The Battle Cruiser Hindenburg

It’s 1918. The outcome of the First World War is still in the balance. Germany’s submarines have failed to force Britain to the negotiation table. Something else must be tried. The 27,000 ton battle cruiser Hindenburg, Germany’s latest and most powerful, is dispatched to attack the Allied convoys. Her Prussian captain, Rupprecht Körner, faces a daunting task. His lone ship must break out into the Atlantic, avoiding contact with the massive British fleet, and journey even as far as America to find her prey. As well as coping with the North Atlantic weather and enemy warships, Körner must keep his ship’s coal bunkers replenished. Even if he is able to find targets for his big guns - no simple task in the vast ocean - he still has to get his ship and crew safely back to Germany. The odds seem stacked against him. He needs to succeed; Germany needs him to succeed.

Quite correctly the Derfflinger class was considered to be the best battle cruisers completed up until the end of the First World War. Aesthetically they were also the most handsome. Design work was begun in October 1910 and continued until October 1912. Derfflinger had the sisterships Lützow and the near sister Hindenburg. The design represented the change to a new generation of German Großen Kreuzer. After the final design of cruiser J there were still outstanding issues for the following design. In April 1910 the General Navy Department was asked to prepare the requirements for the cruiser of 1911. The issues were primarily the number of shafts, machinery and armament. A three shaft arrangement would allow the employment of a diesel engine on the center shaft. The advantages of this were better thermal efficiency, easier transfer of fuel, saving in personnel and the price. The General Department thought the change to 30.5cm caliber was essential. The weight increase of 8 30.5cm guns over 10 28cm guns was just 36 tons and the latest English battleships were fitted with 300mm armor. If the cruisers were expected to fight in the line, the increase was mandatory. However, von Tirpitz disagreed and the matter remained unresolved.

This is the most comprehensive, English-language study of the German Imperial NavyÕs battlecruisers that served in the First World War. Known as Panzerkreuzer, literally Òarmored cruiser,Ó the eight ships of the class were to be involved in several early North Sea skirmishes before the great pitched battle of Jutland where they inflicted devastating damage on the Royal NavyÕs battlecruiser fleet. This book details their design and construction, and traces the full service history of each ship, recounting their actions, drawing largely from first-hand German sources and official documents, many previously unpublished in English.

The task of Germany's new Große Kreuzer at the beginning of the 20th century was to form an independent reconnaissance division that was able to perform special tasks. With a speed superiority of at least 3 knots, they should also be capable of fighting in the line, and would thus require heavy armour and good defensive qualities. The battlecruisers that were built did indeed have a remarkable ability to withstand battle damage, as demonstrated by the Goeben, which suffered five mine hits on one occasion. This title details all the classes of German battlecruiser, with particular emphasis on each individual ship's battle experience and deployment in conflict.

The task of Germany's new Große Kreuzer at the beginning of the 20th century was to form an independent reconnaissance division that was able to perform special tasks. With a speed superiority of at least 3 knots, they should also be capable of fighting in the line, and would thus require heavy armour and good defensive qualities. The battlecruisers that were built did indeed have a remarkable ability to withstand battle damage, as demonstrated by the Goeben, which suffered five mine hits on one occasion. This title details all the classes of German battlecruiser, with particular emphasis on each individual ship's battle experience and deployment in conflict.

Scapa and a Camera. Pictorial Impressions of Five Years Spent at the Grand Fleet Base by C. W. Burrows provides a visual journey through the Grand Fleet Base during a pivotal five-year period. Burrows's detailed photographs, combined with insightful commentary, offer readers a unique glimpse into naval history, making it a cherished resource for history enthusiasts and photography lovers alike.

The rival battlecruisers first clashed in January 1915 at Dogger Bank in the North Sea and although the battle was a British tactical victory with neither side losing any of its battlecruisers, the differences in the designs of the British and German ships were already apparent. The two sides responded very differently to this first clash; while the Germans improved their ammunition-handling procedures to lessen the risk of disabling explosions, the British drew the opposite lesson and stockpiled ammunition in an effort to improve their rate of fire, rendering their battlecruisers more vulnerable. These differences were highlighted more starkly during the battle of Jutland in May 1916. Of the nine British battlecruisers committed, three were destroyed, all by their German counterparts. Five German battlecruisers were present, and of these, only one was sunk and the remainder damaged. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this is the gripping story of the clash between the rival battlecruisers of the Royal Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine at the height of World War I.