German Pre-Dreadnought Battleship SMS Hessen SMS Hessen was the third ship of the Braunschweig-class battleships (along with her sister ships Braunschweig, Lothringen, Elsass and Preussen) built for the Imperial German Navy in the early 20th century. Named after the Grand Duchy of Hesse, she was laid down at the Germaniawerft shipyard in Kiel in 1902, Read more