The Brandenberg-class predreadnoughts

The four ships of the Brandenberg-class were the first heavy armoured ocean-going ships built for the Imperial German Navy. Unlike the previous classes, they were not intended to perform a coastal defence role. The layout of their main armament – three fully shielded twin-gunned barbettes (one forward, one in the centre, and one aft, and all on the ship’s centreline) – also predated the similar layout adopted by some of the early dreadnought battleships.

A side and plan view of the Brandenberg-class battleships showing the arrangement of her armament.

A side and plan view of the Brandenberg-class battleships showing the arrangement of their armour.

The four ships in the Brandenberg-class were:

• SMS Brandenburg
• SMS Wörth
• SMS Weissenburg
• SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm

SMS Brandenberg.

SMS Wörth.

SMS Weisenburg.

SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm.

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 10,500 ton (Full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 115.7m (379ft 7in)
• Beam: 19.5m (64ft)
• Draught: 7.9m (25ft 11in)
• Propulsion: 12 x transverse Scotch marine boilers providing steam to 2 x triple-expansion steam engines (9,900ihp) each powering a propeller
• Speed: 16.5 knots
• Range: 4,500 nautical miles at 10 knots
• Complement: 568 (38 officers and 530 men
• Armament: 2 x 2 28cm (11-inch) MRK L/40 guns: 2 x  28cm MRK L/35 guns; 6 x 10.5cm (4.1-inch) SK L/35 quick-firing guns; 8 × 8.8cm (3.5-inch) SK L/30 QF guns; 6 × 45cm (17.7inch) torpedo tubes
• Armour:
• Belt: 300 to 400mm (11.8 to 15.7-inch)
• Barbettes: 300mm (11.8-inch)
• Deck: 60mm (2.4-inch)
• Conning tower: 300mm (11.8-inch)

The ships were originally designed to have a uniform main armament of six 28cm (11-inch) MRK L/35 guns, but by the time they were being constructed, the newer MKM L/40 became available. It was possible to fit these in the fore and aft barbettes but they were too long for the central one. As a result, the fore and aft guns had a maximum range of 15km (9.3 nautical miles) and effective range of 11km (6.8 nautical miles) whereas those in the central barbette had a maximum range of 14.45km (8.98 nautical miles) and an effective range of 11km (6.8 nautical miles).

It is interesting to note that the 28cm (11-inch) MRK L/35 cannon was supplied to Norway and used to arm the Oscarborg Fortress on Oslofjord. The fortress formed part of the defences of Oslo and sank the German heavy cruiser Blücher during the Battle of Drøbak Sound on 9th April 1940, thus delaying the capture of the Norwegian capital and allowing the Royal family time to escape.

One of the 28cm (11-inch) MRK L/35 guns at the Oscarborg Fortress.

The first two ship completed were fitted with compound side armour but the last pair had Krupp's nickel steel armour. This had better resistance to penetration by shells, and in his wargame rules – which were based on available contemporary data – Fred Jane stated that 8-inches of nickel steel armour was equal in effectiveness to 11-inches of compound armour.

When they entered service in 1893, they formed the 1st Squadron, with Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm acting as the squadron's flagship. After the Boxer Rising in 1900, the squadron was sent to China to support operations being carried out by the allied nations, but the fighting was almost over by the time they arrived. On their return to Germany in 1902, they were modernised.

In 1910 Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm and Weissenburg were sold to Turkey and renamed Hayreddin Barbarossa and Turgut Reis. They rapidly deteriorated due to poor crew training and maintenance and took no active part in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911.

Hayreddin Barbarossa.

Turgut Reis.

The First Balkan War broke out soon after the end of the Italo-Turkish War and both ships formed part of the armoured squadron sent to confront the Greek Fleet. The two fleets clashed near the mouth of the Dardanelles (the action was known as the Battle of Elli or the Battle of the Dardanelles) and both suffered damage. The Turkish fleet then withdrew from the Aegean and this enabled the Greeks to occupy the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Lemnos and Samos.

Although Turkey initially remained neutral when the First World War broke out, the Ottomans sided with the Central Powers in November 1914. As they were still in a poor condition, the Hayreddin Barbarossa and Turgut Reis were partially disarmed and their secondary armament guns were used to bolster the defences of the Dardanelles. They did – however – retain their main armament so that they could act as floating batteries.

One of the pair was usually deployed in the Dardanelles to support the coastal defences situated there whilst the other was withdrawn so that it could undergo maintenance and resupply. On 8th August 1915 the Hayreddin Barbarossa was moving forward to fire at the Allied troops who were occupying parts of Gallipoi when she was torpedoed by the British submarine E11 off Bulair near the northern entrance of the Dardanelles. The ship rapidly sank and 21 officers and 237 men were lost. As a result, the Turgut Reis was kept well away from any offensive action until the end of the war.

Turgut Reis was decommissioned at the end of the war. She was refitted in 1924-1925 so that she could be used as a training ship. She perfromed this role unti 1933, when she was decommissioned for the final time and became a floating barracks. Turgut Reis was fianlly broke up between 1950 and 12957.

The remaining ships – the SMS Brandenberg and SMS Wörth – remained in service with the Imperial German Navy until 1912. They were recommissioned after the outbreak of the Great War to form part of 5th Squadron which had been created to defend the North Sea coastline of Germany. In September 1914 they and the rest of 5th Squadron were redeployed to the Baltic to support a planned landing at Windau in northwest Latvia by German forces, but when this didn't take place, they were decommissioned. They were recommissioned in early 1915 to guard the newly captured port of Libau in western Latvia. They were finally decommissioned and disarmed in 1916 and thereafter used as barrack ships before being sold for scrap in 1919.