SMS Nassau

SMS "Nassau" was the first dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial German Navy, a response to the launching of the British battleship HMS "Dreadnought" in 1906. "Nassau" was laid down on 22 July 1907 at the Kaiserliche Werft in Wilhelmshaven, and launched less than a year later on 7 March 1908, approximately 25 months after "Dreadnought" was launched. She was the lead ship of her class of four battleships.

Design

Dimensions and machinery

"Nassau" was convert|146.1|m|ft|abbr=on long, convert|26.9|m|ft|abbr=on wide, and had a draught of convert|8.9|m|ft|abbr=on. She displaced 18,570 tons with a standard load, and 21,000 tons fully laden. The ship was powered by a 3 shaft triple expansion engine, which was rated at 22,000 ihp, and delivered a top speed of 19 knots.

As designed, "Nassau" and her sisterships were not particularly good sea-boats. Bilge keels were later added, which helped to improve the problem.

Armament

"Nassau" carried twelve convert|28|cm|in|abbr=on guns in an unusual 'hexagonal' configuration - with one turret fore and aft, and two on each flank of the ship. Seconday armament consisted of twelve convert|15|cm|in|abbr=on guns, along with sixteen convert|8.8|cm|in|abbr=on guns for close defence and six convert|45|cm|in|abbr=on torpedo tubes.

Armor

"Nassau" had an armored belt that was convert|30.48|cm|in|abbr=on thick at its strongest, where it protected the ship's vitals, and as thin as convert|7.62|cm|in|abbr=on in less critical areas, such as the bow and stern. The barbettes for the main battery had convert|28|cm|in|abbr=on of armor protection on the exposed portions, and as little as convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on in less exposed areas. The turrets themselves had armor convert|28|cm|in|abbr=on thick on their faces. The deck was covered by armor plating convert|6.35|cm|in|abbr=on thick.

ervice history

"Nassau" and her sisterships all took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1 June 1916, as part of the I Battle Squadron. "Nassau" fired 106 main battery shells, and was hit twice by 4 inch shells. During the battle, "Nassau" collided with HMS "Spitfire". "Nassau" suffered a total of 11 killed and 16 injured during the battle

Following the end of World War I, the ships were surrendered to the victorious powers as war booty. SMS "Nassau" was surrendered in April 1920 to Japan. With no use for the ship, Japan sold her to a British wrecking firm which then scrapped her in Dordrecht (Netherlands). "Posen" and "Rheinland" had the same fate. "Westfalen" was surrendered in 1920 to Great Britain and scrapped in 1924.

External links

* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/battleship/sms-nassau.html World War 1 Naval Combat]