Braunschweig Class Battleship

Braunschweig Class Battleship

The Braunschweig class battleships were pre-dreadnought battleships of the Kaiserliche Marine (the German Imperial Navy). The class comprised five ships: Braunschweig, Elsass, Hessen, Preussen, and Lothringen. The ships were an improvement over the preceding Wittelsbach class; the ships mounted a more powerful main battery, were two knots faster, and had better armor protection.

The five ships all saw active service during World War I, primarily as coast defense ships in the IV Battle Squadron. Hessen was transferred to the II Battle Squadron in 1916 and took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1June 1916. All five ships of the class were retained by the Reichsmarine following Germany's defeat in World War I, and saw further service in a variety of roles. Hessen was eventually rebuilt as a radio-controlled target ship, while Preussen and Lothringen were converted into minesweeper tenders. All of the ships, with the exception of Hessen, were broken up in the 1930s; Hessen survived until the end of World War II, when she was taken over by the Soviet Navy, for continued use as a target ship.