Ottoman pre-dreadnought battleship Barbaros Hayreddin
The Ottoman pre-dreadnought battleship Barbaros Hayreddin began her career in the Imperial German Navy as SMS Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm. Built at the Kaiserliche Werft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, she belonged to the four-ship Brandenburg class. Launched on 30 June 1891 and commissioned on 29 April 1894.
Displacing approximately 10,670 tonnes at full load, the battleship measured 115.7 metres in length and could reach a maximum speed of approximately 16.5 knots. Her main armament consisted of six 28 cm guns arranged in three twin turrets. She also carried secondary guns, smaller quick-firing weapons and torpedo tubes.
In 1910, Germany sold Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm and her sister ship SMS Weissenburg to the Ottoman Empire. Renamed Barbaros Hayreddin and Turgut Reis, respectively, they strengthened the Ottoman fleet despite their increasingly outdated designs.
During the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, Barbaros Hayreddin primarily helped defend the Dardanelles. However, she saw considerably more action during the First Balkan War. On 16 December 1912, she participated in the Battle of Elli against the Greek fleet, led by the armoured cruiser Georgios Averof. The Ottoman squadron suffered defeat and withdrew into the Dardanelles.
Subsequently, Barbaros Hayreddin fought at the Battle of Lemnos on 18 January 1913. Greek gunfire heavily damaged the battleship, causing significant casualties and contributing to another Ottoman defeat.
During the First World War, the ageing battleship served in the defence of the Dardanelles and supported Ottoman military operations. On 8 August 1915, the British submarine HMS E11 torpedoed Barbaros Hayreddin near the Dardanelles. She sank with heavy loss of life.
