SMS Kaiser (1911)

SMS Kaiser

SMS Kaiser
History
German Empire
Name	Kaiser
Builder	Kaiserliche Werft, Kiel
Laid down	December 1909
Launched	22 March 1911
Commissioned	1 August 1912
Fate	Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919
General characteristics
Class and type	Kaiser-class battleship
Displacement	Normal: 24,724 t (24,334 long tons) Full load: 27,000 t (27,000 long tons)
Length	172.40 m (565 ft 7 in)
Beam	29 m (95 ft 2 in)
Draft	9.10 m (29 ft 10 in)
Installed power	16 × water-tube boilers 27,617 ihp (20,594 kW)
Propulsion	3 × steam turbines 3 × screw propellers
Speed	23.4 knots (43.3 km/h; 26.9 mph)
Range	7,900 nmi (14,600 km; 9,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Crew	41 officers 1,043 enlisted
Armament	10 × 30.5 cm (12 in) guns 14 × 15 cm (5.9 in) 12 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) 5 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor	Belt 350 mm (13.8 in) Conning tower: 400 mm (15.7 in) Turrets: 300 mm (11.8 in)

SMS Kaiser^[a] was the lead ship of the Kaiser class of dreadnought battleships of the Imperial German Navy. Kaiser was built by the Imperial Dockyard at Kiel, launched on 22 March 1911 and commissioned on 1 August 1912. The ship was equipped with ten 30.5-centimeter (12 in) guns in five twin turrets, and had a top speed of 23.4 knots (43.3 km/h; 26.9 mph). Kaiser was assigned to III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet for the majority of World War I.

In 1913, Kaiser and her sister König Albert conducted a cruise to South America and South Africa. The ship participated in most of the major fleet operations during the war. She fought at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, during which she was hit twice and suffered negligible damage. The ship was also present during Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea in September and October 1917, and at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight in November 1917.

During peace negotiations after the end of the war in 1918, she was interned with other ships of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919 the commander of the interned fleet, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, ordered the fleet to be scuttled to ensure that the British would not be able to seize the ships. The wreck was raised in 1929 and broken up in Rosyth in 1930.
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