List of battleships of Germany

A line of nine large gray battleships stretches into the distance, all belching dark black smoke from their funnels

Dreadnoughts of the High Seas Fleet steam in a line of battle

File:First and second battleship squadrons and small cruiser of the - NARA - 533188-2 restored.jpg

The battleships of I Battle Squadron and II Battle Squadron before the outbreak of World War I

The German navies—specifically the Template:Lang and Template:Lang of Imperial and Nazi Germany, respectively—built a series of battleships between the 1890s and 1940s. To defend its North and Baltic Sea coasts in wartime, Germany had previously built a series of smaller ironclad warships, including coastal defense ships, and armored frigates.Template:EfnTemplate:Sfn With the accession to the throne of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1888, the Template:Lang began a program of naval expansion befitting a Great Power.Template:Sfn The navy immediately pushed for the construction of the four Template:Sclasss, after which soon followed five Template:Sclass ships.Template:Sfn The appointment of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz to the post of State Secretary of the Navy in 1897 accelerated naval construction. Tirpitz's "risk theory" planned a fleet that would be sufficiently powerful so that Great Britain, then the world's preeminent naval power, would avoid risking war with Germany in order to preserve its superiority.Template:Sfn

Tirpitz secured a series of Naval Laws between 1900 and 1912 that drastically increased the budget of the navy and authorized scores of battleships; the final law envisioned a fleet of some 41 battleships, 25 of which would have been assigned to the High Seas Fleet, with the remainder in reserve.Template:Sfn Following the Template:Lang class were the Template:Sclass, Template:Sclass, and Template:Sclasses, the last pre-dreadnoughts built in Germany.Template:Sfn The launch of the "all-big-gun" Template:HMS in 1906 revolutionized battleship construction, and forced Tirpitz to radically alter his shipbuilding plan.Template:Sfn In order to remain in the battleship race, Tirpitz secured the funds for the first four German dreadnoughts, the Template:Sclass, which were laid down beginning in June 1907.Template:Sfn The four Template:Sclasss followed in 1908, as well as the five Template:Sclasss in 1909–1910.Template:Sfn Four Template:Sclasss were laid down in 1911–1912, and four Template:Sclasss were laid down in 1913–1915,Template:Sfn though only two—Template:SMS and Template:SMS—were completed.Template:Sfn Germany's defeat in 1918 resulted in the internment of the majority of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow; the ships were eventually scuttled on 21 June 1919 to prevent them from being seized by the British Royal Navy.Template:Sfn Of the ten battleships interned, only one, Template:Lang, was prevented from sinking; she was later expended as a gunnery target by the Royal Navy.Template:Sfn

Following the war, Germany was limited to eight pre-dreadnought battleships, two of which would be in reserve. New warships were severely limited in terms of armament and size.Template:Sfn Admiral Erich Raeder was appointed the commander of the German navy in 1928.Template:Sfn Raeder initially employed a cautious strategy vis a vis the government of the Weimar Republic. However, the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in 1933 allowed Raeder opportunity to expand the fleet. Hitler's government negotiated the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935, which stipulated the German navy could rebuild to 35 percent of the strength of the Royal Navy.Template:Sfn The first new battleships built in Germany were the two Template:Sclass ships, Template:Ship and Template:Ship in 1935. The two Template:Sclasss followed in 1936; Template:Ship was completed in 1940 and Template:Ship in 1941.Template:Sfn Plan Z was formulated in 1939 to rebuild the German navy; the plan called for six additional battleships of the H-39 class.Template:Sfn Two of them were laid down in mid-1939, though they were canceled within two months, due to the outbreak of World War II in September 1939. The other four were canceled without any work being done.Template:Sfn Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang were sunk during the war and Template:Lang was scuttled in Gotenhafen in 1945.Template:Sfn Further design studies were drawn up, culminating in the massive H-44 class, but they were not serious proposals due to the infeasibility and expense of the ships.Template:Sfn

Key

Main guns	The number and type of the main battery guns
Displacement	Ship displacement at full combat load
Propulsion	Number of shafts, type of propulsion system, and top speed generated
Service	The dates work began and finished on the ship and its ultimate fate
Laid down	The date the keel began to be assembled
Commissioned	The date the ship was commissioned

Pre-dreadnought battleships

Brandenburg class

A large gray battleship with two tall masts sits idly in calm waters. Three small boats are tied alongside.

Template:Lang

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The Template:Lang-class ships were the first ocean-going battleships built for the German navy, and marked the beginning of German naval expansion. Previous classes included several types of ironclad ships, including coastal defense ships and armored frigates. The ships were unique for the time in that they were armed with six large-caliber guns instead of four, as was standard on contemporary ships in other navies.Template:Sfn The class comprised four ships: Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang. Of the four ships, Template:Lang and Template:Lang were more advanced, in that their armor was composed of higher quality steel.Template:Sfn

The four ships were commissioned into the I Battle Squadron.Template:Sfn They saw overseas service during the Boxer Uprising in China in 1900–1901 under the command of Marshal Alfred von Waldersee.Template:Sfn Following the return from China, the Template:Langs were taken into drydock for modernization, which lasted from 1901 to 1905 depending on the ship.Template:Sfn During the reconstruction the superstructure was cut down, a second conning tower was added, and the steam boilers were replaced with newer models.Template:Sfn Template:Lang and Template:Lang were sold to the Ottoman Empire in 1910 and renamed Template:Lang and Template:Lang, respectively. Template:Lang and Template:Lang were decommissioned and placed into reserve. At the start of World War I, both ships were recalled to active service as coastal defense ships, but due to their age they were quickly demobilized. They spent the remainder of the war as barracks ships before being broken up in 1920.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	6 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	2 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1890	19 November 1893	Scrapped, 1920
Template:SMS			2 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		29 April 1894	Transferred to the Ottoman Empire on 12 September 1910, sunk 8 August 1915
Template:SMS			2 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		14 October 1894	Transferred to the Ottoman Empire on 12 September 1910, scrapped in 1956–1957
Template:SMS			2 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		31 October 1893	Scrapped, 1920

Kaiser Friedrich III class

A large light gray warship sits motionless in harbor; it has two tall smoke stacks, both painted with three dark bands for identification.

Template:Lang

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The five Template:Lang-class ships set the standard for later German pre-dreadnought battleships: they carried smaller main guns than their foreign contemporaries, but a heavier secondary battery. This was in accordance with the "hail of fire" theory, which emphasized smaller, rapid firing guns over larger and slower guns. The ships of the class were also the first German battleships to use three screws, which would be used in many subsequent ships, as opposed to two in the Template:Langs.Template:Sfn The class was composed of five ships: Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang. All of the ships were named for German emperors.Template:Sfn

Upon commissioning, the five ships were assigned to the I Squadron of the Home Fleet (Template:Lang).Template:Sfn Template:Lang saw service as the fleet flagship until 1906.Template:Sfn After ten years of fleet service, they were replaced with newer ships. They were transferred to the III Squadron of the fleet, which had by then been reorganized as the High Seas Fleet, and placed in reserve.Template:Sfn In 1907, all five ships were taken into drydock for significant rebuilding. The funnels were made taller, the superstructure was cut down, and the secondary guns were rearranged; work lasted until 1910. The five ships saw no front-line service during World War I; they were all disarmed and relegated to secondary duties. Template:Lang was used as a torpedo training ship, Template:Lang was used as a headquarters ship, while the other three became prison ships. They were all broken up between 1919 and 1922.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	4 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1895	7 October 1898	Scrapped, 1920
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1896	13 February 1900	Scrapped, 1922
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1898	5 May 1901	Scrapped, 1920
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		4 February 1902
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		10 June 1901	Scrapped, 1919–1920

Wittelsbach class

A large, light gray battleship plows through the water at high speed. Thick black smoke pours from the two round smoke stacks

Template:Lang in 1902

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The Template:Lang class represented an incremental improvement over the preceding Template:Lang class. They were equipped with the same armament of four 24 cm guns, but were given an additional torpedo tube.Template:Sfn They had improved defensive capabilities, as they were protected by a more extensive armored belt.Template:Sfn They also differed from the preceding ships in their main deck, the entire length of which was flush. The Template:Lang had a cut-down quarterdeck.Template:Sfn The ships of the class, which included Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang, were the first battleships built under the first Naval Law of 1898.Template:Sfn

After joining the fleet, the Template:Lang class ships were assigned to the I Battle Squadron, where they replaced the older Template:Lang-class ships.Template:Sfn Like the Template:Lang-class ships, the Template:Langs were withdrawn from active service after the advent of the dreadnoughts. The five ships were recalled to active service at the outbreak of war in 1914. They were assigned to the IV Battle Squadron and deployed to the Baltic. However, due to their age and vulnerability, they were withdrawn from active service by 1916. They were used as training ships, with the exception of Template:Lang, which was used as a prison ship. In 1919, Template:Lang and Template:Lang were converted into depot ships for minesweepers. By 1922, all of the ships had been broken up for scrap, with the exception of Template:Lang. She was converted into a radio-controlled target ship in 1926–1927. RAF bombers sank the ship in Gotenhafen in 1944; the wreck was broken up in 1949–1950.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	4 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1899	15 October 1902	Scrapped, 1921
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		1 October 1902	Scrapped, 1922
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		25 October 1902	Sunk in 1944; scrapped, 1949–1950
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1900	13 April 1904	Scrapped, 1921
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		25 May 1903

Braunschweig class

A large light gray battleship sits in harbor, smoke drifts up from its three tall funnels

An unidentified member of the Template:Lang class in 1904

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The Template:Lang class, which consisted of Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang, was a considerable improvement over the preceding types of battleships in the German navy. They were equipped with much more powerful 28 cm guns for their main battery, although this was still smaller than the standard Template:Convert guns used on British ships. The main battery turrets were mounted on the forecastle deck, as opposed to one deck higher as in the older ships.Template:Sfn They were also larger and faster than their predecessors, though armor protection was largely the same.Template:Sfn These ships were authorized under the Naval Law of 1900.Template:Sfn

In 1907 the II Battle Squadron was organized; the five Template:Lang-class battleships were assigned to it, along with the five new Template:Lang-class ships.Template:Sfn When war broke out in 1914, four of the Template:Lang-class ships were assigned to the IV Squadron alongside the Template:Lang-class ships.Template:Sfn Template:Lang and Template:Lang took part in the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915.Template:Sfn Template:Lang remained in the II Battle Squadron and saw action at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.Template:Sfn After the war, Template:Lang and Template:Lang were converted into depot ships for minesweepers. They were eventually scrapped in 1931. A Template:Convert long section of Template:Lang was retained for use as an explosives target; it was eventually bombed and sunk in April 1945. The hulk was raised and broken up in 1954.Template:Sfn The other three ships were used as coastal defense ships, though between 1931 and 1935, they too were withdrawn from service and broken up, with the exception of Template:Lang.Template:Sfn Template:Lang was converted into a radio-controlled target ship in 1935 and served in that capacity until the end of World War II in 1945. She was then ceded to the Soviet Navy and renamed Template:Lang.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	4 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1901	15 October 1904	Scrapped, 1931
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		29 November 1904	Scrapped, 1936
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1902	19 September 1905	Ceded to USSR, 1946
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		12 July 1905	Partially scrapped in 1931, sunk by bombers in 1945, raised in 1954 and scrapped
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		18 May 1906	Scrapped, 1931

Deutschland class

A large gray battleship sits in dock, crew members in white uniforms crowd the ship's deck

Template:Lang in 1912

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The five Template:Lang-class battleships—Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang—were the last pre-dreadnoughts built by the German navy. They were similar to the Template:Lang-class ships, though their armor was thicker. The ships were built despite rumors of the capabilities of the revolutionary Template:HMS.Template:Sfn Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz insisted on their construction as larger ships would have necessitated widening the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal; this would have put an enormous strain on the naval budget for the year.Template:Sfn

Following their commissioning starting in 1906, they were assigned to the new II Battle Squadron; Template:Lang replaced Template:Lang as the fleet flagship.Template:Sfn During World War I, the ships remained in the II Battle Squadron and saw combat at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Their slow speed hindered the more modern dreadnoughts of the High Seas Fleet. Early on the second day of the battle, Template:Lang was sunk by a single torpedo that triggered an ammunition magazine explosion.Template:Sfn Following the battle the Template:Langs were withdrawn from fleet duty and ultimately out of service completely in August 1917.Template:Sfn Template:Lang was broken up in 1920. The three remaining ships saw continued service in the German navy; Template:Lang was struck in 1935 and eventually broken up in 1944–1946. Template:Lang and Template:Lang were both sunk during World War II but later raised. Template:Lang was broken up in 1949–1970, while Template:Lang was transferred to the Soviet Navy in 1946.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	4 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1903	3 August 1906	Scrapped, 1920–1922
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1904	1 October 1907	Scrapped, 1944–1946
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		6 August 1907	Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1 June 1916
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		5 May 1908	Scuttled 5 May 1945, scrapped between 1949 and 1970
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1905	6 July 1908	Scuttled on 21 March 1945, raised and ceded to USSR

Dreadnought battleships

Nassau class

A large battleship lined with guns and equipped with two tall masts sits in harbor.

Template:Lang in 1910

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The Template:Lang class, which was composed of Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang, was the German response to the arrival of HMS Dreadnought, the first "all-big-gun" battleship, in 1906. The ships were unusual in their main-armament configuration, which was hexagonal.Template:EfnTemplate:Sfn They retained triple-expansion engines instead of more powerful turbine engines, and as a result, were slower than their British contemporaries.Template:Sfn

After their commissioning into the German fleet, all four ships served in the II Division of I Battle Squadron.Template:Sfn Two of the ships, Template:Lang and Template:Lang, took part in the inconclusive Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915, during which they engaged the Russian pre-dreadnought Template:Ship.Template:Sfn The four Template:Lang-class ships took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916; they suffered only a handful of secondary battery hits and limited casualties. In early 1918 Template:Lang and Template:Lang were sent to Finland to support the White Finns in their civil war, but Template:Lang ran aground off Åland in April and was severely damaged. At the end of World War I, the four ships were seized as war prizes by the victorious Allied powers and sold for scrapping.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	12 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1907	1 October 1909	Scrapped, 1920
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		16 November 1909	Scrapped, 1924
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		30 April 1910	Scrapped, 1921
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		31 May 1910	Scrapped, 1922

Helgoland class

Large gray battleship at sea. Dark smoke streams back from its three closely arranged funnels.

SMS Template:Lang Template:Circa

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The Template:Lang class was the second type of German dreadnoughts, built during 1908–1912. The class was composed of four ships: Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang. The ships incorporated significant improvements over the previous Template:Lang type, including more powerful main guns and an improved propulsion system. The Template:Langs were easily distinguished from the preceding Template:Langs by the three funnels that were closely arranged, compared to the two larger funnels of the previous class. The ships retained the unusual hexagonal main battery layout of the Template:Lang class.Template:Sfn

The ships served as a unit in the I Division, I Battle Squadron alongside the Template:Lang-class ships in the II Division of the I Battle Squadron. They saw combat during World War I, including the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea and the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic. All four survived the war, but were not taken as part of the German fleet that was interned at Scapa Flow. After the German fleet at Scapa Flow were scuttled, the four Template:Langs were ceded as war reparations to the victorious Allied powers in the sunken ships' stead.Template:Sfn Template:Lang was taken by the US Navy and expended as a target during Billy Mitchell's air power demonstration in July 1921. Template:Lang and Template:Lang were allotted to Britain and Japan respectively, and broken up in 1921. Template:Lang was delivered to France in 1920, and was used as a target ship for the French navy. The ship was eventually broken up between 1923 and 1933.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	12 × Template:Cvt	Template:Convert	3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1908	23 August 1911	Scrapped, 1921
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		1 August 1911	Expended as a target, 1921
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert		10 September 1911	Scrapped, 1923–1933
Template:SMS			3 screws, triple-expansion steam engines, Template:Convert	1909	1 May 1912	Scrapped, 1921

Kaiser class

A large gray battleship steams ahead. Dark black smoke pours from its two funnels.

SMS Template:Lang in 1913

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The Template:Lang class, which comprised Template:SMS, Template:SMS, Template:SMS, Template:SMS, and Template:SMS, was the third class of German dreadnoughts, and the first to feature turbine engines and superfiring turrets.Template:Sfn As was usual for German battleships of the period, the Template:Lang class mounted main guns that were smaller than those of their British rivals: Template:Convert, compared to the Template:Convert guns of the British Template:Sclass.Template:Sfn The ten SK L/50 guns were mounted in five twin turrets; one turret was mounted fore, two aft in a superfiring arrangement, and the other two in a staggered "wing" arrangement amidships.Template:Sfn

All five ships saw action in the North Sea during the war; they served together as the VI Division of the III Battle Squadron, with Template:Lang serving as the fleet flagship.Template:Sfn Four were present during the Battle of Jutland; Template:Lang was in dock at the time.Template:Sfn Of the four ships that took part in the battle, only Template:Lang was damaged, being struck by two heavy-caliber shells.Template:Sfn The ships also took part in Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea; during the operation they were reorganized as the IV Battle Squadron, under the command of Vice Admiral Wilhelm Souchon.Template:Sfn At the end of the war, all five ships were interned at the British naval base at Scapa Flow. On 21 June 1919, they were scuttled to prevent their seizure by the Royal Navy. The ships were subsequently raised and broken up for scrap between 1929 and 1937.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	10 × Template:Cvt	Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1909	1 August 1912	Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1910	15 October 1912
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		14 May 1913
Template:SMS			2 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		19 August 1913
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		31 July 1913

König class

A large, light gray warship sits motionless in a calm sea

Template:Lang at Scapa Flow, 1919

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Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang, the four ships of the Template:Lang class, were the most powerful warships of the High Seas Fleet at the outbreak of war in 1914. The Template:Langs were an improvement over the preceding Template:Sclass; one of the wing turrets was moved forward and placed in a superfiring arrangement, while the second wing turret was moved to the centerline amidships. This allowed for a wider angle of fire on the broadside, as all 10 guns could fire on a larger area compared to the earlier Template:Langs.Template:Sfn

The class operated as a unit throughout World War I—the V Division of the III Battle Squadron.Template:Sfn The ships took part in a number of fleet operations during the war, including the Battle of Jutland, where they acted as the vanguard of the German line and were heavily engaged by the British fleet. The ships also took part in Operation Albion against the Russians in 1917, where Template:Lang sank the battleship Template:Lang. They survived the war and were interned at Scapa Flow in November 1918. All four ships were scuttled there on 21 June 1919.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	10 × Template:Cvt	Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1911	9 August 1913	Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		30 July 1914
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		1 October 1914
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1912	8 November 1914

Bayern class

A large gray battleship with a tall tripod mast sits in harbor

SMS Template:Lang on trials in 1915

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The four Template:Lang-class ships were the first super-dreadnoughts built by the German navy. The class comprised Template:Lang, Template:Lang, Template:Lang, and Template:Lang. Construction started on the ships shortly before World War I; Template:Lang was laid down in 1913, Template:Lang and Template:Lang followed in 1914, and Template:Lang, the final ship, was laid down in 1915. Only Template:Lang and Template:Lang were completed, as ship building priorities shifted as the war dragged on. It was determined that U-boats were more valuable to the war effort, and so work on new battleships was slowed and ultimately stopped altogether. As a result, Template:Lang and Template:Lang were the last German battleships completed by the Template:Lang.Template:Sfn

Template:Lang and Template:Lang were commissioned into the fleet in July 1916 and March 1917, respectively. This was too late for either ship to take part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916. Template:Lang was assigned to the naval force that drove the Imperial Russian Navy from the Gulf of Riga during Operation Albion in October 1917, though the ship was severely damaged from a mine and had to be withdrawn to Kiel for repairs. Template:Lang replaced Template:Lang as the flagship of the High Seas Fleet, but saw no combat. Both vessels were interned at Scapa Flow following the Armistice in November 1918.Template:Sfn Template:Lang was successfully scuttled on 21 July 1919, but British guards managed to beach Template:Lang to prevent her from sinking. The ship was eventually expended as a gunnery target in 1921. Template:Lang and Template:Lang, both at various stages of completion when the war ended, were broken up for scrap metal in the early 1920s.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:SMS	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1913	15 July 1916	Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21 June 1919
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert		18 October 1916	Ceded to Great Britain, expended as a gunnery target in 1921
Template:SMS		Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines and diesel engine, Template:Convert	1914	—	Incomplete at the end of war, scrapped in 1922
Template:SMS			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1915	—	Incomplete at the end of war, scrapped in 1921

L 20e α class

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The L 20e α design was a plan for an unknown number of battleships to be built in 1918 for the German navy. The design was selected on 2 October 1917, and construction was to have started 11 September 1918. The ships would have been significantly larger than the preceding Template:Lang class, at more than Template:Convert longer than the preceding ships. The ships would have been the first German warship to have mounted guns larger than 16 in (40.6 cm cm). However, Germany's declining war situation meant that the ships were never built.Template:Sfn

Summary of the L 20e α class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
L 20e α	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	4 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	—	—	Design study only

Fast battleships

Scharnhorst class

A large warship sits motionless in harbor; several smaller boats are alongside

Template:Lang in harbor in 1939

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The two Template:Lang-class battleships were the first capital ships built for the Kriegsmarine after the end of World War I. They marked the beginning of German naval rearmament after the Treaty of Versailles.Template:Sfn The class comprised two vessels: Template:Lang and Template:Lang. The ships were armed with nine 28 cm (11 in) SK C/34 guns in three triple turrets, though there were plans to replace these weapons with six 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in twin turrets.Template:Sfn

The two ships were laid down in 1935, launched in late 1936, and commissioned into the German fleet by early 1939. Template:Lang and Template:Lang operated together for much of the early portion of World War II, including sorties into the Atlantic to raid British merchant shipping.Template:Sfn The two ships participated in Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of Norway. During operations off Norway, the two ships engaged the battlecruiser Template:HMSTemplate:Sfn and sank the aircraft carrier Template:HMS— in the engagement with Glorious, Template:Lang achieved one of the longest-range naval gunfire hits in history.Template:Sfn In early 1942, the two ships made a daylight dash up the English Channel from occupied France to Germany.Template:Sfn

In late 1942, Template:Lang was heavily damaged in an Allied air raid against Kiel. In early 1943, Template:Lang joined the Template:Lang-class battleship Template:Lang in Norway to interdict Allied convoys to the Soviet Union. Template:Lang and several destroyers sortied from Norway to attack a convoy; the Germans were instead intercepted by British naval patrols. During the Battle of North Cape, the Royal Navy battleship Template:HMS sank Template:Lang. In the meantime, repair work on Template:Lang had begun, and the ship was in the process of being rearmed. However, when Template:Lang was sunk, work on her sister was abandoned. Instead, she was sunk as a blockship in Gdynia in 1945; the wreck was broken up for scrap in the 1950s.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:Ship	9 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1935	7 January 1939	Sunk at the Battle of North Cape, 26 December 1943
Template:Ship			3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1935	21 May 1938	Scuttled in Gotenhafen in 1945, raised and scrapped in 1951

Bismarck class

A large light gray warship bristling with guns sits in harbor

Template:Lang in 1940

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Template:Lang and Template:Lang were the last and largest battleships completed by the German navy, as well as the heaviest ever built in Europe.Template:Sfn They were built according to the terms of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement signed in 1935, and ostensibly displaced no more than the Template:Convert specified in the agreement. The ships were, in actuality, some Template:Convert heavier at full load.Template:Sfn The ships were built to counter new French battleships then under construction.Template:Sfn

Both ships saw combat during World War II. Template:Lang was deployed in May 1941 to raid British shipping in the Atlantic Ocean along with the heavy cruiser Template:Ship.Template:Sfn During the operation, Template:Lang sank the battlecruiser Template:HMS and heavily damaged the new battleship Template:HMS and forced her to retreat.Template:Sfn All of the available British naval assets were mobilized in a massive hunt to track and destroy Template:Lang.Template:Sfn Several days later, Template:Lang was disabled by a torpedo hit from a Fairey Swordfish launched from Template:HMS and subsequently destroyed by the battleships Template:HMS and Template:HMS on 27 May.Template:Sfn

Template:LangTemplate:'s career was less active; she spent the majority of the war as a fleet in being in occupied Norway. The Royal Navy attempted to sink her with midget submarines, but these efforts were unsuccessful. In November 1944, RAF Lancaster bombers hit the ship three times with Template:Convert bombs, which caused her to capsize and sink. The wreck was eventually broken up in 1948–1957.Template:Sfn

Summary of the Template:Lang class

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
Template:Ship	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	3 screws, steam turbines, Template:Convert	1936	28 April 1940	Sunk on 27 May 1941
Template:Ship		Template:Convert	3 screws, geared steam turbines, Template:Convert	1936	25 February 1941	Sunk on 12 November 1944, scrapped 1948–1957

H-class proposals

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The H-class was a series of battleship designs to fulfill the requirements of Plan Z in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The first variation, "H-39", called for six ships to be built, essentially as enlarged Template:Sclasss with Template:Convert guns. The "H-41" design improved the "H-39" ship with still larger main guns, with eight Template:Convert weapons. Two subsequent plans, "H-42" and "H-43", increased the main battery yet again, with Template:Convert pieces, and the monstrous "H-44" design ultimately resulted with Template:Convert guns. Due to the outbreak of war in 1939, none of the ships were ever built; only two of the "H-39" ships were laid down, and what work had been accomplished was scrapped shortly thereafter.Template:Sfn

Summary of the H-class proposals

Ship	ArmamentTemplate:Sfn	DisplacementTemplate:Sfn	PropulsionTemplate:Sfn	ServiceTemplate:Sfn
				Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
H-39	8 × Template:Cvt	Template:Convert	3 screws, diesel engines, Template:Convert	1939Template:Sfn	—	Canceled 30 September 1939
H-41	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert		—		—
H-42	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Unknown
H-43	8 × Template:Convert	Template:Convert
H-44	8 × Template:Cvt	Template:Convert

References

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Further reading

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