SMS Posen facts for kids
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|} SMS Posen was a powerful German battleship built in 1907. She was officially ready for duty in 1910. This ship was armed with twelve large 11-inch guns. These guns were placed in six turrets around the ship.
Posen was very active during World War I. She spent most of her time sailing in the North Sea. Her most famous battle was the Battle of Jutland. During this battle, she accidentally hit another German ship, the SMS Elbing. The Elbing was badly damaged and later sank.
Posen also went to the Baltic Sea several times. There, she helped fight against the Russian Navy. In 1918, she supported the White Finns during the Finnish Civil War. After World War I ended, Posen stayed in Germany. Most other German ships were sent to Scapa Flow. In 1919, Posen was given to the British. This happened after the German fleet at Scapa Flow was sunk on purpose. The British then sent her to be taken apart in the Netherlands in 1922.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire |
|
| Namesake | Province of Posen |
| Builder | Germaniawerft, Kiel |
| Laid down | 11 June 1907 |
| Launched | 12 December 1908 |
| Commissioned | 31 May 1910 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1922 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Nassau-class battleship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 146.1 m (479 ft 4.0 in) |
| Beam | 26.9 m (88 ft 3.1 in) |
| Draft | 8.9 m (29 ft 2.4 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | At 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph): 8,300 nmi (15,400 km; 9,600 mi) |
| Complement |
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| Armament |
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| Armor |
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What Was the SMS Posen Like?
The Posen was a very large ship. She was about 146 meters (479 feet) long. Her width was about 27 meters (88 feet). The ship weighed around 18,873 tonnes when empty.
She had a crew of about 40 officers and 968 sailors. This made a total of 1008 people on board. The ship used three coal-powered engines. She could travel at a top speed of 20 knots (about 23 miles per hour). She could also travel about 8,300 nautical miles (9,600 miles) at a slower speed of 12 knots.
How Was the Posen Armed?
Her main guns were 28 centimeters (11 inches) wide. These guns were in six turrets. The turrets were arranged in a hexagon shape around the ship. This allowed many guns to fire at once.
She also had smaller guns for defense. These included 15-centimeter (5.9-inch) guns. There were also 8.8-centimeter (3.5-inch) anti-aircraft guns. The ship carried five 45-centimeter (17.7-inch) torpedo tubes. These could launch torpedoes from the front, back, and sides.
How Was the Posen Protected?
The Posen had very strong armor. Her sides were protected by armor up to 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) thick. The gun turrets had 28 centimeters (11 inches) of armor. Her deck was 80 millimeters (3.1 inches) thick. The command center, called the conning tower, had 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) of armor.
A Brief History of the SMS Posen
The order to build Posen was given in 1906. Her construction started secretly on June 11, 1907. The ship was launched and sailed for the first time in December 1908. Building Posen cost the German government 36,920,000 Marks.
In 1910, she moved to Wilhelmshaven. She operated from there for the next four years. During World War I, she spent much time in the North Sea. Sometimes, she sailed to the Baltic Sea to fight the Russian Navy. She was a key ship in the Battle of Jutland. In this battle, she accidentally collided with another German ship, causing it to sink.
After the war, in 1919, Posen was given to the British. This was part of the agreement after the German fleet was sunk at Scapa Flow. She was then sold for scrap and taken apart in 1922.
Images for kids
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Sketch of Posen by Oscar Parkes
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SMS Westfalen
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A recognition drawing of a Nassau-class battleship
See also
In Spanish: SMS Posen para niños
