III. (h) Hilfskreuzers (Armed Merchant Cruisers)

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III. Korvetten (Avisos).
..(h) Hilfskreuzers (Armed Merchant Cruisers).
.....SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Große (1897)
.....SS Prinz August Wilhelm (ex-Prinz Eitel Friedrich) (1904)

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SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Große of the Brandenburg-Amerika Line - laid down 1897



Brandenburgian Hilfskreuzer laid down 1897

Displacement:
   20,600 t light; 21,100 t standard; 24,110 t normal; 26,517 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   662.73 ft / 654.53 ft x 66.04 ft x 27.89 ft (normal load)
   202.00 m / 199.50 m x 20.13 m  x 8.50 m

Armament:
      6 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns in single mounts, 35.27lbs / 16.00kg shells, 1905 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
      2 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1905 Model
     Quick firing guns in deck mounts
     on side, all amidships
      1 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.86lbs / 1.75kg shells, 1905 Model
     Anti-airship gun in deck mount
     on centreline aft

   Weight of broadside 219 lbs / 99 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 38,000 ihp / 28,348 Kw = 22.50 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts (Bunkerage = 5,417 tons)

Complement:
   966 - 1,257

Cost:
   £1.616 million / $6.464 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 27 tons, 0.1 %
   Machinery: 6,229 tons, 25.8 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 9,343 tons, 38.8 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 3,510 tons, 14.6 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 5,000 tons, 20.7 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     20,874 lbs / 9,469 Kg = 591.0 x 4.1 " / 105 mm shells or 1.7 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
   Metacentric height 3.2 ft / 1.0 m
   Roll period: 15.4 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 75 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.02
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.82

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.700
   Length to Beam Ratio: 9.91 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 25.58 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 41 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 41
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:         27.89 ft / 8.50 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):      24.61 ft / 7.50 m
      - Mid (50 %):      21.33 ft / 6.50 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   21.33 ft / 6.50 m
      - Stern:         21.33 ft / 6.50 m
      - Average freeboard:      22.74 ft / 6.93 m
   Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 107.5 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 150.9 %
   Waterplane Area: 34,647 Square feet or 3,219 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 136 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 165 lbs/sq ft or 807 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 1.64
      - Longitudinal: 1.97
      - Overall: 1.67
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

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SS Prinz August Wilhelm, ex-Prinz Eitel Friedrich of the German-Australian Line - laid down 1904, re-named 1909



Brandenburgian Hilfskreuzer laid down 1904

Displacement:
   13,618 t light; 13,972 t standard; 16,011 t normal; 17,643 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
   507.22 ft / 507.22 ft x 65.49 ft x 27.89 ft (normal load)
   154.60 m / 154.60 m x 19.96 m  x 8.50 m

Armament:
      4 - 4.13" / 105 mm guns in single mounts, 35.27lbs / 16.00kg shells, 1905 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side ends, evenly spread
      8 - 3.46" / 88.0 mm guns in single mounts, 22.05lbs / 10.00kg shells, 1900 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread
      12 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns in single mounts, 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1905 Model
     Breech loading guns in deck mounts
     on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
      1 - 1.97" / 50.0 mm guns in single mounts, 3.86lbs / 1.75kg shells, 1903 Model
     Anti-airship gun in deck mount
     on centreline aft, 1 raised gun

   Weight of broadside 340 lbs / 154 kg
   Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Machinery:
   Coal fired boilers, complex reciprocating steam engines,
   Direct drive, 4 shafts, 7,000 ihp / 5,222 Kw = 14.91 kts
   Range 8,000nm at 12.00 kts (Bunkerage = 3,670 tons)

Complement:
   711 - 925

Cost:
   £0.655 million / $2.622 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
   Armament: 41 tons, 0.3 %
   Machinery: 1,029 tons, 6.4 %
   Hull, fittings & equipment: 8,548 tons, 53.4 %
   Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,393 tons, 14.9 %
   Miscellaneous weights: 4,000 tons, 25.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
   Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
     29,801 lbs / 13,518 Kg = 843.7 x 4.1 " / 105 mm shells or 3.8 torpedoes
   Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.10
   Metacentric height 3.2 ft / 1.0 m
   Roll period: 15.4 seconds
   Steadiness   - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 46 %
         - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.03
   Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.63

Hull form characteristics:
   Hull has a flush deck
   Block coefficient: 0.605
   Length to Beam Ratio: 7.75 : 1
   'Natural speed' for length: 22.52 kts
   Power going to wave formation at top speed: 28 %
   Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 26
   Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 0.00 degrees
   Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
   Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
      - Stem:         25.43 ft / 7.75 m
      - Forecastle (20 %):      21.33 ft / 6.50 m
      - Mid (50 %):      18.04 ft / 5.50 m
      - Quarterdeck (15 %):   18.04 ft / 5.50 m
      - Stern:         18.04 ft / 5.50 m
      - Average freeboard:      19.52 ft / 5.95 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
   Space   - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 51.2 %
      - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 122.9 %
   Waterplane Area: 24,407 Square feet or 2,267 Square metres
   Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 251 %
   Structure weight / hull surface area: 217 lbs/sq ft or 1,058 Kg/sq metre
   Hull strength (Relative):
      - Cross-sectional: 2.32
      - Longitudinal: 3.96
      - Overall: 2.44
   Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
   Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
   Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather