SMS Ostfriesland

SMS Ostfriesland
History
German Empire
Name	SMS Ostfriesland
Namesake	East Frisia
Builder	Kaiserliche Werft, Wilhelmshaven
Laid down	19 October 1908
Launched	30 September 1909
Commissioned	1 August 1911
Decommissioned	16 December 1918
In service	22 September 1911
Stricken	5 November 1919
Fate	Ceded to United States, 1920
United States
Name	USS Ostfriesland
Acquired	7 April 1920
Commissioned	7 April 1920
Decommissioned	20 September 1920
Fate	Sunk as a target by aircraft, 21 July 1921
General characteristics
Class and type	Helgoland-class battleship
Displacement	Normal: 22,808 t (22,448 long tons) Full load: 24,700 t (24,300 long tons)
Length	167.20 m (548 ft 7 in)
Beam	28.50 m (93 ft 6 in)
Draft	8.94 m (29 ft 4 in)
Installed power	15 × water-tube boilers 28,000 PS (28,000 ihp)
Propulsion	3 × triple-expansion steam engines 3 × screw propellers
Speed	21.2 knots (39.3 km/h; 24.4 mph)
Range	5,500 nautical miles (10,190 km; 6,330 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	42 officers 1027 enlisted
Armament	12 × 30.5 cm (12 in) SK L/50 guns 14 × 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns 14 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns 6 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor	Belt: 300 mm (11.8 in) KCA Turrets: 300 mm KCA Barbettes: 300 mm KCA Deck: 63.5 mm (2.50 in) KCA

SMS Ostfriesland^[a] was the second vessel of the Helgoland class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Named for the region of East Frisia, Ostfriesland's keel was laid in October 1908 at the Kaiserliche Werft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven. She was launched on 30 September 1909 and was commissioned into the fleet on 1 August 1911. The ship was equipped with twelve 30.5 cm (12 in) guns in six twin turrets, and had a top speed of 21.2 knots (39.3 km/h; 24.4 mph). Ostfriesland was assigned to the I Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of her career, including World War I.

Along with her three sister ships, Helgoland, Thüringen, and Oldenburg, Ostfriesland participated in all of the major fleet operations of World War I in the North Sea against the British Grand Fleet. This included the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, the largest naval battle of the war. The ship also saw action in the Baltic Sea against the Russian Navy. She was present during the unsuccessful first incursion into the Gulf of Riga in August 1915.

After the German collapse in November 1918, most of the High Seas Fleet was interned in Scapa Flow during the peace negotiations. The four Helgoland-class ships were allowed to remain in Germany, however, and were therefore spared the destruction of the fleet in Scapa Flow. Ostfriesland and her sisters were eventually ceded to the victorious Allied powers as war reparations; Ostfriesland was transferred to the United States Navy. She was sunk during air power trials off the Virginia Capes in July 1921.
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