These boats, although not officially described, are known to be of extremely powerful type. They displace nearly 1,000 tons, can travel at 18 or 19 knots on the surface and 12 below, and are armed with six torpedo tubes and two guns. The complement is about 27 officers and men. CHAPTER III THE GERMAN NAVY GERMAN BATTLESHIPS. DREADNOUGHTS. KÖNIG CLASS. (Completed 1914-15.) GROSSER KURFÜRST. KÖNIG. KRONPRINZ. MARKGRAF. The “König” class, to which these vessels belong, are the last battleships to carry the 12-in. gun, as the battleships laid down since are to be armed with 15-in. weapons. The “Königs” are considered by German experts to be very successful ships. The displacement is 25,500 tons, the length on the water-line 574 ft., and the engines are intended to develop 28,000 s.h.p. = 20½ knots. The normal coal supply is 1,000 tons, but, if necessary, no fewer than 3,600 tons of fuel, including oil, can be carried. Ten 12-in. guns, 50 cals. long, represent the main armament. They are mounted in five twin turrets, all on the centre line, so arranged that four guns can fire ahead or astern, and all ten on either broadside. Fourteen 5·9-in. quick-firing guns are mounted in an armoured broadside battery, seven being available on either beam. There are also ten 21-pounder quick-firers for repelling torpedo attack. Five submerged torpedo tubes, to discharge the 19¾-in. torpedo, are fitted. These ships are strongly armoured, having a belt 13¾ in. thick amidships, with good protection to guns and main fighting stations. The last vessel of this class, the “Kronprinz,” is not expected to be ready before next year. The complement numbers 1,130. KAISER CLASS. (Completed 1912-13.) KAISER. FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE. KAISERIN. PRINZREGENT LUITPOLD. KÖNIG ALBERT. In design the ships of this class are very similar to our “Neptune” class, but are much larger, the displacement being 24,300 tons. The designed speed is 20½ knots, but some ships of the class did much better than this on trial, one of them, the “Kaiser,” steaming at 23½ knots for a short period. These were the first German battleships to be fitted with turbines. The armament consists of ten 12-in. guns, fourteen 5·9-in., and twelve 21-pounder quick-firers, with five submerged torpedo tubes. The big guns are twin-mounted in five turrets, two of which are placed diagonally amidships, whilst the other three turrets are on the centre line. By this means all the big guns can be trained on either broadside, through a fairly wide arc. Stern fire is nominally from eight, bow fire from six guns. The 5·9-in. quick-firers are in an armoured battery. A feature of this class is the very strong armour belt, which is 13¾ in. over vital parts amidships. Each ship carries 1,080 officers and men, but the Friedrich der Grosse, which is the flagship of the commander-in-chief, has a complement of more than 1,100.