Germany's first dreadnoughts were actually designed before the British revolution

Wars & Conflicts · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Nassau-class battleships are often seen as a reaction to the famous HMS Dreadnought. However, German design work for these massive vessels began as early as 1903. These ships brought a unique hexagonal gun arrangement to the seas, but their unusual design and engine choices tell a complex story of imperial ambition.

The Nassau-class, comprising the Nassau, Westfalen, Rheinland, and Posen, represented the Imperial German Navy's first dreadnought-style ships. While popular history often links their birth to the British HMS Dreadnought, German naval architects had been refining all-big-gun designs since 1903. This process was heavily influenced by Kaiser Wilhelm II, whose frequent interventions—ranging from requests for higher speeds to specific armament configurations—often complicated the engineering process.

The class featured a distinctive and unusual hexagonal arrangement of twelve 28 cm guns across six twin-gun turrets. This design choice, along with the placement of wing turrets, resulted in a wider, somewhat "stubby" hull with a length-to-width ratio of 5.45. While this width provided a stable platform, the weight of the wing turrets caused severe rolling in the North Sea, a problem later mitigated by the addition of bilge keels.

Technologically, the Nassau-class was a conservative choice compared to their British counterparts. While the HMS Dreadnought utilized advanced Parsons steam turbines, the German ships retained older triple-expansion steam engines. This decision was driven largely by economics; at the time, Parsons held a monopoly and charged a 1 million mark royalty fee per engine. German industry was not prepared for large-scale turbine production until 1910, forcing the Kaiserliche Marine to rely on established technology.

The ships saw extensive service during World War I, including the Battle of Jutland in 1916, where they assisted in sinking the HMS Black Prince. After Germany's defeat, the entire class was ceded to the Allied powers as war prizes and subsequently broken up in the early 1920s.

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