SMS Ostfriesland: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

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SMS Ostfriesland

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	SMS Ostfriesland
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	Topics SMS Ostfriesland Topic Home History The ship was named after the German region Ostfriesland, which borders the NetherlandsNetherlands The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , which is formed by the Netherlands, the Neth... and the North SeaNorth Sea he North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Norway and Denmark in the east, Scotland and England in the we... . Her keel was laid down on 19 October 1908 at the Imperial DockyardKaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven Summary Kaiserliche Werft Wilhelmshaven was a German shipbuilding company in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover.... at WilhelmshavenWilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany.... . She was launchedShip naming and launching Summary he ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.... on 30 September 1909, and commissionedShip commissioning Commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a warship in active duty with its country's military forces.... in the Imperial German Navy on 1 August 1911. At the outbreak of the First World War, Ostfriesland was squadron flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron under Vice-Admiral Schmidt. She took part in the Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and WhitbyRaid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby The Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, which took place on December 16th, 1914, was an attack by the German Navy on... on 16 December 1914 led by Rear AdmiralRear Admiral Rear Admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank that originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons and can trace its... HipperFranz von Hipper Franz Ritter von Hipper was a German admiral.... . In 1916 she was present at the Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland , was the largest naval battle of World War I, and the only full-scale clash of battleships in that wa... , firing eleven 12 in (305 mm) rounds. She was undamaged by British gunfire but struck a mineNaval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy ships or submarines.... on June 1 on the journey back from the battle, with 1 killed and 10 injured. Repairs were completed on 26 July 1916 at Wilhelmshaven. Following World War IWorld War I World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m... , all four Helgoland class battleships were surrendered to the AlliesAllies of World War I The Allies of World War I are sometimes also referred to as the Entente Powers or The Triple Entent.... . On 7 April 1920 at RosythRosyth Rosyth is a large village located on the Firth of Forth on Scotland's east coast, a mile south of Dunfermline, Fife, and ap... , ScotlandScotland Scotland is a nation in northwest Europe and one of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom.... , Ostfriesland was handed over to the United States NavyUnited States Navy The United States Navy is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations.... as “Ship H” under the command of Captain J.F. Hellweg. Under the terms of the surrender, the ship was to be destroyed by 24 July 1921. United States service Though in need of repairs, the ship managed to sail to New York CityNew York City New York City is the largest city in the United States and the twelfth largest city in the world, making it a major global c... where she was decommissioned on 20 September 1920. She was examined extensively in dry dockDry dock A dry dock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load... at the New York Navy YardNew York Navy Yard The New York Naval Shipyard, also known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the New York Navy Yard and United States N... , and returned to sea on 4 January 1921. At the urging of Billy MitchellBilly Mitchell William Mitchell was an American general who is regarded as one of the most famous and most controversial figures in America... , who wanted to demonstrate the power of aircraft over ships, Ostfriesland and several other ex-US (including the USS AlabamaUSS Alabama (BB-8) The second USS Alabama was an Illinois-class pre-dreadnought style battleship in the United States Navy.... ) and ex-German warships became targets for the demonstration. The smaller vessels were dispatched before the main prize, Ostfriesland, was attacked. On the first day there were attacks by smaller bombers. Some flooding occurred and overnight Naval engineers counterflooded some compartments to level the ship, albeit lower in the water. On the second day larger bombers made attacks. Although the tests were supposed to be carefully controlled and monitored, Mitchell overrode the plans and ensured that his heaviest bombers from Langley Field in VirginiaVirginia Overview The Commonwealth of Virginia is one of the original thirteen colonies of the United States that revolted against British ru... , attacked. The effect of some of the very heavy bombs in the water around Ostfriesland caused further flooding until she sank on 21 July 1921, about 60 miles (97 km) off the Virginia CapesVirginia Capes The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Che... . It is very unlikely the Ostfriesland could have been sunk using the aircraft technology of the time had she been underway and with damage control in operation - in fact the Ostfriesland suffered very little damage from bomb hits and the progressive flooding which sank her could have been easily managed simply by activating the ship's pumps had she had a crew aboard. Carefully edited footage of the sinking of the Ostfriesland was made public after the experimental attack and was highly influential on US Naval decision makers. External links