German Kaiserliche Battleships

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi everybody,

When someone think about the German Navy during the world wars, usually only the U-Boats came to mind. However, I´ve been collecting some images from the Imperial Navy and its pre-Dreadnoughts and Dreadnoughts.

The Kaiserliche Marine had some beautiful vessels, with all those cannons (with that arrangement in mid-ship), and although many had survived the war, most met its end in the infamous "Great Scuttle" in Scapa Flow, while in captivity, in June 1919.

Let´s see some of the monsters.

Hope you enjoy.

Douglas.

 

[Douglas Jr.]

More pictures

 

[Douglas Jr.]

Two pre-Dreadnoughts vessels...

 

[Douglas Jr.]

Some interesting pictures of the SMS Rheinland

 

[Nonskimmer]

The High Sea Fleet had a very short life. Pity.
From a naval lover's point of view, that is. Nice pics!

 

[Medvedya]

Try this link....

http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/jralston/rk/scapa/

 

[Nonskimmer]

Ah yes, that's an interesting site!

 

[Douglas Jr.]

This is the vessel which shot the very first shots of World War II: the SMS (later KMS) Schleswig-Holstein. Built in 1906, this pre-Dreadnought was one of the four old battleships that Germany was allowed to keep after the Versailles Treaty.

On September 1s, 1939, this ship was anchonred at Danzig and started to fire over Polish positions at 4:45AM - the first shots of WWII. The ship saw some action during the War and was only put out of action in April, 1945, after soviet aerial attack. Its hull was after used by the Soviets fot firing practice, ending its "career" during the Fifties - a very long combat life.

Douglas.

 

[Douglas Jr.]

Hi,

Thanks for the link and the comments!

Here is one of the wrecks shown in the above site during its glorious days: SMS König.

 

[plan_D]

I don't see anything with the High Seas Fleet having a short life, the Royal Navy sunk it!

 

[Nonskimmer]

Hence the short life.
Damn British Imperial bast...Uh...that is...Rule Britannia!

 

[plan_D]

We are cruel sods...we let them get their hopes up then BAM!

 

[KraziKanuK]

I don't see anything with the High Seas Fleet having a short life, the Royal Navy sunk it!

I did now know that the RN set off the scuttling chargers. Learn something new everyday.

 

[Nonskimmer]

Very clever, those Kippers.

 

[trackend]

Heres one from the Senior Service that the Kaiser wanted too emulate HMS Warspite survived 13 hits at Jutland and saw the demise of the grand fleet. in WW2 Survived Ariel bombing and took on 5000 tons of water scored a remarkable hit on an Italian cruiser at 18 miles, hit a mine was damaged but still put on a show during D-Day
and refused to be scraped in 1946 by breaking her tow on the way to the breakers and running aground

 

[Medvedya]

Very clever, those Kippers.

I've been meaning to ask, how did the RCN come up with the name 'Kippers'? It's a cool nickname!

 

[Nonskimmer]

For many years the RCN was little more than a smaller copy of the RN, with many of the same traditions. One of those traditions was having kippers for breakfast aboard ship.
I guess it's just our way of "thanking" the British for that.

 

[Medvedya]

Not a fan of that breakfast treat then?

You still have 'Trafalgar Day' though?

 

[Nonskimmer]

No, I can't say that we do. Thankfully, kippers are now only served by individual request. They don't get many. (requests, that is.)

 

[trackend]

Its boot leather streaky bacon with waffles and syrup now then Skim .
At least when I went too Vancouver thats what they all had ,too close too Seattle do you reckon or was it the Canadians who started the trend?