SMS Helgoland Battleship Overview

Overview of SMS Helgoland

• SMS Helgoland was a German dreadnought battleship, leading her class, with significant design enhancements over the Nassau class.
• The main gun caliber increased from 28 cm to 30.5 cm for improved firepower.
• Keel laid on 11 November 1908, launched on 25 September 1909, and commissioned on 23 August 1911.

Combat History

• Participated in limited operations during World War I.
• Served as a covering force for I Scouting Group's battlecruisers at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May - 1 June 1916.
• Engaged less frequently than contemporaries like Koenig- and Kaiser-class ships.
• Ceded to Great Britain post-war and scrapped in the early 1920s.
• The ship's coat of arms is displayed in the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden.

Design Specifications

• Measured 167.2 m (548 ft 7 in) in length, with a beam of 28.5 m (93 ft 6 in) and a draft of 8.94 m (29 ft 4 in).
• Displacement was 24,700 tons.
• Design involved exploring various turret layouts before standardizing on a hexagonal arrangement like the Nassau class.
• German Kaiserliche Marine aimed to upgrade armament to 30.5 cm guns to match British standards, delaying future developments due to increased costs.

Helgoland Battle Ship Details

Overview

• Helgoland served as a German pre-dreadnought battleship, officially commissioned in 1911.
• Replaced the older Siegfried coastal defense ship.

Design Features

• Featured a flush deck with minimal superstructure, large armored conning tower forward, and a secondary conning position aft.
• Equipped with two pole masts for searchlights and spotting functions, crewed by 42 officers and 1,071 enlisted personnel.

Propulsion

• Powered by three triple-expansion steam engines and fifteen water-tube boilers, vented through three forward funnels.
• Coal capacity of 3,200 metric tons enables a range of 5,500 nautical miles at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).
• Post-1915 modifications allowed for oil burning with a capacity of 194 long tons.

Armament

• Armed with 12 x 30.5 cm (12 in) SK L/50 guns in six twin turrets, with varied placements across the ship.
• Additional weapons included 14 x 15 cm (5.9 in) SK L guns in upper deck casemates and 14 x 8.8 cm guns (two converted to anti-aircraft in 1914).
• Equipped with 6 x 50 cm torpedo tubes at bow, stern, and broadsides.

Armor Protection

• Central citadel had 300 mm (11.8 in) thick armor.
• Gun turret faces and sides were reinforced with similar thickness.
• Deck armor measured 63.5 mm (2.5 in).

Service History Highlights

• Constructed by Howaldtswerke in Kiel, launched in 1909.
• Named after the Helgoland islands, crucial for the Kiel Canal defense.
• Entered active service on 23 August 1911, following armament installation.
• Set a German record for coal loading on 9 February 1912, taking 1,100 tons, topping the earlier record of the Nassau-class battleship Posen.
• Replaced the pre-dreadnought Hannover in I Battle Squadron on 19 December 1911.

Explore the design, combat history, and specifications of the SMS Helgoland, a significant German dreadnought battleship. Launched in 1909, it played a crucial role during World War I and was known for its enhanced firepower and design innovations. Learn about its legacy and contributions to naval warfare.