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KRIEGSMARINE (GERMANY)

OTHER FIGHTING SHIPS

ARIADNE floating AA batteries (1904-1908/1943-1944)

Ariadne 1944

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Ariadne (ex-Vliereede, ex-Hertog Hendrik)     Rijkswerf, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1900 7.6.1902 5.1.1904 // 11.1943 surrendered 5.1945, to Netherlands 1946
Undine (ex-Ijmuiden, ex-Jacob van Hemskerck)     Rijkswerf, Amsterdam, Netherlands 1900 22.9.1906 22.4.1908 // 4.1944 surrendered 5.1945, to Netherlands 1946

 

Displacement standard, t

 

Displacement full, t

Ariadne: 4371

Length, m

Ariadne: 96.6

Undine: 100.8

Breadth, m

15.1

Draught, m

5.79

No of shafts

none or 2

Machinery

none or 2 VTE, 6 Yarrow boilers

Power, h. p.

none or 6300

Max speed, kts

none or 16

Fuel, t

Ariadne: none or coal 830

Undine: none or coal 610

Endurance, nm(kts)

Ariadne: none or 4000(10)

Undine: none or 3300(10)

Armour, mm Harvey steel; belt: 152-102, deck: 51

Armament

8 x 1 - 105/42 SK C/32, 2 x 2 - 40/56 FlaK 28, 1 x 1 - 40/56 FlaK 28, 4 x 4 - 20/65 C/38

Electronic equipment FuMO 213 radar

Complement

 

Project history: Former Dutch coast defence battleships Hertog Hendrik and Jacob van Heemskerck, renamed Vliereede and Ijmuiden respectively in 1939. Ijmuiden 14.5.1940 was scuttled at Ijmuiden, 16.7.1940 salvaged by Germans and in March, 1941 towed off to Kiel. Vliereede 14.5.1940 was captured by German troops at Ijmuiden, 22.6.1940 sunk by British aircraft, salvaged in October, 1940 and towed off to Kiel.

In 1941-1943 both were converted to floating AA batteries. Superstructures were practically completely sheared, new armament and fire control systems with Würzburg radar were installed. Information about self-propelling ability is contradictory: under one version main machinery was demounted, only boiler for turbine-generators and household needs was retained; under other version, both ships retained main machines. Ships belonged to different classes and were differed among themselves by dimensions and an arrangement of superstructures a little.

Ship protection: Ariadne has 152mm belt (102mm) at ship ends, connected with 51mm deck by 51mm slopes. 152mm part of main belt was closed by 152mm transverse bulkheads. Barbette armour (197mm on Undine and 245-102mm on Ariadne was retained). Presumably, ships retained old conning towers with 194mm sides on Undine and 246mm sides on Ariadne.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: After war both were returned to the Netherlands and broken up in 1969-1974.

Undine

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14