Blücher (Single Ship)
Germany's Last and Largest Armored Cruiser (Transitional Design) - Commissioned 1909, sunk 1915. Transitional design approaching battlecruiser concept. Largest (15,842 tons), most heavily-armed (12× 21cm guns), and fastest (25.8 knots) German armored cruiser. Designed to counter British Invincible-class battlecruisers, but outmatched by them due to smaller guns (21cm vs. 30.5cm). Battle of Dogger Bank (24 Jan 1915): Sunk by British battlecruisers Lion, Tiger, and Princess Royal after 3-hour running battle. 792 killed, 234 survivors. Last German armored cruiser, followed by Von der Tann true battlecruiser.
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 15842 t
- Displacement (full)
- 17250 t
- Length
- 530.8 ft
- Beam
- 80.4 ft
- Crew
- 847-1026
- Ships built
- 1
- Commissioned
- 1909
- Decommissioned
- 1915 (sunk Battle of Dogger Bank)
Performance
- Top speed
- 25.4 kn
- Range
- 6600 nm at 12 knots
Armament
- Main guns
- 12× 21cm (8.3-inch) SK L/45
- Secondary guns
- 8× 15cm (5.9-inch) SK L/45
- Torpedoes
- 4× 45cm
Armor & Systems
- Belt
- 180-270mm Krupp cemented
- Deck
- 60-80mm
- Fire control
- Optical rangefinders
In-Game
- Tier
- T3
- Game power
- 38.64
- Research cost
- 7,651
- Credit cost
- 27,048
Notable
- Transitional design between armored cruiser and battlecruiser
- Largest German armored cruiser (15,842 tons standard)
- Most heavily-armed German armored cruiser (12× 21cm guns)
- Fastest German armored cruiser (25.8 knots trial)
- Last German armored cruiser built (followed by battlecruisers)
- Battle of Dogger Bank (24 Jan 1915): Sunk by British battlecruisers (792 killed)
- Designed to counter British Invincible-class, but outmatched by them