NAVYPEDIA

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  Hagen 1894  

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Siegfried		44	Germaniawerft, Kiel	1888	10.8.1889	29.4.1890	barrack ship 1916
Beowulf		100	Weser, Bremen	1890	8.11.1890	1.4.1892	target ship 1916
Frithjof		101	Weser, Bremen	1890	21.7.1891	23.2.1893	barrack ship 1916
Heimdall		14	Wilhelmshaven KW	1891	27.7.1892	7.4.1894	barrack ship 1916
Hildebrand		20	Kiel KW	1890	6.8.1892	28.10.1893	barrack ship 1916
Hagen		21	Kiel KW	1891	21.10.1893	2.10.1894	barrack ship 1916

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	3691
Displacement full, t	3741
Length, m	79.0 oa 76.4 wl
Breadth, m	14.9
Draught, m	5.74
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 VTE, 4 locomotive boilers
Power, h. p.	5000
Max speed, kts	14.5
Fuel, t	coal 220 + oil 220
Endurance, nm(kts)	1490(10)
Armour, mm	Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof: compound; belt: 240 - 100, barbettes and cupolas: 200 - 30, deck: 30, CT: 80 Heimdal, Hildebrand, Hagen: compound; belt: 240 - 100, barbettes and cupolas: 200 - 30 (Krupp), deck: 30, CT: 80
Armament	Siegfried: 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 6 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern) Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdal, Hildebrand, Hagen: 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 8 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)
Complement	276

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

These small armoured ships, intended for the defence of the approaches to German harbours, had an unusual distribution of their main armament, the two forward turrets being mounted side by side. The last two ships, besides the different armament and Ägir`s two funnels, differed from the others in their armour protection and also in having fighting tops.

Ship protection, Siegfried, Beowulf, Frithjof

Compound steel-iron armour was used. Main belt was consisted of upper strip (240mm amidshipsl and 180mm at ship ends), backed by 330mm wood and lower strip (140mm amidships and 100mm at ship ends), backed by 290mm wood. There was 30mm armoured deck. Barbettes and cupolas had 200-30mm armour on 200mm wooden layer, CT had 80mm sides and 30mm roof.

Ship protection, Heimdall, Hildebrand, Hagen

Compound steel-iron armour was used. Main belt was consisted of upper strip (240mm amidshipsl and 180mm at ship ends), backed by 330mm wood and lower strip (140mm amidships and 100mm at ship ends), backed by 290mm wood. There was 30mm armoured deck. Barbettes and cupolas had 200-30mm Krupp armour on 200mm wooden layer, CT had 80mm sides and 30mm roof.

Modernizations

late 1890s, Siegfried: + 4 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89

late 1890s, Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall, Hildebrand, Hagen: + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89

(1898-1900, Kiel KW), Hagen; (1900-1902, Weser, Bremen), Beowulf; (1901-1902, Kiel KW), Heimdall; (1901-1902, Danzig KW), Hildebrand; (1902-1903, Weser, Bremen), Frithjof; (1903-1904, Danzig KW), Siegfried: were completely rebuilt: 4158t (normal) / 4236-4436t (full load), 86.1(oa) 84.8(wl) x 14.9 x 5.47-5.66m, boilers were replaced by 8 Marine boilers on all except Hagen with 8 Thornycroft boilers, 4700(Siegfried) or 5000(Beowulf, Frithjof, Heimdall) or 5300(Hildebrand, Hagen)hp, 15kts, 580t of coal and 500t of oil, 3400(10)nm, complement: 307; 3 x 1 - 238/32 MRK L/35 C/88, 10 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 3 - 450 TT (2 beam, 1 stern), 1 - 350 TT (bow)

also new Krupp armour partly replaced old compound on Heimdall, Hagen: 50mm deck, new CT with 160mm sides and 30mm roof, belt was replaced by Krupp steel: upper stripe 240mm amidships and 180mm at ship ends, backed by 260 - 320mm wooden layer, lower stripe was 140mm from stem till the aft end of citadel, aft end had 100mm thickness, this stripe was backed by 360-400mm wood.

Naval service

In 1915 this class were reclassified as coastal defence ships after a brief attachment to the fleet, but a year later all were disarmed. Their histories, after being removed from service and sold in 1919, are more than usually interesting. It was planned to convert Siegfried to a salvage ship, but this fell through and she was broken up in 1920. Beowulf had briefly been used as an icebreaker before being sold, but was broken up in 1921. Frithjof was rebuilt in 1923 as a motor cargo ship, and not broken up till 1930. A conversion of Heimdall into a salvage ship never materialized and she was broken up in 1921. Hildebrand was towed away to Holland for breaking up, but was wrecked on the Dutch coast, her remains being finally broken up in 1933. Hagen was broken up after her sale, but Odin was converted into a motor cargo ship in 1922, and served until broken up in 1935. Ägir underwent the same conversion, only to be wrecked in 1929.