SMS Wiesbaden
Encyclopedia
SMS Wiesbaden was the lead ship
of the Wiesbaden-class
of light cruiser
s of the German Imperial Navy in World War I
, the other being the Frankfurt
in Stettin. The ship was launched on 30 January 1915 and commissioned on 20 August 1915. It displaced 5,180 tons standard and 6,601 tons battle-ready. It was 145.3 m long overall (141.7 m at the water line) and had a beam of 13.9 m and a draft of 6.06 m. Ten coal-fired and two oil-fired boilers powered two turbines with a combined 31000 hp, giving her a top speed of 27.5 knots (53.9 km/h). With a bunker capacity of 1,280 tons of coal and 470 tons of oil, her radius was 4800 nautical miles (8,889.6 km) at a cruising speed of 12 knots (24 km/h). Her armour was typically light, at 60 mm in the belt and 40 mm for the deck. She was armed with eight single-mounted 15-cm guns, two 8.8-cm guns and four torpedo tubes (two under water, two above water). The crew numbered 474 in peacetime, but up to 590 in combat.
on 30 May and 1 June 1916. At about 17:00 hours, Boedicker's squadron, in the van of the German scouting forces, engaged the British light cruiser
HMS Chester
, inflicting heavy damage on her before she was relieved by Rear Admiral Hood's
3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. The Wiesbaden was severely damaged by heavy shells from the battlecruiser
HMS Invincible
, and a direct hit into her engine room completely disabled her engines. During a subsequent destroyer
attack she received a torpedo hit into her stern, but continued to drift between the battle lines, repeatedly becoming the target of further British fire. She finally sank at about 2:45 am on the morning of 1 June, taking most of her crew with her. Only 22 men managed to climb onto three life rafts, and only one of them, a stoker named Hugo Zenne, survived. He was eventually picked up by the Norwegian freighter Willy.
Among the 589 killed was the well-known writer of poetry and fiction dealing with the life of fishermen and sailors, Johann Kinau, known under his pseudonym of Gorch Fock
, who has since then been honored by having two training windjammer
s of the Kriegsmarine
and the German Navy
, respectively, named after him.
A model of the cruiser is in the city hall of Wiesbaden
, capital of the German state of Hesse
, where it can be viewed each year on 31 May and 1 June, the anniversary dates of the Battle of Jutland.
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
of the Wiesbaden-class
Wiesbaden class light cruiser
The Wiesbaden class of light cruisers was a class of ships in the German Imperial Navy in the 1910s. Two ships were built to this class.-Details of construction:...
of light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s of the German Imperial Navy in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the other being the Frankfurt
SMS Frankfurt
SMS Frankfurt was a Wiesbaden class light cruiser of the German Imperial Navy. Construction of the ship started before World War I, but she was not completed until after hostilities began. She was laid down at the Kiel Navy dockyard in January 1913 and launched in 1915.-Dimensions and...
Specifications
The keel was laid in 1913 at A.G. VulcanStettiner Vulcan AG
Aktien-Gesellschaft Vulcan Stettin was a German shipbuilding and locomotive builder company, located in Stettin . AG Vulcan Stettin played a significant role in both World Wars, building U-boats and warships for the Kaiserliche Marine...
in Stettin. The ship was launched on 30 January 1915 and commissioned on 20 August 1915. It displaced 5,180 tons standard and 6,601 tons battle-ready. It was 145.3 m long overall (141.7 m at the water line) and had a beam of 13.9 m and a draft of 6.06 m. Ten coal-fired and two oil-fired boilers powered two turbines with a combined 31000 hp, giving her a top speed of 27.5 knots (53.9 km/h). With a bunker capacity of 1,280 tons of coal and 470 tons of oil, her radius was 4800 nautical miles (8,889.6 km) at a cruising speed of 12 knots (24 km/h). Her armour was typically light, at 60 mm in the belt and 40 mm for the deck. She was armed with eight single-mounted 15-cm guns, two 8.8-cm guns and four torpedo tubes (two under water, two above water). The crew numbered 474 in peacetime, but up to 590 in combat.
Fate
Commanded by Captain Fritz Reiss, the Wiesbaden was part of the 2nd Scouting Group of four light cruisers under Rear Admiral Boedicker which took part in the Battle of JutlandBattle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on 30 May and 1 June 1916. At about 17:00 hours, Boedicker's squadron, in the van of the German scouting forces, engaged the British light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
HMS Chester
HMS Chester (1915)
HMS Chester was a Town class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, and one of two ships forming the Birkenhead subtype. Along with her sister ship, HMS Birkenhead, she was originally ordered for the Greek Navy in 1914 and was to be named Lambros Katsonis...
, inflicting heavy damage on her before she was relieved by Rear Admiral Hood's
Horace Hood
Rear Admiral the Honourable Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood KCB, DSO, MVO was a British Royal Navy admiral of the First World War, whose lengthy and distinguished service saw him engaged in operations around the world, frequently participating in land campaigns as part of a shore brigade...
3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. The Wiesbaden was severely damaged by heavy shells from the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (1907)
HMS Invincible was a battlecruiser of the British Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world. She participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in a minor role as she was the oldest and slowest of the British battlecruisers...
, and a direct hit into her engine room completely disabled her engines. During a subsequent destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
attack she received a torpedo hit into her stern, but continued to drift between the battle lines, repeatedly becoming the target of further British fire. She finally sank at about 2:45 am on the morning of 1 June, taking most of her crew with her. Only 22 men managed to climb onto three life rafts, and only one of them, a stoker named Hugo Zenne, survived. He was eventually picked up by the Norwegian freighter Willy.
Among the 589 killed was the well-known writer of poetry and fiction dealing with the life of fishermen and sailors, Johann Kinau, known under his pseudonym of Gorch Fock
Gorch Fock (author)
Gorch Fock [ɡɔʀx fɔk] was the pseudonym of the German author Johann Wilhelm Kinau . Other pseudonyms he used were Jakob Holst and Giorgio Focco....
, who has since then been honored by having two training windjammer
Windjammer
A windjammer is the ultimate type of large sailing ship with an iron or for the most part steel hull, built to carry cargo in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century...
s of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
and the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
, respectively, named after him.
Wreck
The wreck of the Wiesbaden was found in 1983 by divers of the German Navy at a depth of 52 m. A group of german divers dived to the wreck in June 2011. They found both screws missing. Speculation is that they were removed by commercial divers prior 1983.A model of the cruiser is in the city hall of Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, capital of the German state of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, where it can be viewed each year on 31 May and 1 June, the anniversary dates of the Battle of Jutland.