The German Navy’s history is filled with fascinating and unusual warship designs that reflect the challenges and innovations of their time. In this video, we explore some of the oddest and most interesting ships from the German Empire and later the Kriegsmarine, uncovering the stories behind their unique features and roles in naval history.
We start with the K-Class light cruisers, developed in the late 1920s under the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles. These cruisers, including Königsberg, Karlsruhe, and Köln, featured nine 5.9-inch guns mounted in triple turrets and four triple torpedo launchers. Despite their advanced weaponry, these ships suffered from structural weaknesses and poor seaworthiness due to their lightweight construction. Their top-heavy design caused stability issues, limiting their operational range and effectiveness, but they remain a testament to German innovation under strict limitations.
Next, we dive into the history of the pre-dreadnought battleships Schleswig-Holstein and Schlesien. These vessels, relics of an earlier era, served during World War I and continued in active service during World War II. Schleswig-Holstein famously fired the first shots of World War II during the bombardment of Westerplatte in Poland. Despite their age, these ships were modernized and used as training ships, icebreakers, and coastal bombardment platforms, showcasing their adaptability even in the face of obsolescence.
The Siegfried-class coastal defense ships offer another glimpse into early German naval strategy. Built in the late 19th century, these small yet heavily armed vessels were designed to protect Germany’s coastline and featured unique twin forward-facing turrets. While innovative at the time, they quickly became outdated and were relegated to harbor defense during World War I. Despite their limited utility, these ships reflect an important phase in the evolution of German naval design.
Throughout this video, we highlight how Germany’s naval architects navigated the constraints of international treaties, limited resources, and evolving warfare requirements to create ships that were both ambitious and unusual. From their innovative weaponry to their service records, these vessels exemplify the ingenuity and adaptability of the German Navy.
Whether it’s the Königsberg cruising at 32 knots, Schleswig-Holstein opening World War II, or the quirky Siegfried-class defending the German coast, these ships are full of stories worth exploring. If you enjoy unique naval designs and the history of innovation on the seas, this video is for you.
Let us know your favorite ship from this lineup in the comments below! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share to help the channel grow. Stay tuned for the next episode, where we’ll delve into the fascinating and unusual pre-dreadnoughts of the French Navy.
Intro 0:00
K-Class 0:59
Predreadnoughts 12:28
Siegfried Class 25:30
Conclusion 34:06
Sources/Other Reading:
https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Battleships-Deutschland-Class-Lutzow-Admiral/dp/1591141656
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Guns-Atlantic-Germanys-battleships/dp/147284596X
https://hmsjervisbay.com/Story.IllustratedLondon.php
https://hmsjervisbay.com/Story.HX84.php
https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Cruisers-Admiral-Hipper-Class/dp/1848321953
https://www.amazon.com/Scharnhorst-Gneisenau-Daniel-Knowles/dp/1781558876
https://www.amazon.com/Spoils-War-Enemy-Fleets-after/dp/1526741989
https://www.amazon.com/Ironclads-Dreadnoughts-Development-Battleship-1864-1918/dp/1804511846
Video Information:
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Greetings and salutations, The Kriegsmarine case of "Is that a crease in my K class cruiser? 😊
Another interesting and thorough doco – I don't know how you do it! That shot of a Wespe class (or was that Siegrfied? sorry, I was cooking) beach was great – one could see very clearly how the hull was shaped below the water-line (obviously, a rarity!).
Those K-class remind me of greyhounds in their slender shapes. However, it was the Siegfrieds that made me smile the most, just for how they looked. Thank you =]
Thanks for watching everyone! Happy new year! I hope to keep making videos in 2025 and beyond, and what a way to kick off 2025 than with a weird and wacky ships video!
Offset structures on ships are a feature now heartily embraced on aircraft carriers.
Nice vid hope u had a good new year
An Army General in charge of the Navy?.O boy.
NGL while casemate torpedoes sorta make sense, that's super unique
Maybe a future video on the "eco-battleship" MY Steve Irwin?
I've always found the German Brandenburg class of interest. Sort of the first all big gun battleships, albeit, with the central turret guns being slightly shorter.
Versilles was a joke
Very nicely done!! Looking forward to seeing more!!!
Have you already talked about the American dynamite cruisers those thing where dam odd but had a surprising good side effect in the Spanish American war
The turrets are not A, B, C. They are A, X, and Y, with X super firing over Y.
You were really repeating yourself with the K-Class light cruisers…..that's not like you, what's up?
Very interesting, thank you. I have studied a number of world navies, but pre-WWII Germany has not really been on the list yet (WWII Germany only as a side project). You have motivated me to seek out some of the source material you cite and get to work!
0:30 Protect its "lengthy coastline"? The German North Sea coast was only 1,600 kilometres compared with the coasts of the British Isles at 15,600 km and France's Atlantic coast at 2,500 km. The German Baltic coast was 3,000 km, but was really threatened only by the Russian Navy, and then not in the Winter months when the latter was impeded by ice. Both Denmark and Sweden had small navies, but designed only for coast defence.
I was just about to post: "What about France?" when you ended this video with the obvious next step! And then there were some round boats. Italians and Austrians were more sane/conservative, is my impression. Swedes boringly optimizing. The Russians might have had some converted yachts worth taking a look at?
While i doubt anyone in the 1930's was impressed by a pre dreadnought visit, that is not to say they were bad ships, many were stable and reliable vessels (for their time) and the main battery was nothing to laugh at even in ww2, as both the Deutschland and Scharnhorst class used 11" / 28cm guns.
For odd ships: try the Dutch coastdefence ships