Difference between revisions of "SMS Kaiser"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German battleship {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]].
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' was a German WWI dreadnought, lead ship of the Kaiser class. She had four other sister ships, namely Friedrich der Grosse, Kaiserin, Prinzregent Luitpold and König Albert. Kaiser was ordered as a replacement for obsolete coastal defense ship Hildebrand. She was laid down in September 1909 and launched on 22nd March 1911, this date was chosen on purpose as it was birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. His grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II. attended the ceremony. The primary armament of Kaiser consisted of ten 30.5 cm SK L/50 guns in five twin turrets. Unlike the previous battleships, these weren't in hexagonal arrangement. Instead three were mounted centerline and the other two placed en echelon amidship. Her secondary armament consisted of fourteen 15 cm SK L/45 guns in casemates amidship and twelve 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns out of which four were for anti-aircraft protection. She was also armed with five 50 cm torpedo tubes with one in the bow and four broadside.
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In December 1913, Kaiser together with her sister König Albert and light cruiser Strassburg were selected to participate in long distance cruise in order to test reliability of new turbine propulsion system. They departed Germany bound for German colonies in West Africa, then sailed to St. Helena and Rio de Janeiro where they arrived on 15th February 1914. After visiting various other South American ports, the ships left Rio de Janeiro on 16th May, bound for Germany, where they arrived to Kiel on 17th June 1914. The ships sailed about 20,000 nautical miles (37,000 km) during their journey. After the outbreak of WWI, Kaiser conducted several sweeps into the North Sea without seeing much action. On 31st May 1916, Kaiser participated in Battle of Jutland where Kaiser and her sisters were leading the German battle line. During the battle, Kaiser sunk British destroyer HMS Nomad and together with other ships sunk armoured cruiser HMS Defence. Kaiser also engaged and damaged the steering gear of HMS Warspite. Kaiser herself suffered minor damage as she got hit twice by 12 inch guns from HMS Agincourt over the course of battle. In September 1917, Kaiser participated in Operation Albion, German attack on port of Riga where she damaged Russiand destroyer Grom. All five ships of the class survived the war and were scuttled while interned in Scapa Flow in 1919 and subsequently broken up for scrap.
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Kaiser was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]]. Unlike the previous Helgoland-class battleship, Kaiser offers improved armour protection as well as better firing angles due to the different turret layout, allowing for firing a full broadside of ten guns unlike Helgoland's eight. When compared to Nassau-class battleships such as Westfalen, Kaiser offers better firepower with its 305 mm calibre guns as opposed to 283 mm found on Westfalen as well as increased armour protection. The ship's machinery and magazines are protected alongside the entire length by coal bunkers. Although after the coal bunkers get destroyed, the ship's magazine become vulnerable to explosion as it's placed relatively close to the waterline and underwater hit by a large calibre shell can pierce the 180 mm thick armour around the magazines with ease.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''
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The Kaiser is undoubtedly a formidable ship. She has plenty of armour, up to 350 mm on the main belt. However, the frontal armour, just below the forward barbette is a major weak spot, having only 170 mm behind an additional sloped 60 mm. She is also relatively fast compared with other battleships, being able to cruise at a whopping 23 knots or 43 km/h (in RB). Her armament scheme, with two wing turrets amidships, also allows for a full 10-gun broadside, making it more effective than the Helgoland and Westfalen with only 8. However, her lower crew complement, at 1,084, leaves her slightly more vulnerable to fires and sustained gunfire.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
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''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''
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The speed of Kaiser is definitely handy. While other battleships putter along at ~35 km/h, Kaiser can manage 43 km/h, making her faster than most other battleships. At 27,400 tons, she's certainly a large ship, and her turning radius definitely reflects that. While not impossible to dodge incoming torpedoes, captains will need ample time to manoeuvre out of their way.
  
 
{{NavalMobility}}
 
{{NavalMobility}}
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{{main|305 mm/50 SK L/50 (305 mm)}}
 
{{main|305 mm/50 SK L/50 (305 mm)}}
  
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''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''
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The primary armament of SMS Kaiser are 10 x 305 mm SK L/50 cannons. They are placed in 5 twin gunned turrets, with two super firing aft, two wing amidships and one front turret. This layout, while slightly better than its other German counterparts, still forces captains to show much of their hull when attempting to use all 10. However, 8 can still be used fairly well, as Kaiser can be sufficiently angled while still bringing front, one wing and both aft turrets to bear. This will be the go-to for many instances, as showing full broadside to enemy battleships is always asking for trouble.
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These are mediocre guns when looking at other 305 mm cannons from other nations. While the rounds are fired with a decent muzzle velocity, their damage potential is certainly underwhelming. The Kaiser can choose from three different ammo types, though only two of which have much use and dividing between the 850 total shells in the magazines, players will have to choose between a few combinations of loadouts.
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* '''HE with base fuse''' - This is the stock ammo type for all German 305 mm cannons. It is akin to a SAP round however, it lacks penetration having only 167 mm at 1 km. This shell type has 27 kg of explosive filler, sadly the most filler of any German shell in the game. This will be fairly effective against cruisers, as the low penetration potential means it is less likely these rounds will pass through the target ship. However, they have a low amount of filler and with no potent penetration, they become ineffective against other battleships. While not impossible to ammo rack enemy battleships, it is extremely rare. Overall, this shell type is good to bring along for lighter targets and in a few cases, can be used to whittle down crew numbers and start fires on battleships.
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* '''APC''' - This armour-piercing capped shell is a solid alternative to the HE shell. With a maximum penetration of 519 mm at 1 km, it is an effective round against other battleships. It also has a relatively high muzzle velocity at 855 m/s, making it easier to aim. Its explosive filler is quite high compared to other AP shells. In fact, it has 13.6 kg of TNT, which by 305 mm AP standards is very good. This shell can be used effectively against battleships, though can still punch holes in lighter targets.
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* '''SAP''': The semi armour-piercing round of the Kaiser is really where things feel lacklustre. Like with many German shells, it lacks ample amounts of filler, with only 10.8 kg of TNT. This is five times less than Russian 305 mm SAP shells. While this shell type has a tiny bit more angle penetration, its high base penetration and its lack of filler makes it less useful against both battleships and cruisers. These shells are totally opposite to the SAP of nations like Japan and Russia, where captains can almost exclusively use SAP as their main rounds.
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{{:305 mm/50 SK L/50 (305 mm)/Ammunition|305 mm Spgr. L/3.8 Bdz, 305 mm Spgr. L/3.3 SAP, 305 mm Psgr. L/3.4}}
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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{{main|150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)}}
 
{{main|150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)}}
  
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''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''
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The secondary armament is where Kaiser shines. It has 7 x 150 mm and 6 x 88 mm guns per side. This makes it exceptionally effective against lighter targets like destroyers, patrol boats and even some light cruisers. These guns are able to deal a devastating blow to all but the heaviest of ships in the game. However, note that the 88 mm guns are labeled as AA guns when selecting between armament types, though their limited elevation and lack of a timed explosive makes them far more effective against lighter ships. Kaiser can carry a total of 2,100 secondary shells. The 150 mm guns however have 3 shell types once again.
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*'''HE''': These high-explosive shells are the stock round for secondary armaments and are exceptionally deadly to light targets like patrol boats and destroyers. They have 1.6 kg of explosive, making them a good option for setting fires on larger ships as well.
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*'''AP''': The AP rounds from the 150 mm guns will be very useful when fighting light and heavy cruisers. With 225 mm of base penetration and 990 g of filler, they are very good at punching through even the thickest armour belts of cruisers, even damaging turrets and barbettes.
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*'''SAP''': Again, the semi armour-piercing shells from German guns tends to be underwhelming. These round have 15 g more explosive filler than the AP while sacrificing 131 mm of base penetration. They still may be used effectively against lighter targets, but a combination of AP and HE shells will do better at fighting all types of targets.
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{{:150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)/Ammunition|150 mm Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz, 150 mm Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz, 150 mm Psgr. L/3.7}}
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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{{main|88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)}}
 
{{main|88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)}}
  
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''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''
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The anti-air capability of the Kaiser is lacking. However, this is typical for most battleships of this era. It has 12 x 88 mm guns, half of which are in hull mounted casemates. Therefore, the elevation of said guns (only +18°), is not very useful. There are of course 6 guns mounted in superstructures, however they too lack meaningful elevation and traverse speed. This results in a large zone above the ship where captains will be completely vulnerable to attack. While the 88 mm guns can be used to shoot at low-flying targets, their lack of elevation and traverse speed makes them hard to use in the AA role. As before, they are much easier to use as light ship deterrents.
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
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{{main|G6c (500 mm)}}
 
{{main|G6c (500 mm)}}
  
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''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''
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The Kaiser is armed with multiple 500 mm torpedoes. They have a relatively small warhead of only 160 kg and have a mild range of 5 km. They also move at a whole 50 km/h, meaning cruisers and destroyers can simply outrun them, let alone dodge them. However, in rare circumstances, they can still be effective as a surprise attack on an enemy vessel. Loading them will make the Kaiser easier to ammo rack as well.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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The Kaiser is definitely a fun ship to play given the right circumstance. While she doesn't stack up to ships like Marlborough or Mariya, she does still have the armour to take quite a few hits. The main armament of Kaiser is best used at longer range, as plunging fire only helps its lower penetration rounds find weak spots. Surprisingly though, she can be extremely effective in close quarters as well, using her strong belt and bow plating to tank rounds from cruisers and even battleships. However, the armour below the forward barbette is weaker than other battleships and can be exploited by other large calibre rounds from opposing dreadnoughts. The speed of Kaiser is very useful up close and its slightly better turning radius compared to other ships allows better responsiveness to incoming torpedoes, though captains will still need to stay vigilant.
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Additionally, the overwhelming firepower of the secondary battery makes Kaiser a very formidable opponent up close, especially against light targets. However, its lack of air defense makes it an easy target for high flying and dive bombing planes, so be careful.
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Overall, Kaiser is a well rounded ship, being able to sit comfortable at range and duel with its main guns, or take it up close and brawl with unsuspecting cruisers. While its main guns lack filler, it can still be effective against all types of enemies and will surely be fun to take out once in a while.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
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''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
 
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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*
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* Fast with decent agility
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* Fantastic secondary battery
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* Great belt armour for up close battles
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
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*
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* Lacklustre main battery shells
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* Little air defence
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* Weak internal armour
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
=== [[wt:en/news/7049-development-sms-kaiser-the-emperor-at-sea-en|Devblog]] ===
 
=== [[wt:en/news/7049-development-sms-kaiser-the-emperor-at-sea-en|Devblog]] ===
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During the 1900’s, the German Imperial navy placed orders for five new dreadnought battleships to be constructed in order to replace older warships of the Siegfried and Odin classes. These five new ships would become the Kaiser-class battleships, which among other technological advancements, featured turbine propulsion systems - a novelty on German warships at the time.
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During the 1900's, the German Imperial navy placed orders for five new dreadnought battleships to be constructed in order to replace older warships of the Siegfried and Odin classes. These five new ships would become the Kaiser-class battleships, which among other technological advancements, featured turbine propulsion systems - a novelty on German warships at the time.
  
 
Kaiser, the lead ship of the class, was laid down in Kiel in December 1909, launched in March 1911 and subsequently commissioned in August 1912. After crew training and taking part in several fleet exercises, Kaiser along with its sistership König Albert and cruiser Strassburg, was sent on a long-distance cruise to German South-West Africa and South America to test the novel steam propulsion system for endurance and reliability. The flotilla returned from their cruise to Kiel in June of 1914.
 
Kaiser, the lead ship of the class, was laid down in Kiel in December 1909, launched in March 1911 and subsequently commissioned in August 1912. After crew training and taking part in several fleet exercises, Kaiser along with its sistership König Albert and cruiser Strassburg, was sent on a long-distance cruise to German South-West Africa and South America to test the novel steam propulsion system for endurance and reliability. The flotilla returned from their cruise to Kiel in June of 1914.
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Following the outbreak of the Great War, Kaiser took part in nearly every major naval operation of the conflict. This included the famous Battle of Jutland in mid 1916, where Kaiser sustained two direct hits, but suffered no substantial damage. Furthermore, Kaiser also took part in Operation Albion in 1917, bombarding Russian coastal positions in the Baltic, and crippling the destroyer Grom, followed by her sinking.
 
Following the outbreak of the Great War, Kaiser took part in nearly every major naval operation of the conflict. This included the famous Battle of Jutland in mid 1916, where Kaiser sustained two direct hits, but suffered no substantial damage. Furthermore, Kaiser also took part in Operation Albion in 1917, bombarding Russian coastal positions in the Baltic, and crippling the destroyer Grom, followed by her sinking.
  
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With the German surrender in November 1918, part of the High Seas Fleet, including the SMS Kaiser, was interned at the British naval base at Scapa Flow. The commanding German officer, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, believing that the fleet would be seized by the British, ordered the scuttling of the entire fleet on 21st of June, 1919. Kaiser was later raised in 1929 and broken up for scrap in the early 1930’s.
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With the German surrender in November 1918, part of the High Seas Fleet, including the SMS Kaiser, was interned at the British naval base at Scapa Flow. The commanding German officer, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, believing that the fleet would be seized by the British, ordered the scuttling of the entire fleet on 21st of June, 1919. Kaiser was later raised in 1929 and broken up for scrap in the early 1930's.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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;Skins
 
;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=ship&vehicleClass=battleship&vehicle=germ_battleship_kaiser Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_battleship_kaiser Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
;Images
 
;Images
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File:SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 07.jpg|
 
File:SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 07.jpg|
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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;Videos
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{{Youtube-gallery|6kUe7pdqCC0|'''Best Battleships''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 01:18 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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* [[wt:en/news/7049-development-sms-kaiser-the-emperor-at-sea-en|[Devblog] SMS Kaiser: The Emperor at Sea]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/7049-development-sms-kaiser-the-emperor-at-sea-en|[Devblog] SMS Kaiser: The Emperor at Sea]]
  
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{{ShipManufacturer Deutsche Werke}}
 
{{Germany battleships}}
 
{{Germany battleships}}

Latest revision as of 09:49, 30 September 2023

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
SMS Kaiser
germ_battleship_kaiser.png
GarageImage SMS Kaiser.jpg
SMS Kaiser
Germany flag.png Germany
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.3 6.3 6.3
Class:
Research:290 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:790 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Kaiser-class, SMS Kaiser, 1911 was a German WWI dreadnought, lead ship of the Kaiser class. She had four other sister ships, namely Friedrich der Grosse, Kaiserin, Prinzregent Luitpold and König Albert. Kaiser was ordered as a replacement for obsolete coastal defense ship Hildebrand. She was laid down in September 1909 and launched on 22nd March 1911, this date was chosen on purpose as it was birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. His grandson, Kaiser Wilhelm II. attended the ceremony. The primary armament of Kaiser consisted of ten 30.5 cm SK L/50 guns in five twin turrets. Unlike the previous battleships, these weren't in hexagonal arrangement. Instead three were mounted centerline and the other two placed en echelon amidship. Her secondary armament consisted of fourteen 15 cm SK L/45 guns in casemates amidship and twelve 8.8 cm SK L/45 guns out of which four were for anti-aircraft protection. She was also armed with five 50 cm torpedo tubes with one in the bow and four broadside.

In December 1913, Kaiser together with her sister König Albert and light cruiser Strassburg were selected to participate in long distance cruise in order to test reliability of new turbine propulsion system. They departed Germany bound for German colonies in West Africa, then sailed to St. Helena and Rio de Janeiro where they arrived on 15th February 1914. After visiting various other South American ports, the ships left Rio de Janeiro on 16th May, bound for Germany, where they arrived to Kiel on 17th June 1914. The ships sailed about 20,000 nautical miles (37,000 km) during their journey. After the outbreak of WWI, Kaiser conducted several sweeps into the North Sea without seeing much action. On 31st May 1916, Kaiser participated in Battle of Jutland where Kaiser and her sisters were leading the German battle line. During the battle, Kaiser sunk British destroyer HMS Nomad and together with other ships sunk armoured cruiser HMS Defence. Kaiser also engaged and damaged the steering gear of HMS Warspite. Kaiser herself suffered minor damage as she got hit twice by 12 inch guns from HMS Agincourt over the course of battle. In September 1917, Kaiser participated in Operation Albion, German attack on port of Riga where she damaged Russiand destroyer Grom. All five ships of the class survived the war and were scuttled while interned in Scapa Flow in 1919 and subsequently broken up for scrap.

Kaiser was introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike". Unlike the previous Helgoland-class battleship, Kaiser offers improved armour protection as well as better firing angles due to the different turret layout, allowing for firing a full broadside of ten guns unlike Helgoland's eight. When compared to Nassau-class battleships such as Westfalen, Kaiser offers better firepower with its 305 mm calibre guns as opposed to 283 mm found on Westfalen as well as increased armour protection. The ship's machinery and magazines are protected alongside the entire length by coal bunkers. Although after the coal bunkers get destroyed, the ship's magazine become vulnerable to explosion as it's placed relatively close to the waterline and underwater hit by a large calibre shell can pierce the 180 mm thick armour around the magazines with ease.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel196 / 350 / 30 mm
Main fire tower300 / 254 / 290 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure16 mm (steel)
Number of section9
Displacement27 400 t
Crew1 084 people

The Kaiser is undoubtedly a formidable ship. She has plenty of armour, up to 350 mm on the main belt. However, the frontal armour, just below the forward barbette is a major weak spot, having only 170 mm behind an additional sloped 60 mm. She is also relatively fast compared with other battleships, being able to cruise at a whopping 23 knots or 43 km/h (in RB). Her armament scheme, with two wing turrets amidships, also allows for a full 10-gun broadside, making it more effective than the Helgoland and Westfalen with only 8. However, her lower crew complement, at 1,084, leaves her slightly more vulnerable to fires and sustained gunfire.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB51 / 25 km/h
RB43 / 22 km/h

The speed of Kaiser is definitely handy. While other battleships putter along at ~35 km/h, Kaiser can manage 43 km/h, making her faster than most other battleships. At 27,400 tons, she's certainly a large ship, and her turning radius definitely reflects that. While not impossible to dodge incoming torpedoes, captains will need ample time to manoeuvre out of their way.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 51 25
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 43 22

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB23 145 → 28 560 Sl icon.png
RB29 205 → 36 038 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications287 000 Rp icon.png
425 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training230 000 Sl icon.png
Experts790 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 800 Ge icon.png
Research Aces780 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
450 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
202 / 202 / 202 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
19 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
28 000 Sl icon.png
390 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
13 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
19 000 Sl icon.png
270 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
12 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
18 000 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
31 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
46 000 Sl icon.png
640 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
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Cost:
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Fire Division
Research:
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Cost:
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Shrapnel Protection
Research:
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Cost:
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Ventilation
Research:
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Cost:
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New Pumps
Research:
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Cost:
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Ammo Wetting
Research:
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Cost:
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305mm_ger_l_3_3_navy_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
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Cost:
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Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
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Cost:
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305mm_ger_l_3_4_navy_apc_ammo_pack
Research:
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Cost:
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150mm_ger_skl45_naval_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
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Cost:
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Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
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Cost:
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Improved Rangefinder
Research:
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Cost:
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150mm_ger_skl45_l_3_7_naval_ap_ammo_pack
Research:
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Cost:
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Armament

Primary armament

5 х Turret2 x 305 mm/50 SK L/50 cannon
Ammunition170 rounds
Vertical guidance-8° / 14°
Main article: 305 mm/50 SK L/50 (305 mm)

The primary armament of SMS Kaiser are 10 x 305 mm SK L/50 cannons. They are placed in 5 twin gunned turrets, with two super firing aft, two wing amidships and one front turret. This layout, while slightly better than its other German counterparts, still forces captains to show much of their hull when attempting to use all 10. However, 8 can still be used fairly well, as Kaiser can be sufficiently angled while still bringing front, one wing and both aft turrets to bear. This will be the go-to for many instances, as showing full broadside to enemy battleships is always asking for trouble.

These are mediocre guns when looking at other 305 mm cannons from other nations. While the rounds are fired with a decent muzzle velocity, their damage potential is certainly underwhelming. The Kaiser can choose from three different ammo types, though only two of which have much use and dividing between the 850 total shells in the magazines, players will have to choose between a few combinations of loadouts.

  • HE with base fuse - This is the stock ammo type for all German 305 mm cannons. It is akin to a SAP round however, it lacks penetration having only 167 mm at 1 km. This shell type has 27 kg of explosive filler, sadly the most filler of any German shell in the game. This will be fairly effective against cruisers, as the low penetration potential means it is less likely these rounds will pass through the target ship. However, they have a low amount of filler and with no potent penetration, they become ineffective against other battleships. While not impossible to ammo rack enemy battleships, it is extremely rare. Overall, this shell type is good to bring along for lighter targets and in a few cases, can be used to whittle down crew numbers and start fires on battleships.
  • APC - This armour-piercing capped shell is a solid alternative to the HE shell. With a maximum penetration of 519 mm at 1 km, it is an effective round against other battleships. It also has a relatively high muzzle velocity at 855 m/s, making it easier to aim. Its explosive filler is quite high compared to other AP shells. In fact, it has 13.6 kg of TNT, which by 305 mm AP standards is very good. This shell can be used effectively against battleships, though can still punch holes in lighter targets.
  • SAP: The semi armour-piercing round of the Kaiser is really where things feel lacklustre. Like with many German shells, it lacks ample amounts of filler, with only 10.8 kg of TNT. This is five times less than Russian 305 mm SAP shells. While this shell type has a tiny bit more angle penetration, its high base penetration and its lack of filler makes it less useful against both battleships and cruisers. These shells are totally opposite to the SAP of nations like Japan and Russia, where captains can almost exclusively use SAP as their main rounds.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
Spgr. L/3.8 Bdz HE 167 149 124 103 87 66
Spgr. L/3.3 SAP SAP 481 430 357 299 252 193
Psgr. L/3.4 APC 519 463 383 320 270 205
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Spgr. L/3.8 Bdz HE 855 405.9 0.025 17 27 79° 80° 81°
Spgr. L/3.3 SAP SAP 850 410 0.025 17 10.8 47° 60° 65°
Psgr. L/3.4 APC 855 405.5 0.025 17 13.6 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

14 х Turret150 mm/45 SK L/45 cannon
Ammunition150 rounds
Main article: 150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)

The secondary armament is where Kaiser shines. It has 7 x 150 mm and 6 x 88 mm guns per side. This makes it exceptionally effective against lighter targets like destroyers, patrol boats and even some light cruisers. These guns are able to deal a devastating blow to all but the heaviest of ships in the game. However, note that the 88 mm guns are labeled as AA guns when selecting between armament types, though their limited elevation and lack of a timed explosive makes them far more effective against lighter ships. Kaiser can carry a total of 2,100 secondary shells. The 150 mm guns however have 3 shell types once again.

  • HE: These high-explosive shells are the stock round for secondary armaments and are exceptionally deadly to light targets like patrol boats and destroyers. They have 1.6 kg of explosive, making them a good option for setting fires on larger ships as well.
  • AP: The AP rounds from the 150 mm guns will be very useful when fighting light and heavy cruisers. With 225 mm of base penetration and 990 g of filler, they are very good at punching through even the thickest armour belts of cruisers, even damaging turrets and barbettes.
  • SAP: Again, the semi armour-piercing shells from German guns tends to be underwhelming. These round have 15 g more explosive filler than the AP while sacrificing 131 mm of base penetration. They still may be used effectively against lighter targets, but a combination of AP and HE shells will do better at fighting all types of targets.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz HE 21 21 21 21 21 21
Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz SAPBC 95 80 61 47 37 28
Psgr. L/3.7 APCBC 238 201 153 117 93 71
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz HE 835 45.3 0 0.1 1,600 79° 80° 81°
Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz SAPBC 835 45.3 0.01 7 1,050 48° 63° 71°
Psgr. L/3.7 APCBC 835 45.3 0.015 7 990 48° 63° 71°

Anti-aircraft armament

12 х Turret88 mm/45 SK L/45 cannon
Ammunition200 rounds
Main article: 88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)

The anti-air capability of the Kaiser is lacking. However, this is typical for most battleships of this era. It has 12 x 88 mm guns, half of which are in hull mounted casemates. Therefore, the elevation of said guns (only +18°), is not very useful. There are of course 6 guns mounted in superstructures, however they too lack meaningful elevation and traverse speed. This results in a large zone above the ship where captains will be completely vulnerable to attack. While the 88 mm guns can be used to shoot at low-flying targets, their lack of elevation and traverse speed makes them hard to use in the AA role. As before, they are much easier to use as light ship deterrents.

Additional armament

Setup 120 x 500 mm G6c torpedo
Main article: G6c (500 mm)

The Kaiser is armed with multiple 500 mm torpedoes. They have a relatively small warhead of only 160 kg and have a mild range of 5 km. They also move at a whole 50 km/h, meaning cruisers and destroyers can simply outrun them, let alone dodge them. However, in rare circumstances, they can still be effective as a surprise attack on an enemy vessel. Loading them will make the Kaiser easier to ammo rack as well.

Usage in battles

The Kaiser is definitely a fun ship to play given the right circumstance. While she doesn't stack up to ships like Marlborough or Mariya, she does still have the armour to take quite a few hits. The main armament of Kaiser is best used at longer range, as plunging fire only helps its lower penetration rounds find weak spots. Surprisingly though, she can be extremely effective in close quarters as well, using her strong belt and bow plating to tank rounds from cruisers and even battleships. However, the armour below the forward barbette is weaker than other battleships and can be exploited by other large calibre rounds from opposing dreadnoughts. The speed of Kaiser is very useful up close and its slightly better turning radius compared to other ships allows better responsiveness to incoming torpedoes, though captains will still need to stay vigilant.

Additionally, the overwhelming firepower of the secondary battery makes Kaiser a very formidable opponent up close, especially against light targets. However, its lack of air defense makes it an easy target for high flying and dive bombing planes, so be careful.

Overall, Kaiser is a well rounded ship, being able to sit comfortable at range and duel with its main guns, or take it up close and brawl with unsuspecting cruisers. While its main guns lack filler, it can still be effective against all types of enemies and will surely be fun to take out once in a while.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Fast with decent agility
  • Fantastic secondary battery
  • Great belt armour for up close battles

Cons:

  • Lacklustre main battery shells
  • Little air defence
  • Weak internal armour

History

Devblog

During the 1900's, the German Imperial navy placed orders for five new dreadnought battleships to be constructed in order to replace older warships of the Siegfried and Odin classes. These five new ships would become the Kaiser-class battleships, which among other technological advancements, featured turbine propulsion systems - a novelty on German warships at the time.

Kaiser, the lead ship of the class, was laid down in Kiel in December 1909, launched in March 1911 and subsequently commissioned in August 1912. After crew training and taking part in several fleet exercises, Kaiser along with its sistership König Albert and cruiser Strassburg, was sent on a long-distance cruise to German South-West Africa and South America to test the novel steam propulsion system for endurance and reliability. The flotilla returned from their cruise to Kiel in June of 1914.

Following the outbreak of the Great War, Kaiser took part in nearly every major naval operation of the conflict. This included the famous Battle of Jutland in mid 1916, where Kaiser sustained two direct hits, but suffered no substantial damage. Furthermore, Kaiser also took part in Operation Albion in 1917, bombarding Russian coastal positions in the Baltic, and crippling the destroyer Grom, followed by her sinking.

With the German surrender in November 1918, part of the High Seas Fleet, including the SMS Kaiser, was interned at the British naval base at Scapa Flow. The commanding German officer, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, believing that the fleet would be seized by the British, ordered the scuttling of the entire fleet on 21st of June, 1919. Kaiser was later raised in 1929 and broken up for scrap in the early 1930's.

Media

Skins
Images
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 01.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 02.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 03.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 04.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 05.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 06.jpg
  • SMS Kaiser WTWallpaper 07.jpg
Videos
Best Battleships discusses the SMS Kaiser at 01:18 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the ship;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Deutsche Werke AG
Light Cruisers 
K-class  Karlsruhe
Leipzig-class  Nürnberg
Battleships 
Kaiser-class  SMS Kaiser*
  *Previously Kaiserliche Werft Kiel

Germany battleships
Nassau-class  SMS Nassau · SMS Westfalen
Helgoland-class  SMS Helgoland · SMS Ostfriesland
Kaiser-class  SMS Kaiser
Bayern-class  SMS Bayern · SMS Baden · SMS Sachsen

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