German Pre-Dreadnought Battleship SMS Pommern

SMS Pommern was the second ship of the Deutschland-class pre-dreadnought battleships (along with her sisters Deutschland, Schleswig-Holstein, Schlesien, and Hannover) of the Imperial German Navy. Built at the AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, she was laid down in 1903, launched in December 1905, and commissioned in August 1907. As with her sister ships Deutschland, Hannover, Schlesien, and Schleswig-Holstein, Pommern was already obsolete when completed, as HMS Dreadnought had entered service in 1906 and rendered earlier battleship designs outclassed.

Pommern displaced just over 13,000 tons and was armed with a main battery of four 28 cm (11 in) SK L/40 guns in two twin turrets, one forward and one aft. Her secondary armament included fourteen 17 cm (6.7 in) SK L/40 guns and twenty-two 8.8 cm SK L/35 quick-firing guns, together with six 45 cm torpedo tubes. She had a top speed of 18 knots, powered by three triple-expansion steam engines with coal-fired boilers. Armour protection was typical of German pre-dreadnoughts, with a belt of up to 225 mm and heavily protected turrets and conning tower.

During her peacetime career, Pommern served with the I Battle Squadron and later with the II Squadron after newer dreadnoughts entered service. Like her sisters, she took part in training manoeuvres, gunnery practice, and goodwill cruises before the First World War.

When war broke out in 1914, Pommern was mobilised with the II Battle Squadron of the High Seas Fleet. These older battleships carried out patrols and fleet sorties in the North Sea, but by 1916 they were increasingly vulnerable to modern dreadnoughts, battlecruisers, submarines, and mines. Nonetheless, they were still deployed in the fleet to provide numbers and absorb enemy attention.

Pommern’s fate came at the Battle of Jutland, fought from 31 May to 1 June 1916. As part of Vice Admiral Scheer’s main fleet, she was stationed at the rear of the German line with the other pre-dreadnoughts. On the night of 31 May–1 June, Pommern became engaged with British destroyers and torpedo boats during chaotic night actions. Shortly after midnight on 1 June, she was struck by a torpedo fired from the destroyer HMS Onslaught. The hit detonated one of her ammunition magazines, and Pommern exploded with the loss of all hands, numbering more than 800 officers and men. She was the only German battleship sunk during the battle.

Pommern’s destruction highlighted the vulnerability of pre-dreadnoughts in modern fleet actions and reinforced the German naval command’s decision to withdraw these ships from front-line service after Jutland.

Specifications of SMS Pommern (Deutschland-class)

• Type: Pre-dreadnought battleship
• Displacement: 13,191 t (standard); 14,218 t (full load)
• Length: 127.6 m (418 ft 8 in)
• Beam: 22.2 m (72 ft 10 in)
• Draft: 8.21 m (26 ft 11 in)
• Propulsion: 3 × triple-expansion steam engines, 12 coal-fired boilers, 16,000 ihp
• Speed: 18 knots (33 km/h)
• Range: 4,800 nmi (8,900 km) at 10 knots
• Crew: 35 officers, 708 enlisted men (approx.)
• Armament:
  • 4 × 28 cm (11 in) SK L/40 guns (2 × twin turrets)
  • 14 × 17 cm (6.7 in) SK L/40 guns
  • 22 × 8.8 cm (3.5 in) SK L/35 guns
  • 6 × 45 cm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (submerged)
• Armour:
  • Belt: 225 mm (8.9 in)
  • Main turrets: 280 mm (11 in)