Von der Tann battlecruiser
The Von der Tann battlecruiser was the first German battlecruiser and was destined to be the workhorse of the German Scouting Squadron. But even before her construction was started, the design of her successor had begun: the Moltke-class.
The Von der Tann was laid down on February 25, 1908 by Blohm & Voss, and was launched on February 20, 1909. She became operational on February 20 1911. From the early raids on the East coast of England to Jutland and beyond, the Von der Tann was in the thick of the action, accounting well for herself. The battlecruiser is credited with sinking the British battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable at Jutland in June 1916, but she took much damage as well: all her main guns were disabled by two 15 inch and two 13.5 inch hits.
On June 21, 1919 the Von der Tann was scuttled at Scapa Flow and sank at 1415 hrs. She was raised again on December 7, 1930 to be scrapped at Rosyth from 1931 untill 1934.
|
Specifications |
||
| Complement: | 41 officers and 882 enlisted | |
| Length: | 566.61 ft | 171.7 m |
| Displacement: | 19,370 tons (designed) / 21,300 tons (maximum) | |
| Machinery | Steam turbines, 18 boilers | |
| Max. speed: | 24.75 knots | |
| Range: | 4,400 nm at 14 knots | |
| No of Shafts: | 4 | |
| No of rudders: | 2 side by side | |
|
Armament |
||
| Main Armament: | Eight 280mm (11 inch) in 4 twin turrets | |
| Secondary Armament: | Ten 150mm (5.9 inch) in 10 casement mounts | |
| Anti-Torpedo boat/ Anti-Aircraft battery | Sixteen 12cm QF guns and Four 88mm (3.5 inch) in single mounts | |
| Torpedo tubes: | Four 45cm tubes (all underwater - one bow, one stern, one mounted on each side just forward of "Anton" turret | |
