The history of German battleships is closely linked to the development of the German navy and its role in both world wars. From the rise of the Imperial Navy in the 19th century to the role of the Kriegsmarine during World War II, German battleships played a crucial strategic role.
The origins of the German battleships lie in the establishment of the Imperial Navy in the late 19th century. Germany became an imperial power in 1871, and to enhance its influence, it began to form a maritime power. The German navy initially focused on the construction of panzerkreuzers (armored cruisers), which were larger than traditional cruisers but less heavily armored than battleships. SMS Friedrich der Große (1878) was the first German battleship (panzerkreuzer). It was a relatively light and fast ship intended to fulfill the role of an armored war cruiser.
The introduction of the British HMS Dreadnought in 1906 revolutionized naval warfare. Germany responded by developing its own battleships that approached the Dreadnought class. The SMS Nassau (1908) and the SMS Helgoland (1911) were Germany’s first true “Dreadnoughts”.
During World War I, the High Seas Fleet (Hochseeflotte) was the main combat force of the Imperial Navy. This fleet consisted of a mix of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. The Battle of Jutland (1916) was the largest naval battle of the war and took place between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet. The battle ended in a strategic victory for the British. Despite significant losses on both sides, the Germans were unable to decisively defeat the British fleet. It was the last major confrontation of the Imperial Navy during the war. German battleships such as the SMS Derfflinger, SMS Seydlitz, and SMS Lützow played key roles in this battle. The Seydlitz was heavily damaged but survived the battle, demonstrating the durability of German battleships.
After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the Reichsmarine was established, but the size and power of the fleet were severely limited. Germany was prohibited from building new battleships, and the existing ships were outdated and neglected.
With the rise of the Nazis to power in 1933 under Adolf Hitler, Germany’s navy was rebuilt. The Treaty of Versailles was rejected, and Germany began to construct the Kriegsmarine with the aim of matching the power of the Allied fleets. This led to the creation of some of the most famous battleships in German naval history. The most famous and largest battleship of Germany during World War II was the Bismarck, commissioned in 1940. The Bismarck was intended to threaten Allied shipping routes in the Atlantic and played a strategic role in naval warfare. In May 1941, the Bismarck set out from Germany for an operation against Allied shipping. The ship achieved an initial victory by sinking the British battleship HMS Hood, but was eventually defeated after an intense hunt by the British navy. The Bismarck was eventually sunk after a massive air attack by the Royal Navy.
By 1945, at the end of the war, the remaining German battleships were outdated and had little strategic use. The rise of air forces made traditional battleship warfare obsolete, and battleships were increasingly seen as sitting ducks for airstrikes. The last active battleships of the Kriegsmarine were either scrapped or sunk by 1945.
Pre dreadnought battleships
Brandenburg class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Brandenburg | Brandenburg class | 19-11-1893 | 13-05-1919 | Scrapped in 1920 |
SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm | Brandenburg class | 29-04-1894 | 1910 | Sold to the Ottoman Empire in 1910 |
SMS Weissenburg | Brandenburg class | 14-10-1894 | -- | Sold to the ottoman Empire |
SMS Wörth | Brandenburg class | 31-10-1893 | 13-05-1919 | Scrapped in 1919 |
Kaiser Friederich III class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Kaiser Friedrich III | Kaiser Friedrich III class | 17-10-1898 | 06-12-1919 | Scraped in 1920 |
SMS Kaiser Wilhelm II | Kaiser Friedrich III class | 13-02-1900 | 17-03-1921 | Scraped in 1922 |
SMS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse | Kaiser Friedrich III class | 05-05-1901 | 06-12-1919 | Scraped in 1920 |
SMS Kaiser Karl der Grosse | Kaiser Friedrich III class | 04-02-1902 | 19-11-1915 | Scraped in 1920 |
SMS Kaiser Barbarossa | Kaiser Friedrich III class | 10-06-1901 | 06-12-1919 | Scraped in 1920 |
Wittelsbach class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Wittelsbach | Wittelsbach class | 15-10-1902 | 24-08-1916 | Sold for scrap, 07-07-1921 |
SMS Wettin | Wittelsbach class | 01-10-1902 | 11-03-1920 | Sold for scrap, 21-11-1921 |
SMS Zähringen | Wittelsbach class | 25-10-1902 | -- | Sunck as blockship 25-03-1945, Broken up 1949 |
SMS Schwaben | Wittelsbach class | 13-04-1904 | 08-03-1921 | Scraped in 1921 |
SMS Mecklenburg | Wittelsbach class | 25-05-1903 | 24-10-1916 | Scraped in 1921 |
Braunschweig class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Braunschweig | Braunschweig class | 15-10-1904 | 31-01-1926 | Scraped 31-03-1931 |
SMS Elsass | Braunschweig class | 29-11-1904 | 25-02-1930 | Scraped in 1936 |
SMS Hessen | Braunschweig class | 19-09-1905 | -- | Ceded to the Sovjet Union following WWII |
SMS Preussen | Braunschweig class | 12-07-1905 | 05-04-1929 | Scraped in 1954 |
SMS Lothringen | Braunschweig class | 18-05-1906 | 31-03-1931 | Scraped in 1931 |
Deutschland class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Deutschland | Deutschland class | 03-08-1906 | 10-09-1917 | Scraped 1920-1922 |
SMS Hannover | Deutschland class | 01-10-1907 | 15-09-1931 | Scraped 1944-1946 |
SMS Pommern | Deutschland class | 06-08-1907 | -- | Sunk at the battle of jutland, 01-06-1916 |
SMS Schlesien | Deutschland class | 05-05-1908 | -- | Scuttles 05-05-1945, scraped 1949-1970 |
SMS Schleswig Holstein | Deutschland class | 06-07-1908 | 02-05-1917 | Sunk by bombs, raised an beached as target ship |
Dreadnought battleships
Nassau class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Nassua | Nassau class | 01-10-1909 | -- | Ceded by Japan, Scraped 1920 |
SMS Westfalen | Nassau class | 01-10-1907 | 11-08-1918 | Ceded by allies, Scraped 1924 |
SMS Rheinland | Nassau class | 06-08-1907 | 04-10-1918 | Ceded by allies, scraped 1921 |
SMS Posen | Nassau class | 05-05-1908 | 16-12-1918 | Cede by Great Brittain, scraped 1922 |
Helgoland class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Helgoland | Helgoland class | 23-08-1911 | 16-12-1918 | Ceded to Great Britain in 1920. Scraped in 1921 |
SMS Ostfriesland | Helgoland class | 01-08-1911 | 16-12-1918 | Ceded to United States, 1920, Expended as a target, 1921 |
SMS Thüringen | Helgoland class | 10-09-1911 | 16-12-1918 | Ceded to France, 1920, Expended as target, scraped 1923–33 |
SMS Oldenburg | Helgoland class | 01-05-1912 | -- | Ceded to Japan, 1920. Broken up for scrap, 1921 |
Kaiser class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Kaiser | Kaiser class | 01-08-1911 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS Friedrich der Grosse | Kaiser class | 15-10-1912 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS Kaiserin | Kaiser class | 14-05-1913 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS Prinzregent Luitpold | Kaiser class | 19-08-1913 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS König Albert | Kaiser class | 31-07-1913 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
Konig class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS König | König class | 10-08-1914 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS Grosser | König class | 30-07-1914 | -- | Raised in 1913, Sold for scrape 1938 |
SMS Markgraf | König class | 01-10-1914 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
SMS Kronprinz | König class | 08-11-1914 | -- | Scuttled at Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919 |
Bayern class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Bayern | Bayern class | 18-02-1914 | -- | Scuttled Scapa Flow, 21-06-1919, refloated / broken up 1935 |
SMS Baden | Bayern class | 14-03-1917 | -- | Sunk as targetr 16-08-1921 |
SMS Sachsen | Bayern class | 03-11-1919 | -- | Broken up 1921-1923 |
SMS Württemberg | Bayern class | Cenceled | -- | Broken up 1921 |
L20e alpha class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS L 20e α | L 20e α class | -- | -- | Never build, design study only |
Fast battleships
Scharnhorst class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Scharnhosrt | Scharnhost class | 07-01-1939 | -- | Sunk at the battle of the North Cape, 26-12-1943 |
SMS Gneisenau | Scharnhost class | 21-05-1938 | 01-07-1942 | Sunk as blockship, 23-03-1945, scraped 1951 |
Bismarck class
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS Bismarck | Bismarck class | 24-08-1940 | -- | Scuttled 27-05-1945 in the North Atlantic |
SMS Tripitz | Bismarck class | 25-02-1941 | -- | Sunk by Royal Airforce bombers on 12-11-1944 |
H-class (proposal)
Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
SMS H-39 - H-44 | H class | Canceled | -- | Canceled 30-09-1939 |
