazines. This view shows a flag hoist flying from the foremast signaling “raise steam – five hours” – indicating to other ships of the squadron to prepare for departure. A motor launch has pulled alongside with final orders for the squadron, and overseas dispatches and diplomatic communications to be delivered along the way. Scharnhorst, flagship of the small squadron, is bound for Tsingtao to relieve the old flagship of the East Asiatic Squadron – Furst Bismarck. The secondary battery was made up of six 5.9-inch SK-L/40 (QF) guns mounted amidships in turreted casemates, three on either broadside. They fired an 88-lb shell out to approximately 14,000 yards at a rate of five rounds per minute. These guns, as usual, were mounted too low in the hull and during any sort of bad weather they would be awash and virtually useless. You must imagine a gun crew working ankle-deep in sea water – passing 88-lb shells, loading, aiming, and firing – at about ten second intervals – over, and over, and over. Now imagine the deck beneath them is rolling from side to side with the waves – and pitching up at the bow, then coming down again. And, finally – imagine the cruiser pounding into a twelve foot wave at 27 miles per hour – and the shell-handler and his shell get slammed by a solid wall of frothing water!! If you can imagine that – then you fully understand why those guns become useless in “wet” weather. For close-in torpedo boat defense, Scharnhorst carried eighteen 3.5-inch SK-L/35 (QF) guns mounted in individual casemates in the hull and superstructure, as well as on deck in pivot mounts with shields. They fired a 15-lb shell out to 9,100 yards at the rate of 15 per minute. And, of course, the obligatory submerged 17.7-inch torpedo tubes – four each – one in the bow and stern, and one on either broadside. There is a great deal of small boat activity alongside Scharnhorst. Hooking onto the boat boom is a cutter with green mail bags from shore – probably the last mail they will see for many weeks. A whale boat full of men have been recalled from shore – the last of the shore parties. And two more whale boats rowing in with their stern sheets full of officers. They have been called aboard the flagship to receive final sailing instructions. To get some idea of the level of detail “AP” has built into this model – at the ship’s bow you can see the individual and unique ship’s badge found on all medium to large size Imperial warships. This one is a shield of blue with a diagonal white stripe. Also, if you examine the forward turret, you can see a sailor straddling the left gun tube. He is applying a coat of oil to the barrels before sailing – it helps prevent rust on long voyages. Both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were armored with Krupp Cemented Steel, and someone in the Naval High Command had finally gotten serious about catching up to the British. A series of tests at the Navy’s firing range in Meppen, proved conclusively the 3.9 inch belt of previous cruiser classes was too thin to stop even medium caliber shells. The new cruisers would have a waterline armor belt of 5.9 inches covering the midships area from the forward conning tower to just aft of the rear control position. This was a significant increase over previous armored cruisers and matched their British counterparts. Beyond the midships armor belt, a belt of 3.1 inches extended to the bow, and a similar belt ran almost to the stern. The entire belt was backed with 2.2 inches of teak planking to reduce splinter and “spalling” effects. Spalling occurs when thick, face-hardened, armor is struck by a shell that fails to penetrate the plate. Instead of penetration, the inner side of the armor plate fractures and flakes, hurling shrapnel inboard with great force. The protective armored deck varied in thickness with 2.4 inches over critical areas (magazines, engines, boilers, steering gear) and thinning to 1.4 inches in less critical places. The sloping sides (below the waterline) were 2.2 inches and connected to the bottom of the main belt. The forward conning tower was 7.9 inches, while the aft conning tower received 2 inches. The main battery turrets had 6.7-inch sides with a 1.2-inch roof, while the main battery guns in the turreted casemates were protected with 5.9-inch gun shields. The turret barbettes were 5.5 inches thick. The secondary battery turreted casemates were protected by an armored strake 5.1 inches thick, and the guns, themselves, had 3.1-inch shields. In this close-up of Scharnhorst’s stern, you can see a group of sailors lounging about on the fantail. Behind and in front of them are the skylights for the admiral’s quarters below decks. Both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were designed to accommodate a flag officer, either as a squadron commander, or as a foreign station commander. In this case, the admiral will be sharing his quarters with four 3.5 inch anti-torpedo boat guns (mounted in the semi-circular hull sponsons at the stern). You can see four more of these guns, in pivot mounts with gun shields, grouped around the aft military mast. This also gives you a better look at “AP’s” boat-loads of officers approaching the ship. After commissioning in October 1907, Scharnhorst began sea trials, which were interrupted for a week in November. She escorted the Hohenzollern, with Wilhelm II aboard, to Vlissingen (Flushing), in the Netherlands, and then on to Portsmouth. Scharnhorst returned to Kiel to finish trials, but on 14 January, 1908, ran aground off Bulk Light on the Bulker Huk headland, near the entrance to the Kiel fjord. Repairs were completed on 22 February, and trials were wrapped-up on April 30. The remainder of 1908 was spent in normal peacetime routine, training exercises, and fleet maneuvers. And 1909 started well when she was appointed Flagship Scouting Forces, Hochseeflotte. But less than two months later, she received orders for the Far East, and would carry Konteradmiral Friedrich von Ingenohl to Tsingtao, to assume command of the East Asiatic Squadron. Upon completing preparations for the voyage, the big cruiser weighed anchor on 1 April, 1909, and departed Kiel. She transited the Kaiser Wilhelm I Canal, steamed out of the Elbe, and set course for the English Channel. This was always a poignant moment for the officers and men of a warship. They watched as the shores of the Vaterland dropped astern – and none could know when they would see home again. SMS GNEISENAU SMS Gneisenau – circa 1909 – photographed possibly in Kiel. SMS Gneisenau was ordered in June 1904, under the provisions of the Second Naval Law of 1900, and was named in honor of Generalfeldmarshall Graf Neidhardt von Gneisenau, a major player in the defeat and abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte. Her keel was laid at AG Weser Shipyard, Bremen, in December. A lengthy shipyard strike seriously delayed her launch until June 1906. At the ceremony, she was christened by Generalfeldmarschall Alfred von Schlieffen, Chief of the Great General Staff. The ship was then moved to Wilhelmshaven for the arduous fitting-out process and was finally commissioned into the fleet in March, 1908. Overlooking minor differences, and the odd ton of displacement, Gneisenau was, in all specifications, an identical twin to Scharnhorst. Sea trials began in late March and finished in mid-July, when Gneisenau was assigned to the 1st Scouting Group of the Hochseeflotte. Her first commanding officer was Kapitan zur See Franz von Hipper. Gneisenau spent just 14 months with 1st Scouting Group, sailing on the 1908 annual Atlantic cruise within days of her assignment. Two Scouting Groups and the battleship squadrons of the Hochseeflotte departed Kiel on 17 July, transited the Kaiser Wilhelm I Canal, crossed the North Sea, and on into the Atlantic. The warships practiced formation maneuvers (Often called “evolutions” rather than exercises.) -- battle tactics – and tested wireless communications over long distances. The fleet returned on 13 August, took on coal and provisions, and departed on 27 August for the Autumn maneuvers. The following year was spent in much the same way, two Atlantic cruises – February thru March -- and again in July thru August, with port calls in Spain on the Fall cruise. Later in the year, Gneisenau escorted the Kaiser’s yacht, Hohenzollern, to a location off the coast of Finland for a meeting with Tsar Nicholas II. And after one more fleet cruise to Norway, Gneisenau was given sailing orders for the Far East. SMS Gneisenau lies moored to a buoy astern of Scharnhorst in Cuxhaven’s West Loch. Pursuant to orders, she has joined the squadron bound for Tsingtao, and has been taking aboard stores and provisions for the journey. A crane barge is transferring stores from a cargo barge alongside. Having just come off the Norway cruise, the larders need filling and there is precious little time to do it. Kapitan zur See Trummler would have liked to get his engines overhauled before the long trip. But there were no docks or basins available, so the engineers will have to make do. Much of yesterday was spent in the Cuxhaven roadsted at the coaling docks. All hands (save the engineering section) were “turned to” and spent a back-breaking day shifting just over 1,400 tons of coal into the bunkers. Afterwards, the crew washed down the decks and superstructure to remove the thick film of coal dust, while the ship returned to her moorings in the West Loch. The engineers have been giving the engines a thorough examination -- adjusting drive links, tightening the odd bolt, checking for signs of wear, and lubricating everything. In the top right, you see the coastal freighter “Albatross” making it’s way through the busy harbor. And on the bottom right you see the paddle tug “Helena” towing a lighter full of various ship’s stores. The white harbor tug is from “WolfZe”, and it should be noted the paddle tug Helena and her lighter tow are “diagonal” models. Even as cargo continues to come aboard, the crew has started hoisting in the ship’s boats. You can see the ship’s crane ready to swing one inboard and secure it for sea. An Esmeralda Class paddle tug is standing by, and if you look at the tug’s masts, you can see the emergency sail rig furled along a yardarm and gaff. The cruiser, tug, and sailors are by “AP”, while the barge crane and cargo barge are borrowed from PEG’s Seaport series -- “Bubba’s Bulk Barge”. This is a close-up of the cruiser’s bow. Again, all the stays and rigging have been put in just as they would have been. And “AP” took great pains to make sure the rigging would display appropriately at various zoom levels. You see an excellent stern view of the paddle tug Esmeralda. And a nice view of two small boats approaching. They had been standing by at a nearby landing, awaiting two officers returning from leave, as well as picking up petty officers that had gone ashore on errands. In this port side view, you can see a small dingy has been hoisted and secured at its’ davits – two crewmen are unloading boxes and bags. On the stern, cargo is being hoisted aboard, broken down to smaller lots, and carried below decks. The stern companionway hatch is also open – no doubt the Kapitan’s steward has arranged for a few delicacies to grace his master’s table. Gneisenau has also brought aboard several hundred gallons of paint. She had been painted in the “foreign station colors” back in May, when she was expected to sail for China. But the Naval High Command suspended the sailing orders, feeling it would look better to foreign observers if the new cruiser was present through the training season. Consequently, she spent many days at sea in rough weather and her hull and upper-works show severe weathering. That means the squadron commander will have to find a quite little bay along the route where they can anchor and slap on some paint. (One simply does not arrive at a new duty station looking like a worn-out tramp steamer!) In this view of Gneisenau’s stern, you can see sailors on the fantail hauling boxes from the pile near the turret, down to the aft companion ladder to go below decks. This is a close-up of the replenishment operation. The white steam tug is courtesy of “WolfZe”, and is actually a bit of a “classic”. It’s patterned after harbor tugs common to many ports, but especially New York harbor in 1900 up through the 1940’s. The paddle tug on the left is a Sophia Class and the one on the right is an Esmeralda Class, both by “AP”, and both patterned after the British paddle tug “Carleton Hall”. This particular tug was launched in 1914 for use in the “Tyneside” coaling trade, but the basic form of the steam-powered paddlewheel tugboat first appeared around 1814, with the last working boats being retired around 1964. These are beautiful little boats -- colorful, historically accurate, and superbly modeled. I would have built a whole harbor just to showcase these little beauties! Another view of the offshore replenishment. The barges are by “PEG” and can be found in their “Bubba’s Bulk Barge” download (STEX). But I caution you – working with them is a real headache. They were originally modeled for use with a pier attached to land – which meant they could be “anchored” to the shore portion of the pier, and did not have to “float”. The result is that they were rendered with a hefty “offset” and can be very difficult to use. But they were exactly what I needed to create this scene – so I decided to “bite the bullet” and MAKE them work. The sailors wandering around atop the cargo on the barge are, of course, by “AP”. The following four shots are close-up views of the SS Albatross, a small coastal freighter much like hundreds of others that go about their business in the shallow coastal waters of every continent in the World. They are especially prevalent in Europe because so much shipping traffic is generated by the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and London. This is one of the first models scratch-built by @AP. He has a bit of history with the maritime world and has gone to great lengths to provide the “every day” details of a ship as well as ensuring they are as authentic as possible. If you look carefully, you will see an enormous amount of detail packed into such a small model, and for those of you interested in models without crew, there are only four crewmen on deck. It is worth noting that Albatross is flying the Imperial German merchant flag of 1889 from her stern. Albatross could be identified as any number of coastal vessels, but she is, in fact, a composite of features taken from photos of several different ships. These small coastal freighters are found everywhere, and work the English Channel, North Sea, and Baltic Sea much like today’s local delivery trucks. The next three pictures are close-ups of the Sophia Class steam paddle tug. As mentioned previously these tugs were based on the British tug Carleton Hall, and every detail has been faithfully reproduced. Sophia portrays an era when steam paddle tugs were the workhorses of the World’s harbors. Their near universal employment could be attributed to their low operating costs and simple paddle propulsion. “AP” and I are very proud of these beautiful little models. The warships in the upper left are US Navy destroyers of the Clemson Class (more on them later). Here you have another view of the tug, and especially the “lighter” carrying a variety of ship’s stores. Lighters have been in use, in one form or another, for hundreds of years. A lighter is, basically, a small, towed barge, shaped similar to a ship, used to carry a wide range of “cargo” from place to place, or to a ship anchored offshore. This may be necessary because not all ports have docks of suitable size to accommodate large ships, or because certain ports may be too shallow for large ships. Again, our lighters are based on period photos from 1880 to the 1930’s. I should mention in this view, the destroyers on the left are “ortho” models, while Sophia and her lighter are two, separate, diagonal models – just two of many to come. It has long been a problem in “seagoing SC4” that there were few diagonal ships to choose from. We intend to provide many of our ships in “diagonal” to make your harbors more realistic. At this point, you might be wondering what the Imperial Naval High Command was thinking. They finally produced a pair of “state-of-the-art” armored cruisers that were – in all probability – superior to any British armored cruiser. And – though the Hochseeflotte armored cruisers were seriously outnumbered – in 1909, the High Command chose to assign their best and most modern cruisers to the Far East. What could have brought about a decision that defies all logic? The answer lies in a convoluted series of random events, eccentric personalities, deception, and faulty espionage -- all set in motion as far back as 1903…... NEXT TIME…… THE ITALIAN, THE FIRST LORD, DREADNOUGHT, & THE UNEXPECTED. MANY, MANY. MANY. THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his generosity, patience, and talent – in providing so many beautiful and highly detailed warships. AGAIN, MY VERY SPECIAL THANKS to @AP for volunteering his very considerable talents, valuable time, and vivid imagination in creating so many props that have added so much variety and originality to the dockyards. The Cuxhaven Series would be impossible without his “Herculean” efforts. If you enjoyed anything you saw – please punch the “like” button so I will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of my ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 8 Comments
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Chapter 06: Evolution Of The Armored Cruiser
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
SMS Roon and SMS Yorck riding at anchor in the Kieler Hafen – circa 1907. IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 06: EVOLUTION OF THE ARMORED CRUISER As the construction years 1902-1903 approached, the Reichsmarineamt continued to negotiate with the Reichstag over building funds in the forlorn hope they might be able to secure an increase. Tirpitz was keenly aware of the new armored cruisers being laid down by various foreign navies – and most especially – the numerous British armored cruisers entering service. Prinz Heinrich had been a step backward in the evolution of armament and protection, and the Prinz Adalbert’s had been little better. Many in the Naval High Command felt they could enter a conflict on even terms with any Continental navy, but in the case of Britain, they might be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of cruisers. And since they could not build more ships than Britain – they must build better ships. But the Reichstag could not be moved, and the follow-on class of cruisers would have to be designed with marginal improvements at best. ROON CLASS ARMORED CRUISERS Armored cruiser SMS Roon anchored in Hampton Roads during the Jamestown Exposition celebrations of 1907. Under the auspices of the Second Naval Law of 1900, two cruisers were designed in 1901 and laid down in 1902 and 1903. SMS Roon was funded under the provisions of the replacement terms of the law, and was temporarily named Ersatz Kaiser since the old ironclad was to be scrapped. Roon was later christened in honor of Generalfeldmarschall, Count Albrecht von Roon (1803-1879) and laid down first at the Kaiserwerft, Kiel. SMS Yorck was laid down later, at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg. The Roon Class was, indeed, an incremental improvement upon their predecessors, the Prinz Adalbert Class. The only item of interest was a slightly longer hull to accommodate the addition of two boilers. But there was, actually, so little difference between the two classes that they could only be told apart by their funnels – the Roons had added a fourth funnel to accommodate the exhaust from the increase in boilers. SMS Yorck making a transit of the Kaiser Wilhelm I canal – circa 1907. The Roon Class ships displaced 9,382 tons, were 419 feet in length, and made only 21.1 knots on trials. They were built with the standard transverse and longitudinal framing, with a hull of riveted steel plates, and consisted of twelve watertight compartments and a double bottom running 60% of the ship’s length. The hull form was identical to the Prinz Adalbert Class, and like them, the Roon’s were good sea boats and stable gun platforms. When the coal bunkers were full, the ships had only a gentle pitch or roll motion and responded quickly to helm orders. The cruisers were manned by 35 officers and 598 enlisted men. SMS Roon Class – plan Profile. Roon and Yorck retained the same propulsion plant as the preceding class, but were powered with sixteen coal-fired Durr water-tube boilers with a total of 48 fire boxes. The boiler uptakes were trunked into four funnels. During this particular period of naval architecture, the technology usually produced multiple funnels on ships with high horsepower and greater speed. Kaiser Wilhelm II fancied himself something of a naval architect, and frequently dashed off a sketch of a cruiser or battleship and asked the design office to put together a study. It was widely known he was overly fond of designs with multiple funnels – the theory being that more funnels made the ship look “faster”. (I believe the French hold the “funnel record” for their 1907-1908 Edgar Quinet Class of armored cruisers – 6 funnels.) In any event, the ships were designed with the addition of two boilers, and the designers hoped to boost the speed of the new ships by up to 5 knots. But the engineering calculations were flawed, and Roon only reached 21.1 knots on trials. Yorck’s internal arrangements were slightly altered before launch, resulting in only 20.4 knots. (This was a reoccurring problem with ships launched a year apart. The last ship is always modified during construction, thereby adding weight – usually resulting in slower speed.) SMS Roon 01 In the picture above, SMS Roon has just returned from a long Atlantic training cruise with a shipload of Naval Cadets. With most of the fresh food long ago consumed, Kapitan zur See Karl Zimmermann requested immediate replenishment. Here you see a Nordwind Class tug (left) and a Passat Class tug (right) nudging the cruiser into her berth to take on stores. The Nordwind is an older (1890’s) seagoing tug commonly found doing harbor, river, and inshore work with larger ships. The Passat Class is an improved version built by a division of the Norddeutscher Line. The Passat’s more powerful engines are capable of handling large warships and dealing with Norddeutscher’s big ocean liners in the nearby Hamburg terminal. The Imperial Navy leases civilian tugs and crews because it’s cheaper than building them, and manning them with sailors would reduce the trained manpower available to the fleet (a continual problem). The cruiser, tugs, lighters, and mooring dolphins are the splendid work of @AP. Both Roon and Yorck had a main battery of four, now-standard, 8.3 inch SK-L/40 (QF) guns mounted in twin “DrL C/01 turrets -- hydraulically operated -- one fore and one aft. A total of 380 armor-piercing shells were carried. The standard secondary battery was adhered to, with ten 5.9 inch SK-L/40 (QF) guns in casemates and turreted-casemates, arranged amidships in the usual “slab-sided pyramid” configuration. For torpedo boat defense, fourteen 3.5 inch SK-L/35 (QF) guns were mounted amidships, on either beam, in casemates and open mounts with shields. Unfortunately, the casemate guns continued to be placed a deck too low and were frequently awash. This close-up shows the detail built into the models. The tug Nordwind (left) is conspicuous in having an open bridge and no wheelhouse. This was common in early harbor tugs. And if you look closely, you can see the big towing winch and hawser bollards on the fantail. The Passat (right) shows a much more modern version, with a more powerful towing rig and an enclosed bridge. Both tugs have twin funnels indicating more boilers and more horsepower. Note the level of detail on SMS Roon – the planks in the deck – individual portholes – the thwarts in the small boats – superb rigging – even the soot stains on the funnels – and all historically accurate, right down to the spray shields on the bridge wings. In this view you get a good look at the Replenishment Pier. It is a “PEG-Pier One Seaport modified to conform a bit better to the “period” naval harbor. I took the individual sections and placed WMP-seawalls on the outer portions. The seawalls greatly resemble timber caissons and make good “bumpers” for the big ships. I deleted some of the cargo that was too modern and replaced it with props more suitable for the time period. In the top left you see a Midgard Class harbor tug standing by to warp a lighter full of barrels into the pier once it’s vacant. The lighters, mooring dolphins, tugs, and cruiser are all by “AP”. SUBMERGED TORPEDO TUBES -- ?? This is an excellent and rare view of a bow mounted submerged torpedo tube. The ship is SMS Scharnhorst in the floating dry dock at Tsingtao, China. You can see the opening for the torpedo tube in a “notch” in the hull below the ram bow. Obviously you, more or less, had to “aim the ship” to aim the torpedo. As was customary for ships of the period, the Roons had four 17.7 inch torpedo tubes submerged in the hull -- one in the bow and stern, and one on each broadside (typically just forward of the “A turret” shell handling room). The standard torpedo of the Kaiserliche marine was the “C/03” – carrying a 325 lb warhead – a suitable size for the era. The torpedoes, however, left something to be desired. At a speed of 31 knots, the torpedo was much more likely to hit a target that would not have time to take evasive action. But the speed shortened the fuel burn time, and it was only good for about 1,300 yards. To close a target to less than thirteen hundred yards might be acceptable to a torpedo boat captain -- with nerves of steel – but it was totally unacceptable to a cruiser captain. The torpedo could be set to a longer range of about 3,200 yards at 26 knots – but the longer the range – the more doubtful the result. So the question becomes -- why would you put submerged torpedo tubes on cruisers or battleships? Neither of those ships would close a similar ship to such close range – unless the target ship was already too badly damaged to represent a threat. In which case, it would be better to send a torpedo boat to finish off the target than to pull a battleship out of the battle line, or a cruiser from the screening force. Besides the dubious reasoning for submerged torpedo tubes in heavy ships, their presence aboard the big ships would later be revealed as potentially deadly liabilities. https://i.imgur.com/lNXcO8Q.png[/im Roon Class armored cruisers – armor distribution diagram. The darkened areas show where the Krupp armor has been placed to protect the ship. Perhaps more importantly, it shows you where the armor has NOT been placed. As you can see, there are large portions of the ship, both above and below the waterline, with NO armor. These are the areas designers so casually refer to as “the unarmored portions of the ship”. Both Roon and Yorck were armored with Krupp Cemented steel. The waterline belt was 3.9 inches amidships, tapering to 3.1 inches at bow and stern – a much better choice than leaving the ends unarmored. (Even a waterline near miss by a 12 inch gun could cause serious splinter damage and flooding.) The belt was further backed by 2.2 inches of teak planking to reduce splinter damage. The side armor around the casemates and casemated turrets was also 3.9 inches. The protected armor deck ranged from 1.6 to 2.4 inches, with the thicker areas covering the magazines, boilers, engines, and steering gear – with sloping sides of 2 inches connecting to the bottom of the belt. The forward conning tower was 5.9 inches, while the aft control position was only plated with 3.1 inches as protection against shell splinters. The main battery turrets were 5.9 inches with a 1.2 inch roof, while the secondary turrets were plated with 3.9 inch sides and 3.1 inch gun shields. This was, on balance, a better distribution of armor than in recent designs – and certainly as good as could be expected with a 9,300 ton displacement. Another view of the tug Midgard standing by a covered lighter and two lighters stacked with barrels. Deck hands from the tug have crossed over to the covered lighter and are busy making the outboard lighter fast to the others. “AP” has made Midgard to look just as she should – an old working lady that has seen better days, but still gets the job done. Note the weathered look of the hull and the worn canvas of the wheelhouse roof. Her yellow funnel has gone dingy from coal soot, and her decks are worn and stained from years of working. She is a perfectly proportioned, working, “piece of art”. The lighters are patterned after hundreds of such vessels found in European rivers and harbors, in one form or another, even to this day. We looked through dozens of pictures as well as drawing inspiration from the craft we saw in real life. And “AP” has faithfully recreated them for Sc4. This shot even gives you an excellent view of the mooring dolphins. Of the two ships, SMS Yorck commissioned first, in November of 1905, and upon completion of sea trials, was assigned to 1st Scouting Group of the Hochseeflotte in March, 1906. In April of 1906, SMS Roon joined 1st Scouting Group as well, and the following month Vizeadmiral Gustav Schmidt hoisted his flag aboard her. She served as flagship 1st Scouting Group for the next two years. With the exception of a 1907 Atlantic crossing by Roon to participate in the United States’ Jamestown Exposition, the two cruisers were pretty much occupied with the routine of peacetime training exercises. Sometimes it was scouting group training, or Atlantic cruises with portions of the battle fleet, and there were always the annual Fall Fleet Maneuvers. Roon was decommissioned in September 1911, her duties being taken over by the new battlecruiser SMS Moltke. In March 1913, during a training exercise, the torpedo boat S-178 attempted to “cut the line” (Crossing from one side of the battle line to the other by cutting between the big ships.). The tiny ship misjudged the speed and distance and Yorck rammed and sank her. The armored cruiser was decommissioned shortly thereafter, with her crew being transferred to commission SMS Seydlitz. A full length close-up showing the hull lines and details of Roon’s superstructure. Overview of Replenishment Pier and Roon – different angle. The landscape to the right of the picture is a combination of 1x1 “custom-made” Tree Filler Lots, MMP work, and “Heblem Sands”. The Tree Filler Lots have a mish-mash of various tree props from my “prop-box”, but the MMP work is almost entirely by @Girafe – his stuff is the BEST! Close-up detail – bow. Close-up detail – stern. Here you see VizeAdmiral Gustav Schmidt transferring his flag from SMS Roon to SMS Yorck. Roon has been detached for her voyage to the United States, and Yorck will be serving as 1st Scouting group flagship until her return. Here you can see the Admiral’s steam launch tied off at the boat boom and the off-watch crew is paraded on the forecastle deck. The Admiral and Kapitan zur See Arthur Tapken are saluting, and just behind the Admiral is the ship‘s Navigation Officer, Leutnant Erich Raeder. Shortly, a signal gun will be fired from amidships and the Admiral’s flag will be broken-out at the masthead. Another view from astern. SMS Yorck moored at a “barrel buoy” just off the dry docks of the Howaldtswerk Shipyard in the Kieler Hafen – circa 1910. Following the outbreak of war in July 1914, both ships were mobilized and assigned to 3rd Scouting Group which was attached to the Hochseeflotte. The 1st Scouting Group sortied on a raid against Yarmouth in November, and the Hochseeflotte sailed as distant support. Roon and Yorck were scouting ahead of the main battle fleet. The ships arrived back off Wilhelmshaven on the night of 3 November, but encountered heavy fog, making it impossible to take visual bearings – thus preventing them from being able to locate the swept channels through the defensive minefields. Rather than risk the channels, the fleet anchored in Schillig Roads to await daylight. Around 03:30, Yorck’s Kapitan zur See Pieper thought visibility had improved sufficiently, and began preparations to get underway. The Harbor Pilot refused to attempt passage through the minefields under the still foggy conditions, but Pieper proceeded regardless. At 04:10 Yorck struck a mine and started to turn away, striking a second mine. The cruiser went down quickly and the coastal defense battleship Hagen was only able to pick up 381 men – including Pieper. A cruiser and 252 men were lost. Needless to say, Pieper was court-martialed and served two years in prison for his negligence and disobedience to orders. A view of the starboard side. If you examine the stern, you’ll see the “Admiral’s Walk” just beneath the flag. Both Roon and Yorck were built for service as “flagships”. In the stern of the ship, on the main deck, there are additional cabins for the Admiral’s staff (usually 11), and just aft of them, right in the stern, there are spacious accommodations for the admiral. There is room for his desk and working space, comfortable chairs for visitors, a large table for dining with staff or ship’s officers, a smaller private sleeping compartment, and private facilities for bathing and other – uuuh – necessary things. (Admiral’s must preserve their dignity at all times.) If he just wants to stretch his legs, or get some fresh air, he can step through a watertight door onto the “Admiral’s Walk”. Most admirals try not to disturb the smooth operation of the ship. An admiral appearing on deck is a bit like a sudden thunder-clap. Men drop what they’re doing and jump to attention – young officer’s knees begin to shake – and everything within his sight comes to a screeching halt. The “Admiral’s Walk” is a lot less disturbing – and much more private for the admiral. In December 1914, Roon participated in the Bombardment Of Scarborough, Hartlepool, and Whitby as flagship 3rd Scouting Group. They were to provide a reconnaissance screen for the main battle fleet acting in support of the bombardment force. A British battle squadron from the Grand Fleet, with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, had been sent to intercept the raiders, but missed the bombardment force and very nearly stumbled into the main body of the Hochseeflotte. Roon actually made contact with the British destroyers Lynx and Unity, but no shots were exchanged. Shortly thereafter, Admiral von Ingenohl ordered the battle fleet to disengage and set course for Wilhelmshaven. Another view of Yorck. That’s a scratch-built “Jupiter Class” collier on the right – more about her in the next chapter. But you can get a fair appreciation of the elaborate detail “AP” has built into her. Notice the two funnels placed side-by-side – a rare sight on seagoing ships. Soon after that operation, it was decided the older cruisers of the 3rd Scouting Group were too slow and lightly armored to face the guns of the Grand Fleet, and they were assigned to Reconnaissance Forces Baltic. Roon participated in the bombardment of Libau on 7 May, then took part in sorties into the central Baltic as far north as Gotska Sandon on five different occasions in May and June, 1915. In July she fought in the Battle Of The Aland Islands, engaging the Russian armored cruisers Bayan and Rurik and several light cruisers and destroyers. The Russians hit Roon several times, and being outnumbered, she and Lubeck were forced to retire. The cruiser also participated in the series of actions in the Gulf Of Riga Campaign, later in the year. Close-up detail of Yorck – bow angle. But cruiser losses were mounting in the Baltic – especially from Russian mines – and most especially from the activity of British submarines. In January, 1916, it was decided the older cruisers were too poorly protected against mines and torpedoes, and Roon was ordered to Kiel and decommissioned on 4 February. In November, 1916, she was disarmed and converted to a training and accommodation ship – a function she preformed until 1918. In November of 1920, she was stricken from the Naval Register and scrapped the following year. THE GERMAN PARADOX HMS Achilles – a Warrior Class armored cruiser - 1906. While the Kaiserliche Marine was commissioning the two Roon Class armored cruisers into the Hochseeflotte, the Royal Navy was just beginning to commission the new Warrior Class of armored cruisers. The British had started in the 1890’s with a clear strategy of protecting their sea lanes with a swarm of armored cruisers. By 1900, they had decided the cruisers had to be big enough, and powerful enough, to preform either alone on foreign duty stations, or in support of the battle fleet. (Most other navies preferred smaller and lighter cruisers on colonial stations.) By 1906, the British had 29 armored cruisers in service or laid-up in reserve, with the most powerful vessels assigned to the Home Fleet. The exact number of armored cruisers in the Home Fleet varied considerably -- due to maintenance, training tasks, and detached temporary duty -- but it was usually eight. Across the North Sea, it was also around 1906, that reality set in. The Kaiserliche Marine finally came to the unalterable conclusion that Britain was going to be their principal enemy in any future war in Europe. And Tirpitz was building a fleet that could either be used as a political tool, or an instrument of war. It was really rather obvious – at least to the British. Germany was allied by treaty to both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy – so their fleets could be ruled out as an enemy. The Russian fleet was still in a shambles after the Russo-Japanese War. The French would have to devote most of their naval strength to holding the Mediterranean against Austria and Italy – and protecting their colonial possessions nearest to Europe. AND – Germany was confident the Army could be counted upon to deliver victory in a European land war. So that leaves only Britain – and that would be a naval war any way you played it. The Hochseeflotte had already commissioned 15 pre-dreadnought battleships by 1906, and were building more. But their armored cruisers were, perhaps, more indicative of the entire naval situation. And if you were in the Imperial Naval Office, or a seagoing officer, the simple arithmetic was enough to drive you to drink. The Kaiserliche Marine possessed only six armored cruisers, with two more on the building slips – and one of those was permanently stationed in the Far East. Cruiser to cruiser – the Imperial fleet was outnumbered 5 to 1. But that wasn’t the worst of it. It took several years for the Imperial Naval Office to face the reality that they shouldn’t be building cruisers designed for foreign duty stations, rather than for specific use against Britain’s Home Fleet. Foreign duty cruisers were usually smaller, slower, and lighter-gunned – because they weren’t likely to run into a battleship, or even two enemy cruisers at the same time. But part of the dilemma went back to -- not enough ships – not soon enough – and all as cheaply as possible. The new Naval Laws had guaranteed one new cruiser per year – but the Reichstag had demanded a cost ceiling on all ships – and Tirpitz had provided them. The State Secretary of the Navy had surely been aware that costs would rise with each successive ship. Two ships in the same class, laid down one year apart, often resulted in a higher cost for the second ship. But Tirpitz also knew the Reichstag didn’t want to hear that. So he “low-balled” the original negotiations. Rather than continuing to fight for more money, Tirpitz instructed the naval constructors to stay within a few thousand Goldmarks of the original estimates. This pinch-penny approach to ship design and construction had far-reaching consequences. The first two classes of pre-dreadnought battleships had been armed with 9.4-inch guns!! The last class, Braunschweig, had made the jump to 11-inch guns – but were still smaller than those mounted in other navies. Naval analysts have long complained that German ships were notoriously under-gunned – and with good reason. Later, Tirpitz would balk at the idea of going to 12-inch guns – largely due to the cost. It cost thousands of Goldmarks for a single gun tube. So increasing the number of guns added cost to the ship. The increase to 11-inch guns had cost tens of thousands to design, build, test, and perfect the new gun. When the time came to seriously consider a 12-inch gun to oppose Britain’s 13.5-inch weapon – the cost would have to be deducted from other design features of the ship. Or – Tirpitz would have to go to the Reichstag and beg for the money. The general result – especially in cruisers -- was to avoid more guns, and keep them small and inexpensive. Speed was another disparity between British and German cruisers. The average Royal Navy cruiser could make 23 knots. The “fast” German cruisers were only capable of 20 or 21 knots. Germany could build bigger engines – they were good at that. But bigger engines meant they needed more room, and that meant a longer hull. The bigger engines needed more boilers to provide steam – more room – and an even longer hull. And an even higher cost – more money from the Reichstag. Underwater protective measures against mines and torpedoes were nonexistent. (This point is also true of the British.) There was precious little known about the effects of mine explosions on ship’s hulls – and even less was understood about the lethal qualities of torpedoes. Building in extra armor protection, or inner hull void spaces to absorb the blast, was little understood and would have added considerably to the cost. There is an old anecdote told about Jackie Fisher (probably untrue) that when asked about defense against mines, he simply said...”Don’t run over the bloody things!” Armor protection on British cruisers was not exactly “first-rate” -- largely due to the need to achieve higher speed. And cruisers were never meant to be armored like a battleship. But the average British cruiser weighed-in about 4,500 tons heavier than their German counterparts. Part of that was the propulsion plant, but a sizable chunk went to armor. The British waterline belt averaged 6 inches to the German’s 3.9 inches. AND – more armor requires more horsepower to attain the speed – and yet more armor to cover the longer hull needed for the engines and boilers. It was a vicious circle – one thing just naturally led to another. SMS Roon – leading ship of the 3rd Scouting Group (scouting group astern – out of picture) as she follows the Hochseeflotte on one of the early sorties in 1914. Roon’s scouting group will form the rear guard of the battle fleet. The 1st Scouting Group is in the van (lead) of the fleet – and the 2d Scouting Group is deployed as “the point”. The upshot of the whole thing was that virtually all of the Imperial Navy’s armored cruisers were no match for the big British cruisers operating in the North Sea. During the early months of The Great War at sea, the armored cruisers were formed into the 3rd and 4th Scouting Groups and went about their assigned duties as the scouting screen for the lumbering battleships of the Hochseeflotte. The 1st Scouting Group was composed of more modern vessels and became the offensive arm of the battle fleet. In early 1915, all the old armored cruisers were transferred to the Cruiser Force Baltic where they could still do good work against the Russians. And they fought bravely and well – but eventually, their vulnerability to mines and torpedoes in the narrow sea forced the Oberkommando der Marine to withdraw them from active service in 1916. The Prinz Adalbert and Roon Class armored cruisers were the oldest to go to war in 1914, and they brought to mind an interesting side note on the early months of the war. Britain’s ultimatum to Germany expired at midnight on 4 August 1914, and within a matter of days the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.) of one cavalry and four infantry divisions was landed on French shores. They were ordered to concentrate along the Belgian border near the town of Maubeuge. No one had the least idea of what awaited them as they marched toward their assembly area, and the story of the B.E.F.’s heroic struggle to halt the German Juggernaut has become legendary. But by November 1914, the British had settled in to defend the area around Ypres, Belgium. This was still the time before trenches dominated the battlefield. Private Herbert de Hamel belonged to “The London Scottish”, a “territorial” regiment (reservists). They were recruited from the clerks, bookkeepers, and accountants of “The City” – the business district of London…… “...the Germans advanced at a steady walk, falling as they came. Fire spat out from their line of rifles – no sounds – no shouts – only their crackling rifles. Bullets cut through the hedge in front of us – slapped into the earthen bank behind us – and all the while we fired back. We fired as fast as we could and aimed each shot. We wiped the sweat from our eyes – and shot. Shells from the German’s 77mm guns fell among our fellows, threw dirt on everyone – and we kept shooting. But after a while, there were no more Germans walking toward us……” The following morning the London Scottish were still there – blackened with powder smoke, covered in mud and dirt, their kilts in tatters – but the Germans had been stopped. Among the wounded was a shipping clerk named Ronald Colman – hit in the ankle by shrapnel -- and lamed. Though he limped thereafter, the wound saved his life and he was invalided home – unfit for further duty. But he learned to walk so the limp was almost unnoticeable and went on to become one of Hollywood’s greatest movie stars – as did three of his regimental mates – Basil Rathbone, Herbert Marshall, and Claude Rains. War is full of ironic bits – even a few for you old movie buffs out there... NEXT TIME…… LAST OF THE GERMAN ARMORED CRUISERS AND… WE HAVE TWO PROP PACKS FOR YOU... Volume 06 – Prinz Adalbert Class Armored Cruisers Volume 07 – Furst Bismarck Class Armored Cruisers MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his generously given time and talent creating so many beautiful warships. There are some really beautiful models coming up. A SPECIAL “THANKS” to my partner -- “@AP” -- for his considerable talents and valuable time. The Cuxhaven Series would have been utterly impossible without him. I DO HOPE you are enjoying these chapters – please punch the “like” button so I will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of my ability. THANK YOU for your visit... You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 8 Comments
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Chapter 05: An Ill-Fated Lot
Dreadnought posted a City Journal entry in IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN
SMS Friedrich Carl – circa 1905 – Leading a squadron of Wittelsbach Class pre-dreadnoughts on training exercises off Heligoland Island. IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN By: Dreadnought & AP Chapter 05: "AN ILL-FATED LOT...” While the Reichsmarineamt (Imperial Navy Office) played politics with the Reichstag, and their naval architects experimented with Furst Bismarck and Prinz Heinrich, the clock was ticking. The German Naval Command knew other powers would begin building their own armored cruisers – it was the only plausible defense against commerce raiding cruisers. The armored cruiser was designed to be the perfect concept to both attack an enemy’s commerce, and to destroy his commerce raiders. HMS Cressy – circa 1901. The British, of course, were terrified at the thought of half a dozen commerce raiders loose on the Empire’s sea lanes. And they did not experiment, nor did they dither around. Between 1901 and 1904 they commissioned six ships of the Cressy Class. The Cressy’s were big at 12,000 tons and 472 feet in length. They were certainly designed larger than other nation’s cruisers because they were expected to operate alone on distant colonial stations. They were powered by 30 Belleville boilers, driving two 4-cylinder triple expansion engines, coupled to twin shafts, for a top speed of 21 knots (though Cressy proved to be the slowest of her class at 20.7 knots). The class was given a main battery of two 9.2 inch guns in single turrets, one fore and one aft, and were capable of 3-4 rounds per minute out to a range of approximately 19,000 yards. The Cressy’s had a secondary battery of twelve 6 inch guns arranged in casemates amidships. However, eight of the casemates were on the main deck level and were useless in any sort of seaway. The guns were capable of 8 rounds per minute out to approximately 16,000 yards. Another dozen 3 inch guns were provided for torpedo boat defense and could fire 15 rounds per minute to a range of about 12,000 yards. Two submerged torpedo tubes were also installed. The class was given an armor belt of 6 inches, closed at the ends by 5 inch transverse bulkheads, forming an armored citadel (box). The main battery gun turrets and barbettes were 6 inches with 5 inches on the casemates. The protected armor deck was 1 inch with 3 inch sloping sides and the conning tower was an amazing 12 inches. Sinking of HMS Cressy. The Cressy Class could be considered an ill-fated lot, with only three of the six ships surviving the Great War. And the other three sisterships made the history books when they were torpedoed and sunk within an hour and thirty-five minutes. The morning of 22 September, 1914, found Cressy, Aboukir, and Hogue on patrol off the “Broad Fourteens” along the Dutch coast. They were without destroyer escorts because those had sought shelter from heavy seas during the night. The cruisers were steaming at 10 knots, north by east in line abreast, about 2,000 yards apart. They were positioned to intercept any German warships that might attempt to interfere with British troop convoys to France. That same morning, the German submarine U-9 surfaced, after laying on the bottom overnight to avoid the storm, and sighted the cruisers. The submarine was, indeed, on it’s way to seek the troop convoys, but the cruisers were too tempting a target. Kapitanleutnant Otto Weddigen fired his first torpedo at Aboukir, striking her starboard side around 06:20. The British Captain thought he had struck a mine and signaled the other two cruisers to close and lend assistance. That signal, and the fact that Royal Navy captains were only just learning the danger a submarine presented, doomed all three ships. Aboukir went down in 30 minutes. Hogue was hit by two torpedoes at 06:55 and went down in 10 minutes. And Cressy, still trying to rescue survivors, was hit by two torpedoes, took on a list, and capsized in 35 minutes. Otto Weddigen, having emptied his torpedo tubes, was on his way home by 07:55. Sixty-two officers and 1,397 enlisted men were lost that morning, and the Royal Navy learned a brutal lesson in a tragically awful way. U-9 – “manning the side” – receives the salute as she makes her way through the fleet in Wilhelmshaven. The warships behind her are the pre-dreadnought battleships of the II Battle Squadron. Kapitanleutnant Weddingen was lauded as a hero by his countrymen and received the “Iron Cross, Second and First Class” for his action. No surprise – the British thought the submarine...”A damned un-English weapon”...and their propaganda painted Weddingen as a “pirate”. Weddinmgen would go on to receive the “Pour le Merite” – before meeting his death in March 1915, when his submarine was rammed and sunk by HMS Dreadnought in the Pentland Firth. (Willy Stower) HMS Drake – circa 1909. This picture clearly shows the secondary guns “stacked” along the hull in two rows. The bottom row was at main deck level and, when at high speed or in rough weather, they were completely awash and of no use. A serious fault built into the Cressy’s and continued in several subsequent classes. The Admiralty doubled-down between 1902-1903 with a new design and four more armored cruisers of the Drake Class. The Drake’s were considerably larger, and improved versions of the Cressy Class, laid down specifically in response to the new French armored cruiser Jeanne d’Arc. These ships were 14,150 tons displacement and 533 feet long, with an unusually deep draft of 26 feet, which produced a very stable gun platform and an excellent sea boat. The ships retained the same engines and twin screw arrangement, but the longer length was filled by a rising total of boilers – 43 Bellevilles, this time. The added boiler muscle meant the Drake’s could easily reach their designed speed of 23 knots on trials. The new cruisers kept the same armament and gun layout as in the Cressy Class, and basically the same armor scheme, with the exception of changing the protected armor deck to 1.25 inches thick with 2.5 inches of sloping armor. If you examine the German and British ships and their commissioning dates, you see a pattern developing early on in the 20th Century. In the time it took the Imperial Navy to design, build, commission, and evaluate Furst Bismarck and Prinz Heinrich – the Royal Navy commissioned ten roughly equal armored cruisers. This disparity was to dog the Imperial Navy for its’ entire life span. And though many analysts and historians are quick to cite the disparity, it is too readily dismissed as a simple inability of German shipyards to build “more” and “fast”. But, I’m afraid, it is more complicated than that. Great Britain had well over two centuries of naval supremacy to her credit. Britain was an island -- she had the means to build many ships, the wealth of an entire empire to pay for them, senior officers to direct them, seagoing officers to command them, and politicians who understood the very life of the Empire depended upon them. Britain had long experience in producing the warships necessary to project seapower around the globe and control any sea zone she wished. In fact, the Royal Navy was so critical and successful an instrument of power politics, that Britain possessed no army to speak of. (Raising an army of millions to fight in the WW I trenches would kill an entire generation of young men and ultimately cripple the British Empire beyond recovery.) Germany, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Prussia/Germany had an illustrious military heritage dating back to Frederick The Great. And, more recently, her army had beaten the dominant European land power in the Franco-Prussian War. At the turn of the 20th Century, the Imperial German Army was the largest, best equipped, best trained, and best led army on the Continent. (The Tsarist armies might have been larger, but they were abominably equipped, shockingly poorly led, and logistics was an unknown science.) The German Great General Staff was the finest collection of military minds and experience on the planet. And, what’s more, the Reichstag understood the Army – and were in agreement (mostly) that it was THE instrument of defense, power, and decision. They agreed that if the French raised a division, Germany must raise two – and they voted the funds. But -- one naval-oriented member of the Reichstag, when asked about naval estimates, said flatly…...”How am I to convince a Silesian farmer that he needs to pay for a battleship?” So Germany had no naval heritage to rely upon, nor did she have centuries of experience in building warships and employing them as a political tool. Their lack of reliance on warships explained why their shipyards were smaller and fewer in number. Since Germany had so little experience in naval matters, her senior officers were less able to formulate plans for a future they could not foresee. This, in turn, made it difficult to influence ship designs that would effectively meet the needs of the navy. And -- since the existing shipyards did not have a lot of experience building warships, it took them almost twice as long. And all of this brings into focus the three problems that, in effect, prohibited Imperial Germany from building “more” and “fast”. (1) It took longer to identify an optimal ship design, (2) Building “one-off” ships – or infrequent ships – prevented shipyards from developing techniques, streamlined procedures, and staff experienced in building complicated ships. And (3) The Reichstag’s reluctance to fully fund a navy they simply did not understand, effectively prevented any solution to the first two problems. But the Naval Laws of 1898, 1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912, at least provided partial relief to the funding. It was not enough money, and would never be enough. But at least the work of building a fleet could proceed. PRINZ ADALBERT CLASS ARMORED CRUISERS SMS Prinz Adalbert seen at high speed during sea trials in January, 1904. The Reichstag passed the Naval Law of 1898, outlining a force of 12 armored cruisers. The original intent of the Naval Office was to design them for use on colonial stations, while a further cruiser force was to be built for scouting duties with the Hochseeflotte. But the Reichstag balked at such a large expenditure during the original negotiations, and the Naval Office had to settle for a cruiser design that could perform both duties. After all, Tirpitz’ paramount objective was to get the law passed to guarantee regular additions to the strength of the fleet – a procedure quite new to the Reichstag budgeting process. Let’s face it – 12 cruisers were better than none! The new law called for one armored cruiser per year, and 1898 produced the Prinz Heinrich design – an altered version of the Furst Bismarck. While remaining within the Naval Law’s budget allowance, they basically cut back on gun power and rearranged the armor into a reduced, more comprehensive scheme, to make a trade-off for increased speed and lower cost. The Second Naval Law, of 1900, increased the planned armored cruisers to 14 and produced a design for two armored cruisers of the Prinz Adalbert Class. Both ships were laid down in 1900 -- Prinz Adalbert at Kaiserwerft, Kiel, and Friedrich Carl at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg. The class was, as usual, based on the previous Prinz Heinrich, but in the important points, they were a significant improvement. The basic hull size and shape remained the same, but armament and armoring schemes were altered. SMS Prinz Adalbert – plan profile. By this stage of cruiser development, the naval architects and seagoing officers were beginning to question the viability of mounting only two heavy guns on a warship. The naval officers were always worried about battle damage -- an accepted risk. But – could only two slow-firing 9.4 inch guns lay down enough fire to suppress an enemy quickly? (One of Adm. Jackie Fisher’s favorite axioms was – “Hit fast...hit hard...and keep hitting!”) So the decision was made to go back to four guns in twin turrets, with calibers reduced to 8.3 inch – a faster firing gun of roughly comparable hitting power. This might seem like an erroneous conclusion, but in 1 minute of firing, the 9.4 inch gun could deliver three shells with a total weight of 930 pounds. In the same minute, the 8.3 inch gun could deliver five shells with a total weight of 1,190 pounds. Plus – the effect of more shells falling faster would be quite disconcerting on the receiving end. This was the “Volume Of Fire” theory – more shells, faster – “smother” the target. In opposition was the “Big Gun” school of thought. Big gun advocates pointed out that a bigger shell would strike harder, penetrate deeper, and cause more damage. In the end, both theories were based on the number of hits that could be scored – a somewhat more dubious reality. The science of long range gunnery was just beginning to be recognized as critical to success, but was not yet widely accepted as the key to victory. Fire control systems and actual gunnery practice were among Fisher’s Royal Navy reforms – but “old school” admirals tended to ignore such things. Fortunately for the Imperial Navy, the Kaiser was excessively proud of his ship’s gunnery, and held frequent competitions with annual awards for excellence. This would pay off handsomely in later years. Ultimately, the decision to switch to a lighter, faster-firing gun was a political decision. The Reichstag would not agree to additional funds to put the larger 9.4 inch gun on the cruisers. Consequently, the switch to 8.3 inch main battery guns would become a permanent fixture on all armored cruisers – and it would similarly influence the main battery caliber on dreadnought battleships. In view of the Imperial Navy’s skilled shooting – the bigger gun would have been the better investment. Here are the two ships of the Prinz Adalbert Class, riding at their moorings along the breakwater in the West Loch. Prinz Adalbert is moored outboard, and Friederich Carl is tied up at the mooring points. Cruisers assigned to the Hochseeflotte spent quite a lot of time at moorings – when not making port calls around Europe, or making training cruises – or escorting the Kaiser’s yacht. The steam tug (by WolfZe) is towing two barges loaded with fresh foodstuffs, headed for one of the other cruisers. With the exception of WolfZe’s tug, all the other beautiful ship models are courtesy of @AP. The armoring scheme for the Adalbert’s was improved, somewhat, by adjusting the placement of the various plates and adding an oblique armored bulkhead to connect the upper belt armor to the turret barbettes. The protected armor deck thickness was increased and a new propulsion plant used, giving a marginal increase in speed, with a slight increase in operating radius. The coal bunkers were adjusted to carry more coal, but the object was to spread them over a greater area of the hull to increase the layers of protection. Tests proved that a full coal bunker absorbed a great deal of destructive energy from incoming shells. This practice had been somewhat overlooked in the Prinz Heinrich, but became a standard feature on all Imperial warships beginning with the Prinz Adalbert Class. The crewmen on Prinz Adalbert have used the ship’s crane to swing a boat out in preparation for going ashore. The ship already has a boat boom rigged and a cutter has just returned with some green bags in the stern sheets – possibly mail. A dispatch boat has also just pulled alongside. We chose the British 75 foot motor launch from 1915 as a dispatch boat – it looked like the perfect “errand boy” for a naval base. It is a small model, but “AP” has worked a lot of detail into it. The boat boom, cutter, and dispatch boat are props, on a 1x1 lot plopped adjacent to the cruiser model The Prinz Adalbert Class displaced 8,943 tons with a length of 415 feet and a beam of 64 feet. Fourteen coal-fired water-tube boilers powered three triple-expansion engines driving three screws at a speed of 20 knots (though both ships slightly exceeded their design speeds on sea trials). The radius of operation was 5,850 miles at 12 knots. The assigned crew was 35 officers and 551 enlisted men. Over on the left of the picture is a Jupiter Class collier tied up to a “barrel buoy” (both by “AP”). The steam tug has a “double tow” of lighters, and it should be mentioned that the length of the tow hawser to the first lighter should, in reality, be about three times as long. But for visual effect in the game, I have shortened the tow. The class was armed with four 8.3 inch SK-L/40 (QF) guns mounted in twin turrets, one fore and one aft. The secondary armament of ten 5.9 inch guns followed the now standard “slab-sided” arrangement amidships in turrets and turreted casemates. They also carried the obligatory dozen 3.5 inch guns for torpedo boat defense. Four 17.7 inch submerged torpedo tubes were mounted -- one in the bow, one in the stern, and one on each broadside. The mooring points in the picture are patterned after those used in Pearl Harbor and were provided by @Mattb325. I re-lotted them and added lights, rope coils, and sailors – everything you would expect to see with a mooring party. The armor scheme seems repetitive, from class to class, but there were always subtle adjustments and additions that continued to improve the system. The ship’s were plated with the new Krupp’s Cemented Armor with 3.9 inches on the belt, barbettes, and new oblique bulkheads. The bow and stern of the ships were left unarmored. (This practice had now become quite common as a weight-saving device, but future repercussions would prove it to have been an ill-conceived concept.) The protective armored deck was 1.6 inches with sloping sides of 3.1 inches. The main battery turrets were faced with 5.9 inch armor as was the forward conning tower. Some bulkheads were rearranged from the previous design and one more watertight compartment added to improve internal protection. When finished, Prinz Adalbert and Friedrich Carl, had each cost the Imperial Government 16.4 million Goldmarks. (Goldmarks were the official currency of the Empire and were valued at about five to the English Pound.) After commissioning, both ships served in a wide variety of functions – everything from the “Tangier Crisis” of 1905, to escorting the Kaiser on his Mediterranean vacations, and the normal training exercises and pre-war fleet maneuvers with the Hochseeflotte. This is a detail shot – and if you look closely, you will find a wealth of detail and even some crewmen training on their guns. The lighter in the top corner is a little gem. There is a lot of detail “AP” worked into the barge, itself – in addition to a superb job of modeling the food crates. The breakwaters are by “Uki”. Shortly after war broke out in 1914, Friedrich Carl was assigned to the Cruiser Division Baltic, where she served as flagship. August, September, and October were spent patrolling off the German coast and making offensive sweeps around Libau and into the Gulf of Finland. On 16 November, 1914, Friedrich Carl joined a force being assembled to bombard Libau, which was suspected of being used as a base for British submarines operating in the Baltic Sea. Around 01:46 on the 17th, she was 38 miles west of Memel when she entered a Russian-laid minefield and struck one to starboard. Friedrich Carl immediately altered course to return to Memel, but struck a second mine at 01:57. She began taking on water, but remained afloat long enough for the light cruiser Augsburg to remove the crew. Abandoned to sink, she did so around 07:15. Only eight crewmen were lost. One more detail shot. Prinz Adalbert was assigned as flagship of the IV Scouting Group of the Hochseeflotte upon the outbreak of hostilities in 1914. In November, when Friedrich Carl was sunk, she was detached and assigned to the Cruiser Division Baltic Sea to take her place. On 1 July, 1915, a minelaying operation north of Bogskar was returning when it was ambushed by a Russian Squadron of three armored cruisers and two light cruisers. When the situation report came in, Prinz Adalbert and Prinz Heinrich immediately sortied in support. While en route, the cruisers steamed across the path of the British submarine E-9, which slammed a torpedo into Prinz Adalbert just below the conning tower, causing severe damage and killing ten. The armored cruiser laid in a course for the Kaiserwerft, Danzig – but taking in 2,000 tons of water made her too deep for the shallow entrance. Instead, she had to limp all the way to Kiel to find a channel deep enough to admit her to port, arriving on July 4th. Repairs were completed in September, 1915. On October 19th, Prinz Adalbert was ordered to take up a patrol line between Faro and Dagerot. Some 20 miles west of Libau, en route to her patrol area, she was steaming in company with two destroyers when she encountered the British submarine E-8. The submarine loosed a spread of torpedoes at 1,300 yards and within seconds, a massive explosion ripped the cruiser apart. She went down instantly, with only three survivors from her 675 man crew. In all probability, one or more torpedoes struck near a powder magazine and detonated the contents. She lies in 240 feet of water, broken in half like a match stick. It might be said that the Prinz Adalbert’s, too, were an ill-fated class. But what could be more truly said, was that the Baltic Sea might have been a “small show” compared to the North Sea – but it was infinitely more deadly. THE COMPETITION The evolution of the Imperial German cruiser force must always be viewed within the context of the era and the prevailing environment. Nothing exists in a vacuum and warships are no exception. In 1905, the big news in the world, and Europe in particular, was the humiliating defeat suffered by the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The modern Japanese Imperial Navy had easily defeated the less numerous and less modern Russian Pacific Fleet. Then, at the Battle Of Tsushima, they defeated the even less modern Russian Baltic Fleet sent all the way around Africa. At the same time, the Japanese Imperial Army, at great cost of human life, captured Port Arthur and drove the Russian army out of Manchuria. The defeat came as a great shock to Europeans, in general, and the Americans in particular, because it signaled a major shift in the balance of power in Asia. It also altered the power balance in Europe. Russia was devastated and would take many years to regain her strength. This automatically (though only temporarily) removed the potential military/political threat on the borders of the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires. The politicians and generals were emboldened because they no longer feared the “Russian Juggernaut” in the East. Edward VII, King of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India. Reigned 1901 – 1910. In his coronation robes. Political tensions would rise and crises would multiply in the coming years, but the King-Emperor, Edward VII, sat on the throne of Great Britain. Both Kaiser Wilhelm II and Czar Nicholas II were his nephews, and Edward spent a great deal of time smoothing the political waves in Europe. They did not call him “Edward The Peacemaker” for nothing. He achieved more useful political maneuvering than all his ministers put together. During his brief ten-year reign, he turned the French from enemies to allies, sympathized with Nicholas II, and did his best to still Wilhelm’s saber-rattling. But Edward was no fool. The King actively backed Admiral Jackie Fisher’s reforms of the Royal Navy, the much-needed reorganization and distribution of the fleet, and encouraged Admiral Fisher in his design and building of the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought. Edward knew diplomacy was all well and good, but it would fail without a strong, modern fleet to back it up. And Jackie Fisher was the man to build that fleet. Fisher always kept his “eye on the ball” and followed naval developments in France, Austro-Hungary, Japan, and even in America. But most of all, he eyed the German fleet with particular interest. The growing numbers of German armored cruisers were a distinct threat to British trade routes and supply lines. And the only way to protect the sea lanes was to hunt down the German cruisers with an overwhelming number of British cruisers. Between 1903 and 1906, Great Britain commissioned ten ships of the Monmouth Class, six ships of the Devonshire Class, and two ships of the Duke Of Edinburgh Class. Though some of these proved to be of slightly dubious quality, both Edward and Fisher knew...”Quantity had a quality all its’ own”. HMS Bedford – Monmouth Class – 1903. Note the bridge, which has been reduced to an armored conning tower with “flying bridge wings” and a wheelhouse. The Monmouth’s (Often called the “County Class”) might actually be called “second class” cruisers. Jackie Fisher’s comment was biting, but succinct – “Sir William White designed the County Class but forgot the guns”. But in all fairness, potential enemy armored cruisers were still rare in 1902, when they were designed. The ships were really only expected to encounter light cruisers and armed merchant cruisers on the sea lanes, and were specifically designed to deal with small, fast cruisers like the French Guichen, Chateaurenault, and Dupleix. Having said that, they were relatively fast ships for their time and could possibly have outrun anything with bigger guns. The Monmouth Class ships were 9,800 tons, 463 feet long, and capable of 23 knots. The main battery consisted of fourteen 6 inch MK VII guns – four of which were mounted in two twin turrets, one fore and one aft. The remaining ten guns were mounted five on either broadside in casemates amidships. Unfortunately, six of the casemates were positioned at the main deck level and were useless in heavy seas. Ten quick-firing 3 inch guns were fitted for torpedo boat defense and two 18 inch submerged torpedo tubes were included. The waterline belt armor was 4 inches amidships, tapering to 2 inches forward (presumably, the stern was unarmored). The gun turrets, barbettes, and casemates were armored with 4 inches. The protective armored deck was 0.75 inches, thickening to 2 inches on the slopes, and the conning tower received 10 inches. Monmouth was lost at the Battle Of Coronel, in 1914, while the other ships did good service and some were instrumental in tracking down and sinking German light cruisers used for commerce raiding early in the war. All were withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1920–21. Devonshire Class - HMS Devonshire – 1905. Again we see the large wooden bridge atop the armored conning tower. In battle the bridge staff was supposed to drop down a ladder into the armored conning tower. In actual practice, many captains chose to command from the bridge to get a better tactical view of the battle. The six ships of the Devonshire Class were all commissioned in 1905, and were “improved” versions of the Monmouth’s intended for commerce protection. Mindful of the previous negative remarks about armament, the 6 inch battery was reduced and 7.5 inch guns were added. The ships displaced 10,850 tons, were 473 feet in length, and capable of 22 knots. The breech-loading 7.5 inch MK I guns were placed in four single turrets, with one aft, and the other three in a triangular arrangement forward. One turret was placed on the forecastle deck, with the other two placed slightly aft and one deck lower (weather deck) on either beam. The MK I’s fired a 200 pound shell out to approximately 14,000 yards. The secondary battery of six 6 inch guns was placed in casemates amidships on either beam. Four of the casemates were at main deck level and were unworkable at any kind of speed or heavy weather. The ships were also equipped with eighteen quick-firing, 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns for torpedo boat defense, but these were later removed when they proved unable to stop modern torpedo craft. Two 18” submerged torpedo tubes rounded out the armament. The Devonshires were “up-armored” with a waterline belt of 6 inches amidships, closed off at both ends by 5-inch armored transverse bulkheads. The turrets were armored with 5 inches, while the barbettes received 6 inches. The protective armored deck was unchanged from the previous class, while the conning tower was increased to 12 inches. HMS Argyll ran aground on Bell Rock near Dundee in October, 1915, and though her entire crew was rescued, the ship was a total loss. HMS Hampshire struck a mine off the mainland of Orkney and was lost on June 5, 1916. Of the 749 souls aboard, only 12 were rescued. Among those lost were the Secretary Of State For War, Lord Kitchner, and his staff. They were en route for Russia to discuss the deteriorating situation on the Eastern Front. The remainder of the class was scrapped 1921-1922. Duke Of Edinburgh Class - HMS Duke Of Edinburgh – 1906. After the Devonshire Class, the British Admiralty decided their cruisers could be put to better use by forming a “fast wing” of the battle fleet. A fast wing would give the battle line a tactical edge over their opponents. The cruiser’s extra speed would allow them to race ahead of the enemy line and cross their “T”, allowing the cruisers to bring all their broadside guns to bear on the leading enemy warship. Or, the fast wing could be used to apply pressure to the van (front) of the enemy line, forcing them to alter course and place them in a less advantageous position. If nothing else, they could be used as scouts to locate the enemy fleet and help bring them to battle. This new tactical employment would, of course, mean the new cruisers would have to have heavier armor and bigger guns. And the higher speed would require more room for engines and boilers, which meant longer hulls and higher costs. Some naval analysts (including the legendary Oscar Parks) have referred to the Duke Of Edinburgh Class as the cruiser version of the contemporary King Edward VII Class pre-dreadnought battleships. They displaced 12,590 tons, were 505 feet long, and could make 23 knots. The cruiser’s main battery was composed of six 9.2 inch MK X guns in single turrets. The Mark X was a much more powerful gun than those mounted in the Devonshires. The guns were arranged with one turret fore and aft, and four wing turrets amidships, abaft the first and fourth funnels. The guns could fire a 380 pound shell at three rounds per minute out to 15,500 yards. The secondary battery of ten 6 inch guns were mounted on the main deck in single embrasures rather than casemates, five on either broadside amidships. And, as usual, the guns on the main deck level were too close to the waterline and were useless in anything but calm seas. They also carried twenty Vickers 3-pounder quick-firing guns for torpedo boat defense, but these were found to be useless, and were removed. Three submerged 18 inch torpedo tubes were fitted with eighteen reloads. The Duke Of Edinburgh and Black Prince were well armored with a 6 inch belt of Krupp Cemented Armor amidships that reached up 14.5 feet to the upper deck and extended nearly 5 feet below the waterline. The belt was only 4 inches out to the bow and 3 inches to the stern, while 6 inch transverse bulkheads closed off the fore and aft ends of the midships central citadel. The gun turrets had 7.5 inches on the front with 5.5 inches on the sides and a 2 inch roof. The barbettes and ammunition hoists were 6 inches, while the embrasure mounted 6 inch guns were separated by 2 inch armor screens. The protective armor deck was, however, only 0.75 of an inch with 1.5 inches over the steering gear and 2 inches over the engines. The conning tower was plated to 10 inches. For those of you wondering why Krupp armor from Germany could be found on a British warship – it was strictly “business”. The decades just before and after the turn of the century were the “Golden Years” for the armaments industries. And representatives (salesmen) of the armaments firms practically went door-to-door across Europe and the entire World drumming up business. The British shipyards of Armstrong, Vickers, and John Brown built ships for Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Japan. German shipyards built warships for Holland, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Turkey, and even Russia. France sold warships to Russia. Even the Americans got in on the act by building battleships for South American customers and selling two old ones to Greece. (German Stukas bombed and sank them in WW II.) Armstrong sold some of the largest cannon in the world to anyone who had the money to buy them. And Krupp’s massive works at Essen were kept roaring day and night by selling anything to anyone. You could even find some Krupp cannon and Cemented Armor in Teddy Roosevelt’s “Great White Fleet”. Of course the Royal Navy only wanted the best and strongest armor for their warships, so Krupp was paid handsomely to supply it. And – Admiral Hollman’s fear that armored cruisers would eventually find their way into the battle fleet came true with the British Duke Of Edinburgh Class. The sailing frigate had transformed into an ironclad frigate, an unprotected cruiser, a protected cruiser, an armored cruiser for commerce protection, and now an armored cruiser “fast wing” of the battle fleet. From Dupuy de Lome, 1890, to The Duke Of Edinburgh’s planning and design (about 1902), it had taken just twelve years for the ships to find their way into close proximity with the battle fleet. HMS Duke Of Edinburgh was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet at Jutland, in May of 1916, and briefly engaged the German II Scouting Group as well as the German light cruiser Wiesbaden. She suffered no damage or casualties and finished out the war on the North American West Indies Station performing convoy duties. She was scrapped in 1920. HMS Black Prince was serving in the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet when war broke out in 1914. She participated in the pursuit of the Goeben (German battlecruiser) and was then sent into the Red Sea to search for German merchant shipping. Black Prince took two prizes – the German ocean liners Istria and Sudmark. It is a bit ironic that she actually performed commerce raiding duty – the original mission of an armored cruiser. Ordered to England, she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet in December, 1914. In May 1916, at Jutland, Black Prince was again deployed with the 1st Cruiser Squadron scouting in advance of the main body of the Grand Fleet. A swirling fire-fight erupted when contact was made with the cruisers of the Hochseeflotte’s 2nd Scouting Group at about 17:42. A lively skirmish ensued with much gunfire and the occasional torpedo track in the water. Fifteen or twenty minutes later, Black Prince had lost sight of the enemy and her own squadron mates, and nothing more was heard from her until she radioed an erroneous submarine sighting report at 20:45. Darkness settled in over the battle area and nothing more was known until about 23:35. The 1st Battle Squadron of the Hochseeflotte was on “high alert” steering southwest for Horn’s Reef when, suddenly, a ship appeared out of the darkness to the east. The enemy ship looked to be an armored cruiser resembling a Duke Of Edinburgh Class. The British vessel scored hits with two 6 inch shells on the battleship Rheinland, then put her helm hard over and tried to run. But it was too close and too late. SMS Thuringen quickly fixed the fleeing cruiser in her searchlight beams and opened fire almost instantly. At least five more ships – including the battleships Nassau, Friedrich der Grosse, and Ostfriesland opened a quick and deadly fusillade. All of the German ships were within 750 to 1,500 yards of the target – point-blank range – zero trajectory shooting for 12 inch guns. Black Prince was hit by a minimum of twelve large caliber shells and an unknown number of 5.9 inch rounds. Within seconds, she burst into a mass of flame from stem to stern and the fires deep inside the hull could be seen through the jagged shell holes. The Germans ceased fire and maintained their course, but they saw the flames disappear about 23:50. Black Prince had gone down with all hands – a loss of 857 officers and men. SMS Thuringen and 1st Battle Squadron open fire on HMS Black Prince at point-blank range. (Art by Willy Stower.) In 1902, when Black Prince was designed to form a “fast wing” of the battle fleet, the officers who formulated the strategy had never seen an armored cruiser under the guns of a battleship. They had no real concept of what they were trying to doing. The British naval officer of the era had grown up in the late Victorian Age and had been spoon-fed a diet of “Nelsonian Superiority”. The Royal Navy was the navy of Nelson, and Francis Drake, and annihilating your enemy in battle. To attack – always attack – and no matter the odds, you fought on until victory was achieved. Nelson had gotten away with it in the Age Of Sail. And Black Prince might have gotten away back then, with a fair wind in her sails. But in the age of steel giants and massive 12 inch guns – this sort of daring-do was no longer possible. And what happened to Black Prince at Jutland, would have happened to the ships of a “fast wing” in 1902 – if it was composed of armored cruisers. An armored cruiser was no more than a “grown-up” frigate, and the Royal Navy had forgotten the “first law” of frigates – “Frigates were NEVER intended to stand in the line of battle.” Neither were armored cruisers. But the idea of a “fast wing” was never tried in battle – and it would resurface in a few years with yet another kind of ship that held out the promise of speed and power. NEXT TIME…… EVOLUTION OF THE ARMORED CRUISER THAT'S NOT ALL...... We have another prop-pack for you ...HISTORIC NAVIES 1900 - Volume 05: Victoria Louise Class Cruisers. I DO HOPE you are enjoying these chapters – rather than being bored out of your mind. I enjoy writing them, but then, I have always been fascinated with the history. Do let me know – I can always write a lot less and post more pictures. MANY THANKS to @Barroco Hispano for his beautiful warships. We haven’t seen many of his models lately, but there are some great ones coming in future chapters. AGAIN, VERY SPECIAL THANKS to my teammate @AP for volunteering his considerable talents and valuable time. The Cuxhaven Series would have been utterly impossible without his generous assisstance. If you enjoyed anything you saw – please punch the “like” button so I will know. A comment would be even more informative. Comments and critiques requested and gratefully accepted. All questions answered promptly to the best of my ability. THANK YOU for your visit! You may wish to visit these CJ’s as well…… SERIES I: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: WILHELMSHAVEN SERIES II: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: CUXHAVEN Appearing – Work In Publication SERIES III: IMPERIAL DOCKYARDS: BREMERHAVEN Appearing -- ??? And please feel free to drop in at… THE SIMTROPOLIS SHIPYARD https://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/761469-simtropolis-shipyard/?tab=comments#comment-1766496- 4 Comments
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