Navies of the world

GERMANY.

ARMORED FLEET.

• A = Length between Perpendiculars.
• B = Breadth of Beam.
• C = Maximum Draft.
• D = Displacement.
• E = Construction Material.
• F = Greatest Thickness of Armor.

• G = Least Thickness of Armor.
• H = Backing.
• I = Indicated Horse-power.
• J = Maximum Speed.

KAISER. DEUTSCHLAND.

Armored belt, redoubt, and stern casemate. Ram bow and straight stern. The belt encircles the water-line, coming up to the height of the main-deck beams abaft the redoubt, but forward of it reduced in height to not over three feet above the water-line, and having a heavy steel deck at the height of its upper edge. The belt does not cover the ram. The sides forward and abaft the redoubt are given a rank tumble home, while the redoubt is carried straight up to the spar-deck beams, opening fore-and-aft and beam fire from the angular ports, (vide Devastation, French). The stern casemate prevents raking from aft, and also protects a stern-gun working in a single port. The engines and boilers form two distinct sets, one abaft the other, the magazines and shell-lockers coming between them. The redoubt has an overhang clear of the side of 3½ feet forward and 1½ feet aft. There is no bow-gun, the bow-fire coming from the redoubt. The after-redoubt guns only fire to within 15° of right astern, the stern-gun filling out the dead-angle. Single screw, full sail-power.

FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE. PREUSSEN.

Armored belt, breastwork, and two revolving turrets. These ships are built on the lines of the Monarch, although improved in detail. The belt encircles the water-line, but does not come as low down as the point of the ram. The breastwork surrounds the boilers and the bottoms of the turrets, but the engines are outside of and abaft it. The turrets are closer together than in the Monarch, and have no upper works to interfere with their fire. The dead-angles of the turret-guns are filled by a bow and stern-gun working in single unprotected ports. These ships have single screws and about three-quarter sail-power.

KÖNIG WILHELM.

Armored belt and long, main-deck casemate, stern casemate, and two spar-deck redoubts. Ram bow and straight stern. The belt encircles the water-line, coming to the height of the main-deck beams aft, but somewhat lower forward of the casemate, that portion being covered by a steel deck. There is no forward or after fire from the casemate, the sides rising straight up fore and aft. The ends of the casemate are protected from raking by armored bulkheads, rising to the spar-deck beams forward and abaft. The stern casemate protects a single gun working in one port. At the forward end of the main casemate, and rising clear of the upper deck, is a redoubt—or rather traverse, for it is unprotected at the rear—giving protection to two guns working each in two ports for fore-and-aft and beam fire. At the after-end of the main casemate is a similar traverse, which has an overhang of several feet, its two guns working also each in two ports for stern and beam fire (vide Sultan, English). These traverses encumber the spar-deck for working the gear of the sails. Single screw and full sail-power.

FRIEDRICH KARL. KRON PRINZ.

Armored belt and long casemate with bow redoubt. Ram bow and straight stern. The belt encircles the water-line to the height of the main-deck beams, coming down in a curve forward well over the ram. There is no fore-and-aft fire from the casemate, the ship being wall-sided. The bow redoubt cuts off the point of the bow above the spar-deck beams and protects a bow-gun working in a single port. There is a high, oval, armored pilot-house just abaft the main-mast. No stern-fire. Single screw and full sail-power.

SACHSEN. BAIERN. WÜRTEMBERG.

(Two others not yet named.)

Partial armored belt and two barbette casemates. Ram bow, round stern. Half sail-power (brig rigged). Four smoke-stacks. The belt forms a casemate for the boilers and engines, covering the middle third of the ship, the lower edge being prolonged in a heavy steel deck, which, aft, protects the steering-gear. This casemate rises to the spar-deck beams. At its after-end a high, rectangular barbette casemate rises well up above the spar-deck rail, giving clear fore-and-aft and beam fir to its four guns. At the forward end of the casemate is an oval barbette turret (vide Temeraire, English) amidships, giving clear bow and beam fire to its single gun. These ships gain a nearly perfect all-around fire from the heaviest calibre guns, with a maximum thickness of armor. They combine great armor and battery strength with light draft and displacement.

HANSA.

Armored belt and double-decked redoubt. Swan-breasted bow strengthened for ramming, pointed stern, single screw, full sail-power. The belt encircles the water-line to the height of the main-deck. The main-deck redoubt is short and does not give fore-and-aft fire, the ship being wall-sided. The upper-deck redoubt, rising a little above the spar-deck rail, is octagonal, to permit angular ports for fore-and-aft and beam fire. The spar-deck rail is carried inboard parallel to the keel to open the angular ports.

ARMINIUS.

Double-turreted monitor, with ram bow and no overhang. Light flying deck, single screw. (American type modified.)

PRINZ ADALBERT.

Armored belt, double redoubt. Long ram bow, round stern, single screw, half sail-power. The belt encircles the water-line to the height of the upper deck. The curve of the ram bow is carried up, forming a spar-deck redoubt, giving protection to a single heavy bow-gun working in one port. A second redoubt, well aft, gives protection to two guns, each working in two ports for fore-and-aft and beam fire. A superstructure aft cuts off the stern-fire from these guns, and the forward redoubt cuts off the bow-fire. The shape of both of the redoubts is nearly circular. The Stonewall (Confederate) belonged to this type. (Sister ships.)

WESPE. VIPER. BIENE. MÜCKE. SCORPION.  BASILISK. RHEIN. MOSEL.

(Four others not yet named.)

Small, light-draft, armored gun-boats. All except the Rhein and Mosel have an armored belt and a horseshoe-shaped traverse, giving protection to the crew of a single barbette gun, which gives only bow-fire. They are provided with rams. The Rhein and Mosel are light-draft monitors, similar to the Austrian Danube gun-boats. (See Austrian Danube monitors.) The Wespe class belongs to the English Staunch and the French Farcy type.

GERMAN UNARMORED FLEET.
(Fast Cruisers.)

GERMAN GENERAL-SERVICE FLEET.
(Old-Type Steam Cruisers.)

Harbor-tugs. Torpedo-launches. Hulks. Guard-ships.