SMS Westphalia
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SMS Westfalen was the second ship of the Nassau class , a class of four large-line ships of the Imperial Navy .
construction
The Bremer Werft AG Weser began on 12 August 1907, the construction of the replacement Saxony . As the second ship in its class, the new building was ready for launch on July 1, 1908. The baptismal address was given by Eberhard von der Recke , the President of the Province of Westphalia , after whom the ship was named. In mid-September 1909, the Westfalen was transferred to Wilhelmshaven for the final equipment . Due to the low water level of the Weser at that time , the ship was lifted with six pontoons in order to still be able to pass the fairway safely. In Wilhelmshaven, the Westphalia , still with the shipyard crew, took part in the celebration of the inauguration of the new III. Driveway part.
Peace time
On November 16, 1909, the Westfalen was put into service. The usual test drives were carried out until May 3, 1910, during which the ship took part in a fleet maneuver in February. The Westphalia was assigned to the 1st Squadron and replaced the Emperor Barbarossa . On May 5, Vice Admiral Hugo Pohl rose from the Hanover to the Westphalia , which thus became the flagship of the 1st Squadron. The ship remained that way until April 29, 1912, when it was replaced by Ostfriesland . In autumn 1914, the Westphalia was to switch to the II. Squadron, which was due to be modernized, and replace the Prussians as the squadron flagship. However, these plans were no longer implemented.
Use in the First World War
The Westfalen was shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, with much of the deep-sea fleet on a trip to Norway, due to the increasing tension during the July crisis was canceled. On July 29, 1914, the ship was back in Wilhelmshaven. On November 2nd and 3rd and on December 15th and 16th, the high seas fleets followed, in which Westphalia was involved. On January 24, 1915, the order to sail was not given until 12:00 p.m. and therefore too late to intervene in the battle on Dogger Bank . In March and April 1915 the Westphalia was in the shipyard.
After exercises in the Baltic Sea, the 1st Squadron, and with it the Westphalia, were called in to cover the company against the Gulf of Riga in August . After its completion, the squadron reached Wilhelmshaven again on August 26th. The Westphalia was involved in naval advances on September 11th and 12th, on October 19th and 20th as well as on October 23rd and 24th. Others followed from March 5 to 7, March 25 and 26, April 21 and 22, and April 24 and 25, 1916.
The Westphalia took part in the Battle of the Skagerrak and became the top ship of the German majority during the march back after the third turnaround. During the night battle, British destroyers attacked the ship several times without achieving much success. The Westphalia received a medium hit that claimed two victims, but remained fully operational and was in turn involved in the sinking of British ships.
During the following advance, the British submarine HMS E 23 hit a torpedo on the Westfalen on August 19 . The ship of the line was released and returned to Wilhelmshaven, with torpedo boats taking over the local security. The necessary repairs lasted until September 26th. After exercises in the Baltic Sea, the ship took part in another fleet operation on October 19 and 20, without coming into contact with the enemy. During Operation Albion in September and October 1917, the Westphalia was off Aabenraa to prevent British warships from entering the Baltic Sea.
Finland intervention
The Westfalen was on 21 February 1918 flagship compiled for intervention in Finland special Association of the Imperial Navy. The task of the navy consisted in the establishment of a base on Aaland intended as a starting point for the enterprise , the transfer of the Baltic Sea Division formed in the Danzig area under Major General Rüdiger von der Goltz to Finland as well as the direct support of the operations off the Finnish coast. In addition to the Westphalia , the Rhineland , the mine cruiser SMS Nautilus , four torpedo boats, the III. Block breaker group , the 9th minesweeping semi-flotilla , seven auxiliary ships and other transport ships to the special unit. Whose leadership was assumed by the Second Admiral of the IV. Squadron, Rear Admiral Hugo Meurer . After an approach made difficult by heavy ice, the German ships reached Eckerö on March 5 , where they warmly welcomed the local population. In the days that followed, around 1,200 Russian soldiers were arrested and brought to Soviet Russia via Libau . The Westphalia returned to Danzig on March 10, as Rear Admiral Meurer had to clarify the further procedure.
The Hankö Fortress was chosen as the next destination, for the conquest of which the special unit was reinforced by the Poznan , as well as by the small cruiser SMS Kolberg , the coastal armored ship SMS Beowulf , the auxiliary cruiser SMS Möve , the 4th minesweeping semi-flotilla and several transport ships. Rear Admiral John Hartog was appointed Second Admiral of the Special Association. At the end of March, the Baltic Division was embarked and brought to Finland. The Westphalia was on April 3 together with the Posen before Russarö , where the signal station was manned. Since the Russian fortress garrison declared itself neutral on the basis of the peace treaty of Brest-Litovsk , the Baltic Sea division could be landed in Hangö without any problems. The British submarines located there were sunk by their own crews, and the associated mother ship was set on fire.
The Westphalia was from April 9th to 11th before Reval and then went to Helsinki . The Finnish capital was occupied by land and sea until April 14th, with the Russian warships present and the Russian fortress crews remaining neutral. Rear Admiral Meurer stayed on board the Westfalen until April 30th in Helsinki and had the sea front of the city ready for action. It was then handed over to the Finns. On April 30, Rear Admiral Ludolf von Uslar took over command of the special unit from Rear Admiral Meurer. The Westphalia was released from the association and returned to the North Sea, where she rejoined the 1st Squadron.
Further service time
On August 11, 1918, Westphalia, together with SMS Kaiser , SMS Kaiserin and Posen, was involved in an advance in the direction of Terschelling to secure torpedo boats . The ship suffered a serious boiler accident , as a result of which the speed dropped to 16 knots. The Westfalen retired on September 1st from the 1st Squadron and was assigned to the ship artillery inspection. She served as an artillery training ship until the end of the war .
Whereabouts
The Westfalen was due to their reciprocating steam engine at the end of World War I as outdated and therefore not one of those under the ceasefire to inter alternating units of the High Seas Fleet. On December 18, 1918, the ship was decommissioned in Kiel. The Admiralty's hope of being able to use the Westphalia in the Reichsmarine was not fulfilled. The Allies demanded after the conclusion of the Versailles Treaty , the delivery of the major part of the merchant fleet and the more modern warships. Therefore, the Westphalia was deleted from the list of warships on November 5, 1919 and handed over to Great Britain as reparation ship D on August 5, 1920 . In 1924 the ship was scrapped in Birkenhead .
Commanders
| Rank | Surname | Command time |
|---|---|---|
| Sea captain | Friedrich Gädeke | November 16, 1909 - September 14, 1910 |
| Sea captain | Paul Behncke | September 15, 1910 - September 30, 1911 |
| Sea captain | Wilhelm Starke | October 1, 1911 - April 15, 1912 |
| Sea captain | Hugo Kraft | April 17, 1912 - October 3, 1913 |
| Sea captain | Johannes Redlich | October 4, 1913 - September 25, 1916 |
| Sea captain | Hans Eberius | September 25, 1916 - June 4, 1917 |
| Sea captain | Ernst Ewers i. V. | June 10 - July 23, 1917 |
| Sea captain | Hermann Bauer | July 24 - August 5, 1918 |
| Sea captain | Max Loesch | August - December 1918 |
| Corvette Captain | Paul Cleve | December 1918 |
literature
- Siegfried Breyer: Battleships and battle cruisers 1905–1970 . JF Lehmanns Verlag, Munich 1970, ISBN 3-88199-474-2 , p. 283-287 .
- Gröner, Erich , Dieter Jung, Martin Maass: The German warships 1815-1945 . tape 1 : Armored ships, ships of the line, battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, gunboats . Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-7637-4800-8 , p. 46 f .
- Hans H. Hildebrand, Albert Röhr, Hans-Otto Steinmetz: The German warships . Biographies - a mirror of naval history from 1815 to the present . tape 8 : Ship biographies from Undine to Zieten . Mundus Verlag, Ratingen, S. 73-78 .
- Robert Gardiner (Ed.): Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921 . Conway Maritime Press, London 1985, ISBN 0-85177-245-5 , pp. 145 (English).