SMS Bremse - Construction

Construction

Bremse was ordered under the contract name "D" and laid down at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin in 1915. She was launched on 11 March 1916, after which fitting-out work commenced. Completed in less than four months, she was commissioned into the High Seas Fleet on 1 July 1916. The ship was 140.4 meters (461 ft) long overall and had a beam of 13.2 m (43 ft) and a draft of 6 m (20 ft) forward. She displaced 5,856 t (5,764 long tons; 6,455 short tons) at full combat load. Her propulsion system consisted of two sets of steam turbines powered by two coal-fired and four oil-fired Marine-type boilers. These provided a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) and a range of 5,800 nautical miles (10,700 km; 6,700 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph). In service however, the ship reached 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph).

The ship was armed with four 15 cm SK L/45 guns in single pedestal mounts; two were arranged side by side forward and two were placed in a superfiring pair aft. These guns fired a 45.3-pound (20.5 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity of 840 meters per second (2,800 ft/s). The guns had a maximum elevation of 30 degrees, which allowed them to engage targets out to 17,600 m (57,700 ft). They were supplied with 600 rounds of ammunition, for 150 shells per gun. Brummer also carried two 8.8 cm (3.5 in) L/45 anti-aircraft guns mounted on the centerline astern of the funnels. She was also equipped with a pair of 50 cm (20 in) torpedo tubes with four torpedoes in a swivel mount amidships. Designed as a minelayer, she carried 400 mines. The ship was protected by a waterline armored belt that was 40 mm (1.6 in) thick amidships. The conning tower had 100 mm (3.9 in) thick sides, and the deck was covered with 15 mm (0.59 in) thick armor plate.