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BISMARCK iron corvettes (1878 - 1880)


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Moltke  

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Bismarck     Norddeutsche SB, Kiel 1875 25.7.1877 27.8.1878 hulk 9.1891
Blücher     Norddeutsche SB, Kiel 1876 20.9.1877 21.12.1878 TS 8.1880, hulk 9.1906
Stosch   77 Vulcan, Stettin 1876 8.10.1877 3.1878 TS 1888, discarded 5.1907
Moltke     Danzig KW 1875 18.10.1877 16.4.1878 TS 1891, discarded 10.1910
Gneisenau     Danzig KW 1877 4.9.1879 3.10.1880 TS 1887, wrecked 16.12.1900
Stein   83 Vulcan, Stettin 1878 14.9.1879 3.10.1880 TS 1888, hulk 5.1908


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

Bismarck, Blücher: 2856

Stosch, Moltke, Gneisenau, Stein: 2843
Displacement full, t

Bismarck, Blücher: 3386

Stosch, Moltke, Gneisenau, Stein: 2994
Length, m

Bismarck, Blücher: 82.5 oa 72.2 wl

Stosch, Moltke, Gneisenau, Stein: 82.0 oa 72.2 wl
Breadth, m

13.7
Draught, m

Bismarck, Blücher: 5.68 mean 6.18 deep load

Stosch, Moltke, Gneisenau, Stein: 5.20 mean 6.30 deep load
No of shafts

1 (lifting screw)
Machinery

1 HSE, 4 rectangular boilers
Power, h. p.

2500
Max speed, kts

12.5
Fuel, t

coal 380
Endurance, nm(kts)

1940(10)
Armament

16 x 1 - 149/22 RK L/22 C/72
Complement

404


Standard scale images


<i>Moltke</i> 1890
Moltke 1890


Graphics


<i>Moltke</i>  
Moltke  


Project history

Similar lo the Leipzigs but somewhat smaller.

Modernizations

1880s, Bismarck: + 2 - 350 TT (bow)

1880s, Blücher: - 16 x 1 - 149/22; + 4 x 1 - 87/24 RK L/24 C/82, 13 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30, 3 - 450 TT (1 bow, 2 beam), 4 - 350 TT (1 bow, 2 beam, 1 stern)

1880s, Stosch, Moltke: - 6 x 1 - 149/22; + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 6 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30

1880s, Gneisenau: - 2 x 1 - 149/22; + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 6 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30

1880s, Stein: - 4 x 1 - 149/22; + 2 x 1 - 88/27 SK L/30 C/89, 6 x 5 - 37/27 RV L/30

Naval service

Blücher, acted as a torpedo research and school ship. Apart from Blücher the rest of the class spent most of their service in foreign waters. All of the last four served as school ships. Gneisenau was still serving as such when wrecked 16.12.1900 on the mole at Malaga in a storm. Blücher was sold to be a coal hulk at Vigo; Moltke was broken up in 1920, as were Bismarck and Stein.