SMS Derfflinger was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers for the Kaiserliche Marine, her sisters being Lützow and Hindenburg. Launched in July 1913 and commissioned in September 1914, she participated in most of the large engagements of World War One. At the Battle of Jutland, she helped sink HMS Invincible and Queen Mary. Derfflinger was seriously damaged during the battle, taking several months to repair.
After World War One, she was interned at Scapa Flow with the rest of the High Seas Fleet where she was scuttled in 1919. Raised in 1939, she was scrapped in 1946.
Construction
SMS Derfflinger Under ConstructionLaunch of SMS Derfflinger July 12, 1913 at Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany.SMS Derfflinger Pre-Commissioning
Derfflinger
SMS Derfflinger 1916 Alexpl via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 InternationalDerfflinger class battlecruiser via Jane’s Fighting Ships 1919SMS DerfflingerSMS Derfflinger 1917SMS Derfflinger 1917SMS Derfflinger 1918SMS Derfflinger Firing a Full SalvoSMS Derfflinger
Damage Suffered at the Battle of Jutland
Damage to SMS DerfflingerBattle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 21 June 1916Battle Damage to SMS Derfflinger 2 June 1916
Derfflinger at Scapa Flow
SMS Derfflinger on her way to Scapa FlowSMS Derfflinger probably at Scapa FlowSMS Derfflinger at Scapa FlowSMS Derfflinger probably at Scapa FlowSMS Derfflinger probably at Scapa FlowDerfflinger Sinking at Scapa Flow After Being Scuttled
Derfflinger Being Salvaged in the 1930s
SMS Derfflinger raised from the seabed of Scapa Flow, 3 August 1939SMS Derfflinger Being SalvagedSMS Derfflinger Being SalvagedSMS Derfflinger Being SalvagedSMS Derfflinger Being SalvagedDerfflinger Being Salvaged in 1939SMS Derfflinger Being SalvagedDerfflinger Being Salvaged in 1939SMS Derfflinger Being Salvaged
