 Bayern, probably during her internment at Scapa Flow | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | SMSBayern |
| Namesake | Bavaria, then a kingdom within theGerman Empire |
| Builder | Howaldtswerke,Kiel |
| Laid down | 22 December 1913 |
| Launched | 18 February 1915 |
| Commissioned | 15 July 1916 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bayern-classbattleship |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 180 m (590 ft 7 in)loa |
| Beam | 30 m (98 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 22knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Crew |
|
| Armament |
|
| Armor |
|
SMSBayern[a] was the lead ship of theBayern class ofdreadnought battleships in the GermanKaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy). The vessel was launched in February 1915 and entered service in July 1916, too late to take part in theBattle of Jutland. Her main armament consisted of eight 38 cm (15 in) guns in four turrets, which was a significant improvement over the precedingKönig's ten 30.5 cm (12 inch) guns.[b] The ship was to have formed the nucleus for a fourth battle squadron in theHigh Seas Fleet, along with three of hersister ships. Of the other ships only one—Baden—was completed; the other two were canceled later in the war when production requirements shifted toU-boat construction.
Bayern was commissioned midway through the war, and had a limited service career. The first operation in which the ship took part was an abortive fleet advance into theNorth Sea on 18–19 August 1916, a month after she had been commissioned. The ship also participated inOperation Albion in theGulf of Riga, but shortly after the German attack began on 12 October 1917,Bayern was mined and had to be withdrawn for repairs. She was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet atScapa Flow in November 1918 following the end ofWorld War I. On 21 June 1919, AdmiralLudwig von Reuter orderedthe fleet to be scuttled;Bayern sank at 14:30. In September 1934, the ship was raised, towed toRosyth, and scrapped.
Design work on theBayern class began in 1910 in the context of theAnglo-German naval arms race, with initial discussions focused on the caliber of themain battery; previous German battleships had carried 30.5 cm (12 in) guns, but as foreign navies adopted 34 cm (13.5 in) and 35.6 cm (14 in) weapons, the German naval command felt the need to respond with larger guns of their own. They considered 32 cm (12.6 in), 38 cm (15 in), and 40 cm (15.7 in) guns. AdmiralAlfred von Tirpitz, the State Secretary of theReichsmarineamt (Imperial Naval Office), was able to use public outcry over theAgadir Crisis to pressure theReichstag (Imperial Diet) into appropriating additional funds for theKaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) to offset the additional cost of the larger weapons. The design staff settled on the 38 cm caliber since the 40 cm was significantly more expensive and the 38 cm gun marked a significant improvement over existing German guns.[1][2][3]
Bayern was 179.4 m (588 ft 7 in)long at the waterline, and an even 180 m (590 ft 7 in)long overall. She had abeam of 30 m (98 ft 5 in) and adraft of 9.3–9.4 m (30 ft 6 in – 30 ft 10 in)Bayerndisplaced 28,530metric tons (28,080long tons) at a normal displacement; at full combat load, she displaced up to 32,200 t (31,700 long tons).Bayern was powered by threeParsonssteam turbines, with steam provided by threeoil-fired and eleven coal-fired Schulz-Thornycroftwater-tube boilers. Her propulsion system was rated at 35,000metric horsepower (35,000 shp) for a maximum speed of 21knots (39 km/h; 24 mph), and on trials achieved 55,967 metric horsepower (55,201 shp) for a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph).[4][c] The ship could carry up to 3,400 t (3,300 long tons; 3,700 short tons) of coal and 620 t (610 long tons; 680 short tons) of fuel oil, which provided a maximum range of 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a cruising speed of 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph).[5]
The ship was the first German warship armed with eight38 cm (15 in) SK L/45 guns.[d] The main battery guns were arranged in four twingun turrets: twosuperfiring turrets each fore and aft.[7] Hersecondary armament consisted of sixteen15 cm (5.9 in) SK L/45 guns, four8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/45 guns and five 60 cm (23.6 in) underwatertorpedo tubes, one in the bow and two on each beam. Upon commissioning, she carried a crew of 42officers and 1,129enlisted men. The ship had anarmored belt that was 170–350 mm (6.7–13.8 in) thick and an armored deck that was 60–100 mm (2.4–3.9 in) thick. Her forwardconning tower had 400 mm (15.7 in) sides, and the main battery turrets had 350 mm thick sides and 200 mm (7.9 in) thick roofs.[8][9]
Bayern was ordered with the provisional name "T" in 1912,[4][e] under the fourth and finalNaval Law, which was passed that year.[11] Work began at theHowaldtswerke Dockyard inKiel under construction number 590. The ship waslaid down on 22 December 1913 andlaunched on 18 February 1915. Afterfitting out, she wascommissioned on 18 March 1916, but remained largely idle in port for the next month, undergoing initial tests, including inclination tests to determine how the vessel responded to flooding. She got underway on 15 April for initial trials of her main battery, which lasted into the next day.Bayern conducted her first full-power speed test on 25 April off the island ofAlsen; these trials continued until 2 May. After further examinations, the ship was deemed ready for service on 15 July, a month and a half too late for her to participate in theBattle of Jutland.[4][12]
Bayern joinedIII Battle Squadron of theHigh Seas Fleet upon her commissioning. The ship would have been available for the operation,[13] but the ship's crew, composed largely of the crew from the recently decommissioned battleshipLothringen,[14] was given leave.[13] She had cost the Imperial German Government 49 millionGoldmarks.[4]Bayern was later joined in service by one sister ship,Baden. Two other ships of this class,Sachsen andWürttemberg, were canceled before they were completed.[8] At the time of her commissioning,Bayern's commander wasKapitän zur See (Captain at Sea) Max Hahn.Ernst Lindemann, who went on to command the battleshipBismarck during her only combat sortie inWorld War II, served aboard the ship as a wireless operator.[14] On 25 May,Ludwig III of Bavaria, the lastKing of Bavaria, visited the ship.Bayern briefly served as the fleetflagship, from 7 to 16 August.[15]
AdmiralReinhard Scheer planned afleet advance for 18–19 August 1916; the operation consisted of a bombardment conducted byI Scouting Group. This was an attempt to draw out and destroy AdmiralDavid Beatty's battlecruisers. AsMoltke andVon der Tann were the only two German battlecruisers still in fighting condition, three dreadnoughts were assigned to the unit for the operation:Bayern and the twoKönig-class shipsMarkgraf andGrosser Kurfürst. Admiral Scheer and the rest of the High Seas Fleet, including 15 dreadnoughts, were to trail behind and provide cover.[16] The makeshift I Scouting Group conducted familiarization exercises on 15 August in preparation for the operation; AdmiralFranz von Hipper was displeased by the slow speed of the battleships and Scheer ordered the unit not to exceed 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) from the main fleet so as to avoid being cut off by the faster British battlecruisers.[17]
The Germans got underway late in the day on 18 August; the British were aware of the German plans and sortied theGrand Fleet to meet them. By 14:35 on 19 August,[f] Scheer had been warned of the Grand Fleet's approach and, unwilling to engage the whole of the Grand Fleet just 11 weeks after the close call at Jutland, turned his forces around and retreated to German ports.[18] Another sortie into the North Sea followed on 18–20 October, and the German fleet again encountered no British naval forces.[13] The High Seas Fleet was reorganized on 6 December, andBayern was stationed in the second position of III Squadron, since she was not outfitted to serve as a squadron flagship. Her placement as the second vessel in theline nevertheless would have allowed her to bring her greater firepower into action as quickly as possible.[17]
In early September 1917, following the German conquest of the Russian port ofRiga, the German navy decided to evict the Russian naval forces that still held theGulf of Riga. To this end, theAdmiralstab (the Navy High Command) planned an operation to seize the Baltic islands ofÖsel, particularly the Russian gun batteries on theSworbe peninsula.[19] On 18 September, the order was issued for a joint Army-Navy operation to capture Ösel andMoon islands; the primary naval component consisted of the flagshipMoltke and III Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet. At this time, V Division included theBayern and fourKönig-class battleships. VI Division consisted of the fiveKaiser-class battleships. Along with 9 light cruisers, 3 torpedo boat flotillas, and dozens ofmine warfare ships, the entire force numbered some 300 ships, supported by over 100 aircraft and 6zeppelins. The invasion force amounted to approximately 24,600 officers and enlisted men.[20] Opposing the Germans were the old Russianpre-dreadnoughtsSlava andTsesarevich, thearmored cruisersBayan,Admiral Makarov, andDiana, 26 destroyers, and several torpedo boats and gunboats. The garrison on Ösel numbered some 14,000 men.[21]
The operation began on 12 October, whenBayern, along withMoltke and the fourKönigs, began firing on the Russian shore batteries atTagga Bay. Simultaneously, the fiveKaisers engaged the batteries on the Sworbe peninsula; the objective was to secure the channel between Moon andDagö islands, thus blocking the only escape route of the Russian ships in the gulf.Bayern's role in the operation was cut short when she struck a naval mine at 5:07 while moving into her bombardment position at Pamerort.[21] The mine explosion killed oneUnteroffizier and six sailors, allowed 1,000 metric tons (980 long tons; 1,100 short tons) of water into the ship and caused theforecastle to sink by 2 m (6.6 ft).[13][22] Despite the damage inflicted by the mine,Bayern engaged the naval battery at Cape Toffri on the southern tip of Hiiumaa.Bayern was released from her position at 14:00. Preliminary repairs were made on 13 October in Tagga Bay.[22] The temporary repairs proved ineffective, andBayern had to be withdrawn to Kiel for repairs; the return trip took 19 days.[21] Repairs lasted from 3 November to 27 December,[13] during which the forward torpedo tube room was stripped of its equipment and the torpedo ports were sealed. The room was then turned into an additionalwatertight compartment.[8] Four8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/30 anti-aircraft guns were also installed during the repairs.[13]
On 16 October, twoKönig-class battleships and several smaller vessels were sent to engage the Russian battleships in the Gulf of Riga. The following day,König andKronprinz engaged the Russian battleships—König dueled withSlava andKronprinz fired on bothSlava and the cruiserBayan. The Russian vessels were hit dozens of times, until at 10:30 the Russian naval commander,Admiral Bakhirev, ordered their withdrawal.Slava had taken too much damage, and was unable to escape; instead, she was scuttled and her crew was evacuated on a destroyer.[23] By 20 October, the naval operations were effectively over; the Russian fleet had been destroyed or forced to withdraw, and the German army held the islands in the gulf.[24]
Following her return to the fleet,Bayern was assigned to security duties in the North Sea.[13] Admiral Scheer had used light surface forces to attack British convoys to Norway beginning in late 1917. As a result, the Royal Navy attached a squadron of battleships to protect the convoys, which presented Scheer with the possibility of destroying a detached squadron of the Grand Fleet. Scheer remarked that "A successful attack on such a convoy would not only result in the sinking of much tonnage, but would be a great military success, and would ... force the English to send more warships to the northern waters."[25] Scheer instituted strict wireless silence in preparation for the planned attack. This denied the British the ability to intercept and decrypt German signals, which had previously been a significant advantage. The operation called for Hipper's battlecruisers to attack the convoy and its escorts on 23 April while the battleships of the High Seas Fleet stood by in support.[25]
On 22 April,Bayern and the rest of the German fleet assembled in theSchillig Roads outside Wilhelmshaven and departed the following morning at 06:00. Heavy fog forced the Germans to remain inside their defensive minefields for half an hour.[25] Hipper's forces were 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) west ofEgerö, Norway, by 05:20 on 24 April. Despite the success in reaching the convoy route undetected, the operation failed due to faulty intelligence. Reports from U-boats indicated to Scheer that the convoys sailed at the start and middle of each week, but a west-bound convoy had leftBergen on Tuesday the 22nd and an east-bound group leftMethil, Scotland, on the 24th, a Thursday. As a result, there was no convoy for Hipper to attack.[26]
The same day, one ofMoltke'sscrews slipped off, which caused serious damage to the power plant and allowed 2,000 metric tons (2,000 long tons; 2,200 short tons) of water into the ship.Moltke was forced to break radio silence in order to inform Scheer of the ship's condition, which alerted the Royal Navy to the High Seas Fleet's activities.[26] Beatty sortied with a force of 31 battleships and four battlecruisers, but was too late to intercept the retreating Germans. The Germans reached their defensive minefields early on 25 April, though approximately 40 nmi (74 km; 46 mi) offHelgolandMoltke was torpedoed by the submarineE42.Moltke nevertheless successfully returned to port.[27]
From 23 September to early October,Bayern served as the flagship of III Squadron, underVizeadmiral (Vice Admiral)Hugo Kraft.[28]Bayern was to have taken part in what would have amounted to the"death ride" of the High Seas Fleet shortly before the end of World War I. The bulk of the High Seas Fleet was to have sortied from its base inWilhelmshaven to engage the British Grand Fleet. Scheer—by now theGroßadmiral of the fleet—intended to inflict as much damage as possible on the British navy, in order to obtain a better bargaining position for Germany, whatever the cost to the fleet.[29]
While the fleet was consolidating in Wilhelmshaven, war-weary sailors began rioting.[30] On 24 October 1918, the order was given to sail from Wilhelmshaven. Starting on the night of 29 October, sailors on several battleshipsmutinied; three ships from III Squadron refused to weigh anchor, and acts of sabotage were committed on board the battleshipsThüringen andHelgoland. The order to sail was rescinded in the face of this open revolt.[31] In an attempt to suppress the mutiny, the battleship squadrons were dispersed.[30]Bayern, along with the rest of III Squadron, was sent to Kiel.[28]
Following the capitulation of Germany in November 1918, the majority of the High Seas Fleet was to be interned in the Royal Navy base atScapa Flow.[32]Bayern was listed as one of the ships to be handed over. On 21 November 1918, the ships to be interned, under the command of Rear AdmiralLudwig von Reuter, sailed from their base in Germany for the last time. The fleet rendezvoused with the Britishlight cruiserCardiff, before meeting a flotilla of 370 British, American, and French warships for the voyage to Scapa Flow.[33]
The fleet remained in captivity during the negotiations that ultimately produced theVersailles Treaty. Reuter believed that the British intended to seize the German ships on 21 June, which was the deadline for Germany to have signed the peace treaty. Unaware that the deadline had been extended to the 23rd,Reuter ordered his ships to be sunk. On the morning of 21 June, the British fleet left Scapa Flow to conduct training maneuvers; at 11:20 Reuter transmitted the order to his ships.[34]Bayern sank at 14:30. The ship was raised on 1 September 1934 and was broken up the following year inRosyth. The ship's bell was eventually delivered to the GermanFederal Navy and is on display at Kiel Fördeklub.[8][g] Some parts of the ship, including her main battery gun turrets, remain on the sea floor between 38 and 45 m (125 and 148 ft), where they can be accessed byscuba divers.[35][36]
