Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Kriegsmarine — Battleship

SMS Schleswig-Holstein

Deutschland-class battleship

SMS Schleswig-Holstein
Klein, A. — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons Plate

Service

  1. Kriegsmarine as Schleswig-Holstein6 July 1908 — 2 May 1917
Deutschland-class battleship Particulars
Name
SMS Schleswig-Holstein
Namesake
Schleswig-Holstein
Builder
Germaniawerft, Kiel
Ordered
11 June 1904
Laid down
18 August 1905
Launched
17 December 1906
Commissioned
6 July 1908
Decommissioned
2 May 1917
Recommissioned
31 January 1926
Fate
Sunk by bombs, 1944
Scuttled, 21 March 1945
Raised and beached for use as target 1948
Remains still exist (1944)
Status
Wreck

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
8.21 m (26.9 ft)
Speed
19.1 knots (35.4 km/h, 22 mph)
Range
5,720 nmi (10,593 km)
Complement
743
Main gun
280 mm (11 in)

SMS Schleswig-Holstein was a Deutschland-class battleship, operated by the Kriegsmarine. The ship was named after Schleswig-Holstein. Germaniawerft, Kiel laid her keel on 18 August 1905. Launched on 17 December 1906, she entered service on 6 July 1908.

She was one of five ships of her class. The class followed the Braunschweig-class battleship and was succeeded by the Nassau-class battleship.

Displacement was 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 19.1 knots, and she carried a complement of 743.

Her main battery was four 280 mm (11.0 in) guns. Her belt armour was 240 mm (9.4 in) and her deck 40 mm. Her machinery developed 12,503 kW.

She was decommissioned on 2 May 1917. She recommissioned on 31 January 1926.

She was scuttled in 1944. The wreck survives.

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
  • 12503 kW
  • 12 × water-tube boilers
Armament
  • At construction:
  • 4 × 28 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 14 × 17 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 20 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns
  • 6 × 45 cm torpedo tubes
  • Armament in 1926:
  • 4 × 28 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 12 × 15 cm SK L/45 guns
  • 8 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns
  • 4 × 50 cm torpedo tubes
  • Armament in 1939:
  • 4 × 28 cm SK L/40 guns
  • 10 × 15 cm SK L/45 guns
  • 4 × 8.8 cm SK L/45 anti-aircraft guns
  • 4 × 3.7 cm guns
Armour
  • Belt: 240 mm
  • Turrets: 280 mm
  • Deck: 40 mm

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from SMS Schleswig-Holstein on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Klein, A. — This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project . The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive — CC BY-SA 3.0 de — Wikimedia Commons