German Battleship SMS Kaiser

Launched on 22 March 1911 and commissioned on 1 August 1912, SMS Kaiser was the lead ship of her class of dreadnought battleships for the Imperial German Navy. Armed with ten-12″ guns, she was capable of 23.4 knots.

Kaiser was present at the Battle of Jutland, where she was struck twice, but suffered only minor damage. She also took part in Operation Albion against Russian forces in the Baltic where she disabled and captured the Russian destroyer Grom (which later foundered and sank).

Following the Armistice, Kaiser along with most of the German High Seas Fleet was interned at Scapa Flow. The commander of the fleet, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter was under orders to prevent the ships falling into enemy hands at all costs. Following a news report in the Times, which indicated that the deadline for the Armistice would pass, he ordered his ships to be scuttles. The deadline had actually been extended by two days, but Reuter was unaware of this.

SMS Kaiser was raised in 1929 and sold for scrapping in 1930.