SMS Ägir

SMS "Ägir" was an "Odin" class "Küstenpanzerschiff" which served in the German Imperial Navy prior to and during World War I.

History

"Ägir" was the second and final ship of her class as well as the last of eight such armored coastal defence ships built for the Imperial German Navy which at the time was primarily concerned about protecting Germany against invasion, rather than about a significant presence on the high seas. "Ägir" carried three 24 cm guns. The ship was laid down in 1892 by Kaiserliche Werft in Kiel (Germany), launched on 3 April 1895 and commissioned into the Imperial Navy on 15 October 1896. A major overhaul and modernization of its machinery was completed during 1902 to 1904.

Major pre-war operations conducted by "Ägir" included a cruise to the United Kingdom and Portugal in 1899 and one to Sweden and Norway in 1905. The ship was decommissioned in 1909, but reactivated upon the outbreak of World War I, serving as a coastal defense ship. In 1916, the main armament was removed and the ship was converted into a barracks ship. Like the other ships of her type and class, "Ägir" survived the war intact. Unlike some of her classmates, she avoided the scrapyard after the war and was converted into a transport. The ship ended its career running aground in 1929 at Gotland island in the Baltic Sea.

"Ägir" was named after a Norse mythological figure, Ægir, a giant and ruler of the sea.

Description

* Displacement: 3,740 tons (original configuration); 4,250 tons (post-modernization configuration)
* Dimensions: Length 79 m (original), 86 m (modified); Beam 14.9 m; Draft 5.5 m (original); 6.5 m (modified)
* Crew: Up to 307
* Propulsion: Two shafts; Two triple expansion engines producing 5,332 shp
* Speed: Maximum 15.3 knots
* Range: 1,490 statute miles at 10 knots (original); 3,400 statute miles at 10 knots (modified)
* Armor: Maximum 530 mm belt; 200 mm turret; 160 mm bridge; 50 mm deck
* Primary armament: Three 24 cm / 35 caliber guns
* Secondary armament: Ten 8.8 cm / 40 caliber guns
* Torpedo armament: Four 45 cm tubes (Three after modification)

See also

* List of German Imperial Navy ships
* List of naval ships of Germany
* List of ship launches in 1895
* List of ship commissionings in 1896