Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Battleship

SMS Schlesien

Deutschland-class battleship

SMS Schlesien
Bain News Service, New York — This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.17791 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The German Imperial Navy Deutschland -class battleship SMS Schlesien .

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as Schlesien5 May 1908 — 1 December 1918
Deutschland-class battleship Particulars
Name
SMS Schlesien
Namesake
Silesia
Builder
Schichau, Danzig
Ordered
11 June 1904
Laid down
19 November 1904
Launched
28 May 1906
Commissioned
5 May 1908
Decommissioned
1 December 1918
Fate
Mined off Swinemünde in 3 May 1945, scrapped 1949–1956 (1945)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

Displacement, standard
12,983 long tons (13,191 t)
Displacement, full load
13,993 long tons (14,218 t)
Length
127.6 m (418.6 ft)
Beam
22.2 m (72.8 ft)
Draught
7.7 m (25.3 ft)
Speed
18.5 knots (34.3 km/h, 21.3 mph)
Range
4,770 nmi (8,834 km)
Complement
743
Main gun
280 mm (11 in)

SMS Schlesien was a Deutschland-class battleship of the Kriegsmarine. The ship was named after Silesia. Schichau, Danzig laid her keel on 19 November 1904. She entered service on 5 May 1908, having been launched on 28 May 1906.

Five ships of the class were built. The class followed the Braunschweig-class battleship and was succeeded by the Nassau-class battleship.

She displaced 12,983 long tons standard and 13,993 long tons at full load. She measured 127.6 m (419 ft) long with a beam of 22.2 m (73 ft). Her designed speed was 18.5 knots, and she carried a complement of 743.

Her main battery was four 280 mm (11.0 in) guns. Her machinery developed 13,918 kW.

She was decommissioned on 1 December 1918.

She was broken up for scrap on 3 May 1945.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 3 × triple-expansion steam engines
  • 3 × screw propellers
Power
  • 13918 kW
  • 12 × water-tube boilers
Armament
  • Original:
  • 4 × 28 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 14 × 17 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 20 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 naval guns
  • 6 × 45 cm torpedo tubes
  • Armament in 1939:
  • 4 × 28 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 2 x 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns
  • 4 × 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns
  • 22 × 2 cm C/30 guns
Armour
  • 240 mm in belt
  • 280 mm in turrets
  • 40 mm in deck

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from SMS Schlesien on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Bain News Service, New York — This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.17791 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons