SMS Kaiser Friedrich III Battleship
Second German FREE Starting Battleship - 1898 "Hail of Fire"! - 5 ships: SMS KAISER FRIEDRICH III, SMS Kaiser Wilhelm II, SMS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, SMS Kaiser Barbarossa, SMS Kaiser Karl der Grosse. REVOLUTIONARY "HAIL OF FIRE" DOCTRINE! 11,097 tons, 17.5 kts, 4× 24cm guns + 18× 15cm rapid-fire guns (unprecedented intermediate battery for close/medium range barrage!). Harvey nickel-steel armor (305mm belt, 254mm turrets), 3-shaft triple expansion engines (13,000 HP). Named after Emperor Friedrich III (1831-1888, ruled only 99 days). Emphasized volume of fire over individual gun power. Transitional design between Brandenburg and Wittelsbach classes. Commissioned 1898-1902, served WWI in secondary roles, decommissioned 1919-1920. FREE STARTING SHIP! Contemporary with British Majestic-class (1895).
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 11097 t
- Displacement (full)
- 11785 t
- Length
- 411.1 ft
- Beam
- 66.9 ft
- Crew
- 651
- Ships built
- 5
- Commissioned
- 1898-1902
- Decommissioned
- 1919-1920
Performance
- Top speed
- 17.5 kn
- Range
- 3500 nm at 10 knots
Armament
- Main guns
- "4× 24cm SK L/40 guns" (2× twin turrets)
- Secondary guns
- "18× 15cm SK L/40 guns" (rapid-fire - HAIL OF FIRE!)
- Torpedoes
- 6× 45cm torpedo tubes
Armor & Systems
- Belt
- 305-100mm (12-4 inches)
- Deck
- 76mm (3 inches)
- Fire control
- Optical rangefinders, rapid-fire emphasis
In-Game
- Tier
- T2
- Game power
- 15.46
- Research cost
- 1,360
- Credit cost
- 10,822
Notable
- FREE STARTING BATTLESHIP! (second FREE ship!)
- "HAIL OF FIRE" DOCTRINE! (18× rapid-fire 15cm guns!)
- UNPRECEDENTED INTERMEDIATE BATTERY! (18× 15cm SK L/40!)
- 5 ships built (Kaiser Friedrich III, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Kaiser Barbarossa, Kaiser Karl der Grosse)
- Named after Emperor Friedrich III (ruled only 99 days in 1888!)
- 11,097 tons standard displacement
- 17.5 knots maximum speed
- 4× 24cm main guns + 18× 15cm secondary (30 total rapid-fire!)
- 3-shaft triple expansion engines (13,000 ihp)
- Harvey nickel-steel armor (305mm maximum belt)
- Commissioned 1898-1902 (Kaiser Friedrich III first: October 7, 1898)
- Served in WWI in secondary roles (training, coastal defense)
- Most decommissioned 1919-1920 after Treaty of Versailles
- Emphasized volume of fire over individual gun power
- Transitional design philosophy (Brandenburg rapid-fire → Wittelsbach balance)