SMS Wiesbaden facts for kids
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Wiesbaden's sister ship Frankfurt
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 German Empire |
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| Name | SMS Wiesbaden |
| Builder | A.G. Vulcan |
| Laid down | 1913 |
| Launched | 20 January 1915 |
| Commissioned | 23 August 1915 |
| Fate | Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1 June 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Wiesbaden-class light cruiser |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 145.30 m (476 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 13.90 m (45 ft 7 in) |
| Draft | 5.76 m (18.9 ft) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph) |
| Range | 4,800 nmi (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Crew |
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| Armament |
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| Armor |
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SMS Wiesbaden was a light cruiser built for the Imperial German Navy (also known as the Kaiserliche Marine). She was part of the Wiesbaden class class of ships. Her sister ship was named SMS Frankfurt. These ships were quite similar to an earlier class of cruisers called the Karlsruhe-class cruisers.
The ship was started in 1913 and launched into the water in January 1915. She was fully ready for service by August 1915. Wiesbaden was armed with eight powerful 15 cm guns. She could travel very fast, reaching speeds of up to 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph) (about 51 kilometers per hour). When fully loaded, the ship weighed about 6,601 t (6,497 long tons; 7,276 short tons) (metric tons).
Wiesbaden took part in only one major battle, the Battle of Jutland. This huge naval battle happened from May 31 to June 1, 1916. During the battle, the ship was heavily damaged by gunfire from a British battlecruiser named HMS Invincible.
Stuck between the two large fleets, Wiesbaden became the focus of intense fighting. Two British armored cruisers were destroyed trying to attack her. The British fleet fired so much that it was impossible to rescue Wiesbaden's crew. The ship stayed afloat until the early morning of June 1, sinking sometime between 1:45 AM and 2:45 AM. Only one crew member survived. German Navy divers found the wreck of Wiesbaden in 1983.
Contents
Ship Design and Features
Wiesbaden was a long ship, measuring about 145.30 meters (476 ft 8 in) from front to back. She was 13.90 m (45 ft 7 in) wide and sat 5.76 m (18 ft 11 in) deep in the water at her front. When fully loaded, she weighed about 6,601 t (6,497 long tons; 7,276 short tons).
How the Ship Moved
The ship's engines used two large steam turbines. These turbines powered two 3.5-meter (11 ft) propellers, which pushed the ship through the water. The engines were designed to produce 31,000 shaft horsepower (23,000 kW) of power.
To create this power, Wiesbaden had ten coal-fired boilers and two oil-fired boilers. These boilers heated water to make steam for the turbines. This system allowed the ship to reach a top speed of 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph).
Wiesbaden could carry 1,280 t (1,260 long tons) of coal and an extra 470 t (460 long tons) of oil. This fuel gave her a long range of 4,800 nautical miles (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) (about 8,890 kilometers) when traveling at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) (about 22 kilometers per hour). The ship needed a crew of 17 officers and 457 enlisted sailors to operate.
Ship's Weapons and Protection
Wiesbaden was armed with a main set of eight 15 cm (5.9 in) guns. These guns were placed in single mounts.
- Two guns were at the front of the ship, side by side.
- Four guns were in the middle of the ship, two on each side.
- Two guns were at the back, one above the other.
These guns could hit targets as far as 17,600 m (57,700 ft) away. The ship carried 1,024 shells for these guns, meaning 128 shells for each gun.
For defense against aircraft, the ship first had four 5.2 cm guns. These were later replaced with two 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns. Wiesbaden also had four 50 cm (19.7 in) torpedo tubes. These tubes could launch torpedoes to attack enemy ships underwater.
- Two torpedo tubes were built into the ship's hull, one on each side.
- Two were placed on the deck in the middle of the ship.
The ship also had the ability to carry 120 mines.
To protect the ship and its crew, Wiesbaden had armor.
- A thick armored belt, 60 mm (2.4 in) thick, ran along the waterline in the middle of the ship.
- The conning tower, where the ship was commanded, had sides that were 100 mm (3.9 in) thick.
- The ship's deck was covered with armor plates up to 60 mm thick.
Ship's History and Service
Wiesbaden was ordered under the name "Ersatz Gefion." She was built at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, starting in 1913. The ship was launched on January 20, 1915, and then finished being built. She officially joined the High Seas Fleet on August 23, 1915, after quick sea trials.
The Battle of Jutland
Captain Fritz Reiss commanded Wiesbaden. The ship was part of the II Scouting Group of light cruisers, led by Rear Admiral Friedrich Boedicker. This group took part in the huge Battle of Jutland on May 30 and June 1, 1916. Wiesbaden's sister ship, Frankfurt, was Admiral Boedicker's main ship. Their job was to protect the battlecruisers of Admiral Franz von Hipper's I Scouting Group.
First Contact with Enemy Ships
At the start of the battle, Wiesbaden was sailing to the right side of the German formation. This meant she was not directly involved when her sister ships, Elbing, Pillau, and Frankfurt, first met the British cruiser screen.
Around 6:30 PM, Wiesbaden and the rest of her group met the British cruiser HMS Chester. They opened fire and hit the British ship several times. As the cruisers from both sides pulled away, three British battlecruisers, led by Rear Admiral Horace Hood, joined the fight. His main ship, HMS Invincible, hit Wiesbaden. The shell exploded in her engine room, stopping the ship completely.
Fighting Around the Disabled Ship
Rear Admiral Paul Behncke, who led the main German battle line, ordered his large battleships to protect the damaged Wiesbaden. At the same time, British light cruisers tried to launch a torpedo attack on the German line. As they moved closer, they fired their main guns at Wiesbaden.
A British destroyer, HMS Onslow, got very close to Wiesbaden, within 2,000 yards (1,800 m) (about 1,800 meters). It fired one torpedo at the crippled cruiser. The torpedo hit right below the command tower, but the ship still stayed afloat. In the fierce fighting that followed, the British armored cruiser HMS Defence exploded, and HMS Warrior was badly damaged. Even though she was stopped, Wiesbaden launched her own torpedoes. One of them hit the British battleship HMS Marlborough.
The Sinking of Wiesbaden
Shortly after 8:00 PM, a group of German torpedo boats tried to rescue Wiesbaden's crew. However, heavy gunfire from the British battle line forced them to turn back. Another attempt was made to reach the ship, but the torpedo boat crews lost sight of the cruiser and could not find her.
The ship finally sank sometime between 1:45 AM and 2:45 AM on June 1. Only one crew member survived the sinking. He was rescued by a Norwegian ship the next day. Among the 589 people who died was a famous writer named Johann Kinau, known as Gorch Fock. He wrote poems and stories about the lives of fishermen and sailors. Two training ships for the German Navy have since been named after him to honor his memory.
German Navy divers found the wreck of Wiesbaden in 1983. They removed both of the ship's propellers. The ship lies upside down on the seabed. It was the last German cruiser sunk at Jutland to be found.
Images for kids
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Wiesbaden's sister ship Frankfurt
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Maps showing the maneuvers of the British (blue) and German (red) fleets on 31 May – 1 June 1916
