Ships
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Seydlitz

SMS Seydlitz

Scuttled

Imperial German Navy

TypeBattlecruiser
WarFirst World War
Main guns10 × 11″ guns in 5 twin turrets

A turret fire at Dogger Bank nearly destroyed her, and led to better anti-flash precautions. At Jutland she took over 20 heavy hits and a torpedo but got home. Interned at Scapa Flow after the armistice and scuttled there by her crew on 21 June 1919.

SMS Seydlitz (German battlecruiser, 1913-1919). The ship's anti-torpedo nets and booms were removed in 1916. Removed caption read: Photo # NH 46839 German battlecruiser Seydlitz in port, prior to World War I Photo: M.L. Carstens, Hamburg. Note the photographer's distinctive mark in the lower right., PD-US · Wikimedia Commons

Armament and specifications

Armament

  • 10 × 28 cm (11 in) SK L/50 guns (5 × 2)
  • 12 × 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns
  • 12 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in)guns
  • 4 × 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes

Armour

  • Belt: 100 to 300 mm (3.9 to 11.8 in)
  • Deck: 30 to 80 mm (1.2 to 3.1 in)
  • Gun turrets: 250 mm (9.8 in)
  • Conning tower: 350 mm (13.8 in)
BuilderBlohm & Voss, Hamburg
Laid down4 February 1911
Launched30 March 1912
Commissioned22 May 1913
DisplacementDesign: 24,988 t (24,593 long tons) Full load: 28,550 t (28,100 long tons)
Length200.6 m (658 ft 2 in)
Speed26.5 knots (49.1 km/h; 30.5 mph)
Complement1,068

As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.

Career

Launched

30 March 1912

3–4 November 1914

Hipper's flagship

24 January 1915

Hipper's flagship; turret fire

31 May – 1 June 1916

Barely got home

Fate

Scuttled

Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919

Salvaged in 1928, scrapped