Heavier guns for the pre-dreadnought fleet
A 28 cm main battery and powerful 17 cm secondary armament made the class a substantial advance over its immediate predecessors.
14394 tMaximum displacement
127,7 mOverall length
18,2 knMaximum speed
343Complement
Design and service
The story of Hessen
Compared to the older German battleships, the five ships of the Braunschweig class showed a improvement mainly in the artillery component. The main artillery grew to 28 cm guns while for the first time 17 cm guns were used as secondary artillery. Being maneuverable and good seagoing ship, they tend to roll in heavy seas, bud did not take over much water as it was common for other German ships of this era.
Like their follow ups, the Deutschland class, those ships were obsolete at the outbreak of the war and their active duty was limited to coastal defence only. They were among the few old battleships that Germany was allowed to keep after World War One and they were actively used by the Reichsmarine until the mid 1930.
The Hessen was the longest actively used ship of its class. Until 1934 its fate was similar like those of its sister ships, first fleet operation, then floating barrack and then used in the Reichsmarine. Between 1935 and 1937 it was reconstructed as a radio controlled target ship, survived World War 2 and later used by the Soviet navy. For more info's about the target ship Hessen can be found in the Kriegsmarine section.
Operational history
Service timeline
Hessen is commissioned.
Attached to the 2nd Battleship Squadron.
Summer voyage to Norway, landing operation drills at Eckernförde.
Autumn fleet excercises.
Excercises in the North Sea.
Summer voyage to the North and Baltic Sea.
Summer voyage to the Canary Islands.
Summer voyage to El Ferrol.
Summer voyage to Norway.
During the autumn fleet excercises, the Hessen ramms and sink the Danish steamer Askesund.
Ice emergency services in the Baltic Sea,
During the sumer voyage, the Hessen ramms and sinks the torpedo boat G110 in a simulated torpedo attack. Three crew memebers of the torpedo boat are killed.
Summer voyage to Norway.
Summer voyage to Norway.
Hessen runs aground in the Kiel Canal.
Operation in the North Sea.
Repairs in Kiel.
Training excercises in the Baltic Sea.
Operation in the North Sea.
Operation in the North Sea.
Refits in Kiel, additional oil firing is added to boilders.
Operation in the North Sea.
Operation in the North Sea.
Repairs in Wilhelmshaven.
Training excercises in the Baltic Sea.
Repairs in Hamburg.
Costal defence duty.
Operation in the North Sea.
Refiets, additional anti-ballon guns are installed.
Battle of Jutland: Hessen returns undamaged.
Hessen assists the König Albert which has run aground near Krautsand.
Used as target ship in the Baltic Sea.
Decommissioned.
Recommissioned.
Voyage to Norway.
Autumn fleet excercises.
Ice emergency services in the eastern Baltic Sea, voyage to Libau and Riga.
Voyage to Spain.
Atlantic voyage to the Carary Islands and Portugal.
First visit to Danzig after WW1.
Visit to Norway.
Voyage to Spain.
Visit to Stockholm.
Participation in fleet voyate to the Mediterranean.
Fleet day in Swinemünde.
Visit to Norway.
Visits to Visby, Oslo and Danzig.
Visit to Reval.
Visit to Bergen and Sognefjord.
Decommissioned in Wilhelmshaven.
Reconstruction as radio controlled target ship: Two funnels, masts and guns are removed.
Used as target ship.
First operational use as target ship for the light cruiser Leipzig.
After World War II, the Hessen is taken over by the Soviet Union. The ship and its control boat Blitz are renamed to Tsel and Wystrel.
At a glance
Technical profile
Dimensions, armament, protection and performance.
Dimensions
- Size (Max)
- 14394 t
- Length (Total)
- 127,7 m
- Length (Waterline)
- 126,0 m
- Beam
- 22,2 m
- Draft
- 8,10 m
- Crew
- 343
Armament
- 28 cm L/40 (L/35)
- 4
- 17 cm L/45
- 14 (12 since 1931)
- 8,8 cm L/35
- 18 (4 since 1921)
- Machine guns
- 4
- 45 cm torpedo tubes
- 6 (2 x 40 cm torpedo tubes since 1921)
Armor
- Deck
- 40 mm
- Belt
- 225 mm (max)
- Command tower
- 225 mm (max)
- Main guns
- 300 mm (max)
Machinery
- Shafts
- 3
- Turbines
- 3
- Type
- 3-cyl expansion engines
Performance
- Total Performance
- 16486 shp
- Speed
- 18,2 kn
- Range
- 5200 miles at 10 kn
The archive
Photographs
Original postcard and photographic material from the private collection.
The archive
Models
Ship models in 1/1250 scale.
Construction record
Hessen
- Laid down
- Germaniawerft Kiel, 15.04.1902
- Launched
- 18.09.1903
- Commissioned
- 19.05.1905
- Fate
- scrapped 1950s (Russia)