:Braunschweig-class battleship

With the passage of the Second Naval Law under the direction of {{lang|de|Vizeadmiral}} (VAdm—Vice Admiral) Alfred von Tirpitz in 1900, funding was allocated for a new class of battleships to succeed the {{sclass|Wittelsbach|battleship|0}} ships authorized under the 1898 Naval Law. The previous law had called for a total strength of nineteen battleships by 1 April 1904, which was reached with the {{lang|de|Wittelsbach}} class, but the new law increased the projected battle fleet to a total of thirty-eight. The {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} class was the first group of battleships built under this new plan, and they marked a significant advance in combat power over earlier German battleships.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=49}}

File:S.M. Linienschiff Zähringen.jpg

Discussions between the Design Department of the {{lang|de|Reichsmarineamt}} (Imperial Navy Office) and other elements of the naval command on the new class had begun in 1899, before the law had been passed and before work on the {{lang|de|Wittelsbach}}s had even begun. The most pressing issue to be settled was the caliber of the main battery. The {{lang|de|Wittelsbach}}-class ships were armed with {{convert|24|cm|abbr=on}} guns, far smaller than the standard in most other navies, which was {{convert|30.5|cm|abbr=on|0}} caliber. The 24 cm guns were, however, the largest weapons for which Krupp, the supplier of naval artillery to the {{lang|de|Kaiserliche Marine}} (Imperial Navy), had developed quick-firing technology. The German naval command typically favored high rates of fire rather than heavy shells, on the principal that a flurry of shells would wreck the guns and superstructure of enemy battleships faster than powerful but slow-firing guns. But by the time design work on the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} class began, Krupp had developed a quick-firing {{convert|28|cm|abbr=on}} gun, and so the naval command decided to adopt it for the new ships.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=49}}{{sfn|Dodson 2016|pp=63–64}}{{sfn|Herwig|pp=43–44}}

With the decision made to mount the 28 cm gun, the next issue was the arrangement of the guns. Previous designs had carried the 24 cm guns in the superstructure, directly above casemates for the secondary battery guns, but the designers believed the greater muzzle blast effects from the 28 cm guns would make those casemates unworkable. Two solutions were proposed, both of which involved lowering the main battery turrets to the upper deck level. The first involved placing all of the secondary guns in an armored battery at the main deck level; these guns would have been in individual pivot mounts in a series of casemates clustered amidships. The second option arranged the guns in a mix of turrets on the upper deck and in a smaller battery in the main deck. The design staff ultimately settled on the second option, with four guns in turrets and eight in the casemate battery.{{sfn|Dodson 2016|p=64}}

At the same time, as many countries' navies improved the armor protection of their battleships, they were also increasing the caliber of their secondary batteries to counter the heavier armor, such as the American {{sclass|Connecticut|battleship|1}}s that had a heavy secondary battery of {{convert|7|in|abbr=on|0}} and {{convert|8|in|abbr=on|0}} guns. The German design staff followed both trends by increasing the secondary battery for the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} design from {{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}} to {{convert|17|cm|abbr=on}} guns. And the armor layout was improved compared to the {{lang|de|Wittelsbach}}s, the primary changes being increasing the height of the belt armor (to prevent it from being submerged at full load) and increasing the thickness of the armor protecting the secondary battery casemates. The design staff considered increasing the anti-torpedo boat guns from {{convert|8.8|cm|abbr=on}} to {{convert|10.5|cm|abbr=on}}, but decided against the change because the increased weight would have necessitated reducing the number of guns. The heavier shells would have also reduced the rate of fire.{{sfn|Dodson 2016|p=64}}

The British battleship {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}}—armed with ten 12-inch guns—was commissioned in December 1906, less than two years after the first {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}-class ships entered service.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|pp=21–22}} Dreadnought{{'}}s revolutionary design rendered every capital ship of the German navy obsolete, including the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}s.{{sfn|Herwig|p=57}} Also, the 17 cm guns proved to be something of a disappointment in service, since the larger shells were significantly heavier and thus harder to load manually, which reduced their rate of fire.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=49}}

File:Braunschweig class - Brassey's Naval Annual 1905.png

The {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}-class ships were {{convert|126|m|ftin|sp=us}} long at the waterline, and {{convert|127.7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} overall. The ships had a beam of {{convert|22.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, and a draft of {{convert|8.1|-|8.16|m|ftin|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}} The beam was constrained by logistical considerations, as it was the widest that could be accommodated by the locks at the entrance to the {{lang|de|Kaiserliche Werft}} (Imperial Shipyard) in Wilhelmshaven.{{sfn|Dodson 2016|p=65}} The ships had thirteen watertight compartments and a double bottom that extended for 60 percent of the length of the hull. The ships displaced {{convert|13208|t|LT|abbr=on|lk=on}} at their designed weight, and {{convert|14394|t|LT|abbr=on}} at a full load.{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}} The ships were fitted with a pair of heavy military masts that carried searchlights.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=50}}

Steering was controlled with a single rudder. The ships were described as good sea-boats, but were prone to heavy pitching. The ships were responsive and had a tight turning radius at low speed, but at hard rudder of 12 degrees, the ships lost up to 70 percent speed. The ships had a crew of 35 officers and 708 men normally, and when serving as a squadron flagship, they had an additional 13 officers and 66 men. The ships carried a number of smaller boats aboard, including two picket boats, two launches, a pinnace (later removed), two cutters, two yawls, and two dinghies.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}} The boats were handled by two large goose-necked cranes located on either side of the rear funnel.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=50}}

The ships of the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}-class were propelled by three-shaft triple-expansion steam engines that were rated at {{convert|16000|PS|ihp kW|lk=on|0}}. The triple expansion engines were powered by eight Marine-type boilers and six cylindrical boilers, all of which burned coal; these were trunked into three funnels amidships.{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}} Three funnels were adopted because in earlier vessels, the two-funnel arrangement tended to obstruct views from the bridge, and by splitting the smoke into three funnels instead of two, the funnels could be thinner and thus less obtrusive.{{sfn|Dodson 2016|p=65}} At some point after 1915, oil-firing capability was added to supplement the coal-fired boilers.{{efn|Due to the wartime situation, Germany had limited access to high-quality coal, but was able to acquire lower-grade coal for its ships. The higher quality coal was generally reserved for the smaller craft, whose crews were less able to clean the boilers at the increased rate demanded by the low-quality coal. As a result, German capital ships were often supplied with poor coal, in the knowledge that their larger crews were better able to perform the increased maintenance. After 1915, the practice of spraying oil onto the low-quality coal was introduced to increase the burn rate.{{sfn|Philbin|p=56}}}} The two outer propellers were three-bladed, and {{convert|4.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} in diameter, while the center screw was four-bladed and {{convert|4.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} in diameter.{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}}

The ships' top speed was rated at {{convert|18|kn|lk=in}}. During trials, however, the engines produced between {{convert|16478|and|16980|PS|ihp kW|0}}, and a top speed between {{convert|18.2|and|18.7|kn}}. The ships of the class could steam {{convert|5200|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|10|kn}}, with the exception of {{lang|de|Hessen}}. {{lang|de|Hessen}} suffered from unstable steering, which increased fuel consumption and shortened her operational range to {{convert|4530|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. The first two ships—{{lang|de|Braunschweig}} and {{lang|de|Elsass}}—had four generators that produced 230 kW (74 V), while three following ships—{{lang|de|Hessen}}, {{lang|de|Preussen}}, and {{lang|de|Lothringen}}—had four turbo-generators that provided 260 kW (110 V).{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}}

File:28cm SK L 40 turret mounting.jpg

Their main armament was increased from previous designs, but was still weaker than contemporary foreign battleships; the German Navy had a tendency to emphasize rapidity of fire rather than weight of shell, and smaller guns could generally be fired faster than larger ones.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=49}} The main armament comprised four 28 cm SK L/40{{efn|In Imperial German Navy gun nomenclature, "SK" ({{lang|de|Schnelladekanone}}) denotes that the gun is quick firing, while the L/40 denotes the length of the gun. In this case, the L/40 gun is 40 caliber, meaning that the length of the gun is 40 times its bore.{{sfn|Grießmer|p=177}}}} quick-firing guns in hydraulically operated twin turrets. The turrets were placed on the centerline, one forward and one aft. The DrL C/01 turrets allowed the guns to depress to −4 degrees, and elevate to +30 degrees, which enabled a maximum range of {{convert|18800|m|sp=us}}. The guns fired {{convert|240|kg|lb|sp=us|adj=on}} shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|820|m/s|ft/s|sp=us|lk=on}}.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=140}}{{sfn|Friedman|pp=137–138}} The ships carried a total of 340 shells, 85 per gun.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}}

The secondary battery consisted of fourteen 17 cm SK L/40 quick-firing guns, four of which were mounted in single turrets amidships, with the remaining ten in casemates around the superstructure. The guns fired {{convert|64|kg|lb|sp=us|adj=on}} shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|850|m/s|ft/s|sp=us}}. These guns were chosen as they used the largest shell that could be reasonably handled without machinery. The turret-mounted guns could be elevated to 30 degrees, for a maximum range of {{cvt|16,900|m|yd}}, while the casemated guns could only elevate to 22 degrees, and had a correspondingly lower range of {{cvt|14500|m|yd}}.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=140}}{{sfn|Friedman|p=142}} These guns had a total of 1,820 shells, for 130 rounds per gun. To transit the Kiel Canal, the three central 17 cm casemated guns on each side had to be withdrawn into their housings, as they were unable to train fully flush with the sides of the ships. With the guns fully emplaced, the ships would have been too wide to fit in the canal.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}}

The ships also had fourteen 8.8 cm SK L/35 quick-firing guns in casemates along the length of the ship. The guns fired {{convert|15.4|lb|kg|abbr=on|order=flip|0}} shells at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2526|ft/s|order=flip|abbr=on}}, and could be elevated to 25 degrees for a maximum range of {{cvt|9090|m|yd}}.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=140}} They were also armed with six {{cvt|45|cm|1}} torpedo tubes, with a total of 16 torpedoes.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}} One tube was in the bow, two were on each broadside, and the final tube was in the stern.{{sfn|Dodson 2014|p=51}}

The ships were protected with Krupp armor. The main armored belt was {{cvt|225|mm}} thick in the central portion of the ship where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. The deck armor was {{cvt|40|mm}} thick on the horizontal; its edges sloped down to connect to the lower edge of the belt to protect from shells that passed over the belt. The thickness of the slopes ranged from {{cvt|140|mm}} fore and aft and {{cvt|75|mm|2}} amidships, where the upper belt armor afforded another layer of protection. Above the main belt, the upper belt of 140 mm steel extended between the fore and aft main-gun turrets. Another strake of armor that was 140 mm thick protected the casemate guns at the main deck level. The casemate guns themselves received {{cvt|70|mm}} gun shields. The main battery turrets had 250 mm sides and {{cvt|50|mm|2}} thick roofs, while the secondary turrets had {{cvt|150|mm}} thick sides. The sides of the forward conning tower were {{cvt|300|mm|1}} thick and the roof was 50 mm thick, while the aft conning tower received significantly less protection, with 150 mm thick sides and a {{cvt|30|mm}} roof.{{sfn|Gröner|p=19}}

File:SMS Braunschweig launching.png

File:Das 2. Geschwader fhrt nach der Nordsee. The second battleship squadron of the German navy sailing to the North Sea, cir - NARA - 533189 local.tif in the North Sea]]

The ships' peacetime careers consisted of routine fleet training. Squadron and fleet training typically took place in April and May, a major fleet cruise generally followed in June and July, after which the fleet assembled for the annual fleet maneuvers in late August and September. The major fleet cruises typically went to Norwegian waters in company with Kaiser Wilhelm II's yacht, though in 1908 and 1909, the fleet embarked on long-distance cruises out into the Atlantic, making visits to mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, and the Azores, Portugal. Interspersed in this routine were foreign visits, such as in November 1905, when {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} carried Prince Heinrich to Norway for the coronation of Haakon VII of Norway, and February 1906 when {{lang|de|Preussen}} carried Wilhelm II to Denmark for the funeral of King Christian IX.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|pp=113–114}} The ships were also involved in accidents; in 1911, {{lang|de|Hessen}} collided with the Danish steamer {{SS|Askesund}} and sank her,{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|p=148}} and in March 1912, {{lang|de|Elsass}} accidentally rammed and sank the merchant ship {{SS|Pollux|1883|2}}.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=33}} Throughout this period, {{lang|de|Preussen}} served as the flagship of II Battle Squadron.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=248}}

The ship's active careers were very short as a result of the dreadnought revolution; {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} and {{lang|de|Elsass}} were reduced to reserve in 1912 and 1913, respectively,{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=33}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|p=114}} though {{lang|de|Lothringen}}, {{lang|de|Hessen}}, and {{lang|de|Preussen}} were still in active service in mid-1914. {{lang|de|Lothringen}} was to be reduced to reserve in July and {{lang|de|Preussen}} was slated to be decommissioned at the end of the year, but the July Crisis that followed the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June cancelled that plan. The fleet was on its summer cruise to Norway during the crisis, and word of the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia forced the ships to return home early to prepare for the coming conflict.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|p=149}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=249}}

File:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-61-31, Linienschiff der Braunschweig-Klasse.jpg

At the start of World War I, {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} and {{lang|de|Elsass}} were reactivated and assigned to IV Battle Squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Ehrhard Schmidt, tasked with coastal defense duties.{{sfn|Halpern|p=185}} The squadron conducted several sorties into the Baltic Sea to patrol for Russian warships but it saw no action. The ships were also used to guard the mouth of the Elbe in the North Sea in the first year of the war.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|pp=114–115}} {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} and {{lang|de|Elsass}} participated in the early portion of the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in August 1915, where they kept the Russian pre-dreadnought {{ship|Russian battleship|Slava||2}} at bay while a Russian minefield in the Irben Strait was cleared, but the Russian forces put up a strong defense. Schmidt decided to withdraw his forces when it became apparent that the mine-clearing had taken too long, and there was not sufficient daylight left for the minelayer {{SMS|Deutschland|1914|2}} to lay a minefield of its own in Moon Sound to block the northern entrance to the gulf.{{sfn|Halpern|pp=196–197}} Following the cancellation of the operation, the squadron saw little activity before being disbanded in December.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|p=36}}

In the meantime, the other three ships were still serving in II Battle Squadron, where they participated in the fleet sorties conducted in the first two years of the war. This series of operations culminated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916; by that time, only {{lang|de|Hessen}} was still on active service with the squadron. {{lang|de|Preussen}} was on rotation as the guard ship in the Danish straits (and had been replaced as flagship by the battleship {{SMS|Deutschland|1904|2}}) and {{lang|de|Lothringen}} was in poor condition and in dire need of repair.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 5|p=235}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|p=149}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=249}} {{lang|de|Hessen}} saw limited action at Jutland, coming into contact with heavy British ships once. This encounter came late on 31 May, when {{lang|de|Hessen}} and the other pre-dreadnoughts of II Battle Squadron briefly engaged Vice Admiral David Beatty's 1st Battlecruiser Squadron, in doing so covering the withdrawal of the battered German battlecruisers under the command of Franz von Hipper.{{sfn|Tarrant|p=195}} The loss of the pre-dreadnought {{SMS|Pommern||2}} during the battle highlighted the vulnerability of the older battleships, and coupled with their slow speed, convinced the German naval command to withdraw them from front-line service. {{lang|de|Preussen}}, {{lang|de|Lothringen}}, and {{lang|de|Hessen}} continued as guard ships in the Baltic in the aftermath of Jutland.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 5|p=235}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|p=149}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=249}}

Starting in 1916, the ships of the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} class began to be withdrawn from active service, primarily because of manpower shortages.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=141}} {{lang|de|Elsass}} was reduced to a barracks ship based in Kiel in July, and {{lang|de|Hessen}} was decommissioned and disarmed in December; she thereafter became a depot ship based in Brunsbüttel in 1917. {{lang|de|Braunschweig}} was converted into a training ship, and on 20 August, was reduced to a barracks ship, also in Kiel. {{lang|de|Preussen}} became a depot ship in Wilhelmshaven also in 1917. {{lang|de|Lothringen}} continued her guard ship duties until September 1917, when she too was withdrawn from service, thereafter being used as an engineer training ship in Wilhelmshaven.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 5|p=235}} Starting in 1916, guns removed from these ships were used by the Imperial Army as railway guns; one of these guns was captured by the Australian Army and is preserved as the Amiens Gun at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia.{{sfn|François|pp=30–31}}{{sfn|Williams|p=231}}

File:Hessen1946Kiel.jpg

After the war, all of Germany's powerful dreadnoughts had either been scuttled in Scapa Flow or ceded to the Allies as war prizes, so the {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}-class battleships were recommissioned into the newly reorganized {{lang|de|Reichsmarine}}. The Treaty of Versailles specifically stated in Article 181 that the {{lang|de|Reichsmarine}} would be permitted to retain eight battleships of the "{{lang|de|Lothringen}} or {{lang|de|Deutschland}} types", six of which could be kept in commission.{{sfn|Campbell & Sieche|p=141}} Three of the ships—{{lang|de|Braunschweig}}, {{lang|de|Elsass}}, and {{lang|de|Hessen}}—saw active duty with the fleet while the other two vessels—{{lang|de|Preussen}} and {{lang|de|Lothringen}}—were instead converted into parent ships for minesweepers, since Germany was required by the Treaty of Versailles to clear the extensive minefields that had been laid in the North Sea during the war. Those two ships were disarmed and modified to carry the minesweepers, but {{lang|de|Preussen}} proved to be top-heavy and saw little actual use. {{lang|de|Lothringen}} remained in service until 1920, by which time the minesweeping work had been completed, and she was laid up in reserve.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 5|p=235}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=249}}

{{lang|de|Braunschweig}} was modernized in 1919–1920 and served in the {{lang|de|Reichsmarine}} from 1921 to 1926, at which point she was withdrawn from active duty. During this period, she served as the flagship of the {{lang|de|Marinestation der Nordsee}} (Naval Station of the North Sea) and later the {{lang|de|Linienschiffsdivision}} (Battleship Division). {{lang|de|Elsass}} was also rebuilt in the early 1920s and thereafter saw active duty in the fleet from 1924 until 25 February 1930, at which point she was removed from active service. {{lang|de|Hessen}} returned to service in 1925. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the fleet conducted a similar training routine to that of the pre-war period, including cruises into the Atlantic in the 1920s. On 31 May 1931, {{lang|de|Braunschweig}}, {{lang|de|Elsass}}, and {{lang|de|Lothringen}} were stricken from the naval register. The first two vessels were converted into hulks at Wilhelmshaven and eventually scrapped, while {{lang|de|Lothringen}} was simply broken up immediately. {{lang|de|Hessen}} remained in service until late 1934, by which time the new {{sclass|Deutschland|cruiser|4}} of {{lang|de|panzerschiffe}} (armored ships) had begun to enter service.{{sfn|Gröner|pp=18, 20}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2|pp=116–118}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3|pp=36–37}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|pp=150–151}}

{{lang|de|Hessen}} was thereafter converted into a target ship. The work involved cutting away most of the superstructure, removing the armament, and replacing the old propulsion machinery with steam turbines. Additionally, equipment to allow the ship to be operated via radio control was installed. Conversion work lasted from 31 March 1935 to 1 April 1937, when she was recommissioned as a target. She served in this capacity through 1945; during World War II, she was also occasionally used as an icebreaker to clear paths in the Baltic. After the war, she was ceded to the Soviet Union and renamed {{lang|ru|Tsel}}. The Soviets also used the ship as a target and eventually scrapped the vessel in the 1960s.{{sfn|Gröner|p=20}}{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4|p=151}} When {{lang|de|Preussen}} was being dismantled in the 1930s, a {{convert|63|m|ft|abbr=on}} length of her hull was retained for use as a target. The hulk was nicknamed "SMS {{lang|de|Vierkant}}" ("SMS Rectangle") and remained in use through World War II until Allied bombers attacked and sank it in April 1945.{{sfn|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7|p=249}}

{{Commons category}}

{{notelist

| notes =

}}

{{reflist|20em}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Campbell

| first1 = N. J. M.

| last2 = Sieche

| first2 = Erwin

| chapter = Germany

| pages = 134–189

| editor1-last = Gardiner

| editor1-first = Robert

| editor2-last = Gray

| editor2-first = Randal

| year = 1986

| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921

| publisher = Conway Maritime Press

| location = London

| isbn = 978-0-85177-245-5

| name-list-style=amp

| ref ={{sfnRef|Campbell & Sieche}}

| url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_z3o0

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Dodson

| first = Aidan

| author-link = Aidan Dodson

| editor-last1=Jordan

| editor-first1=John

| editor-last2=Dent

| editor-first2=Stephen

| chapter = Last of the Line: The German Battleships of the Braunschweig and Deutschland Classes

| title = Warship 2014

| year=2014

| pages = 49–69

| publisher = Conway Maritime Press

| location = London

| isbn = 978-1-59114-923-1

| ref = {{sfnRef|Dodson 2014}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Dodson

| first = Aidan

| year = 2016

| title = The Kaiser's Battlefleet: German Capital Ships 1871–1918

| publisher = Seaforth Publishing

| location = Barnsley

| isbn = 978-1-84832-229-5

| ref = {{sfnRef|Dodson 2016}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = François

| first = Guy

| year = 2006

| language = fr

| title = Eisenbahnartillerie: Histoire de l'artillerie lourd sur voie ferrée allemande des origines à 1945

| trans-title= Railroad Artillery: The History of German Heavy Railroad Artillery from its Origins to 1945

| publisher = Editions Histoire et Fortifications

| location = Paris

| isbn = 978-2-915767-08-7

| ref = {{sfnRef|François}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Friedman

| first = Norman

| year = 2011

| title = Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory

| publisher = Naval Institute Press

| location = Annapolis

| isbn = 978-1-84832-100-7

| ref = {{sfnRef|Friedman}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Grießmer

| first = Axel

| year = 1999

| language = de

| title = Die Linienschiffe der Kaiserlichen Marine: 1906–1918; Konstruktionen zwischen Rüstungskonkurrenz und Flottengesetz

| trans-title = The Battleships of the Imperial Navy: 1906–1918; Constructions between Arms Competition and Fleet Laws

| publisher = Bernard & Graefe Verlag

| location = Bonn

| isbn = 978-3-7637-5985-9

| ref = {{sfnRef|Grießmer}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Gröner

| first = Erich

| author-link=Erich Gröner

| year = 1990

| title = German Warships: 1815–1945

| volume = I: Major Surface Vessels

| publisher = Naval Institute Press

| location = Annapolis

| isbn = 978-0-87021-790-6

| ref = {{sfnRef|Gröner}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Halpern

| first = Paul G.

| year = 1995

| title = A Naval History of World War I

| publisher = Naval Institute Press

| location = Annapolis

| isbn = 978-1-55750-352-7

| ref = {{sfnRef|Halpern}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Herwig

| first = Holger

| year = 1998

| orig-year = 1980

| title = "Luxury" Fleet: The Imperial German Navy 1888–1918

| publisher = Humanity Books

| location = Amherst

| isbn = 978-1-57392-286-9

| ref = {{sfnRef|Herwig}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Hildebrand

| first1 = Hans H.

| last2 = Röhr

| first2 = Albert

| last3 = Steinmetz

| first3 = Hans-Otto

| year = 1993

| title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart

| trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present

| volume = 2

| language = de

|location = Ratingen

|publisher = Mundus Verlag

|isbn = 978-3-8364-9743-5

| ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 2}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Hildebrand

| first1 = Hans H.

| last2 = Röhr

| first2 = Albert

| last3 = Steinmetz

| first3 = Hans-Otto

| year = 1993

| title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart

| trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present

| volume = 3

| language = de

|location = Ratingen

|publisher = Mundus Verlag

|isbn = 978-3-7822-0211-4

| ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 3}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Hildebrand

| first1 = Hans H.

| last2 = Röhr

| first2 = Albert

| last3 = Steinmetz

| first3 = Hans-Otto

| year = 1993

| title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart

| trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present

| volume = 4

| language = de

| publisher = Mundus Verlag

| location = Ratingen

| isbn = 978-3-7822-0382-1

| ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 4}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Hildebrand

| first1 = Hans H.

| last2 = Röhr

| first2 = Albert

| last3 = Steinmetz

| first3 = Hans-Otto

| year = 1993

| title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart

| trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present

| volume = 5

| language = de

| publisher = Mundus Verlag

| location = Ratingen

| isbn = 978-3-7822-0456-9

| ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 5}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Hildebrand

| first1 = Hans H.

| last2 = Röhr

| first2 = Albert

| last3 = Steinmetz

| first3 = Hans-Otto

| year = 1993

| title = Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe: Biographien – ein Spiegel der Marinegeschichte von 1815 bis zur Gegenwart

| trans-title=The German Warships: Biographies − A Reflection of Naval History from 1815 to the Present

| volume = 7

| language = de

| location = Ratingen

| publisher = Mundus Verlag

| isbn = 978-3-8364-9743-5

| ref = {{sfnRef|Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz Vol. 7}}

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Philbin

| first = Tobias R. III

| year = 1982

| title = Admiral Hipper: The Inconvenient Hero

| publisher = John Benjamins Publishing Company

| location = Amsterdam

| isbn = 978-90-6032-200-0

| ref = {{sfnRef|Philbin}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Tarrant

| first = V. E.

| year = 2001

| orig-year = 1995

| title = Jutland: The German Perspective

| publisher = Cassell Military Paperbacks

| location = London

| isbn = 978-0-304-35848-9

| ref = {{sfnRef|Tarrant}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Williams

| first = John Frank

| year = 1999

| title = ANZACS, The Media and the Great War

| publisher = UNSW Press

| location = Sydney

| isbn = 978-0-86840-569-8

| ref = {{sfnRef|Williams}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Dodson

| first1 = Aidan

| last2 = Cant

| first2 = Serena

| title = Spoils of War: The Fate of Enemy Fleets after the Two World Wars

| year = 2020

| publisher = Seaforth Publishing

| location = Barnsley

| isbn = 978-1-5267-4198-1

}}

• {{cite book

| last1 = Koop

| first1 = Gerhard

| last2 = Schmolke

| first2 = Klaus-Peter

| year = 2001

| title = Die Panzer- und Linienschiffe der Brandenburg-, Kaiser Friedrich III-, Wittlesbach-, Braunschweig- und Deutschland-Klasse

| trans-title=The Armored and Battleships of the Brandenburg, Kaiser Friedrich III, Wittelsbach, Braunschweig, and Deutschland Classes

| language=de

| publisher = Bernard & Graefe Verlag

| location = Bonn

| isbn = 978-3-7637-6211-8

|name-list-style=amp

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Weir

| first = Gary E.

| title = Building the Kaiser's Navy: The Imperial Navy Office and German Industry in the Tirpitz Era, 1890–1919

| year = 1992

| location = Annapolis

| publisher = Naval Institute Press

| isbn = 978-1-55750-929-1

}}

{{Braunschweig class battleship}}

{{WWI German ships}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braunschweig-class battleship}}

Category:Battleship classes

Braunschweig class battleship