Service History
After commissioning in 1901, the ship joined her sister-ships in the I Squadron of the Heimatflotte (Home Fleet). After her sister Kaiser Friedrich III had to be docked for repairs, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse replaced her as the I Squadron flagship, which was commanded by Prince Heinrich. In late August through mid September, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse conducted extensive training exercises with the rest of the German fleet. That year, Erich Raeder—who would go on to command the Kriegsmarine in World War II, was promoted to serve as the watch officer aboard her.
On 31 August 1902, the fleet conducted the annual summer training maneuvers. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was assigned to the "hostile" force, as were several of her sister-ships. The "hostile" force was first tasked with preventing the "German" squadron from passing through the Great Belt in the Baltic. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse and several other battleships were then tasked with forcing an entry into the mouth of the Elbe River, where the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and Hamburg could be seized. The "hostile" flotilla accomplished these tasks within three days. In 1903, the fleet, which was composed of only one squadron of battleships, was reorganized as the "Active Battle Fleet." Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse remained in the I Squadron along with her sisterships and the newest Wittelsbach-class battleships, while the older Brandenburg-class ships were placed in reserve in order to be rebuilt.
In October 1905, the Heimatflotte was again reorganized; Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was reassigned to the I Division of the II Squadron, alongside her sister-ship Kaiser Friedrich III and the older battleship Wörth. The balance of the Heimatflotte consisted of another division of three battleships in the I Squadron and two more three-ship divisions in the II Squadron. This was supported by a cruiser division, composed of two armored cruisers and six protected cruisers. In 1907, the newest Deutschland-class battleships were coming into service; along with the Braunschweig-class battleships, these provided enough modern battleships to create two full battle squadrons. As a result, the Heimatflotte was renamed the Hochseeflotte (High Seas Fleet).
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was extensively modernized in 1908–1910 at the Kaiserliche Werft shipyard in Kiel. During the refit, four of the ship's 15 cm guns and the stern-mounted torpedo tube were removed. Two 8.8 cm guns were added and the arrangement of the tertiary battery was modified. Her superstructure was also cut down to reduce the ship's tendency to roll excessively. The ship's funnels were also lengthened. After she emerged from the reconstruction, the ship was moved to the III Squadron, along with her sister-ships. However, in 1910, the new dreadnought battleships were beginning to come into service with the fleet. Thoroughly obsolete compared to the new "all-big-gun" battleships, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was then decommissioned and placed into reserve.
Read more about this topic: SMS Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse
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