Customer Reviews

German Battleships 1914-18 (1): Deutschland, Nassau and Helgoland classes (New Vanguard)

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Based on previous issues in this series, particularly 'German Battlecruisers 1914-18,' I had expected an excellent and well-illustrated compendium of the early WW1 German battleships. Unfortunately, this issue does not live up to my expectations! The illustrations are very sketchy and very poorly detailed, especially when compared with previous issues (why didn't Osprey retain Tony Bryan as illustrator??), and the text is not particularly informative either. Granted, the early German battleships didn't have particularly exciting careers, especially when compared with that of the battlecruisers, but still, they had a couple incidents of real interest. While the activities involved with Jutland (Skagerak) are well-known, a diagram or two of the relative positions of these ships in the various formations would have been of real benefit, as well as a more general discussion of the battle itself, and the specific roles for the 'Deutchland,' 'Nassau,' and 'Helgoland' classes would also have been even more relevant. Finally, there are several references to the role of these ships in saving Finland from communist take-over. As this is a little-known, yet important incident, I would have thought a single good description with a diagram and a map or two of this would have been really interesting, but instead, it is merely mentioned in passing under the individual ship histories. In sum, I cannot say this volume lives up to the previous 'German Battlecruisers' issue, and can only hope the second part on the later classes will be a better production altogether....

Oftentimes, volumes in Osprey's New Vanguard series that cover naval topics tend to try and cover too many ships and too many classes in just 48 pages and end up skimming over the surface. However, Gary Staff was given the opportunity to cover the Imperial German Navy's battleships of the First World War in several volumes and he makes the most of this opportunity. German Battleships 1914-18 (1) is not a superficial summary but a very detailed look at three classes of German battleships (the Deutschland, Nassau and Helgoland classes) built in the period 1903-1912. It is clear in the opening pages that the author has a good understanding of naval design and is intimately familiar with the Kaiser's Navy, so the result is an informed look at this part of the German battle line.

The volume is essentially divided into three sections, each covering one of the battleship classes. Each section discusses the design and development of each class (with interesting observations on the financial, technical and political decisions behind each class), armament, armor, seakeeping and machinery. He also provides a significant service record for each individual ship. The graphic quality of this volume is very high with three color profiles of battleships (SMS Deutschland, SMS Westfallen; SMS Helgoland) and a 2-page cut-away of SMS Rheinland. There are also three color battle scenes (destruction of SMS Pommern at Jutland in 1916; the Westfallen and Rheinland in the ice off Finland in 1918; SMS Thuringen in action at Jutland) depicting the battleships in action. The B/W photos throughout the volume are very good and uncommon. The author provides extensive data for each battleship in several tables, including unusual items such as propeller shaft rpm, double bottom as percent of length and number of compartments.

This volume is about as good as a short volume on this topic gets. While the author could have economized on space a bit by having a sidebar on Jutland instead of discussing it under each ship's service record, his method is sound. He does point out how the Germans put a major effort into providing first-class underwater protection on their battleships, which made them very difficult to sink. He spends less time discussing offensive firepower, but notes that even Admiral Tirpitz realized that the hexagonal turret arrangement was outdated but inertia took-over and the Imperial Navy remained wedded to this concept after other navies had begun moving to the all-gun turrets-on-center-line approach. The German Navy was also relatively slow to move to bigger guns, as the Royal Navy battleships were moving to 13.5-inch guns. The author does use sidebars effectively, such as discussing the torpedo strike on SMS Westfallen.

This Osprey volume focuses on three classes of German battleships during World War I. As others in the series, this is a slim volume (47 pages of text). This is, of course, both a strength (easy to digest) and a weakness (perhaps not enough reflection and analysis). Overall, though, the book works pretty well.

What are the three classes? The Deutschland, Nassau, and Helgoland classes. As the introductory comments note, before 1871, there was no German state and, hence, no navy. The first battleships were produced in 1890.

The Deutschland class was authorized in 1900. The 1904 budget allowed for five ships in this class--what later became Deutschland, Hannover, Pommern, Schlesien, and Schleswig-Holstein. The ships were commissioned between 1906 and 1908. Their speed was about 18 knots and they had crews of about 740. Pages 4-15 feature discussion of the characteristics of these ships (armament, for instance) and discuss each of the battleships.

Reality check. . . . The English battleship Dreadnought was launched after this series was in production. And it was a game changer. The first set of German battleships were not up to the new standard. The Nassau class of German battleships was closer to the high bear set by the Dreadnought. Ships in the Nassau series: Nassau, Westfalen, Rheinland, and Posen. Pages 23-33 consider each of the ships in this series as well as their service record. The Helgoland class included the Helgoland, Ostfriesland, Thuringen, and Oldenburg.

Overall, a nice book. However, a final chapter/section pulling things together would have been quite useful.

I am a model builder and the book as three view color pictures of each of the battleships mentioned on the cover. Definitely worth the price even though only three ships are covered, I plan to buy the sequel when it comes out. It is also great for someone who wants the story of German battlecruisers up to the year 1918. Well done Osprey and the book's illustrator Paul Wright, would love to see Osprey produce a book with nothing but color three view diagrams of all the 19-14-18 German battleships and battlecruisers in one or two volumes. Would pay four times more for that, maybe some day.

This book contains an incredible amount of technical and operational information on these three classes of WW I German battleships. Although much of this information has previously been available in German language books this would appear to be the first time that is available in English.
I could only find one error. On page 16 it is claimed that the first pre-dreadnought battleship to carry an "intermediate" battery of 8 to 10-in caliber guns was the Italian Regina Margheritta class of 1900 which carried four x 12-in and four x 8-in guns. In actuality, it could be said that the first such semi-dreadnoughts were the US Indiana class battleships of 1893 which carried four x 13-in and eight x 8-in guns

I'll cover both volume one and two here,as they are continuous and should be bought together.
Mr. Staff has done a fine job in covering the Battleships of Imperial Germany,picking a start point with the Deutschlands as they were present at Jutland is good. Coverage of all classes is sufficient,and many photos are new to me,not even appearing in my German language references.
I would have liked different artwork,but this is my taste,not really a criticism of Wright's approach. Some plan and elevation,detailed sketches would be nice,but perhaps outside the scope and size of the New Vanguard series.Certainly a great value for the money,and highly recommended for any WWI naval enthusiast,or perhaps someone just wanting a concise coverage of these magnificent warships.