SMS Kronprinz (1867) facts for kids
Illustration of Kronprinz in 1868
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Quick facts for kids Class overview |
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| Operators: |
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| Preceded by: | Friedrich Carl |
| Succeeded by: | König Wilhelm |
| History | |
 Prussia, later German Empire |
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| Name | Kronprinz |
| Builder | Samuda Brothers, London |
| Laid down | February 1866 |
| Launched | 6 May 1867 |
| Commissioned | 19 September 1867 |
| Fate | Scrapped in 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armored frigate |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 89.44 m (293 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 15.20 m (49 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
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| Sail plan | Barque-rigged |
| Speed | 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) |
| Range | 3,200 nmi (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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| Armor | Belt: 76 to 124 mm (3.0 to 4.9 in) |
SMS Kronprinz was a special German warship. It was an ironclad warship, meaning it was a ship covered in thick metal armor. This ship was built for the Prussian Navy between 1866 and 1867.
The Kronprinz was built in London, England. It was launched in May 1867 and joined the Prussian Navy in September of that year. It was the fourth armored ship ordered by Prussia. The ship was designed as an armored frigate. This means it was a sailing ship with a powerful battery of guns along its sides. It had sixteen 21 cm (8.3 in) guns. Smaller guns were added later.
The Kronprinz did not see much action during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871). Its engines, and those of other ships, had problems. This stopped them from fighting against the French blockade. The ship only went out twice, but it did not get into any battles. The Kronprinz later served in the Imperial Navy. In 1901, it became a training ship for people who worked with the ship's engines. The ship was finally taken apart for scrap metal in 1921.
Contents
Building a Powerful Warship
After getting smaller armored ships, the Prussian Navy wanted bigger ones. They needed ships that could sail on the high seas. These new ships were meant to fight against Denmark. Denmark had blocked German ports during the Second Schleswig War. Prussia could not break this blockade.
Armored ships were a new idea back then. The best option for sea-going warships was the armored frigate. These ships looked like old sailing ships but had guns on their sides. In 1865, the navy asked for more money to buy these ships. The parliament said no. So, King Wilhelm I ordered two armored frigates on his own.
Britain and France had the most experience building these ships. So, Prussia ordered one ship from each country. The contract for Kronprinz was signed in January 1866. It was built in Britain. The British ship designer Edward James Reed created the ship. It ended up being similar to the Friedrich Carl, which was built in France.
Ship Design and Power
The Kronprinz was about 89.44 meters (293 ft 5 in) long. It was 15.20 meters (49 ft 10 in) wide. The ship sat 7.85 meters (25 ft 9 in) deep in the water. It was designed to weigh about 5,767 metric tons (5,678 long tons). When fully loaded, it weighed up to 6,760 metric tons (6,650 long tons).
The ship's body was made of iron frames. It had nine waterproof sections. It also had a double bottom for safety. The ship handled well in the sea. It responded quickly to steering commands. However, it needed a lot of space to turn. The crew included 33 officers and 508 sailors.
The ship's engine was built in England. It had a steam engine that powered a large propeller. Eight boilers created steam for the engine. These boilers were in two separate rooms. Each room had its own chimney, which could be lowered when the ship used its sails. The engine produced 4,500 horsepower. This allowed the ship to reach a top speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph). During tests, it went even faster, reaching 14.7 knots.
The ship carried 646 metric tons (636 long tons) of coal. This gave it a range of 3,200 nautical miles (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 10 knots. It also had three masts with sails. These sails covered an area of 1,980 square meters (21,300 sq ft). They helped the ship move when the engine was not in use.
Guns and Protection
When first built, the Kronprinz had 32 large cannons. After it arrived in Germany, these were replaced. It then had two 21 cm (8.3 in) L/22 guns and fourteen 21 cm L/19 guns. The L/22 guns could shoot about 5,900 meters (6,500 yd). The L/19 guns had a shorter range of 5,200 meters (5,700 yd). Both types of guns fired the same shells. The ship carried 1,656 shells in total.
The 14 L/19 guns were placed in a central area in the middle of the ship. Seven guns were on each side. The two L/22 guns were on the upper deck, one at the front and one at the back. These were called "chase guns." They could fire straight ahead or behind the ship.
Later, the ship got six smaller 3.7 cm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannons. It also received five 35 cm (14 in) torpedo tubes. Two torpedo tubes were at the front, one on each side. One was at the back on the left side. All were above the water. The ship carried 12 torpedoes.
The Kronprinz was protected by wrought iron armor. This iron was backed with thick teak wood. The armor belt along the waterline was 76 to 124 mm (3.0 to 4.9 in) thick. This belt was backed by 254 mm (10 in) of teak wood. Above this belt, there was more iron plate. This plate was 114 to 121 mm (4.5 to 4.8 in) thick. It protected the guns on the sides of the ship. The roof of the gun area had 9 mm (0.35 in) thick iron plating. This was to stop shots or fragments from explosions.
Ship's Life and Adventures
The order for Kronprinz was placed in January 1866. Its building started in February at the Samuda Brothers shipyard in London. King Wilhelm chose the name Kronprinz (Crown Prince) in January 1867. The ship was launched on May 6, 1867. Important people from Prussia, including the ambassador, watched the ceremony.
The ship began its sea tests in August. A Prussian captain, Ludwig von Henk, oversaw these tests. He became the ship's first commander on September 19. The ship then officially joined the Prussian fleet. Other ships helped carry the crews for Kronprinz and Friedrich Carl from Prussia to England.
Kronprinz left Britain on October 24. On its way to Prussia, a storm broke its main mast. The ship went into a dock in Kiel for repairs. Its guns were also changed. After more tests, the ship was taken out of service in November. There were problems with the new Prussian guns. They often failed during tests. New guns from Krupp were ordered, but they were slow to arrive. This delayed the ship's return to service until May 1869.
First, the ship went back to Britain to clean its hull. Then, it joined the new Ironclad Training Squadron. This group of armored ships practiced together. The squadron included Friedrich Carl and König Wilhelm. After training, Kronprinz was taken out of service again in September.
Kronprinz was put back into service on April 30, 1870. It was ready for regular training. In the 1870s, German armored ships usually sailed in the summer. In winter, most were kept in reserve. In May 1870, the three ships visited Britain. Friedrich Carl was damaged when it ran aground. Kronprinz had to tow it back to Kiel for repairs.
The ships then went to Plymouth, Britain. On July 1, they left for a training trip to the Azores, Portugal. But tensions grew with France over who would be the next king of Spain. The ships learned that war was likely. They ended their trip and returned home. Kronprinz had to tow Prinz Adalbert because it was too slow.
The Franco-Prussian War
The ships arrived back in Wilhelmshaven on July 16. Three days later, France declared war on Prussia. This started the Franco-Prussian War. The Prussian Navy was much smaller than the French Navy. So, it took a defensive position. The French Navy blocked Prussian ports.
Kronprinz, Friedrich Carl, and König Wilhelm gathered in Wilhelmshaven. They hoped to break the French blockade. The turret ship Arminius also joined them. Captain Reinhold von Werner commanded Kronprinz during the war. The French Navy was very strong, but they had not planned well for attacking Prussian ports.
In early August 1870, the four ships sailed out into the North Sea. They did not find any French warships. After this, Kronprinz and the other two armored frigates had constant engine problems. This left Arminius to do most of the work. Kronprinz stayed near the island of Wangerooge for most of the war.
By September 11, the three armored frigates were ready again. They joined Arminius for another trip into the North Sea. Again, they did not find any French ships. The French Navy had already returned to France. In mid-December, Kronprinz went into drydock for repairs. Its hull was cleaned, and its engine system was fixed. In January 1871, Captain Werner planned to attack the French port of Cherbourg. But France soon started talks to end the war. The attack was canceled. The war ended on January 28.
Post-War Service
After the war, Kronprinz sailed to Glückstadt. It helped bring about 20,000 French prisoners of war back home. Then, it went to Kiel in April. From there, it towed a training ship back to Kiel. In June 1871, Kronprinz towed a floating dry dock to Kiel. In September, the ship was taken out of service for the winter.
In October, a German ship in Brazil had problems. Some of its crew were arrested. Germany threatened to send Kronprinz and other ships. This made the Brazilian government release the crewmen. Kronprinz was put back into service in December but was taken out again in January 1872.
Kronprinz was reactivated in 1872. But it did not sail that year. In 1873, it was briefly put back into service. There was a chance it might be sent to Spain to help a German squadron. But it was not sent. On May 19, 1874, it rejoined the Ironclad Training Squadron. This year, it was the squadron's lead ship. The ships practiced together in the Baltic Sea. They also visited Britain. They then sailed into the Atlantic Ocean for more training. The ships returned to Germany in July. After more training, Kronprinz was taken out of service.
Kronprinz was put back into service on May 19, 1875. It joined the training squadron again. This year, the ships stayed in German waters. In July, the ship's captain died of a heart attack. The next year, the armored squadron went to the Mediterranean Sea. This was because the German consul was murdered in Salonika. German ships joined other countries' warships to protest the murder. Most of the German squadron returned home in August. But Kronprinz stayed in the Mediterranean until December. It arrived back in Germany in January 1877. It faced a bad storm and was damaged. Repairs were finished by late 1877. This made it miss that year's training.
Later Years and Fate
Kronprinz was not used for the 1878 training trip. That year, a new armored ship was lost in an accident. Kronprinz returned to service in May 1879. It visited Norway. In 1880, it was kept in reserve again. But in 1881, it was put back into service. This was to replace a new ship that had engine problems. The ships stayed in German waters that year. In May, Kronprinz towed a barracks ship to Kiel. The next two years were similar.
Engine problems often affected the ship. Its engines broke down during fleet exercises in May 1883. Two other armored frigates also broke down. This forced the exercises to be canceled. Later that year, the training ended with a big practice attack on Kiel. Kronprinz and other ships played the role of the "enemy." This was the first time the armored fleet used only steam power.
Kronprinz was updated in late 1883. It received new boilers. The six Hotchkiss revolver cannons and six torpedo tubes were installed. Its sails were also reduced. In 1885, anti-torpedo nets were added. These were removed in 1897. In 1887, the ship was present for the start of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal construction. This canal would connect Kiel to the North Sea.
The ship was not in regular service until October 1891. Then, it joined the Training Squadron for its first winter trip. This trip went to Scotland and Norway. It stayed in service for the 1892 training year. This ended with large fleet exercises in September. On October 4, it was taken out of service for the last time. It was then placed in reserve.
In 1894, Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to modernize Kronprinz and Friedrich Carl. He wanted to sell them to Qing China. The money would be used to build new German ships. But the First Sino-Japanese War stopped this plan. Germany could not sell weapons to countries at war. The shipyard also said that even after fixing the 25-year-old ships, they would be too slow for China's navy. Japan also refused to buy the old ships for the same reason.
The ship stayed in reserve until August 22, 1901. Then, it was removed from the navy's list. Kronprinz was rebuilt at the Imperial Dockyard in Kiel that year. Its engine system was fixed. New boilers were installed. Its sails were further reduced. After this, Kronprinz became a training ship for engine room workers in Kiel.
The ship was finally sold to a German company on October 3, 1921. It was sold for 5,000,000 German marks. Kronprinz was then taken apart for scrap metal later that year.
Images for kids
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Sketch depicting Kronprinz after her launching in 1867, before fitting out
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Kronprinz in Kiel in 1892
