Prussian/German Navy – Ironclads Grosser Kurfürst, Preussen, Friedrich der Grosse 1869-1877 The Preussen class were three ironclad turret ships initiated by the Prussian Navy, and completed for the German Imperial Navy in the 1870s as it happened after Franco-Prussian war, and unification into the German Empire. The lead ship, Preussen and Friedrich der Grosse were … Read more
Central Citadel Ironclad built 1868-75. Service until 1875-1888 SMS Hansa was an ironclad corvette built in 1868–1875, and first ironclad built in Germany. She was named after the Hanseatic League, laid down in 1868 as a corvette, modified and launched in October 1872 as an ironclad, commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine in May 1875. She was … Read more
Central Citadel Ironclads built 1874-83: SMS Sachsen, Bayern, Würtemberg, Baden. Service until 1910-1920 The Sachsen class were called “armored corvettes”, but were four barbette central citadel ironclads, the first steam-only capital ships built by the Imperial German Navy in 1874-1883. Named Sachsen, Bayern, Württemberg, and Baden they were designed for a coastal defense network, from … Read more
