SMS Schlesien
Sunk
Imperial German Navy, then Kriegsmarine (Germany)
| Type | Pre-dreadnought battleship |
|---|---|
| Class | Deutschland |
| Wars | First World War, Second World War |
| Main guns | 4 × 28 cm (11 in) SK L/40 guns |
Service
| to 1935 | Schlesien | |
| from 1935 | Schlesien The navy renamed the Kriegsmarine |
Pre-dreadnought at Jutland. Kept as a training ship, she served again in the Second World War, supporting the attack on Poland and shelling the advancing Red Army in 1945. Mined off Swinemünde in May 1945 and scuttled.
Armament and specifications
Armament
Original
- 4 × 28 cm (11 in) SK L/40 guns
- 14 × 17 cm (6.7 in) SK L/40 guns
- 20 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 naval guns
- 6 × 45 cm (18 in) 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 (1.5 in) SK C/30 guns
- 4 × 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 guns
Armour
- 240 mm (9.4 in) in belt
- 280 mm (11 in) in turrets
- 40 mm (1.6 in) in deck
| Builder | Schichau, Danzig |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 19 November 1904 |
| Launched | 28 May 1906 |
| Commissioned | 5 May 1908 |
| Displacement | Normal: 13,191 t (12,983 long tons) Full load: 14,218 t (13,993 long tons) |
| Length | 127.60 m (418 ft 8 in) |
| Speed | 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) |
| Complement | 743 |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
28 May 1906
Battle of Jutland
Survived
31 May – 1 June 1916 · First World War
Gotenhafen and Danzig Bay
Survived
10 March – 8 April 1945 · Second World War
Fate
Sunk
Mined off Swinemünde in 3 May 1945, scrapped 1949–1956